Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved

newatlas.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 69 posts

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

#31

Post by purple_turtle »

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…

> 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)

how you define "major" here?

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

#32

Post by briandear »

Interesting reading on the “snail darter” that “environmentalists” used to oppose a U.S. project:

TLDR: so-called environmentalists will use any excuse to oppose infrastructure projects

https://reason.com/volokh/2025/01/04/there-is-technically-no...

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

#33

Post by purple_turtle »

rapsey wrote: post #2

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

"anything anymore" is blatant overestimate and mistating the problem. See from space telescopes to Poland catching up after Russian occupation.

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

#35

Post by purple_turtle »

consumer451 wrote: post #27
rapsey wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

DEI is to blame for the lack of infrastructure projects in the USA? Please, do share how this could possibly be connected!

I guess that DEI add some % of paperwork and costs, but it hardly a main problem or cause.

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

#36

Post by api »

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…

China also still has huge rivers it can do this with. Where would we bulld a dam like this in North America? I suppose Northern Canada has undeveloped rivers but not this big.

We could I suppose displace tens of millions of people and dam the Mississippi and the Ohio and power a good chunk of the Midwest but we have human rights. I’d rather us build nuclear, wind, solar, and batteries.

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

#37

Post by rmbyrro »

belter wrote: post #17
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 :-)

> You are more likely to get late to work because your alarm run out of battery :-)

Or because you spend precious sleep time on pointless comments online...

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

#38

Post by rapsey »

consumer451 wrote: post #27
rapsey wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

DEI is to blame for the lack of infrastructure projects in the USA? Please, do share how this could possibly be connected!

Google: chips act and dei.

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

#39

Post by consumer451 »

rapsey wrote: post #38
consumer451 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

DEI is to blame for the lack of infrastructure projects in the USA? Please, do share how this could possibly be connected!

Google: chips act and dei.

That's an assignment, not an explanation.

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

#40

Post by grecy »

ramblenode wrote: post #30
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…

"Megaproject" seems to be used pretty loosely in this list. In my mind, renovating some airport terminals or adding extra lanes to a highway over a 10 mile stretch is not an ambitious "megaproject", just a typical infrastructure project. Certainly most of this stuff would not be considered megaprojects in China.

Most of it is just boring old upkeep and maintenance.
Post reply on HN