Pools of stagnation

[RC Macaulay]

The city of New Orleans has storm water standing in the streets. The water is being pumped back into the canals without disinfecting the stagnated water. The EPA has rigid rules covering storm water runoff which have been waved due to the emergency and need to dewater the city, (although disinfection could have been  a part of the pumping process).   The flooded streets of New Orleans may be symbolic of a host of pools of stagnation. Perhaps the most critical is the Department of Energy ( DOE) and FEMA( Homeland Security in drag). The description could  also be extended to certain of our nation's university energy research endeavors and big oil.   The question would be how to find a superdome to use as a staging area after creating the perfect storm sufficent to overcome the enertia embedded in the " projects" mentality of DOE et.al.   Sufficently traumatized by 5 days in such an environment could create a mindset among such self agrandizing public entities sufficent for their willingness to relocate and disperse.   Once they have been dispersed, work on CF may go funded with the savings and unhindered as many as 5 years before bureaucracy can again " snuff" any true progress in new energy technology. Unwittingly, the mayor of New Orleans and the Louisana governor accomplished the impossible task of solving the problem of how to eliminate a city population of 60% welfare status citizens in one week. It will take longer than that to pump out the polluted water. Neither one requiring expensive disinfection.   Richard