Saving New Orleans, etc.
A DIFFERENT WAY TO SAVE NEW ORLEANS, SPEEDING UP THE JAPANESE BATH, GOLF BALLS FROM HEAVEN & MORE…..
by Wayne Shattuck
A DIFFERENT WAY TO SAVE NEW ORLEANS…. Most of the attention on saving New Orleans from the next catastrophic hurricane has been directed toward building bigger and higher levees but a group of scientists funded by the National Science Foundation believe they have a better idea. And that idea is to replenish the soil of the Mississippi Delta, thereby restoring the wetlands and producing a natural storm barrier. According to the researchers the Mississippi Delta naturally sinks into the sea under its own weight. But nature’s method of replacing the Delta soil with sediment from the river has been interrupted by the manmade levees which funnel the sediment toward the Gulf of Mexico. As the land sinks with no replacement, the shoreline moves north, increasing the potential for damage from storm surge. The plan would be to open up strategically placed gaps in the levees to direct sediment from the river to the areas that need it most. The goal would be to create more land between the city and open water, but if accepted, that plan would be long and expensive. Right now the scientists estimate that rebuilding the land of the Mississippi Delta will cost $15 billion dollars and take 30 years.
SPEEDING UP THE JAPANESE BATH…. No surprise that Japan is growing like crazy, and along with that fast growth comes an increase in energy use. Now, the Japanese government, thinking of ways to cut back, has made a suggestion to its citizenry. No long baths! You see, most of America uses a shower but the Japanese have a different method of bathing. They wash outside the tub first then soak in the water, which is then used by the next family member. While this conserves water, if the person in line takes too long, the water has to be reheated. And hot water use in bathrooms and kitchens accounts for 39% of energy consumption in Japan. So the word from the Japanese government, “keep that bath line moving!”
GOLF BALLS FROM HEAVEN…. (From Freaks of the Storm) On September 3, 1969 hundreds of golf balls apparently fell during a thunderstorm that produced 5 inches of rain in Punta Gorda Isles, FL. A police investigation failed to explain the pile of golf balls that had fallen into gutters, on the streets and sidewalks. Two patrolmen, from the Punta Gorda Police Department, picked up a huge number of golf balls while a security patrolman collected enough golf balls to fill a satchel case and complained that he was tired of picking them up. A check of local golf courses and country clubs failed to find any missing golf balls.
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL…. December is “Read A New Book Month”
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