THE HAGUE, Netherlands: The Netherlands needs a massive new building program to strengthen the low-lying country's water defenses against the anticipated effects of global warming for the next 190 years, an important panel advised Wednesday. The plan by the Delta Commission includes more than €100 billion, or $144 billion, in new spending through the year 2100 to take measures such as broadening coastal dunes and strengthening sea and river dikes. It is expected to be the central reference point for policymakers for decades to come. "We're not trying to scare people, because there's still time to act," said the panel chairman Cees Veerman, handing the report to Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende in a nationally televised news conference. Balkenende promised to immediately begin drafting its recommendations into law. "Whatever social or economic hardship this country faces, water runs through it," he said.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: The Netherlands needs a massive new building program to strengthen the low-lying country's water defenses against the anticipated effects of global warming for the next 190 years, an important panel advised Wednesday.
The plan by the Delta Commission includes more than €100 billion, or $144 billion, in new spending through the year 2100 to take measures such as broadening coastal dunes and strengthening sea and river dikes. It is expected to be the central reference point for policymakers for decades to come.
"We're not trying to scare people, because there's still time to act," said the panel chairman Cees Veerman, handing the report to Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende in a nationally televised news conference. Balkenende promised to immediately begin drafting its recommendations into law.
"Whatever social or economic hardship this country faces, water runs through it," he said.
Right now we have finally gotten to the point where people are willing/able to say things like this in public, without fear of being shot down.
But, similar to the Maginot Line being built, if the pressure is taken off, for whatever reason, there will be failures that get a lot of people killed.
In the case of the Maginot Line, France completed its bits, and it was impregnable. But construction was halted in the north for political and financial reasons. We all know what happened then.
In a few years it could be that the trend is noticed - that the earth has entered a cold spell. It will appear to neutralize the warming trend and take off the pressure. It is predicted to only last for a decade.
If pressure is allowed to fail on transportation and energy infrastructure, the history books will say ""We all know what happened then." Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
That's assuming there will be any history books.
I would bet on it of course -because if there are none (which I fear is highly possible), it will mean there will be no way to collect the money. But that's not exactly a rousing endorsement of the likelihood of it. Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Gandhi
From: http://home.tiscali.nl/~wr2777/NAP-niveau.htm
Nature Reserves - Holme Fen
Holme Fen NNR is the lowest point in Britain, lying at the most westerly end of the East Anglian fens on the shore of the former Whittlesey Mere. Over many years drainage of the surrounding farm land has caused the peat to shrink. This shrinkage has been recorded by the Holme Fen Post, a cast-iron column that was sunk into the fen in 1852. The column was sunk till its top was level with the peat surface, but it now stands some 4 m above ground level.
Holme Fen NNR is the lowest point in Britain, lying at the most westerly end of the East Anglian fens on the shore of the former Whittlesey Mere.
Over many years drainage of the surrounding farm land has caused the peat to shrink. This shrinkage has been recorded by the Holme Fen Post, a cast-iron column that was sunk into the fen in 1852. The column was sunk till its top was level with the peat surface, but it now stands some 4 m above ground level.
Are they proposing to put up sea walls that are an additional 5 meters high?
