The Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022 will be the first to rely completely on artificial snow. The environmental consequences of artificial snow are detailed in a research paper published by the Sport Ecology Group at Loughborough University and Save Our Winters. The paper also mentions that harder manufactured snow is hazardous for the health of athletes.
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The Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022 will be the first to rely completely on artificial snow. The environmental consequences of artificial snow are detailed in a research paper published by the Sport Ecology Group at Loughborough University and Save Our Winters. The paper also mentions that harder manufactured snow is hazardous for the health of athletes.What is artificial snow?Snow that is injected with water to harden it and then treated with chemicals to keep the hardened snow in place, is a form of artificial snow that is recommended for winter competitions. AFPAccording to an analysis published by Loughborough University, just ten of the twenty venues that have hosted the Winter Olympics since 1924 will be able to produce enough snow to organise an international-level tournament like the Winter Olympics by 2050. Artificial snow production is critical to the Winter Games' survival.What is the process of making artificial snow?Artificial snow slopes that are suitable for competition require a large amount of water and electricity. Artificial snow use, particularly for sports, has expanded dramatically in a world where natural snowfall is progressively decreasing.Russia employed artificial snow for 80% of the competitions at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. For the Pyongyang Winter Games, that figure jumped to 90 percent. The 2010 Vancouver Olympics were also known for needing to fly in the snow with helicopters for the competitions.Snow-making devices from TechnoAlpin, an Italian business, have been brought in for the Beijing Winter Olympics. These devices have been generating artificial snow since November 2021.These machines make snow by pumping ice particles and a thin mist of water vapour out at the same time. Both of these particles are released into the air and combine to form snow, which eventually falls to the ground. According to the Sunday Times, TechnoAlpin has deployed 290 snow cannons throughout Beijing.Is it necessary to use artificial snow?According to the 'Slippery Slopes' assessment, weather changes caused by global warming are endangering snow sports and limiting the number of acceptable venues for future Winter Olympics. AFPIn a bid evaluation document, the International Olympic Committee stated that the Yanqing and Zhangjiakou venues for the 2022 Games would have minimal annual snowfall and would rely completely on artificial snow.Almaty, a city in Kazakhstan with snowy winters, was another option, but Beijing was viewed as a safe bet after hosting the 2008 Olympic Games.Environmental deteriorationThe Beijing 2022 host committee believes that creating snow conditions will require 222 million litres of water, although Beijing is one of the world's most water-scarce cities.China has promised to host a green and clean Olympics, powered entirely by renewable energy sources. Artificial snow production, especially when powered by renewable energy, can be energy and water expensive, and chemicals or biological additions are frequently used to improve quality and slow melt.Chemically treated water can reduce biodiversity and damage plants, and a slow melt means plant growth beneath the snowpack is delayed. Human-made snow should not be considered as a way to address climate change, according to Peter Speight, a British freestyle champion and Winter Olympian. Reuters/Representational imageHe further explained, It's useful for making physical snow for people to use. However, it consumes a lot of water and energy, and it doesn't help solve climate change, he was quoted saying this by the BBC.We need to solve climate change at the source rather than rely on mitigation-focused solutions.'A danger to athletes'According to the paper, athletes are more at danger when competing on artificial snow since it tends to create a faster and harsher surface, which might result in more serious injuries when they fall.Laura Donaldson, a British freestyle skier who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, believes that athletes are more likely to get injured when competing on artificial snow.If freestyle super pipes are formed from snow-making machines in a poor season, the walls of the pipe are solid, vertical ice and the pipe floor is solid ice, she told the report. This is dangerous for athletes.For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.
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