July 2030: The preparations for the ice season are in full swing. People degrease their ice skates collectively and keep close watch on the weather reports. Will there be enough sunshine this year? Will the energy peaks go through the roof again? Will there be an Eleven City Tour on summer ice?
Will we skate on summer ice?
“It giet oan!” means: “it’s going to happen!” in Frisian. A famous cry that is being let out whenever the Eleven City Tour can go through. Today it has been 26 years ago since this slogan has been heard last and the ice skating tour along the eleven Frisian cities has actually been skated. However, this phenomenon is yet deeply rooted in the collective Dutch memory.
Because of the effects of Climate Change, the chances for the Eleven City Tour have been halved. Moreover, the existence of artificial ice rinks in the Netherlands is called into question, considered the high energy prices in winter. Ice skating on artificial ice is has also become a moral question: what use of energy can we allow ourselves in times of climate change? If natural ice will be more and more rare in the Netherlands, how can we prevent the sport that everyone gets excited about, turns out into a collective “ice-sickness”?
Koek en Zopie icecream along the ice skating rink
“Nice weather right?” The Netherlands is famous for it’s rich weather culture. From the chat at the coffee machine to the “koek-en-zopie” stand along the ice skating rink.
How can we connect this weather talk with talking about energy? In which days there is an energy abundance? In which days there is a lack of energy?
Take a seat at the tables and help us forming ideas about how we can use energy in the different seasons. What will we give up in winter? Or will there be an autumn fair on windy days? In which other ways can we use energy when it’s there?
During the Dutch Design Week we practice to look at the weather with each other and think counter intuitively about our energy use. Is the sun shining? Then you can get a koek-en-zopie ice cream at the stand.
