Paris wants an AC-free Olympic Village. Team USA and others aren’t so chill with it

6 comments

1. “We appreciate the concept of not having air conditioning due to the carbon footprint,” Australian Olympic Committee Matt Carroll told reporters last year. “But it is a high-performance Games. We’re not going for a picnic.”

   Heat waves in Europe killed more than 61,600 people last summer, a study estimates

   Japanese officials have also said that they plan to pay for athletes’ air conditioning, for “safety and security” reasons. They told the Japan Times last week that they placed orders via the organizers’ rate cards, a list of add-on amenities available to delegations at an extra price.

   Not all countries can afford to pay for lower sleeping temperatures, however.

   “We don’t have deep pockets,” Donald Rukare, president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, told the Post.

   Hidalgo, who is against countries bringing their own units, stressed earlier this year that Paris organizers would not change course.

   “I think we have to trust science on two counts,” she said. “The first is what scientists are telling us about the fact that we are on the brink of a precipice. Everyone, including the athletes, must be aware of this. And secondly, we have to trust the scientists when they help us to construct buildings in a sober way that allows us to make do without air conditioning.”

2. I don’t understand why they would cheap out, this would be transformed into (presumably affordable) housing after the games. Imagine building new housing for your citizens without AC installed in this day and age. As if Paris didn’t have enough heat related deaths.

3. Ignoring any climate considerations: so all the rich countries will have AC and all the poor countries will not? This doesn’t seem very fair.

4. If they wanted a lower carbon footprint they shouldn’t host the games.

   I’m all for reducing emissions but this is a blatant attempt at cutting costs disguised as being environmentally friendly.

5. Rules are rules. No one takes a team with a headstart seriously.

6. This sounds like greenwashing to me. 
   Think about all the fossil fuels that’ll be used to get athletes, coaches and fans to the games. The energy used to power AC is minimal

   Plus, France gets most of their electric energy from nuclear power, which has a low carbon footprint. So, what is this saving exactly?