Nate from St. Paul e-mails on his city's plans to combat global warming:
Last March, Mayor Coleman said the greatest threat to the City was not the fact that we're broke and need to raise taxes 15%; instead, the greatest threat was global warming, apparently because it meant winters warm enough that some ice on outdoor rinks was soft.
If we have to wait for the ice to re-freeze after a thaw, an entire generation of St. Paulites might grow up not knowing the joy of uninterrupted outdoor skating. Imagine the disappointment on the urchins' faces when they find out that sometimes, outdoor ice melts in the winter. The horror!
What to do? Drive to Roseville and skate on the indoor ice? Build an indoor ice arena in St. Paul (maybe on some of the reclaimed "brownfields" lands)?
No. The City is closing 6 outdoor rinks to pay for 3 new refrigerated outdoor rinks. Yes, each will have a giant chiller to keep the ice frozen all season. I just got the flyer last night...we're getting one at Northdale Rec, across the street from me. The giant chiller will run at 100 decibels whenever the temperature is above freezing -- day and night, apparently. And there will be new stadium lights, too!
Interestingly, the flyer doesn't mention how the chiller and lights are powered without contributing to global warming. Pixie dust? I've attached a a JPG of the flyer.
Actually I'm a big proponent of these outdoor artificial ice rinks. Especially when they're not anywhere near my house and I don't have to pay for them. Heh heh.
What's that? St. Paul still receives FIFTY-THREE MILLION DOLLARS IN LGA from the State every year, so in reality I am helping to subsidize these rinks? D'oh!
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