Sigi's tips | Winter sports and climate change

Everything was already so beautifully arranged. Flannel shirts to the front, short-sleeved T-shirts to the back. Sweaters within easy reach, winter jackets anyway. And suddenly the thermometer shows almost 20 degrees. Plus. The closet is rearranged again because the sun is beating down on the terrace like it is in summer. Winter seems far away. Is it already over? If Easter is like it was at the beginning of the year, we would be happy. But now you want playful ice flowers and glittering snow crystals.

Climate change? Foehn storm in Innsbruck. Not even the eagles can fly and have to move to Bischofshofen. Slalom in Zagreb. The Snow Queen Petra Vlhova swings through the gates on a dirt track. “The dirtiest slalom of all time,” write the newspapers. Its to warm. A day later the slope is completely destroyed. The men's slalom cannot be held and will be postponed by one day. This will be stressful for many, because the ski circus is scheduled to hit Adelboden (Switzerland) this weekend. In Oberhof the cross-country ski trail became a “stream” The women will at least make up for the competition that was canceled in Maribor in Slovenia, namely in Kranjska Gora. In Oberhof, the biathletes were not allowed on the track for training. It literally disappeared in the temperature shock and turned into a stream. The men's sprint has been postponed to January 7th. Luckily it has gotten a little colder now.

Winter sports and climate change – an explosive topic. © dpa-Zentralbild / Hendrik Schmidt

And yet the word climate change simply doesn't seem to resonate in the world of sports, because it's always possible to find alternative venues somewhere that want to hold a competition. Whatever the cost. We should have said goodbye to glacier racing long ago. Prominent former racers like Felix Neureuther are now also loudly demanding this. But at some point his comments also fade away like an echo in the mountains. For a moment you notice, listen, even listen, and then the usual cycle begins. The hunt for appointments continues. Criticism falls prey to forgetfulness. Climate change? It's so far away.

If one day, and perhaps this will happen, the polar ice caps melt and all the ice masses melt, it has been calculated that sea levels would rise by 65 centimeters. This sounds so absurd and unreal that it is difficult to deal with such parameters. And besides, the ski circuit still doesn't care. He sets up his tents above this ominous mark, far above the water masses. It has long been said that the land is under, even near us, but we continue to wave, jump and run as if nothing had happened. Have we done enough? We have to ask ourselves every day: Have we done enough to prevent a catastrophe? Can we as individuals do anything to stop climate change? What use is it if I take a bike instead of a car, while a cruise ship emits pollutants to a frightening extent for the amusement of its paying customers? People with lung problems are even advised not to go on a cruise because the heavy oil that the ships are fueled with also spreads fine dust and nitrogen oxides when they burn. But we are a fun society, of course, and besides, it always affects others, not us directly.

But there is another danger that is quite close. Permafrost soils, one of the most important carbon sinks on earth, are gradually thawing and the alpine area is also affected, which is reflected in cracks in the rock that can trigger natural disasters. This is what happened in Graubünden, Switzerland, five years ago. Incidentally, the Bondo landslide was predicted by rock collapses and mudslides in previous years. Rejections are indications Of course, none of this has anything to do with the postponements and problems in winter sports. We think because it's so convenient. We don't want to admit it or react to it. We want to continue living our lives as we know them so far. And when it's winter again, a really nice winter, we quickly forget about climate change and Corona and everything else. It won't be that bad.

We are already in the middle of climatic misery. Cancellations and postponements of sporting events in winter are indications that should not and should not be ignored, as they are becoming more and more frequent. The reaction to this: T-shirts and flannel shirts will sit next to each other in the future. You never know.

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Sigi's tips | Winter sports and climate change

The many shifts in the winter sports calendar are giving our columnist Sigi Heinrich something to think about when it comes to climate change. This is not just around the corner, but has already reached us, although convenience still pushes reality aside.

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