Olympians Take Stand on Climate Change

Olympians Take Stand On Climate Change

Andy Newell, US Ski Team and Olympic competitor in cross country skiing created "Athletes for Action" before he set off for the Sochi Olympics. The idea was to coordinate athletes to encourage definitive government action on climate change. "We're expecting more out of Washington and from world leaders," he commented.

Newell recently was joined by fellow Olympian Alex Deibold, (snowboardcross bronze medalist from Vermont) on a visit to the US State Department to speak with the US special envoy for climate change, Todd Stern and he wants to work with other athletes from around the world and have them address the leaders in their countries, too.

Newell recognizes that as a world-class athlete who travels around the world to compete, his carbon footprint is probably larger than most but he opined, "We compete outdoors every day, so we're in tune with the environment and I feel that it's our responsibility to speak up." Before the Olympics, Newell rallied 105 athletes from the US and other countries to sign a letter to world leaders calling them to action on climate change.

After returning from Sochi, other Olympic cross country skiers from Vermont recently joined the cause including biathletes Hannah Dreissigacker and Susan Dunklee and Nordic racers Liz Stephen and Ida Sargent. They saw poor snow conditions while racing in Europe at many races last winter. The Olympians recently spoke with VTDigger.com about their views on climate change.

Dreissigacker commented, "We need to put a price on carbon emissions." Liz Stephen said that the majority of her races this year were on narrow tracks on machine-made snow that was slushy and colored brown with rocks and dirt. While it is true that Vermont had much better snow conditions last winter compared to Europe, Sargent said that Vermont should model Europe's action on carbon emissions such as driving smaller cars, using public transportation, and installing rooftop solar panels. She also supports the Kingdom Community Wind Project in Lowell, VT, a project that has stirred an emotional debate on the state's energy future.

Biathlete Susan Dunklee voiced her concern about the Montreal-Portland Pipeline, which brings crude oil from South Portland, ME to Montreal and could be reversed to transport heavy Canadian crude oil. "We're enabling a system that's depending on fossil fuels and we need to be finding more creative solutions."

Newell would like to welcome athletes from the summer Olympics and non-Olympic athletes such as NFL and MLB players to participate in Athletes for Action. "I'd like to see it grow to where athletes from all disciplines and multiple countries are involved."

The Cost of Olympic Gold by Andy Newell

Andy Newell, a US Ski Team Nordic ski racer has competed in three Olympic Games from Torino, Italy to Sochi, Russia experiencing different venues over the years, seasons with high snow pack and others with none, and he's seen change both in climate and in attitude. Newell shared his reflections of the Olympics in Sochi, Russia with the Green Energy Times last spring.

Newell questions the extreme measures host nations and our world leaders are willing to go to not only to capitalize on the Olympics but, more important, turn a blind eye to our changing climate. His first trip to Sochi was a year and a half before the Games when he was introduced to the beautiful snow covered peaks in one of Russia's largest national parks. Fast-forward 16 months and several billion dollars later and Newell reported that there were hastily built resort towns, huge unfinished hotels, and thousands of acres of clear-cut forest and polluted waterways.

Newell remembered, "Upon arrival at the Olympics we were bussed to one of the six gondolas to access the Nordic and biathlon stadiums. Of course everyone was giddy with nerves and excitement over the upcoming competitions, but as we crept higher up the 8,000-foot peak to where the Endurance Village was located, we could get a true vision of the destruction below."

"A bad snow year had left the valley floor brown and muddy, highlighting all the construction debris. Looking across to the mountainside where the alpine and snowboarding events were to take place, we saw massive swaths of hillside clear cut to accommodate the new trails and lift towers of a future alpine resort. All of this was created to capitalize on the Olympics and to create what was envisioned as Russia's next big tourist destination, but at what cost?"

The underlying theme is that Newell feels we should expect more from our world leaders and the individuals accountable for these decisions. Why was this untouched land chosen for the Games? Why can't world leaders work together to find methods to take the environment into account?

The Sochi situation led Newell to start the organization Athletes for Action to urgently voice the need for change. Before the Games, Newell collected signatures from Olympic competitors urging world leaders to recognize climate change and work together toward solutions.

Newell feels that it is his responsibility and he wants to attract other outdoor enthusiasts who witness these changes, to voice concerns and put pressure on leaders. He'd like to raise awareness and, most important, encourage more climate-friendly decisions and legislation from government officials. Andy Newell has been part of the US Ski Team for 10 years and earned a spot on the 2006, 2010 and 2014 US Olympic Teams. He splits his time between southern VT and Park City, UT and has top five finishes at the World Championship and World Cup competitions.