From the opportunist headlines department, and the department of Vinerisms “children just won’t know what snow is” comes this press release. Apparently Winter Olympics will be a thing of the past. Via Eurekalert:
Only six of the previous Winter Olympics host cities will be cold enough to reliably host the Games by the end of this century if global warming projections prove accurate. Even with conservative climate projections, only 11 of the previous 19 sites could host the Games in the coming decades, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and Management Center Innsbruck (Austria).
From the University of Waterloo
Climate change threatens Winter Olympics
Only 6 of previous Winter Games venues to be cold enough by late-century
Only six of the previous Winter Olympics host cities will be cold enough to reliably host the Games by the end of this century if global warming projections prove accurate.
Even with conservative climate projections, only 11 of the previous 19 sites could host the Games in the coming decades, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and Management Center Innsbruck (Austria).
“The cultural legacy of the world’s celebration of winter sport is increasingly at risk,” said Professor Daniel Scott, a Canada Research Chair in Global Tourism and lead author of the study. “Fewer and fewer traditional winter sports regions will be able to host a Olympic Winter Games in a warmer world.”
The study finds that internationally renowned Olympic sites, such as Squaw Valley (USA), Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany), Vancouver (Canada) and Sochi (Russia) would no longer have climates suitable to reliably host the Games by the middle of the 21st century. With additional warming projected for later decades of this century, as few as six former host locations would remain climatically suitable.
“This report clearly points out the challenges that lie ahead for the Olympics because of climate change,” said Chris Steinkamp, executive director of Protect Our Winters and who was not involved with the study. “It’s particularly powerful to see how past Olympic host cities could be impacted under a higher emission scenario, so hopefully this will serve as a wake up call to the IOC and world leaders that major commitments to carbon reductions need to be made.”
The need for weather risk management strategies by Olympic organizers has intensified as the average February daytime temperature of Winter Games locations has steadily increased – from 0.4°C at Games held in the 1920-50s, to 3.1°C in Games during the 1960-90s, and 7.8°C in Games held in the 21st century.
“Today it would be difficult to imagine successfully delivering the diverse Games program exclusively on natural ice and snow, as it was in the early decades of the Olympic Winter Games,” said Dr. Robert Steiger of the Management Center Innsbruck.
Weather risk management will become even more important in the coming decades with average February temperatures in past Winter Olympic host locations expected to warm an additional 1.9 to 2.1°C by mid-century and 2.7 to 4.4°C in late century.
The study found that the success of the Games is often partially attributed to favourable weather, while poor weather is highlighted as one of the greatest challenges faced by Olympic Organizing Committees. Weather affects the ability to prepare for the Games and can directly impact outdoor opening and closing ceremonies, fairness of outdoor competitions, spectator comfort, transportation, and visibility and timing of television broadcasts.
The study also examines how technological advancements and strategies developed over several decades have been used to manage weather risk at the Winter Olympics. Technology like snowmaking, track/jump refrigeration and high-resolution weather forecasting are now critical components of staging a successful Winter Games.
“Despite technological advances, there are limits to what current weather risk management strategies can cope with,” said Professor Scott. “By the middle of this century, these limits will be surpassed in some former Winter Olympic host regions.”
The study provides an important opportunity for reflection on the long-term implications of global climate change for the world of sport and the world’s collective cultural heritage symbolized by the Olympic Movement. It also reveals that for some cities and regions interested in hosting a future Winter Olympics, the time to bid for the games might be sooner than later.
A full copy of the report can be downloaded from https://uwaterloo.ca/news/sites/ca.news/files/uploads/files/oly_winter_games_warmer_world_2014.pdf
To be consistent, anyone swallowing the CAGW concept should object to any snow related recreational facilities NOW! People don’t WALK to ski resorts, they fly and take motor vehicles- both of which produce CO2.
These seem to be politically motivated reports not based on any legitimate science . Winters have been getting colder in the entire Northern Hemisphere since 1998. They will probably stay cool until 2035/2045. Reminds one of a similar nonsense report by the Suzuki Foundation during the 2010 Olympics claiming Canadian winter sports will be in danger in a few decades due to lack of snow and cold temperatures . Guess where the snow and cold temperatures are this winter.
I continue to be amazed at the time and dollars being spent to solve potentially non existing climate problems a hundred years from now but the same universities will not take the time to solve current weather issues and help the public with better current winter weather forecasts so that the public can better plan for proper winter infrastructure and heating fuel stocks[ like propane and heating oil ] . Surely our priority is with our welfare in the moment.
Making potentially unfounded and exaggerated climate forecasts helps no one and this one of the reasons why some parts of the country are unprepared for the winters that lie ahead
“average February temperatures in past Winter Olympic host locations expected to warm an additional 1.9 to 2.1°C by mid-century and 2.7 to 4.4°C in late century.”
To get a rise of 2 C by 2050 the temperatures would have to rise by an average of 0.57 C per decade over each of the next 3. 5 decades. During the entire last century the global temperature rose only about 0.7C and there has been no increase during the last 17 years .
Yet a credible university puts out this type of nonsense forecats
Maybe Viner was “almost right”. I live in Middle England and have not seen a single flake of snow so far this winter.
However as a keen skier for the past 40 years I would state categorically that skiing conditions in The Alps have been fantastic every year but one in the past eight years, and immeasurably better than in the 1980’s.
“The cultural legacy of the world’s celebration of winter sport is increasingly at risk,”
This A-Hole Narcissist needs to lose his job and dig ditches or some such for a while – that would cure him.
Since it was snowing in Cairo, and they had 60 deaths from hypothermia in Bangkok last night I’m sure they won’t run out of venues. Anyhow by 2100 they will hold them on Mt Olympus – on Mars.