Rebuild New Orleans for the future

[Skyhunter]

This is a unique opportunity to rebuild a city for sustainability.

Here is an excellent http://openexchange.org/features/register.html with some great ideas.

 

[rachmaninoff]

It's useless, it's so out of touch. Take their #1 point for example:

1.) Raise the level of New Orleans wherever possible simply by adding fill and building on top of that. Calculate sea level rise caused by global warming over a few more decades and add another ten feet of fill.

 

[Pengwuino]

I'm leaning towards the idea of rebuilding... but jesus christ this guy is insane. The UN actually gives consideration to this organization!??!?

4.) Establish a crash program for renewable energy like solar and wind, optimal with the energy-conserving structure of the city rebuilt in the compact, mixed-use pattern.

Because compact, small areas are beautifully suited for solar power...

 

[Mk]

Why should they rebuild? What happens when it gets hit again?

If they will, they should at least move it to somewhere safe.

When some city in Hawaii got hit by that tsunami or tidal wave, they DID rebuild, because it was a moneymaking city, and lots of people who lived there were in love with it, but they rebuilt it farther off shore, to avoid future risk.

 

[Skyhunter]

It's useless, it's so out of touch. Take their #1 point for example:

I guess I missed your point.

Could you elaborate?

 

[Skyhunter]

I'm leaning towards the idea of rebuilding... but jesus christ this guy is insane. The UN actually gives consideration to this organization!??!?



Because compact, small areas are beautifully suited for solar power...

You are confusing the point. Small compact means people can get around without automobiles.

 

[Skyhunter]

Why should they rebuild? What happens when it gets hit again?

If they will, they should at least move it to somewhere safe.

When some city in Hawaii got hit by that tsunami or tidal wave, they DID rebuild, because it was a moneymaking city, and lots of people who lived there were in love with it, but they rebuilt it farther off shore, to avoid future risk.

I agree, it is a bad place for a city. The reality however is that it will be rebuilt. Since it is a foregone conclusion that New Orleans will be rebuilt, right where it is at, I would like to see it rebuiult as the greenest most efficient city in the world.

We have the opportunity to make it something special, a model for sustainable environmentally friendly cities.

 

[Mk]

It's useless, it's so out of touch. Take their #1 point for example:

I think what he/she means is that the people have no idea what they are talking about! They want to raise a whole city by filling x meters³ with concrete or cement or earth? New Orleans was about 907.0 km², the article suggests more than 20 ft., = ~6 m, coming out to 5,442 km³. Usually when that much Earth is formed, its from a supervolcano, La Garita Caldera, Colorado, United States spewed over 5,000 km³ of lava, decimating any life in its path. The Earth sure is eco-friendly.

The most recent supervolcano to erupt (~4000 yrs. ago), was at Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia (2,800 km³), aka the Toba catastrophe. The eruption at Lake Toba plunged the world into a volcanic winter -- the same thing that would happen from an asteroid impact or if all the nuclear weapons were set off at this instant -- and is thought to be responsible for the incredible bottleneck in the human population (~4000 yrs. ago), a near extinction.

By comparision to all these thousands of cubic kilometers, the Mt. St. Helens eruption of 1980 ejected less than 1 km³

I would like to see it rebuiult as the greenest most efficient city in the world.

We have the opportunity to make it something special, a model for sustainable environmentally friendly cities.

I would laugh at anyone who thinks it will happen, to New Orleans. Sure some people would like it to happen but, we are not at a point in any widespread ideological movement at which something like that would happen.

 

[Skyhunter]

I think what he/she means is that the people have no idea what they are talking about! They want to raise a whole city by filling x meters³ with concrete or cement or earth? New Orleans was about 907.0 km², the article suggests more than 20 ft., = ~6 m, coming out to 5,442 km³. Usually when that much Earth is formed, its from a supervolcano, La Garita Caldera, Colorado, United States spewed over 5,000 km³ of lava, decimating any life in its path. The Earth sure is eco-friendly.

The most recent supervolcano to erupt (~4000 yrs. ago), was at Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia (2,800 km³), aka the Toba catastrophe. The eruption at Lake Toba plunged the world into a volcanic winter -- the same thing that would happen from an asteroid impact or if all the nuclear weapons were set off at this instant -- and is thought to be responsible for the incredible bottleneck in the human population (~4000 yrs. ago), a near extinction.

By comparision to all these thousands of cubic kilometers, the Mt. St. Helens eruption of 1980 ejected less than 1 km³


I would laugh at anyone who thinks it will happen, to New Orleans. Sure some people would like it to happen but, we are not at a point in any widespread ideological movement at which something like that would happen.

I did not agree with the entire article and I don't think it is practical given the geologic conditions of the area.

They were not suggesting we raise the entire area, just some parts where it may be feasible. Personally I would raise all buildings up a few stories and have parking garages or other non living spaces etc. below them. Spread the buildings out with raised walkways in between and lots of open space in the low lying areas for parks wetlands etc.

A movement doesn't happen overnight. It has to start somewhere and grow. Just because the people in this country are fed disinformation about the environment doesn't change the fact that global warming is happening.