The United Nations Information Centre has joined the campaign to raise public awareness of climate change through sports! In a Facebook Live event on 5 April entitled, “Take Climate Action with Sports!” UNIC brought high school students and representatives from the sporting world together to discuss society’s role in the fight against climate change.
The Global Effects of Climate Change
Climate change is a global issue and its effects are increasingly seen worldwide. Japan is no exception: Intense summer heat and torrential downpours have steadily become more common over the last several years and disrupt the daily lives of people all over the country. Movements to combat climate change have consequently emerged and grown in number all around the world. One such movement arose in the sports community, accruing widespread support from athletes worldwide and leading to the collaboration between environmental activists and the sports community.
It is evident that climate change affects the environment—but have you realized that it also affects sports? Climate change and global warming have significantly changed the natural terrains that athletes use to practice and play on. This is where the interests of environmental activists and the sports community align; athletes rely on the environment for their craft, just as the world requires a good environment for us all to thrive. The climate action and sports movement seizes on these interests—and on the world’s interest in sports—and consolidates them into one effort to grapple with climate change.
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