SKI SLOPES OF SUSTAINABILITY

BY STEPHEN XU

Highlighting the negative environmental impact of the Winter Olympics, and particularly the use of artificial snow, Xu suggests a partnership between the International Olympics Committee and Snomax, a company that uses microbes to induce artificial snow with less energy and water.

Asingle torch embodies the spirit of the Winter Olympic Games. Its eternal flame burns throughout the game’s highs and lows as the world watches. The Winter Games symbolize unity as humanity comes together to celebrate some of the greatest athletes in the world. Over time, the games have come to exhibit nature and culture, showcasing not only athletics but also the environmental and cultural beauty of the host nations. The Winter Olympics have become synonymous with beautiful landscapes and snow-covered slopes but rising temperatures are placing the games in danger. With the environment in jeopardy, what can be done to protect the sport and the planet?

The United Nations lays out a series of sustainable targets for society, with goal 13 focusing on climate action. 1 This term encapsulates multiple issues, the most significant being global warming, a phenomenon caused by increased carbon emissions released into the atmosphere, which traps heat close to the earth’s surface and warms the planet.2 These rising temperatures combined with less precipitation worldwide make natural snowfall less frequent. To combat this issue, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has resorted to producing artificial snow. However, this method of creating snow takes a negative toll on the environment.

The 2022 Winter Olympics occurred in Beijing, China, a region that experts call one of the driest places on earth, as it averages a precipitation rate of less than one inch during the winter months. To create enough snow to host the games, the government brought in 343 million gallons of water, equivalent to a day's worth of water for almost 15 percent of the world’s population. Not only did the project need an obscene amount of water but also enough energy to power snowmaking blowers. Those two factors caused critics to label the Beijing Olympics the least sustainable in the history of the games.3

The IOC recognizes sustainability as a significant issue for the Winter Olympics. They have gone so far as to promote sustainability as the third pillar of the Olympic spirit. They also release yearly reports, targeting objectives such as creating energy-efficient villages for athletes. 4 While the IOC understands the importance of adapting the games to a sustainable model built for the future, the measures they are taking do not target the biggest threat to the environment— artificial snow. One of the reasons why the IOC has not done so is to protect the competitiveness of the games. Many of the sustainable artificial snow products on the market are made of paper or similar materials and are geared towards looks. However, the best skiers and snowboarders on the planet cannot compete on paper slopes, so what are the alternatives?

In a recent study, researchers used numerous metrics from athletes and coaches to measure snow quality and determine the threshold for safe competition. By 2080, out of the 21 previous hosts of the Winter Olympics, only Sapporo, Japan will be able to safely hold the games.5 By the year 2080, the temperatures and precipitation rates in those 20 locations would be at a level where athletes could not safely compete without artificial snow. Every four years, the world would be looking at a repeat of the Beijing Olympics’ massive environmental cost.

Yet while current artificial snow may be detrimental to the environment, it also negatively affects athletes who have to compete on those surfaces. Skiing and snowboarding are already inherently dangerous sports, and competing on artificial snow makes it worse. One athlete described it as “icier, therefore faster and more dangerous. It also hurts more if you fall outside of the course when there is no fluffy snowbank, but a rocky and muddy hard ground.”6

The IOC and host nations can take measures to solve this problem. One such solution would be a partnership between the IOC and Snomax International, a company based out of Denver, Colorado. Snomax sells an additive that reduces the water and energy needed to produce snow.

The product is a snow inducer made of proteins from naturally occurring microbes. Snow forms when water droplets attach to these proteins. Snomax mixes the preparation with a fine snow-ready mist, making it easier for water droplets to attach. This step leads to more water becoming snow rather than evaporating, a frequent occurrence with traditional artificial snow. Snomax produces 90 percent more snow with just a 3.5 percent increase in water and the same amount of energy as contemporary methods of snow production. 7 The snow created also has stronger ionic bonds and a higher melting point, making it resistant to rising temperatures.

Safety and sustainability are also important aspects of Snomax’s mission. The microbes found in the product are naturally occurring and native to all continents. To prove its merit, the company has sponsored multiple studies reviewing the safety of the product. Test centers in historically environmentally conscious countries such as Switzerland, Japan, and New Zealand concluded that Snomax has no negative impact on the environment.8

We can measure Snomax’s effect on the Olympics through various metrics; we might measure energy and water consumption, for example, and compare this data to that of prior Olympics. Another way to assess the possible effects of a partnership is through hypothetical models. Researchers can measure the amount of snow generated from one bag of Snomax and the amount of water used in the Beijing Olympics. Comparing these figures, researchers could determine the potential water and energy savings Snomax applications might have achieved in past games.

