--- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In [email protected], "shempmcgurk" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > --- In [email protected], "shempmcgurk" > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > In light of both last year's tsunami and Katrina, the issue has > > > been > > > > brought up in the media that the loss of human life and damages > > in > > > > BOTH cases could have been greatly minimized had proper > > preparation > > > > been made. > > > > > > > > It wasn't that experts didn't envision that a tsunami could > > happen > > > > or that the levees in New Orleans could have broken, it's just > > the > > > > odds seemed to make it so unlikely that public policy in this > > area > > > > didn't make spending the millions or billions to prevent what > > could > > > > have been prevented. > > > > > > > > I contrast this with the building of hydro-electric dams. The > > > > little I know about them is this: a dam is built in order to > > create > > > > a massive reservoir of water so that the power of the water > from > > > > these masses can be channeled into turning turbines which, in > > turn, > > > > create electricity. > > > > > > > > But the danger inherent in every dam in spillover: too much > > water > > > in > > > > a reservoir can either destroy the environment or -- as is the > > case > > > > with Hoover Dam -- destroy the generating facility. > > > > > > > > So with every dam is built a "spillway", a structure in which > > > > spillovers can be safely channelled away from creating a > > disaster. > > > > At Hoover DAm you can see a massive concrete tunnel beside the > > > > facility built specifically for this purpose. > > > > > > > > I once took a tour of a hydroelectric dam in Northern Quebec at > > > > James Bay. At one point beside the reservoir near a dyke was a > > > > massive set of concrete steps that, I was told, cost hundreds > of > > > > millions of dollars to build and, at the top of the stairs > built > > > > into the side of the reservoir was a gate that could be opened; > > a > > > > spillway in other words. > > > > > > > > The tour guide mentioned that, statistically, overspill would > > > happen > > > > only once every 100 years! > > > > > > > > Yet the company spent hundreds of millions of dollars to plan > > for > > > > something that the builders would, statistically, not even see > > in > > > > their own lifetime, not ever see the practical benefit of. > > > > > > > > This type of planning happened with private enterprise (note > > that > > > > Bechtel built the dam, please!) Perhaps there is a disconnect > > > > between this type of planning in private enterprise and public > > > > policy enterprises... > > > > > > You don't read much on this group. The $250 million that was to > be > > > spent last year on strengthening New Orlean's levees was spent on > > the > > > war in Iraq instead. > > > > > > Yes, I read that (I believe it was Judy who posted the article). > > Indeed, it only strengthens the argument that I am making...perhaps > > private enterprise would have had their priorities right. > > Are you saying that private enterprises don't control the federal > government's budget?
Yes. 100 Senators, 435-odd Representatives in the House of Representatives and the President control the government's budget. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
