Imagine dreaming of gliding down powdery slopes, only to find them melting away. That's the reality for 18-year-old alpine skier, Pietro Casartelli. Ever since he was a kid, Pietro wanted to become a professional athlete. But now, climate change is turning his dreams into puddles.
\"Last year, my favorite high-altitude summer ski slopes were gone,\" Pietro says. \"Record-high temperatures just melted them away!\"
He planned to join a training camp in Chile to keep his dreams alive. But guess what? The trip got canceled because too few could afford it. Talk about a bummer! 💸
It's not just Pietro. Winter sports enthusiasts all over Europe are feeling the heat—literally! Warming weather and shorter seasons are making it tougher for pros and newbies alike to hit the slopes.
Take Hautacam in the French Pyrenees, for example. They've even rebranded themselves as \"Hautacam Plage\" (that's \"Hautacam Beach\" in English 🌴). Instead of skiing, people are now hiking and biking on its 20 pistes. Can you believe it?
\"If we keep having seasons like this one, we'll have to stop,\" says Josiane Sempe, who owns a ski rental store in Hautacam. It's heartbreaking to see communities built around winter sports facing such uncertain futures.
Climate change isn't just an environmental issue; it's changing cultures, economies, and dreams. For many like Pietro, it's a race against time to keep winter sports alive.
So next time you feel that warm winter breeze, remember Pietro and the melting slopes of Europe. ❄️ Let's hope we can all come together to make a difference!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
