No anti freeze, no flights

By Ethel C. Fenig

Ah, the effects of global warming!

From the country whose word for fight back translates as surrender comes this truly breathtaking headline that had me lol.

Paris Charles de Gaulle Cuts Flights 50% on Antifreeze Shortage

Ah, but this strange predicament is explained by the title of the person in charge.

The airport hasn't got enough glycol liquid used to de-ice aircraft wings, France's Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Lodging said in an e-mailed statement late yesterday.

After I picked myself up off the floor and finally stopped laughing from this I checked out a globe. And what did my wondering eyes notice? Paris is not only wa-a-ay north of oh say, Miami, it is also considerably north of Boston, Toronto and Montreal. Yes, yes I know the warm streaming Atlantic waters warm up much of Europe relative to its distance from the Equator. But Paris is not known as a year round tropical paradise; snow and cold do dominate the Paris area in the winter months. But last week airports in Europe shut down because of a few inches of snow--not enough snow blowers or even shovels--and now this.

Shovels are ecologically sound and promote sustainable development. Or something better than disrupting the travel plans of thousands. And that's not a reason for lol.