Now matter how hard they try, our government can't get New Orleans right.
The Washington Post is now reporting that the job that our Army Corps of Engineers is doing to rebuild New Orleans levees will likely result in levees that are WEAKER than the original system. This, according to two independent groups of experts who have evaluated the Corps of Engineers plans. The Corps of Engineers disputes these conclusions. Here's the article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/05/AR2006030500976_pf.html
Now, I'm an mechanical engineer. It's what I have done for a living for the past 20 years. And I can tell you, this is not art, it's science. Especially with today's technology. You can take a proposed design and simulate the conditions that will occur in a hurricane situation. This way, you can verify what your calculations say with what the simulations predict. As such, there is really no reason for the two expert teams to come up with different conclusions than the Corps of Engineers. So, it sure looks like someone here is lying.
Well, based on the track record of this administration, and the fact that the Corps is being pushed to have the work done by June 1st, I wonder who that is.
A colleague sent me the following regarding the failure of the levees in New Orleans. I don't know whether its more funny, or sad.
Their Levees, Our Levees
Here's how the British hold back the waters from flooding London:
And the Dutch solution to protecting an entire nation that mostly rests below sea level:
The Italians are defending their city on the sea, Venice:
And the richest, most powerful and technologically advanced nation on earth....USA!!!!!! Go Corps of Engineers!!!!
Hey, it takes a lot of money to keep corrupt politicians corrupt.
posted by Marlipern @ 3:42 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Wow - great Marlipern...that was great....
Just remember, the government is their to kill you, hiding in the shadows, striking when lease expected. Now go to bed when your mom tells you to or the government might get you.
I completely agree with the conclusions of the engineers. I am Dutch and followed the disaster in New Orleans every day. What a sort of micky mouse contraptions are being built there, incredible for a wealthy country to protect its inhabitants from the sea and the everlasting hurricanes. We do not have hurricanes, but are protected here and engineers are already at work to find a good solution for sea level rising and the consequences of it, having a country behind the dykes and sanddunes where the majority of people live, sometimes 9 meters under sealevel (about 12 yards). But your whole system is wrong - the army should not work at it - engineers should design a plan and trained people who have to do that sort of work should built a new system. Whatever engineers of the USA ordered them to do. Using the knowledge of countries which do much better, including my own country.
muggins...
The saddest part about the Corp of Engineers failure here is that they didn't used to be this bad. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used to be known for the remarkable things they could accomplish. They were , once upon a time, the gold standard in civil and structural engineering in this country. These days, I guess they focus more on blowing up bridges than they do on building them.
Excellent presentation. But I'm thinking the Corps could build it right if they were given the mandate and the funding to do so. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be the will to allocate the $$ - even now. And no wonder - most Americans seem to think that it's New Orleans fault for existing where it does. I agree that government could do better - but what do we expect when we elect government leaders who run on a platform of hating government? These gov't hating electeds like BUSH slash budgets (while increasing spending)and appoint cronies into important positions - tho Brown looks better than ever these days.
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