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The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

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Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#11

Post by JumpCrisscross »

Mountain_Skies wrote: post #5
tomohelix wrote: post #3

Even before clicking, I already knew it would be in China. It has been a while since the US or other western countries have done a major public infrastructure project (compared to what have been done before). The US especially is lagging behind. How long has it been since the high speed rail system was proposed? China built a national network in less time than the US took to argue about how to build just one line bet…

California is actively working on their high speed rail system. They're just doing it very slowly and at great expense.

> California is actively working on their high speed rail system

It's billions short on just the useless Merced-Bakersfield segment [1].

Given "its sole source of ongoing funds, from the state’s cap-and-trade program, expires in 2030," and there is zero chance of new federal funding through 2026 (and realistically, through at least 2028), the chances that this gets killed in its entirety are quite high.

[1] https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/ca-high-speed-ra...

Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#12

Post by Arnt »

rapsey wrote: post #8
tokioyoyo wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mostly North American problem, not Western. Europe is still building gigantic bridges, rails, ports and etc. Not as fast as China, but it still happens. US/Canada is stuck on financial engineering loop, instead of… engineering. Big things happen when it’s required, but it feels like there’s no public nor political appetite for it.

The UK is insanely fumbling their nuclear plant build.

And the Thames tunnel, for which just the planning is likely to cost more than the complete construction of the world's longest, deepest undersea tunnel, which you may assume is being built in China?

Not China. It's actually in Norway. Denmark is also building a giant tunnel, and Austria, Switzerland and Italy are active in the Alps.

Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#13

Post by JumpCrisscross »

esperent wrote: post #4

They really avoided all but the briefest mention of the most important thing for any large project like this: the potential ecological effects, not to mention geopolitical since said ecological effects will be across the border in India.

> not to mention geopolitical since said ecological effects will be across the border in India

China is taking full advantage of India's military dependence on Russia. (India cannot afford, let alone win, a conflict with China right now.)

Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#15

Post by belter »

tomohelix wrote: post #3

Even before clicking, I already knew it would be in China. It has been a while since the US or other western countries have done a major public infrastructure project (compared to what have been done before). The US especially is lagging behind. How long has it been since the high speed rail system was proposed? China built a national network in less time than the US took to argue about how to build just one line bet…

Not that it makes for better policies in respect for human rights on their part...But most Chinese leaders are engineers and scientists in case you did not notice. And I mean real Engineers not Musk type engineers....

Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#16

Post by rapsey »

Abekkus wrote: post #14
rapsey wrote: post #2

China is the only country in the world with ambition right now. The west can't build anything anymore.

TikTok and Fox News and twitter and friends working as intended, sapping ambitions and attention spans and political wills.

DEI and environmental road blocks come from the other side of the isle.

Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#17

Post by belter »

apopapo wrote: post #9

This will mess up the planet's rotation speed. These mega dams are very bad.

Yes big dam do redistribute mass and alter the Earth's rotation. But by my rough calculations the Three Gorges Dam should lengthen the day by roughly 0.05 to 0.06 microseconds. So around 1 second every 50,000 years. You are more likely to get late to work because your alarm run out of battery :-)

Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#18

Post by bogtog »

rapsey wrote: post #8
tokioyoyo wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mostly North American problem, not Western. Europe is still building gigantic bridges, rails, ports and etc. Not as fast as China, but it still happens. US/Canada is stuck on financial engineering loop, instead of… engineering. Big things happen when it’s required, but it feels like there’s no public nor political appetite for it.

The UK is insanely fumbling their nuclear plant build.

USA-UK comparisons are always tempting because the UK is English speaking, but my feeling is that the UK is in such disarray that its not a good European reference point

Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#19

Post by loloquwowndueo »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #10
tomohelix wrote: post #3

Even before clicking, I already knew it would be in China. It has been a while since the US or other western countries have done a major public infrastructure project (compared to what have been done before). The US especially is lagging behind. How long has it been since the high speed rail system was proposed? China built a national network in less time than the US took to argue about how to build just one line bet…

We're still doing megaprojects [1]. They're focussed on air and roads, in transportation; aerospace (defence and civil); and sports. > How long has it been since the high speed rail system was proposed? China built a national network in less time China's population distribution (and lack of strong-form property ownership) makes intercity passenger rail a lot easier than in America. We absolutely should have it in the…

Sports mega project? Heh, do tell more.

Re: The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

#20

Post by JumpCrisscross »

loloquwowndueo wrote: post #19
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're still doing megaprojects [1]. They're focussed on air and roads, in transportation; aerospace (defence and civil); and sports. > How long has it been since the high speed rail system was proposed? China built a national network in less time China's population distribution (and lack of strong-form property ownership) makes intercity passenger rail a lot easier than in America. We absolutely should have it in the…

Sports mega project? Heh, do tell more.

Quite literally a section in the Wikipedia article.
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