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May 15, 2003
Sinking City of Venice
It's extremely late and I should really be going to bed, but I just watched a really cool PBS documentary about the city of Venice and some of the problems it faces in the near future.
Apparently, the whole city is built on a salt marsh, which has always been sinking since the city was built. The people have always found ways around the sinking problem (such as using canals to route water around the city), but it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep the city above water because of rising sea levels (caused by changing weather patterns and global warming).
What really caught my attention is a solution they've been considering for many years. It is a system of movable dams that would be used only during high tide seasons to keep water out of the city. A lot of people are against it because of the environmental affects, but no one has been able to come up with a better solution. The debate has been drawn out for over thirty years now! One reason it has lasted so long is that the government of Italy is replaced every two years or so, making it difficult for big decisions like this one to reach conclusions efficiently.
There was a lot to digest in the documentary, but I found it extremely interesting. I learned a lot of stuff I would never have realized otherwise. Most of the info can be found on NOVA's website listed below.
Posted by Joey at May 15, 2003 02:31 AM
Comments
Thanks for the information and link--I'm a sucker for documentaries. I checked out the site when I should have been writing a talk for Church. I've been trying to come up with an analogy. How's this?
The average water level around Venice has risen 6 feet in the last 1500 years. In the last 100 years, however, the increase has been swift. In 1900, a central square in Venice was barely covered by water seven times a year. Today, that same square is buried under water (up to your knees) about 100 times a year. The city must now find a way to protect itself before it is overcome.
Temptations and sin surround us. In recent years, the level of sin has increased. We must dam ourselves before we are damned.
Of course, I won't really use this.
Posted by: steve at May 24, 2003 07:44 AM