ICE ODYSSEY

Back in 1833 an American entreprenuer managed to harvest ice from a frozen lake near Boston and then ship it without refrigeration to Calcutta. There was money to be made.

In 2005 FEMA can't get ice to the victims of hurricane Katrina:

When the definitive story of the confrontation between Hurricane Katrina and the U.S. government is finally told, one long and tragicomic chapter will have to be reserved for the odyssey of the ice.

Ninety-one thousand tons of ice cubes, that is, ice cubes intended to cool food, medicine and sweltering victims of the storm. It would cost taxpayers more than $100 million, and most of it would never be delivered.

There was money to be spent.