FIFA Doesn’t Have a Plan to Deal With Climate Change
FIFA Doesn’t Have a Plan to Deal With Climate Change
国际足联（FIFA）尚无应对气候变化的计划
The biggest game in soccer is set for Sunday, when Argentina and Spain will meet in the World Cup final, held just outside of New York City. There’s just one problem. Wildfire smoke now threatens the match—and FIFA, the sport’s governing body, doesn’t appear to have any plan in place to protect the health of players or fans.
足球界最重大的比赛定于周日举行，阿根廷队和西班牙队将在纽约市郊外举行的世界杯决赛中相遇。但目前存在一个问题：野火烟雾正威胁着这场比赛，而作为该项运动的管理机构，国际足联（FIFA）似乎并没有制定任何保护球员或球迷健康的计划。
Wildfire smoke blowing from Canada has blanketed large swaths of the Midwest and East Coast in recent days, impacting more than a dozen states, with some of the worst-hit cities facing air quality in ranges considered hazardous. New Yorkers are among those who have been watching their air turn orange and hazy this week. On Thursday, the state issued an alert as the air quality index climbed to “unhealthy” and “very unhealthy” levels. “Avoid spending time outdoors, if possible,” officials advised.
近日，从加拿大飘来的野火烟雾笼罩了中西部和东海岸的大片地区，影响了十多个州，一些受灾最严重的城市空气质量已达到危险水平。本周，纽约市民眼看着空气变得橙黄且朦胧。周四，随着空气质量指数（AQI）攀升至“不健康”和“非常不健康”水平，该州发布了警报。官方建议：“如无必要，请避免在户外活动。”
As of Friday morning, air quality near the stadium remained in the unhealthy range, and while it’s forecast to improve to “moderate” by Sunday’s kickoff, smoke patterns could still change. If concerns continue during the finals, there’s no way to close off the open-air stadium where stars Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are slated to square off. That means fans and players would almost certainly be exposed to smoke, which could lead to symptoms such as a burning throat, coughing, or headache, among others. This can be particularly dangerous for sensitive groups, including children, older individuals, and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma.
截至周五上午，体育场附近的空气质量仍处于不健康范围。虽然预报称周日开赛时空气质量将改善至“中等”，但烟雾走向仍可能发生变化。如果决赛期间担忧持续，由于该体育场是露天场地，无法进行封闭，而莱昂内尔·梅西（Lionel Messi）和拉明·亚马尔（Lamine Yamal）等球星届时将在场上对决。这意味着球迷和球员几乎肯定会暴露在烟雾中，这可能导致喉咙灼烧、咳嗽或头痛等症状。对于儿童、老年人以及患有哮喘等呼吸道疾病的敏感人群来说，这可能尤其危险。
Players have also practiced outdoors during air quality events in the lead-up to the game—the Spanish team held a practice Thursday in New Jersey. “These are high-level athletes who are moving a lot of air through their lungs,” Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician and Global Climate and Health Alliance official told the Associated Press. “They shouldn’t be practicing outside if the air quality levels are at hazardous sort of ranges for wildfire-related air pollution.”
在比赛前的空气质量预警期间，球员们仍在户外进行训练——西班牙队周四就在新泽西州举行了训练。“这些顶级运动员在运动时肺部会吸入大量空气，”急诊室医生兼全球气候与健康联盟（Global Climate and Health Alliance）官员考特尼·霍华德（Courtney Howard）告诉美联社，“如果空气质量因野火污染达到危险水平，他们就不应该在户外训练。”
World Cup organizer FIFA does not appear to have any contingency plans in place for wildfire smoke. Neither FIFA nor New York City Department of Health officials immediately responded to Grist’s request for comment. In a previous statement to Grist, FIFA detailed extensive protocols related to extreme heat, including mandatory water breaks for players, but didn’t mention air quality.
世界杯主办方国际足联似乎没有任何针对野火烟雾的应急预案。国际足联和纽约市卫生局官员均未立即回应《Grist》的置评请求。在之前给《Grist》的一份声明中，国际足联详细说明了有关极端高温的广泛规程，包括强制球员补水休息，但并未提及空气质量。
“Climate-related risks,” the organization wrote last month, “are assessed as part of overall tournament planning and managed in close coordination with host cities, stadium authorities, and national agencies.”
