Unpaid bill douses 'eternal flame'

The Australian ^ | March 18, 2004

[Piefloater]

A SO-CALLED "eternal flame" erected in the central British city of Birmingham to promote world peace has been extinguished after little more than three years in a row over who pays the gas bill, a report said Thursday.

The 10m sculpture topped by a flame, paid for by the city's Anglican churches, was lit amid great fanfare on Millennium Eve by British pop singer Cliff Richard, a well-known Christian.

However, according to the Daily Telegraph, Birmingham City Council has refused to pick up an annual gas bill of around 12,000 pounds after an initial period of commercial sponsorship ended.

The council has additionally argued that the flame contributes to the problem of global warming.

"In a world where we are increasingly aware of greenhouse gases, we need to consider whether burning 12,000 pounds of gas every year is a responsible attitude to the environment," Ian Ward, head of the council's leisure department, was quoted as saying.

A spokesman for the Bishop of Birmingham, John Sentamu, called this argument "mildly pathetic" and called for renewed funding for the flame.

"I think it offers hope to all, not just the Christian community but all people in Birmingham," he told the paper.

"I don't know how you place a price on hope but I suppose it is a council's job to do that."

[Piefloater]

The council has additionally argued that the flame contributes to the problem of global warming.

This whole situation seems to contribute more to the problem of global idiocy.

[Moonman62]

A town like that has got to be an Islamofascist's dream.

[DoughtyOne]

I am convinced that those who express ecological concerns in public are exhibiting a symptom of a deep seated mental health problem. We all care about the environment, but when people focus on it, they simply go off the deep end. This eternal flame is supposed to be damaging the earth. LMAO

[greasepaint]

All is not lost.
Perhaps the metal in the statue could
find future utility...
as low value coinage, or ammo brass.

[LiberationIT]

I have a few eternal flames of my own; but I call them pilot lights.

[dfwgator]

Plenty of stupidity to go around on this one, from all sides.

[Wilhelm Tell]

When I first glanced at the article, I saw the mention of a liberal church and the words "eternal flame," and I thought the story had something to do with gay bishops.

[ScudEast]

This whole situation seems to contribute more to the problem of global idiocy.

Hehe you're right there. "Eternal Flame of Peace extinguished in row over gas bill" sounds like a headline from The Onion to me, or a subject for a "Yes Minister" episode. I'm sure there's something witty and deeply profound to say about it, reflecting human nature or something but I can't think of anything offhand.

[rabidralph]

We should send them pictures of our eternal flame at Arlington and let them know how long it's been burning.