Why aren't residential trailers built on floatable bases like house boats in Europe? Are Americans too stupid or to cheap and just prefer to pay insurance or rebuilding expenses?
Showing posts with label Extreme weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Extreme weather. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Covid21 nursing shortage
There's lots of news lately about understaffing at medical facilities because of the stresses of the endless pandemic in the U.S.
But what would members of "the greatest generation" have to say to this? You know the generation who endured the Great depression, the second world war followed by the korean war then the Vietnam war.
Those four consecutive conflicts lasted for a bit longer than three months or six months or two years. Not counting the depression the three conflicts spanned from 1941 until 1973 yet soldiers had to fight, civilians suffered losses, the economy had to make major and prolonged adjustments and veterans returned to both praise and scorn some with major mental and physical injuries, others to broken families, alcoholism and homelessness. Yet the United States of America got through it all and marched on.
So is this "war" so different is the covid virus enemy and the climate change enemy and the multimedia disinformation enemy going to BEAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA down so low it will never raise its head again? Only history will tell this time too.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
TIRE STUDS - IT'S TIME - FOR THEM TO RETURN to our roads !!!
EVERY WINTER we see videos and news reports showing the mayhem caused by ICE STORMS and all the motor vehicles, mainly cars sliding helplessly down ice covered pavements until they are "STOPPED" by crashing or bumping into another vehicle, a tree or guardrail. Climate change is bringing MORE and MORE of these heavy winter storms to our cities and suburbs coast to coast.
Municipal government's ONLY response is to drench the roads with rock salt and salty 'brine' slurry both of which cost lots of public money AND CAUSE PAVEMENT WEAR AND TEAR as well as damage to agriculture and roadside plants. Why then is the government STILL BANNING tire makers from adding steel "studs" to SNOW tires ?? The studs enable motorist's tires to grip onto ice covered pavements and remain in control of their vehicles. That doesn't seem like such a bad idea to me when compared to playing mass 'bumper cars' whenever the sleet comes to town!
The argument against TIRE STUDS was I believe, that they tore up asphalt and damaged pavements where the snow and ice was not present. But that was back in the 1970's when EXTREME weather happened once a decade or so and the pavement "damage" was more of a nuisance than the weather or the road salting at the time.
Besides with all the technology changes since then I'm sure studded tires could be MARKED and regulated so they aren't used except at NECESSARY times and places. Or maybe studded tires could be redesigned with some sort of "smart" tech so they worked only when 'needed' ??
In any case it seems to me that the overall costs of pre-treating pavements and salting as well as the social costs of multiple collisions, economic disruptions and so on that NOW OCCUR with increasing severity and frequency each winter ARGUE FOR REINSTATING STUDDED TIRES for limited legal use !!
The only OTHER "sensible" option would be to carry an old engine block in the back of a vehicle (Pickup truck) so when the tires begin spinning "push" it out the back to act like a boat ANCHOR !!
Or make small hydraulic "legs" with steel spike "feet" that can drop from the bottom of a vehicle to the street temporarily 'replacing' the vehicle's tires with LEGS gripping the ice slicked pavement 'till it stops it from motion !! (preventing a collision entirely !!)
I wonder what the Insurance Institute would think about this ???
Municipal government's ONLY response is to drench the roads with rock salt and salty 'brine' slurry both of which cost lots of public money AND CAUSE PAVEMENT WEAR AND TEAR as well as damage to agriculture and roadside plants. Why then is the government STILL BANNING tire makers from adding steel "studs" to SNOW tires ?? The studs enable motorist's tires to grip onto ice covered pavements and remain in control of their vehicles. That doesn't seem like such a bad idea to me when compared to playing mass 'bumper cars' whenever the sleet comes to town!
The argument against TIRE STUDS was I believe, that they tore up asphalt and damaged pavements where the snow and ice was not present. But that was back in the 1970's when EXTREME weather happened once a decade or so and the pavement "damage" was more of a nuisance than the weather or the road salting at the time.
Besides with all the technology changes since then I'm sure studded tires could be MARKED and regulated so they aren't used except at NECESSARY times and places. Or maybe studded tires could be redesigned with some sort of "smart" tech so they worked only when 'needed' ??
In any case it seems to me that the overall costs of pre-treating pavements and salting as well as the social costs of multiple collisions, economic disruptions and so on that NOW OCCUR with increasing severity and frequency each winter ARGUE FOR REINSTATING STUDDED TIRES for limited legal use !!
The only OTHER "sensible" option would be to carry an old engine block in the back of a vehicle (Pickup truck) so when the tires begin spinning "push" it out the back to act like a boat ANCHOR !!
Or make small hydraulic "legs" with steel spike "feet" that can drop from the bottom of a vehicle to the street temporarily 'replacing' the vehicle's tires with LEGS gripping the ice slicked pavement 'till it stops it from motion !! (preventing a collision entirely !!)
I wonder what the Insurance Institute would think about this ???
Friday, March 20, 2009
MOST IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJ. NEVER INVENTED!
What about a National Drought & Flood Relief pipeline network covering most of the U.S.A. ? If we have such a system for things like natural gas why couldn't we build one for the most essential resource of ALL - WATER? The functions of this pipeline network would be two-fold.
First the pipeline network would be used to bring water FROM flooded regions where there is excessive quantities of water and pump it TO drought stricken regions where water is in very short supply!
The water from floods would be pumped from flood plains and swollen rivers in bulk and then routed through filtering stations along the way or at the points of delivery to remove toxins & pollutants to ensure water is of safe drinking quality.
The exit points would be at the nearest local municipal water treatment or reservoir stations much as natural gas goes directly to tank farms or gas suppliers. Construction of such a vast project would require major Federal funding & management but would likely pay back the treasury in the form of rescuing entire regions from natural, economic disasters which also regularly require huge Federal & state disaster relief expenditures and often take years to achieve full economic recovery.
As world climatic change accelerates extreme storms are also increasing in frequency & intensity thus demanding an intelligent, long term, proactive response such as a National Flood & Drought Mitigation Pipeline network might provide to the entire United States!
First the pipeline network would be used to bring water FROM flooded regions where there is excessive quantities of water and pump it TO drought stricken regions where water is in very short supply!
The water from floods would be pumped from flood plains and swollen rivers in bulk and then routed through filtering stations along the way or at the points of delivery to remove toxins & pollutants to ensure water is of safe drinking quality.
The exit points would be at the nearest local municipal water treatment or reservoir stations much as natural gas goes directly to tank farms or gas suppliers. Construction of such a vast project would require major Federal funding & management but would likely pay back the treasury in the form of rescuing entire regions from natural, economic disasters which also regularly require huge Federal & state disaster relief expenditures and often take years to achieve full economic recovery.
As world climatic change accelerates extreme storms are also increasing in frequency & intensity thus demanding an intelligent, long term, proactive response such as a National Flood & Drought Mitigation Pipeline network might provide to the entire United States!
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