该组织上个月写道：“气候相关风险被评估为赛事整体规划的一部分，并与主办城市、体育场管理部门和国家机构密切协调进行管理。”
Unlike FIFA, a number of other leagues implement standardized adjustments triggered by air quality warnings. Per National Women’s Soccer League policy, for instance, a women’s soccer game at Citi Field in New York on Thursday had additional hydration breaks for safety. NWSL policy adds hydration breaks at an air quality index of 101 (“unhealthy for sensitive groups”) and cancels or postpones games when the AQI tops 200 (“very unhealthy”). Major League Baseball rescheduled one game this week in Philadelphia, and Major League Soccer canceled a game in Chicago due to smoke.
与国际足联不同，其他一些联盟实施了由空气质量预警触发的标准化调整。例如，根据美国国家女子足球联赛（NWSL）的政策，周四在纽约花旗球场举行的一场女足比赛为了安全起见，增加了补水休息时间。NWSL政策规定，当空气质量指数达到101（“对敏感人群不健康”）时增加补水休息，当AQI超过200（“非常不健康”）时取消或推迟比赛。美国职业棒球大联盟（MLB）本周在费城重新安排了一场比赛，美国职业足球大联盟（MLS）也因烟雾取消了芝加哥的一场比赛。
The World Cup is in its fifth and final week, and despite the games taking place across multiple wildfire-prone regions, so far FIFA’s bet that the air would stay clear has paid off. They may get lucky again this weekend, says Nicholas Watanabe, a professor of sport and entertainment management at the University of South Carolina, but that doesn’t excuse not being ready.
世界杯已进入第五周，也是最后一周。尽管比赛在多个易发生野火的地区进行，但到目前为止，国际足联关于空气会保持清新的赌注似乎奏效了。南卡罗来纳大学体育与娱乐管理教授尼古拉斯·渡边（Nicholas Watanabe）表示，他们这个周末可能还会走运，但这并不能成为没有做好准备的借口。
“FIFA seems unprepared for these wildfires,” says Watanabe. “At the same time, it looks like the worst of the pollution will dissipate before the World Cup Final, so FIFA will dodge a bullet and likely push forward with the match.”
“国际足联似乎对这些野火毫无准备，”渡边说，“与此同时，看起来最严重的污染会在世界杯决赛前消散，所以国际足联将躲过一劫，并很可能会继续推进比赛。”
Some, however, question whether enough is being done, both by FIFA and other outdoor sports leagues facing these and other climate threats. FIFA has already been criticized this year for its policies regarding extreme heat.” If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game,” said Trinity Rodman, who played in the smoke-affected NWSL soccer game in New York.
然而，一些人质疑国际足联以及其他面临这些及其他气候威胁的户外体育联盟是否采取了足够的措施。国际足联今年已经因其应对极端高温的政策而受到批评。“如果我们必须每15分钟休息补水一次，那我们就不应该进行这场比赛，”在纽约受烟雾影响的NWSL比赛中上场的特里尼蒂·罗德曼（Trinity Rodman）说道。
One professional cyclist recently questioned whether the Tour de France should be held in the summer, as this year’s iteration of the iconic event has been plagued by wildfires, smoke, and extreme heat. “I would change the whole calendar,” said yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogačar earlier this month. “It’s not something I can do.”
一位职业自行车手最近质疑环法自行车赛是否应该在夏季举行，因为今年这项标志性赛事一直受到野火、烟雾和极端高温的困扰。“我会改变整个赛程，”黄衫得主塔德伊·波加查（Tadej Pogačar）本月初表示，“但这并非我能决定的。”
The power to make changes generally rests with a sport’s governing body, rather than athletes, and Watanabe thinks climate issues should be taken more seriously. Even if the World Cup final is spared any impacts, he said this close call should serve as a warning. “Hopefully,” he said, “this is a wake-up call to FIFA and all other sport leagues and competitions of the need for regulations and a comprehensive plan to deal with climate risks.”
做出改变的权力通常掌握在体育管理机构手中，而非运动员。渡边认为，气候问题应该得到更严肃的对待。他说，即使世界杯决赛免受影响，这次险情也应作为一个警示。“希望这能给国际足联以及所有其他体育联盟和赛事敲响警钟，让他们意识到制定应对气候风险的法规和全面计划的必要性。”
This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
本文最初由《Grist》发布，作为“气候台”（Climate Desk）合作项目的一部分在此转载。