Dn February 26 to 29, Saudi Arabia hosted the SnowBlast KSA Cup, a ski competition, in the King Arena in Riyadh, with outside temperatures hovering around 25ºC. Organizers boasted of having transported some 500 tonnes of snow to prepare the 150 meter long track. They also made a point of recalling that the province of Tabuk will see the emergence, by 2029, of the perfectly artificial ski resort of Trojena, just in time to host the Asian Winter Games. A pharaonic project, unnatural and, dare we say it, climate-killing, which is added to a long list, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in air-conditioned stadiums, or the recent launching of Icon of the Seas, the largest liner in history. At a time of promoting eco-friendly gestures and “I lower, I turn off, I shift”the paradox can only strike the mind.
This dichotomy, between certain States and companies which pursue expansionist strategies without worrying about their environmental impact and populations forced to contribute to the collective effort in favor of the transition, is most worrying.
Global warming and resource depletion are global phenomena. The exploitation and degradation of common goods by some necessarily has repercussions on others. A situation conducive to the emergence of “free riders”, that is to say States, companies and individuals who intend to benefit from the efforts of others, without contributing in any way. This reinforces the feeling of injustice, even a form of conspiracy, among the population. It also gives arguments to those who do not want to do anything.
The other risk is to see transition policies rendered insignificant. What impact can the micro-efforts asked of populations have in terms of sorting, recycling, consumption of meat, water and electricity, or even electrification and collectivization of their travel… when a large part of the rest of the world continues to burn quantities of fossil fuels and only aspires to growth?
Relocate pollution
Furthermore, there is the risk of setting itself up as a lesson giver in the eyes of these nations. Especially since the overconsumption characteristic of the Western way of life tends to outsource pollution to countries with low production costs and low environmental requirements. Even if all French people stopped using their cars – which is, of course, not on the agenda – the impact on overall CO emissions2 would only be 0.13 points at constant perimeter. Far from being able to compensate for the expansionist logic of our neighbors.
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