Weather Extremes Not Just in United States

Here is Wisdom.

(Either that, or pragmatism.)

If there is nothing humans can to to lessen the severity or frequency of these, and other extreme weather events, then the very least that should be done is to significantly improve infrastructure to more effectively manage them, and to mitigate potential for damage.

And that is spelled I – N – F – R – A – S – T – R – U – C – T – U – R – E.

What’s “infrastructure”?

A definition of infrastructure from the New Oxford American Dictionary: “the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.”

Infrastructure includes waterways, wastewater, wastewater treatment, water runoff, flood control, etc.

Here’s the rub (or should it be the anti-rub?). To improve infrastructure requires spending money. Money comes to the government through it’s taxing authority & power.

At this point, some say “Bad government! Bad government! No more taxes! Taxes are mean, evil & nasty! Bad taxes! Bad taxes!”

However, here is food for thought. When infrastructure is improved, the materials and manpower for those projects ALWAYS come from the private sector. So in essence, the money is plowed right back into the economy, and into the pockets of private citizens & private enterprise.

And not only do such projects make for a more robust economy during periods of construction, infrastructure improvements are at least a two-fer with long-term implications, because they enable, and provide for the ability of the economy to sustain long-term growth. An example of that is the American Interstate system. It was imagined as a defensive mechanism – escape from cities in the event of enemy attack – but it has enabled, empowered and expanded commerce.

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Clean-Up Begins But More Heavy Rain Expected

Communities begin to count the cost of the flooding but more heavy rain is forecast in the North East and parts of Scotland.

8:13pm UK, Sunday 08 July 2012

“More than a month’s worth of rain fell across the UK in 24 hours, flooding buildings, swelling rivers and streams and wreaking havoc on road and rail networks.”

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http://news.sky.com/story/957481/clean-up-begins-but-more-heavy-rain-expected