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Our favorite winter sports could melt away sooner than you think – crushed by the rapid pace of climate change. In fact, more than half the cities that have previously hosted the Winter Games will be too hot to host again in just a few decades.
To reflect on a world without snow sports, we brewed Point of Snow Return, a Dark Helles with fading notes of winter flavor. Of course, beer can’t save winter – so who can?
Big corporations hold the power to save the Games by making climate action a priority, and many sponsors of this year’s Winter Games are doing their part. But some top sponsors have no plan to address climate change – and there are no standards in place for future Games. These companies are spending millions on advertising while letting the Games’ future melt away.
If big businesses want to show love for the Games, we think there should be a new rule: Climate action before ad campaigns.
(Real climate plan defined as a plan that limits global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, which scientists say is necessary to avoid the most catastrophic climate impacts)
In the coming decades, vast increases in average winter temperatures will leave more than half of previous Winter Games host cities – iconic snow-covered destinations like Chamonix and Vancouver – too hot to host again. (Mouse over each city to see its fate)
Average temperatures have jumped from just under 33 degrees F for Winter Olympics held from the 1920s to the 1950s, to more than 37 degrees for games held during the 1960s and 70s, to more than 46 degrees for games held since 2000.
The trend is expected to bring still-warmer average temperatures for the winter games, according to a study from the University of Waterloo looking at projected average February temperatures in past Winter Games host locations by 2050 and 2080, which are expected to warm up another 3.42 to 3.78 degrees by mid-century, and 4.86 to 7.92 degrees by late in the century, according to the study.
Source: University of Waterloo Source: Yale Climate Connections
Protect Our Winters helps passionate outdoor people protect the places and lifestyles they love from climate change. POW is a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies that protect our world today and for future generations.