The Snomax product is not only environmentally sustainable but also financially viable. A 300-gram bag of the snow inducer would sell for around one hundred dollars.9 That is enough to nucleate ~100,000 gallons of snowmaking water. Estimating, the cost of Snomax for the 343 million gallons of water used in Beijing comes to $343,000. Even combined with the cost of injection systems, the total cost of the Snomax snow-making process would have a minimal effect on a multi-billion dollar budget. A partnership between the IOC and Snomax would increase profits for the games and the host country. The inducer would lower energy and water expenses while producing the same amount of snow. The Olympics have a history of negative finances and the most recent Winter Olympic Games went five billion dollars over budget.10 Snomax would bolster cost management efforts and benefit the bottom line.

However, there are potential drawbacks to a partnership between Snomax and the Olympics. One of the biggest concerns is safety. While the product is popular in Swiss resorts, it is banned in Austria and Germany as independent studies there claim the additive causes illness. The microbes remain in the snow after it is created and could pose health concerns for skiers and operators of the machines.11

Furthermore, there are concerns about

Snomax’s effect on vegetation. Because of its long-lasting nature and high melting point, the snow stays around well into spring, proving detrimental to grass and plants. 12 Snomax denies the accusations about their product, citing their studies. For example, the microbes found in the product are naturally occurring and do not reproduce, guaranteeing the safety of all parties.13 Regardless, the effect of Snomax on humans and plants has not been fully investigated, something critics of a potential partnership point out.14

Because of the uncertainty regarding the chemicals used in Snomax, host countries could have different regulations regarding the chemicals they permit. These differing perspectives could lead host countries to ban the microbes used in Snomax, a concern all parties will have to consider.

Another potential issue with Snomax as a company is its relatively small size. While its product is used in multiple small Swiss resorts, they have not had a project as big as the Winter Olympics. The company has to prove its ability to successfully scale up while maintaining its mission of sustainability and relatively low cost. It has to be seen whether Snomax has the capital and capacity to provide for the games every four years while simultaneously keeping up with its other partnerships. While not insurmountable, this task may be quite difficult.

There are numerous stakeholders in a potential partnership between Snomax and the IOC, meaning multiple parties have interests to consider. Because they will have to deal with the economic and environmental effects of such a partnership firsthand, host countries are some of the biggest stakeholders. In this scenario, they would benefit from such a partnership because it would protect their resources and preserve the country’s natural beauty. Snomax would further lower the host’s expenses by protecting these resources and boosting their bottom line.

Other parties with a major stake in the partnership are the athletes who take part in the games. Because they compete at such a high level, any difference in the snow would have a major impact on the competitiveness of the event as a whole. Snomax’s snow would have to meet these high standards. Athletes would potentially benefit from this partnership because Snomax slightly alters the makeup of snow, reportedly making it fluffier and more natural, compared to the icier conditions they currently compete in.

The Olympics are not fully funded by the IOC and host countries. Corporate sponsors play a big role in financing and making sure the games run smoothly. They would also benefit from a Snomax and IOC partnership because it improves the reputation of the games. The Beijing games were considered an environmental disaster and the current Olympics’ reputation suffers without leadership prioritizing sustainability.

As the corporate world focuses on becoming environmentally friendly and global warming becomes a bigger threat, being connected to an unsustainable operation may reflect negatively on Olympic sponsors. The transition to sustainability, starting with a Snomax partnership, can improve the reputation of sponsors as supporters of sustainability. This transition may also protect the beautiful image of the games.

When you think of the Winter Olympics, images of skiers carving down pristine white mountains and snowboarders flipping through the crystal blue sky come to mind. No one wants to imagine gray stacks spewing smoke over icy slopes or fossil-fuel powered fans blowing powder onto bare mountains. Unfortunately, this vision may become the reality of the games as global warming takes its toll on the planet. To protect the sports that we all love, the IOC needs to partner with Snomax International, providing a sustainable way to bring back those distant memories of snowy Olympic wonderlands.