CAN ANYONE SPELL HYPOCRITE?
December 21, 2007
A sign will soon be erected in downtown Aspen announcing that we’re a bunch of hypocrites.
Or at least, the Aspen City Council is. Our all-knowing elected officials agreed they were earlier this month when they decided to keep the fire hearth running on the mall in front of Paradise Bakery.
Keeping the fire burning with 100 percent natural gas is an environmental faux pas of epic proportions and officials know it. That’s why they’ll put up a sign near the fire pit that says something along the lines of “We know this is bad, we’re fixing it and you should do more to be environmental.” Now that’s leadership.
Aspen prides itself on being cutting edge in everything it does, especially on the politically correct environmentalism front. The fire hearth is a slap in the face to the city’s “Canary Initiative,” which is supposed to reduce carbon emissions by a whopping 30 percent within a decade.
But apparently it’s more important to keep the passersby warm while they stroll around town in subzero temperatures. Council members balked at the suggestion of buying what’s known as “CanaryTags,” which would offset the natural gas fumes emanating through Aspen’s air by paying for planting a tree somewhere else. City Councilman J.E. DeVilbiss said the idea is absurd and wants the fire blown out. So does Mayor Mick Ireland.
But the other three — Steve Skadron, Dwayne Romero and Jack Johnson are OK with being hypocrites. And unlike many politicians, this time they are apologizing for doing one thing and saying another.
In their minds, there is no alternative yet to shutting off the fire hearth. “We can’t burn dog crap, I don’t think,” Johnson said. They might not be able to burn it, but it certainly smells like it.
So who killed the canary? Point your fingers toward City Hall.
