The Pros and Cons of CSAs
McGinn is Mayor
SAM Remix Hits Its Stride
Snowpocalypse 2010: Metro Strikes Back
Seattle environmental think tank Sightline recently reported that three out of five petroleum geologists surveyed think world oil production will peak within ten years. (More than ten percent think it's already happened.)
What that means for us is more potholes. As the AP reports: "Asphalt is becoming scarce as U.S. refiners overhaul their equipment to maximize output of highly profitable fuels such as diesel and gasoline, using inexpensive—and hard to process—crude oil." A local asphalt supplier has already been affected, putting a crimp in at least two counties' paving plans. Scarce equals expensive, which means repaving will be delayed, and holes patched with "watered-down" asphalt that fails quickly, as you've noticed.
A wooden-planked Genesee Street under construction, Seattle, April 16, 1913, photo property of the Rainier Valley Historical Society
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Bring back the mud and woodplanks!
My fear is that we'll go to all concrete, which is terrrrible for the environment (uses coal, which is a huge carbon emitter). Of course, with no gasoline to run our cars, maybe there won't be a need for roads (anyone else really happy we just passed Prop 1 - more all electric rail?).
There, Troy! Is bringing back a picture of mud and wood planks good enough?
@Matt G1: Yeah, that's the big Door #2, concrete. But I do know from talking to the Port about their new concrete runway that concrete's production can be cleaned up (at extra cost), and then of course it lasts a lot longer. Can you amortize GHG emissions?