The development and construction of the world's first nuclear powerplants starting in the mid-1950s was thought to be the threshold of an age where the generation of electricity would be "too cheap to meter." That of course proved to be nonsense, but the world, it seems, is eager to place some new bets on nukes. They will be carefully considered ones, based on the positive experience of many powerplants that have been quietly churning out vast amounts of electricity over the past 50 years, and mindful of the ecological and financial disasters at the Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Shoreham
A year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, progress is being made in the massive reconstruction effort. On critical infrastructure and economic projects, the pace seems to be limited only by the number of skilled people available to do the work. That refrain is being echoed around the U.S. on other projects, but nowhere else are the ramifications more important—health, safety and economic recovery for an entire region. That presents an opportunity for the nation and industry that appears only about once in a generation—the mobilization of a citizen army to build rather than destroy. It will take a
There is nothing more joyous and interesting than cultural and architectural diversity in a nation—the spreading of rich delicacies on a full table for all to enjoy. But the sad fact is that, in the U.S. in particular, there is a need for dramatic new landmarks to sharpen the palette. Large public corporations now are feeding the U.S. a steady diet of empty calories— big box stores by the thousands, small boxes by the millions and McMansions by the subdivision. These numbing designs are spreading across the U.S. like crabgrass across a lawn, choking out regional culture, diversity and imagination.
(Photo courtesy of Bigdig.com) The deadly collapse of 10 tons of precast concrete ceiling panels in the I-90 connector tunnel in Boston clearly demonstrates that even a $14.6-billion project may end up being judged on the performance of a relative handful of bolts. But it also underscores the role that everyone must play in making major projects safe. Up until now, the Central Artery /Tunnel has been criticized mainly for its cost escalation and tunnel leaks, which can partially be explained, given the ambitious nature of the decade-long project. But the recent death of a woman passenger in a car
It has taken years to gain traction but the widening U.S. crackdown on employment of illegal aliens at sensitive infrastructure sites finally is off and running. And so is another push by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to root out violent criminals in the U.S. illegally. Those initiatives are on top of a general one to choke off employment opportunities for illegals at all levels. That kind of action is chilling for some people but long overdue. As we have said before, immigration reform starts and finishes with the rule of law (ENR 4/17 p. 60). And that
Let’s face it, New Orleans was a dying city before Hurricane Katrina devastated it last year, and the death now is almost complete. Instead of spending many billions of taxpayer dollars to restore the city to its pre-Katrina configuration, the time has come to start developing a plan for the city that embraces nature rather than fights it. Because of the vast amount of federal funding involved, this should be a national debate, rather than just a local one. The New Orleans of today will remain a potential disaster area no matter what the nation does. Its location near the
With relatively little fanfare, one of the most important panels in Washington, D.C., has begun work. No, it is not a top secret commission looking into federal eavesdropping on American telephone calls or a highly political probe into who ratted out a federal undercover intelligence agent. (Photo courtesy of the Federal Highway Administration) It affects far more Americans in everyday life. It is the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. Americans should not be turned off by the mind-numbing name. They should be turned on by the fact that the commission will play a key role in shaping
One person’s trash is another’s treasure and the relationship is a core underpinning of recycling. There has to be some value to the material being recycled and the value is determined by the marketplace. Massachusetts is betting on that with a bold, state-wide ban on the land-filling of most construction and demolition waste—asphalt pavement, brick, concrete, metal and wood—starting July 1. As the nation’s first statewide ban, the move is a strong one, designed to save limited landfill space and push recycling deeper into the economy (see p. 17). The danger is that the new regulations may be getting ahead
If the construction industry and its many customers thought that they were going to catch a break from escalating inflation, they are sadly mistaken. Some of the wildly oscillating materials like lumber and cement are moderating, but the out-of-control petroleum markets are exacting a new tax on businesses and individuals that will be difficult, if not impossible, to sidestep. But that tax is not going to the public good, and there should be a reconciliation of that account. As regular gasoline hits $3 per gallon or more in many areas and diesel fuel even higher, many are wondering how we
The centennial observance of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and the rebuilding of New Orleans have some eerie similarities: There was total destruction in large parts of both cities from a natural disaster, the rebuilding efforts tried to prevent the same kind destruction in the future and there was a curious belief that if you prepare for a 100-year event, it somehow will not happen for 100 years. (Photo by The Bancroft Library) San Francisco was destroyed at 5:13 a.m. on April 18, 1906, following a magnitude 8.3 earthquake. New Orleans was destroyed on Aug. 29, 2005 by a category
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