As the snowman Bonhomme Carnaval frolics in front of the logo of natural gas company Énergir in Quebec City this week, it’s unlikely Carnaval de Québec revellers are thinking about the wildfire smoke that choked the province’s air much of last summer.
There are more than a hundred mid-winter wildfires currently burning in B.C., where the town of Fernie is gearing up for sledding, skiing and other snow-focused activities at Griz Days, sponsored by NWP Coal, mining company Teck Resources and methane gas giant TC Energy.
Some musings on climate change, corporate-sponsored sanitizing of it, etc. in the pro sports world:
I follow the Toronto Blue Jays (who are owned by rogers). Last summer, the first time the record-breaking forest fires were impacting the Toronto Blue Jays (e.g., games in New York City were cancelled as their skies were red and going outside caused similar effects as smoking years’ worth of cigarettes) the “forest fires” causing all the disruptions were mentioned on the Blue Jays TV broadcast. In the games soon after, there’d regularly be oil and gas ads in the high-profile ad placement spot behind home plate and “forest fires” were never mentioned on the broadcasts. Decisions about whether the ballpark’s dome was open or closed for games were attributed simply and vaguely to “air quality”.
I also follow the Canadian Football League (CFL). Last summer the league and players’ association created decision rules about when games would be played or be postponed based on measurable air quality criteria. Wildfires were mentioned in the press release. I thought it was a proactive response that might also have a small effect on helping CFL fans recognize climate change
