Sport is an integral part of culture, with the power to bring people and nations together. It supports healthy lifestyles, builds strong communities, improves social cohesion, and employs millions of citizens. For many, sport is a key part of life and culture. Examples of sports include; football, hockey, basketball, baseball, boxing, skating among others.
WHAT ARE WINTER SPORTS?
Winter sports are competitive/non-competitive recreational activities which are played on ice or snow basically. These sports cannot be played on bare ground. Examples of some winter sports include variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding like ice hockey, snowboarding, bobsleigh and much more.
Exercises with specifics to winter sport activities, shows positive effects on physical and mental health, with additional benefits when participating in natural environments.
HOW DOES WINTER SPORTS CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
Do Winter sports contribute to climate change? The answer is yes. They do, and here are some ways in which they do.
- Snowmaking: Snowmaking machines require a lot of energy to operate, and they can also release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. A study by the University of Colorado found that snowmaking machines at ski resorts in the western US account for approximately 1% of the region & total energy consumption
- Travel: The winter sports industry is responsible for a significant amount of travel-related emissions.
- Depletion of water resource: The artificial snow takes about 2-3 weeks longer to melt compared to natural snow. This reduces the amount of surface water available.
- Contamination of water: As the artificial snow melts, the chemicals contained in it are also washed down contaminating the ground water
HOW DOES CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT WINTER SPORTS
It is often said that nature gives back, and this is true with climate change. Just as Winter sports contribute to climate change, the sport in turn gets affected by the effects of climate change. These effects include:
REDUCED SNOWFALL/ICE
Climate change is causing shifts in snowfall patterns, leading to reduced snow cover and shorter winter seasons in many regions.
This affects skiing, snowboarding, and other snow-dependent sports.
WARMER TEMPERATURE
Rising temperatures can lead to higher freezing levels in mountains, resulting in more rain than snow. This can lead to icy slopes and poor skiing conditions.
MELTING GLACIERS
Glaciers, essential for some winter sports like glacier skiing and ice climbing, are retreating due to warming temperatures, posing long-term challenges for these activities.
UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER
With weather patterns rapidity changing, players are subjected to play under extreme weather conditions which increases the risks of accidents.
MITIGATION EFFORTS TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Efficient equipment
- Renewable energy
EXISTING EFFORTS
• The international Olympic Committee has developed a strategy which aims to move the games from carbon neutrality to carbon negative by 2030.
• The sport4Climate initiative by the World Bank Group launched in 2014which aims at using sports to raise awareness on the need to maintain global temperature rise by 1degree Celsius.
• The Palau’s Environmental Policy Protection Board’s Coastal unit which involves high profile athletes in raising awareness on environmental issues.
RECOMMENDED EFFORTS
• Alternative energy sources to power the snow making process.
• Alternative power sources which have reduced carbon footprints in powering the stadium during the games.
• Processes which purifies artificial snow as it melts back to water.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN WINTER SPORTS
About 91 countries worldwide are involved in winter sport activities. This affords a platform for influencing the minds of its audience and participants. This strategic tool can be used to create awareness and education on climate change, global warming and other environmental issues.
Also, in the production of fan gears and gears for players. There can be policies made to establish the use of raw materials and processes which have low carbon footprint and have low energy requirement.
A CALL TO ACTION
Winter sports can not be sustained on artificial snowmaking alone, and even if it
is so, it poses a threat to the climate and all life forms. It is time that we begin to pay attention and be intentional toward the
relationship between climate change and these winter sports activities.
CONCLUSION
Sports play a major role in influencing the ideologies of people. Statistics prove that fans are more likely to take and utilize information they receive on these platforms.
Winter sports are special in themselves and the current trend shows the need for sustainable action to preserve the sport.
All countries involved in winter sports need to take prompt steps toward mitigating climate change as not just the posterity of the sport stands at risk but the world at large
GSAG Members
GSAM Adebisi Baliqeeez
Ismaila Taheerat
Favour Akintunde
Daniel ige
Olayiwola Temitope
Olabisi Jelilah Adenike
Umaima Muhammad
Ayoola Amubode
CO-AUTHORS
ISMAILA TAHEERAT AND FAVOUR AKINTUNDE
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