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Olympics Scar Alps: Plastic Snow, Cement Queen
6 Feb
Summary
- Old-growth forests felled for new infrastructure.
- Alpine rivers depleted for artificial snow cannons.
- Dozens of projects urbanize stressed mountain environment.
Cortina d'Ampezzo, set to host the Winter Olympics, faces environmental criticism despite organizers' sustainability pledges. Organizers promised to protect sensitive mountain ecosystems, but environmentalists report widespread damage from construction. Old-growth forests have been cleared for new infrastructure, such as a new bobsled track, impacting ancient trees that survived past wars.
Water from Alpine rivers is being diverted, with an estimated 84.8 million cubic feet needed for snowmaking alone, equivalent to 380 Olympic swimming pools. Official statements indicate 25 gallons per second are drawn from rivers like the Boite. Critics highlight that full environmental assessments were not conducted for over 60% of approved projects.
Local opposition argues that the extensive construction, including roads and car parks, will urbanize the rural alpine life and damage the environment, leading to a loss of local identity. This contrasts with the 1956 Winter Olympics, which positively impacted the town with less infrastructure development and natural snowfall.
