What Does A Warming Climate Mean for the Winter Olympic Games?

Welcome back to Climatific, a free, weekly read that breaks down climate science so it makes sense- not for scientists or researchers, but for everyday people trying to understand the planet we live on, what’s happening to it, and why it matters.

There’s no feeling like realizing your younger sibling is cooler than you. I’ve known this for some time now, so the Band-Aid’s been ripped off, but it still hurts. Especially when she does cool things like study abroad in Milan, Italy during the Winter Olympics; run into Olympians on the daily; and go behind-the-scenes to see how it operates. 

This week, we’ll be talking about how the International Olympic Committee and the athletes themselves are feeling the impacts of a warming planet on planning and performing in the Winter Olympic Games.

Starting today, we’re also finishing out each issue with real-life examples of people taking meaningful action in response to climate science. If you’re ever in dire need a pick-me-up, just skip to The Sunny Side.

If you’re a new subscriber, catch up on past issues of Climatific and learn more about who we are here:

The first Olympic Winter Games were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France- a quaint town settled in the French Alps. All the events that year took place outdoors, with ski runs that were all natural snow and ice rinks that were the result of freezing temperatures. 

Fast forward a century later, and Chamonix, France is now considered very unlikely to be able to host future Winter Olympic Games. 

What’s more, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics made history as the first Games to rely 100% on human-made snow. 

How did we get here? If you read last week’s issue, you might recall our discussion about “Dry January” at ski resorts across Colorado and Utah, and how warming temperatures have caused widespread “snow droughts.” Precipitation is falling, but it’s coming down as rain, not snow, and even if temperatures do drop to freezing, it turns to ice.

Now imagine this, but at the Olympic-level.

The list of possible host sites for future Winter Olympics is shrinking. By 2050, it is projected that only 52 of the 93 suitable host locations (~56%) will have enough snow and cold enough temperatures to host a Winter Olympics.

Winters around the world are getting shorter, warmer, and experiencing less consistent snow. 

Salt Lake City, Utah - yes, the same Utah that’s currently experiencing Dry January - is slated to host the Olympics in 2034 after hosting them successfully in 2002. Former mayor Rocky Anderson bets “it’s not going to happen”:

It’s also projected that there will be almost no locations that could host the Winter Games without any human-made snow by 2050. 

This might feel sudden, but we’ve seen the writing on the wall for some time now:

Okay, so we’ll just make snow…what’s the big deal?

The Games are getting costlier. To produce all of the artificial snow required for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, it costed roughly $3 for every cubic meter of snow. A cubic meter is about the size of a washing machine. That’s a lot of washing machines. And a total of $3.6 million worth of artificial snow.

The Games are becoming more dangerous. Whereas natural snow is only 10% ice and 90% air, artificial snow is 30% ice and 70% air. The higher ice content in artificial snow makes the slopes icier, more slippery, and more dangerous for competition.

Plus, even with artificial snow, we still run into the issue of warming temperatures. At Sochi 2014, temperatures peaked in the mid 60s. Warming temperatures melt snow—artificial and natural, alike—resulting in icy conditions. Even with fresh powder on top, layering different kinds of snow/ice/slush presents an avalanche risk and less-than-ideal conditions for athletes.

Energy demands are increasing. The organizers of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics needed 100 snow generators and 300 snow cannons to generate artificial snow for 100% of the events, requiring significant amounts of electricity to power them throughout the Games.

And water demands are, too. The Beijing Olympic Games required 343 million gallons of water. That’s a day’s worth of drinking water for nearly 900 million people.

While the final numbers for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games are still TBD, organizers estimated they’ll need 250 million gallons of water to make nearly 3.1 million cubic yards of snow. That’s enough to fill 380 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is reading the tea leaves and considering several changes to secure the future of the Winter Games.

Limiting Locations. The IOC is considering narrowing the list of locations that aren’t as threatened by warming temperatures and rotating all future Games amongst them.

Early Bird Gets the Worm. With February being warm enough to cause trouble, it’s no wonder the Paralympic Games in March are feeling the heat too. For this reason, the IOC is considering starting both sets of games three weeks earlier.

Evolving “Responsibly.” According to their website, the IOC has started implementing a number of sustainability measures aiming to minimize their water and electricity use, return benefits to the community, and avoid unnecessary construction.

What’s more, the IOC grants “Climate Action Awards” to athletes and organizations that work “to address climate change and make sport more sustainable.”

What He Did. Kevin Wekesa founded Play Green, a program that swaps plastic bottles for reusable aluminum ones across Kenya’s national rugby teams, and saves nearly 1,000 plastic bottles every week. He’s also engaged thousands of children across 40 schools in educational workshops on water conservation and waste management that are topped off with tree-plantings.

Why It Matters. Kevin started Play Green in response to warming temperatures and desertification across Kenya, and he hopes to scale his program nationwide to encourage climate action across schools and sport.

Kevin’s not alone. There are a choir of Olympians who are centering the climate in their athletic careers. Read about Jacquie Pierri, an Italian women’s ice hockey player who has built a career in clean energy, here.

Lover’s Day, The Day of Romance, Cupid’s Feast, Affectionate Appreciation Day…

Grossed out yet? It’s only right that we spend next week talking about Valentine’s Day. How are warming temperatures affecting how roses are pollinated, grown, harvested, and shipped to your local grocer?

That’s right - behind all the white, pink, and red roses trading hands is a climate story worth sharing. Tune in next week, dear reader, and we’ll be sure to give you your flowers…

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