I am a fan of the history channel. Last night I watched a new program about America's ever growing infrastructure. I though I had seen it all in movies like FOOD Inc and Sicko. The 2003 northeast blackout is just a warning of things to come. The future of our Economy lies on the well functioning of our infrastructure. Interesting years lie ahead.
Don't know if this is what the OP was referring to but looks like it airs 10-16. Mega Disasters : Dam Break Airs on Friday October 16 11:00 AM Modern dams are marvels of engineering but after decades of neglect the U.S. infrastructure is in crisis and by 2020, 85% of U.S. dams may be near their breaking point. When the South Fork Dam near Johnstown, PA gave way in a storm in 1889, killing 2200 people, it was the worst disaster in U.S. history. Today, with millions of Americans living nearby massive dams, the result of a failure could be catastrophic. http://www.history.com/content/megadisasters/upcoming-episodes
Thanks, already watched it when it first aired back in June. It did a good job of highlighting a lot of different infrastructure problems that have been reported separately by various sources for quite a while now.
A panel of 24 of the nation's leading civil engineers, analyzed hundreds of studies, reports and other sources, and surveyed more than 2,000 engineers to determine what was happening in the field. Aviation: D+ Bridges: C the percentage of the nation's 590,750 bridges rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete = 27.1%. Dams : D Since 1998, the number of unsafe dams has risen by 33% to more than 3,500. Drinking Water: D America faces a shortfall of $11 billion annually to replace aging facilities and comply with safe drinking water regulations. Federal funding for drinking water in 2005 remained level at $850 million, less than 10% of the total national requirement. Energy (National Power Grid) : D The U.S. power transmission system is in urgent need of modernization. Growth in electricity demand and investment in new power plants has not been matched by investment in new transmission facilities. Maintenance expenditures have decreased 1% per year since 1992. Existing transmission facilities were not designed for the current level of demand, resulting in an increased number of `bottlenecks' which increase costs to consumers and elevate the risk of blackouts. Hazardous Waste : D Federal funding for `Superfund' cleanup of the nation's worst toxic waste sites has steadily declined since 1998, reaching its lowest level since 1986 in FY05. Navigable Waterways : D Of the 257 locks on the more than 12,000 miles of inland waterways operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, nearly 50% are functionally obsolete. Public Parks & Recreation : C Many of our nation's public parks, beaches and recreational harbors are falling into a state of disrepair. Much of the initial construction of roads, bridges, utility systems, shore protection structures and beaches was done more than 50 years ago. Rail : C For the first time since World War II, limited rail capacity has created significant chokepoints and delays. This problem will increase as freight rail tonnage is expected to increase at least 50% by 2020. Roads : D Poor road conditions cost U.S. motorists $54 billion a year in repairs and operating costs--$275 per motorist. While long-term Federal transportation programs remain unauthorized since expiring on Sept. 30, 2003, the nation continues to shortchange funding for needed transportation improvements. Schools : D The Federal government has not assessed the condition of America's schools since 1999, when it estimated that $127 billion was needed to bring facilities to good condition. Other sources have since reported a need as high as $268 billion. Transit : D Transit use increased faster than any other mode of transportation--up 21%--between 1993 and 2002. Federal investment during this period stemmed the decline in the condition of existing transit infrastructure. The reduction in federal investment in real dollars since 2001 threatens this turnaround. Wastewater : D Aging wastewater management systems discharge billions of gallons of untreated sewage into U.S. surface waters each year. The EPA estimates that the nation must invest $390 billion over the next 20 years to replace existing systems and build new ones to meet increasing demands. Yet, in 2005, Congress cut funding for wastewater management for the first time in eight years. The Bush administration has proposed a further 33% reduction, to $730 million, for FY06. America's Infrastructure G.P.A. = D Total Investment Needs = $1.6 Trillion http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=103 Posted this on ET before. People said it was just engineer propaganda looking for pork.
The travesty here is that, for the past few decades, engineers have been treated like sh*t in the economy, have been compensated very poorly for their skills, and the domestic labour force is now dominated by foreigners who may very well just get up and leave one the crap starts hitting the fan. In most countries, engineers are the top dogs in the economy, and bankers and everyone else comes lower. In America, engineers have to drive used cars, live in appartments until they are 35-40 years old, and are the first to get laid off when there's a downturn. In reality, engineers should be the $2M/year-paid people, and bankers should be the people driving the used cars and kissing the ground that they even get a piece of the economic pie. Who created all the infrastructure in the first place? Certainly not the money changers.