Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Fake Snow Dangerous For Humans, Environment [Report]

Experts warned in a report released a week before the commencement of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing that climate change is endangering the Winter Olympics and the future of snow sports by making circumstances significantly riskier for competitors and participants.

The current study backs up previous concerns that artificial snow causes more sports-related injuries. In 2019, German physicians revealed that falls on artificial skiing slopes resulted in more serious injuries at their hospital.

Athletes contacted for the survey expressed their dissatisfaction with manmade snow constructions such as snow piles, which are steep embankments from which freestyle skiers do acrobatics.

The New York Post said Beijing Winter Olympics, which begin on February 4, will be the first to employ practically 100% artificial snow, with more than 100 snow generators and 300 snow-making guns operating nonstop to cover the ski slopes.

(Photo : MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
An athlete takes part in a snowboard slopestyle practice session at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou on February 3, 2022, ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics: Fake Snow is Harmful to Humans, Environment

Loughborough University in London has published a research and analysis on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the use of artificial snow to cover the event and make up for the absence of the natural snowfall. This year's Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, will use manufactured snow to make up for the absence of natural snowfall throughout the winter season.

Researchers claimed that using fake snow is hazardous to the environment since it makes flakes, cools them, and blows them about. The machine must run nonstop for the whole day to produce the snowing effect and fill the area with white, powdery material.

The machines will have to create 1.2 million cubic meters (about 42.4 million cubic feet) of snow, which will become the new normal for the public.

Due to pollution and the depletion of natural underground reservoirs, the city's water supply has already been depleted. To meet its water demands, Beijing has diverted water from rivers in its south.

EcoBusiness said chemicals used to keep fake snow frozen for longer might harm plants and biodiversity. It mentioned that one of the ski resorts was close to Songshan National Nature Reserve, a 4,600-hectare protected forest.

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Fake snow, on the other hand, is not only bad for the environment, but it is also unsafe for humans, especially in the event of an accident. Falling on synthetic snow is like landing on concrete because it lacks the inherent composition of snow to keep its shape and avoid melting quickly.

Water Usage in China Could Add Strain to Country's Resources

Despite China's repeated assurances that it solely uses natural rainfall and recycled water for snowmaking, there have been fears that the high water usage rate may put further strain on the region's already precious resources.

As a result of climate change, natural snow is becoming less plentiful in certain areas. Water availability for snowmaking is decreasing, putting the global snow sports business in danger.

CNN said many competitors are now navigating inconsistent snow seasons and the fast melt of low-level resorts.

The danger is obvious, the report added. Global warming is jeopardizing the long-term viability of winter sports. It's also lowering the number of climatically viable Winter Olympic host locations.

Researchers anticipate that just 10 of the 21 locations utilized for the Winter Games since Chamonix in 1924 would have the climate appropriateness and natural snowfall levels to stage an event by 2050.

Chamonix, along with sites in Norway, France, and Austria, has been declared "high risk." In contrast, Vancouver, Sochi, and Squaw Valley in the United States have been deemed "unreliable."