A Change.org petition inspired by imagery of excavators tearing into the Theodul glacier in Zermat and bulldozers ripping apart glacier ice in Solden for the Alpine Ski World Cup has nearly reached 7,000 signatures after less than a day.
The petition, started by Protect Our Winters, calls for the International Ski Federation (FIS) to implement a target-based sustainability strategy, fully publish the organization’s environmental impact, use the organizations political impact to advocate for climate action, and alter the competition calendar to account for travel impact and the changing climate. Earlier this year, 500 winter sport athletes, including Mikaela Shiffrin, called for more climate accountability from the organization through an open letter.
“The FIS still schedules races far too early in the season, misleading claims of climate positivity are still in place, and FIS’s published carbon footprint calculation is wildly inaccurate. It is clear that FIS has done far too little to be the climate leader we need at this critical time. The Federation, event organizers and host destinations must act as role models and show that they take the current challenges seriously.” – Protect Our Winters
Protect Our Winter shared images to Facebook of excavators tearing into the Theodul glacier in Zermatt to prepare for the Alpine World Cup. Last year, a lack of snow led to the cancellation of the same competition. This year, race organizers appear to be using snow from the glacier to build the course for the competition.
“This year, the resources deployed to ensure that the event actually takes place are beyond the bounds of acceptability and common sense. The images of the shovels digging up the glacier to form the slope that will welcome the skiers are shocking. Such a spectacle is incomprehensible at a time when glacial melt is accelerating and glaciers have lost 10% of their volume in the last two years alone.” – Protect Our Winters
If you wish to support Protect Our Winters and support this petition, you can do so here.
Related: Hundreds Of Athletes Demand Further Climate Action From The International Ski Federation
Image Credit: Protect Our Winters Switzerland via Facebook