Environmentalists question events like Biathlon of Schalke

DPA
·2 min read
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Dirk Jansen, Executive Director of Environmental and Nature Conservation Policy of BUND NRW e.V. stands in the hall of the Moevenpick Hotel in Muenster and talking on the phone, at the start of the trial before the Administrative Court of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia at the Trianel coal-fired power plant in Luenen. Guido Kirchner/dpa
Dirk Jansen, Executive Director of Environmental and Nature Conservation Policy of BUND NRW e.V. stands in the hall of the Moevenpick Hotel in Muenster and talking on the phone, at the start of the trial before the Administrative Court of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia at the Trianel coal-fired power plant in Luenen. Guido Kirchner/dpa

The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) has questioned events like Thursday's biathlon competition in the arena of football club Schalke in times of climate change.

BUND official Dirk Jansen told dpa that even though the environmental footprint of the event was considerably lower that from artificial snow production in the Alps "you have to ask yourself whether you can really afford such a fun event amid the climate crisis."

Jansen, head of the regional BUND section in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia where the venue is located, added that the whole future of ski sports is uncertain.

"We will also not be able to successfully fight against climate change with snow making devices in the Alps," he said.

The Biathlon auf Schalke exhibition event, which is due to attract 50,000 spectators, requires 100 truckloads of artificial snow which are produced in the Alps Park indoor ski venue in nearby Neuss.

Schalke have said that the snow was already available at the Neuss venue which itself is fully sustainable. The club also said they were making up for impact of the transportation by truck through ecological projects in the region.

Jansen acknowledged that moving to centrally located indoor venues would probably be better from an ecological point of view.

"That would destroy for good the illusion of an outdoor sport biathlon out in nature - but it would be more honest," he said.

"My sympathy is limited when apart from the Arctic Circle skiing only takes place on narrow strips of artificial snow in a green landscape."