Friday, August 03, 2007
The last days of America.
According to the Guardian, about 77,000 bridges across the US share the same "structurally deficient" rating as the one that collapsed over the Mississippi in Minnesota, it emerged yesterday. Transport specialists said billions of dollars would be needed to replace the bridges, many of which were built 40 to 50 years ago and were coming to the end of their life.
Bad? It gets worse. Not reported in the Guardian, but what I understand to be correct: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, about 30 percent of the more than 76,000 dams in the United States are older than 50 years--and by 2020, that number will increase to more than 80 percent. Most of the small and medium-sized dams in the USA were built to last just 50 years.
That's a lot of old dams, some of which hold back not just water but toxic sediments from early industrial operations. Is there worse still ? Undoubtedly, but I have said enough for now.
IMO: America is falling down and does not have the cash to mend itself, partly due to profligacy and needless wars.It does not even have enough money to safeguard the health of its citizens.. Anyway global warming will probably finish it off. Don't rely on China to take its place, as roughly speaking, China is in a worse position.The way forward may work, with intelligent robots, nanotechology and the like, but I would not be relying on that.
Bad? It gets worse. Not reported in the Guardian, but what I understand to be correct: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, about 30 percent of the more than 76,000 dams in the United States are older than 50 years--and by 2020, that number will increase to more than 80 percent. Most of the small and medium-sized dams in the USA were built to last just 50 years.
That's a lot of old dams, some of which hold back not just water but toxic sediments from early industrial operations. Is there worse still ? Undoubtedly, but I have said enough for now.
IMO: America is falling down and does not have the cash to mend itself, partly due to profligacy and needless wars.It does not even have enough money to safeguard the health of its citizens.. Anyway global warming will probably finish it off. Don't rely on China to take its place, as roughly speaking, China is in a worse position.The way forward may work, with intelligent robots, nanotechology and the like, but I would not be relying on that.
# posted by uv : 8:06 PM
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