Staff hurriedly shovel artificial snow
onto the course only to watch it melt while skiers land in puddles at the end
of their run while tourists sunbathe between events. Such was the scene at the
2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
While much attention has been given to the
ways in which species are starting to crawl north alongside global temperature
increases, human behavior may follow suit. I should be clear that I am making
no attempt to equate the two in significance but, our social definitions of certain
regions and activities often contain a backdrop of consistent climate. This also
says nothing to the people that will displaced by rising sea-level which is a
much more significant and immediate issue.
However, in the Adirondacks, entire towns
which might consider themselves dependent on a ski/snowmobile resort economy could
soon find themselves with a much shorter season. The future of snow in the
Adirondacks is not guaranteed and while winter tourism is an admittedly more
stable industry than logging or tanneries, it is dependent on a singular resource.
As so much of the region has dedicated its infrastructure to this tourist
economy, I wonder if they can afford to lose another industry and if anything
will be able to take its place.
Along
similar lines, two-time Olympic host Lake Placid may very well find itself in
the place of Sochi-requiring more money to import winter into their winter Olympics.
A report by researchers from the University of Waterloo and the Innsbruck
Management Center used data from the IPCC to conclude the “climate reliability”
of former Winter Olympic sites, including Lake Placid. The results show a
relatively long lifespan for the Adirondack region but it is not unlimited.
Admittedly there are many, many, many more
pressing concerns with relation to climate change than skiing. It may not even
be a concern this century. But eventually, the Adirondacks may find itself
needing to adapt once again to a changing world.
https://uwaterloo.ca/news/sites/ca.news/files/uploads/files/oly_winter_games_warmer_world_2014.pdf
While I agree that climate change is an important and pressing issue, I think that unfortunately, slightly misleading figures like this one are one of the reasons that people say they don't "believe" in climate change. It is true that Sochi's future as a winter sports mecca is in great danger, but to be honest, it was never really a winter sports mecca to begin with. Sochi is one of Russia's "resort cities" and is actually one of the few places in the country that have a subtropical climate (warm-hot summers and mild winters) so it really isn't a surprise that the city's future suitability to host another winter Olympics is really low. The same is true with Squaw Valley, which also technically has a Mediterranean climate. I feel like this figure could be misleading or confusing to some people as it compares climates that were borderline unsuitable to host a winter games to begin with with other climates that will likely still be functioning winter tourism sites for a few more decades.
ReplyDeleteAlso, climate change won't affect all places and climates equally. While many places are projected to get warmer and drier, that is not a global trend. We are likely to see shifts in both temperature and precipitation with some places experiencing periods of drought and then torrential downpour and other places simply just experiencing more precipitation.
I am certainly not questioning research methods or the consensus of the scientific community as a whole or that Adirondack towns like Lake Placid shouldn't consider the future of their economy in a changing climate, but whether or not figures such as this one, which compare climates globally are detrimental to the decisions made by local governments, as these figures can often be misleading, confusing, and not representative of what will happen to a climate on a smaller scale.
Sources:
http://ussa.org/foundation/about-sochi
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca8474