The Big Dig

The Big Dig was a very expensive (ultimately $22 billion) federally-funded construction project that involved moving most of Boston's major traffic arteries underground.  This project had been in the works since the late 1950's, and actual construction lasted from 1991 to 2006.  Ever since its completion, the new road system has seemingly been plagued with problems and unseen consequences.  Apparently, a lot of the work completed and materials used in the construction were substandard.  Shortly after its opening, many of the tunnels showed signs of dangerous leaks, which were apparently due to pouring concrete before properly cleaning the area of gravel and other debris, leaving holes for water to migrate.  Also, shortly after its opening, a 3-ton concrete ceiling panel fell from one of the tunnel ceilings, crushing a car and killing one of the passengers.  This was due to workers using an epoxy designed for temporary use as a permanent bonding agent for the ceiling panels.  It was also discovered that much of the concrete used was sub-par itself.  Many of these aspects have caused lawsuits to erupt between the state and the contractors used for the project, as well as a major lawsuit between the family of the woman that was killed and the epoxy manufacturer.  As an unseen consequence, apparently even though the traffic situation within the city has been improved, it has begun to cause backups in other areas further out as people are trying to access the tunnels.  Overall, it just seems that this project was insanely expensive, and didn't really create very good results.  Maybe if better methods of construction and better materials were used, this project would have turned out better.

Good and bad cities

We've already talked as a class about many of the cities that were originally placed in both good and bad locations.  It seems that the best locations are those closest to a river or waterway, but not in a flood plain.  These locations provide both a good water supply for crops and other needs, but as well as a means of transporting goods.  I had actually already thought about Macon originally being in a well thought-out place.  Other cities that were built in what I believe to be good locations are Rome, which was built on the hills surrounding the Tiber River, and Istanbul (Constantinople); the actual layout of these cities as of today are not very organized, however.  A city that is actually in a decent location and is surprisingly well laid-out is Moscow, Russia.  By looking at a satellite image you can see that it's built around a river, and fans out in a circular pattern from this central point with a grid pattern in between.

Of course bad locations for cities are places where resources are not readily available, and have to be shipped in from other locations.  As we've already talked about, bad locations are places like the middle of the desert, where water and other supplies are a hot commodity.  Phoenix, Arizona is a prime example of a city in such a location; it does have a very organized grid-style layout, however. 

I guess maybe what would make an ideal city of tomorrow would be something along a good waterway with an organized layout (something like Moscow).  Goods and services would need to be placed somewhat evenly throughout the city.  It would also need a good infrastructure and public transportation to help people reach these locations easier and at the same time cut down on air pollution.

Wild Card Blog

I'm going to write about a cheap method of sustaining national security (this is basically a rant about gun ownership).  I believe that gun ownership among law-abiding citizens is the best way to keep our country safe.  I personally own several firearms, and I do have a Georgia Firearms License (this lets you know I'm not a felon).  Most gun owners in the U.S. are like me - just law abiding citizens who believe in defense, not going on the offense.  Just think about this:  anyone who would try to invade this country would have their hands full, because they would have to contend with both the National Guard as well as millions of armed citizens set on defending their home.

This is why I believe that gun control legislation would only hurt us in the long run.  I do believe that criminals should not be able to own guns, but at the same time, if gun control legislation was passed, it would only hurt law-abiding citizens.  This is primarily due to the fact that even if this legislation was passed, most criminals would still have ways to find guns, leaving the common citizen unarmed and at a great disadvantage.  This type of situation would greatly resemble Prohibition; it would open a whole new area of merchandise for the black market, and I'm pretty sure both organized and unorganized crime would skyrocket.  The following quote just helps prove this point: 

"Gun control has not worked in D.C. The only people who have guns are criminals. We have the strictest gun laws in the nation and one of the highest murder rates. It's quicker to pull your Smith & Wesson than to dial 911 if you're being robbed." Lt. Lowell Duckett, Special Assistant to DC Police Chief, 1996.

As a final thought, I believe that gun ownership is what keeps this country truly free.  With gun ownership, America is full of empowered citizens, not powerless subjects.  And no, I am not one of those crazy folks set on overthrowing the government, just a guy who believes in defending myself and my loved ones.

Global Water Shortage

In recent years, it has become apparent that access to clean freshwater will harder to come by in the near future.  This is primarily due to a sharp increase in the human population (in the last 100 years, the human population has tripled, and the demand for water has increased by a factor of six).  Not only is there a concern about the  increased consumption of water, but there is also a major concern about polluting the existing supply.  Clean water is vital to sanitation, and many developing countries do not have access to this commodity, leading to numerous deaths each year due to parasites and other water-borne illnesses.

There are several potential solutions to the problem of maintaining a clean supply of water.  One solution that many countries are already employing is the desalination of seawater.  This process works, but is somewhat costly to perform.  One interesting concept that I read about that is either free or very inexpensive, however, is local water management.  One of the aspects of this concept include the harvesting and storing of rainwater, which can either be done at individual households or on a community-wide basis by installing tanks or basins to catch rainwater running off rooftops.  Another aspect is the recycling of "gray water," which includes water from laundry, sinks, and showers, and has been used to successfully grow some aquatic-based crops without noticeable side-effects (I think this testing is still relatively new though).  Even though these two practices do not necessarily produce fresh drinking water, they reduce the demand for clean water by providing other water sources with which to perform daily household chores and related tasks.

References:

Information retrieved from:  http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-25649-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

Information retrieved from:  http://www.wateraidamerica.org/what_we_do/statistics.aspx?gclid=CJD6_eu9nKcCFYnc4AodfRPabw

Vampire Power

Vampire power is basically the constant leeching of power by electronic devices operating on standby mode.  Even though a device is "off", many still require power to run internal clocks and similar subsystems, so they continue to use electricity.  It is believed that vampire power actually accounts for 5% of the overall energy usage in the U.S., and upwards around 10% in some areas of Europe.  In order to lower the effects of vampire power, you can either unplug devices during the day when they are not in use, or either invest in more efficient devices, such as those approved by the EnergyStar program.

"Pet" Materials

The two materials that I want to research farther are high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and cement.  I'm using HDPE in my senior design project and it seems to be a very stout and definitely lightweight material, so I thought it would be interesting to look farther into that one.  Cement pretty much revolutionized architecture, and was widely used by the Romans, so I thought it would also be interesting to research that material.

When it comes to sustainability, both of these materials employ the use of nonrenewable resources.  HDPE, like all plastics, is derived from petroleum, which we all know is depleting.  Also like most plastics, HDPE is not biodegradable.  Cement requires the mining of several minerals such as limestone, or some other source of calcium, therefore imposing the depletion of these natural resources.  

Government Programs

One government program that I believe can see some reduction is Welfare.  I know the program was started with good intentions, but I believe the system is now being abused big time.  The original intention of the program was to help people get back on their feet, but many people today have made using that system a way of life, completely relying on the benefits without even trying to become independent.  I know from personal experience of being on food stamps in the past that there is a checkup every six months in order to determine whether or not a person should receive aid, but many people have found loopholes and are completed misusing the system.  I think there should be a little more in-depth check to see if people should have their benefits renewed, because now there is only one or two forms that a person must fill out.  I hope this doesn't sound cold, because people do need help from time to time, but this system is being taken advantage of.

On the other hand, a program that I believe is worth keeping, even though it is danger of going dry, is Social Security.  This program ensures that hard-working people who have paid taxes their whole lives will have some way of supporting themselves after they retire, even if they didn't have a set retirement plan.  This system is, in my opinion, just a way of rewarding people for their hard work and should definitely be kept.