Hockey in the Desert
By John Schwartz, New York Times
My paradox meter just broke.
Back in February we reported on how global warming was messing up the outdoor skating season in Canada and the northern United States. Now, the Stanley Cup finals are being played in Las Vegas, one of America’s hottest cities.
Doesn’t that mean that hockey is contributing to climate change — and maybe its own demise — by building ice palaces in the desert?
Before you give Las Vegas and the National Hockey League too much side eye, it’s worth noting that the league has been working to address environmental issues, including climate change. It has an ongoing sustainability initiative aimed at minimizing the sport’s damage to the environment, and that initiative includes T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights. The city’s leaders, furthermore, have made progress in running the municipal government on renewable energy.
Still. That ice. In the desert. It’s not cheap to make or easy to maintain.