Project 2010-2025: A Newer Deal
Its there if we really want it.
Do we want to remain competitive in the teens now the noughties are all but over?
Do we really want to create a large number of well paid jobs in the US?
Do we really want to make everyone's life better?
Do we really hold the environment in high esteem?
One thing we cannot outsource that is in great need of attention.
Our infrastructure.
There is no better 'bank' for our wealth than what we use every day.
Our will we remain hell bent on throwing it away?
1] Fix the Levees
The flooding in the Mississippi watershed is only going to get worse, coastal flooding will threaten even more of our important cities.
Levees
More than 85% of the nation’s estimated 100,000 miles of levees are locally owned and maintained. The reliability of many of these levees is unknown. Many are more than 50 years old and were originally built to protect crops from flooding. With an increase in development behind these levees, the risk to public health and safety from failure has increased. Rough estimates put the cost at more than $100 billion to repair and rehabilitate the nation’s levees.
http://www.infrastructurereportcard....
2] Fix the Grid
Brown outs, long runs and inefficient transmission, one of the vital arteries of our way of life is clogged.
Quite a few people believe that if there is a decline in oil production, we can make up much of the difference by increasing our use of electricity--more nuclear, wind, solar voltaic, geothermal or even coal. The problem with this model is that it assumes that our electric grid will be working well enough for this to happen. It seems to me that there is substantial doubt that this will be the case.
http://www.energybulletin.net/...
3] Fix the Bridges
Commercial highways and can be fatal if badly maintained.
There was a slight improvement in the share of bridges in the U.S. that were classified as either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to newly released records from the National Bridge Inventory analyzed by msnbc.com.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
4] Fix the Ports
Better rail links, less trucks and improved and grid links to reduce pollution
About 28.9 million shipping containers passed through crowded U.S. ports last year, and gridlock is mounting. Containers entering the country languished on docks an average of seven days. Adopting the "agile port system" now being developed with help from federal agencies would boost efficiency. When the concept was tested at Washington’s Port of Tacoma, it cut cargo delays in half.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/...
5] Fix the Locks
Transport of goods into the heartland by boat is far more efficient than by road. To prevent invasive species entering good should be transferred to local shipping and only these should enter the waterways.
Inland Waterways
The average tow barge can carry the equivalent of 870 tractor trailer loads. Of the 257 locks still in use on the nation's inland waterways, 30 were built in the 1800s and another 92 are more than 60 years old. The average age of all federally owned or operated locks is nearly 60 years, well past their planned design life of 50 years. The cost to replace the present system of locks is estimated at more than $125 billion. 2
http://www.infrastructurereportcard....
6] Fix the Mass Transit System
Public transport, electric buses, trains and improved walking/cycling networks.
Eventually the private car and passenger air travel are going to go the way of the dinosaurs.
In Europe and China heavy investment is going into high speed passenger transport
The Harmony express raced 1,100km in less than three hours on Saturday, travelling from Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province, to the central city of Wuhan. The journey previously took at least 11 hours.
http://edition.cnn.com/...
7] Energy efficient appliances in the Home
Heat pumps, solar panels,insulation, wind turbines and water turbines where possible.
Financial incentives to move to these systems can be paid for by fossil fuel levies.
These will also take a load off the grid.
Summary
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has just released a summary of its 2009 Infrastructure Report Card, and the news isn't exactly surprising–it's bad. The purpose of the report card format is to make the study easily accessible to the public, replacing the opaque engineering-speak of structural deficiency and design lifespan with familiar letter grades for each of 15 categories, as well as a cumulative tally. It also invites easy clichés. So with the best grades at C+, the worst at D–, and an overall performance of D, the same as last year's total, this is one report card that isn't going up on the fridge.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/...
We have a tremendous opportunity lets not miss the boat this time..
Use the latest and greatest technology, be energy efficient use non fossil fuel based energy sources.
Be creative, its what we do best
How do we pay for it?
Taxes
Its what we really pay them for, not for an overweight MIC to wander about in foreign lands imposing out will.
Cut the military budget back down to $350 billion and use the other $300 billion where we need it.
If and where necessary Nationalize since private industry is more interested in profit than maintenance and improvement.
Rather than worrying about rebuilding other nations how about rebuilding our own first?
If we make it more efficient and less polluting everyone benefits in the long term.
Schools, Universities, Technical Colleges, Hospitals, Community centres
Take your pick there is plenty of work to be done.
The list is long.
Whilst we are still the wealthiest nation on the planet lets build our way to a better future.
Lets be positive for a change and just do it.