One of the coldest places on earth has put together a bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics. Salla, Finland, which is in the Arctic Circle, bid with the purpose of putting together an awareness-building campaign about global warning and climate change.
The country launched the international “Salla 2032 Summer Games Candidate City” campaign this week complete with a news conference and a promotional video on YouTube.
The video shows the people of Salla practicing summer sports in winter conditions, wondering if there will be any snow left in the area by 2032 because of global warming.
Salla has seen temperatures as low as -58 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to The Associated Press, Salla Mayor Erkki Parkkinen told Finnish media that 2032 will be a turning point in climate change after which Salla, with its population of 3.400 people, and other Arctic locations will “cease to exist as we know them” with the melting of ice and snow.
“If we haven’t succeeded in halting climate change by then, it is too late. We want to keep Salla as it is, and our winters cold and full of snow,” Parkkinen said in a news release. “So, there was this crazy idea to host the Summer Games in one of the coldest towns on the planet.”
Salla has a Facebook page that encouraged people to get acquainted with the Games’ dedicated mascot, a reindeer named Kesa, which means “summer” in Finnish.
The area of Salla is known for its pristine nature, consisting of one of Europe’s largest wilderness with national parks ideal for hiking, cross-country skiing and other sports and outdoor activities, according to the AP.
Finland last hosted the Olympics in 1952 in Helsinki.