| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| Lileks: the green roof |
| 2008-06-26 |
| The city in which I live has just spent $460,000 to install a "green roof" on a portion of City Hall. The impact it will have on anything is nil. Part of the cost went to necessary roof repairs, and I don't begrudge them that, but I imagine that the cost of building a fargin' lawn on top of a 19th century structure was greater than simply patching leaks. No one expects it to accomplish anything, global-warmingly wise; use your Google, Luke, and find City Hall, then zoom out to the rest of Minnesota, and you will see that the state is hella green. Think "pinhead on a football field" and you have the proportions about right. But! It's intended to raise awareness of such things, and raise awareness of Minneapolis' greeniousity, and make other mayors in other cities crumple papers in their fist and shout Damn Their Eyes, They've Stolen the Moral High Ground. A City Hall with a green roof! A mayor who drives a Prius and leads a national effort against bottled water! Those clever fiends outflank us at every turn! I would like to claim half the roof as my own. Seriously. I'm looking at my property tax bill, and if I stay here for the rest of my 30 year mortgage and many years beyond, all the money I pay the city will go for the green roof on City Hall. Every cent. Can I get a plaque? A bench? No. But I can look at it through a window if I go downtown. Perhaps I'll do that next week. Imagine the look on the security guard's face if I insist I paid for that lawn. Sure you did, pal. Sure you did. |
| Posted by:Mike |