The Green Zamboni - a Canadian icon fights climate change
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No more coughing on fumes between floods at the local rink. Everyone's favourite ice cleaning machine has gone green. More battery powered electric zamboni's will be resurfacing local and NHL rinks next season, which is good news for hockey players, skaters and the environment.
As the Vancouver Sun reported last week, a Canadian company, Resurfice Corp. which makes electric ice-resurfacers was awarded a contract by the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee to supply the 2010 Winter Olympic Games with 20 zero-emission ice cleaners for use at various games venues. Bring on the green Olympics!
Currently, the Montreal Canadiens are the only NHL team using an electric zamboni. The Vancouver Canucks will take delivery of two zero-emission Olympia model next year to resurface GM Place, replacing their two $90,000 propane powered ice-cleaning machines with new $170,000 battery-powered electric models. Reportedly, the new machines use about 25 cents worth of energy per flood, compared with $3 - $3.50 for propane or natural gas machines. On a full charge, the electric machines can handle approximately 30 rink floods.
It's the little things that add up in the fight against climate change. This is just another example of changing commonly used vehicles to electric power and reducing greenhouse gas emissions without too much personal inconvenience. Who knows, but perhaps it's been the zamboni fumes keeping the Canucks from the Stanley Cup all these years.
