Canada is hosting the world's biggest winter event — the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. With dozens of events, from skiing to skating to hockey, the Games celebrate our love of winter sports and our identity as a northern country.

But what if winter didn't happen? Scientists tell us we can expect shorter, warmer winters and less snow and ice in the future if we don’t act now on climate change. Future winter Olympics, and the future of winter sports, are at risk.

To encourage solutions for reducing the climate impact of the 2010 Olympics, the David Suzuki Foundation developed strategies for a carbon neutral games. With the eyes of the world focused on Canada as the host of the Winter Olympics, now is a great opportunity for Canadians to learn more and take action on climate change.

Check the score	Reduce your footprint	Be a leader
How did the 2010 Vancouver Olympics measure up in terms of climate leadership? Check out our Climate scorecard for the 2010 Olympics.	Find out what you can do to reduce your personal carbon footprint and make your own events and workplace more climate-friendly.	Follow the lead of our Play It Cool athletes and be a climate leader in your own community. Learn more.

The David Suzuki Foundation and the 2010 Olympic Games

Along with sport and culture, environment is one of the three pillars of the Olympic movement. As part of its campaign to encourage the Vancouver Olympic organizers (VANOC) to make the 2010 games carbon neutral, the David Suzuki Foundation developed recommendations on how to reduce the Games’ climate impact. Many of these recommendations are outlined in the 2007 report, Meeting the Challenge.

Athletes are first-hand witnesses to the impact of global warming on their sports. Recognizing that we needed to take action, over 70 Olympic and professional athletes sent a letter to the 2010 Olympic organizers, urging CEO John Furlong to make the Vancouver Olympics carbon neutral. Many of these athletes are members of Play It Cool, a joint initiative of the Climate Project Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation that helps athletes reduce their carbon footprint, work towards going carbon neutral, and inspire others to do the same.

Canadians have also made it clear that celebrating winter sports shouldn’t come at the expense of a healthy planet. Thousands of people signed a petition in support of making the games climate conscious. All these voices made a difference.

The 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver have raised the bar for climate action, including energy efficient venues, the use of clean energy sources, and by promoting the use of public transit. Of course, there is still lots of room for improvement, as noted in our climate scorecard for the Vancouver Olympics. But the 2010 Olympics show that climate solutions are doable, affordable, and can have a lasting legacy. We hope that future Olympics and large events will build on the experience of the 2010 Olympics.

All Canadians do their part by reducing their carbon footprint and encouraging others to do the same. Learn more about climate solutions and what you can do at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/