This interesting discussion from the Coastal Engineering Manual, which pre-dates the blow-up over "Climategate," "Glaciergate," and all of the other "gates" that the science has experienced lately: Before engineering and management can be considered, a fundamental question must be asked: Is sea level still rising? During the last decade, the media has “discovered” global warming, …
Putting Deeds Behind Words: ASCE's Response to Barack Obama's Call for More Infrastructure Investment
Seems to be about all our President hears these days: In response to President Obama's comments on infrastructure in his Jan. 27 State of the Union address, ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) has issued this statement by 2010 President Blaine D. Leonard, P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE: We appreciate that the president mentioned in his address …
Highway Bill Hits the Pothole of Politics
Our government loves to spend money, but not on really productive pursuits: Washington’s focus on jobs and search for revenue keep transportation bill parked in Congress The drumbeat of jobs, jobs, jobs in Washington and debate on financing have become major roadblocks to getting a six-year $500 billion transportation bill into gear and onto a …
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Some Thoughts on the Engineering Profession
This is a very old piece, dating from the late 1990's, which I am reposting on this site. It's still relevant for a number of reasons, not the least of which to address an issue that became a hot topic in the following decade: the concept that science and religion are mortal enemies and mutually …
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Checking for Nitrogen Dioxide in Traffic
The EPA is at it again: The Obama administration set stricter limits on the amount of nitrogen dioxide in the air for short periods of time along busy roads and is requiring states to install monitoring equipment in big urban areas in an effort to crack down on pollution during periods of high traffic. Vehicles …
Wind Can Power 20% of Eastern U.S.. But Would They Let It?
Reuters assures us this is so: Wind energy could generate 20 percent of the electricity needed by households and businesses in the eastern half of the United States by 2024, but it would require up to $90 billion in investment, according to a government report released on Wednesday. For the 20 percent wind scenario to …
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"Believing in Evolution" is a Religious Statement
Every now and then I read an article that is so patently absurd in its premises that it's bound to get traction with a large portion of our population. Such is the case with Paul Waldman's article "Can Obama Stop the War on Science?" First: the whole concept of a lawyer stopping a war on …
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HARM AGM-88A Missile
Although I don't usually commemorate the date, on this day in 1977 I started my first job as an engineer for Texas Instruments in Dallas. My first (and only) work there: design of the HARM AGM-88A missile for the U.S. Navy (actually, a joint development of both the Navy and the Air Force, but we …
Virginia Drills for Oil
Buried in the Wall Street Journal's article on Virginia Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell is the following: Mr. McDonnell also scored politically with his proposal to allow oil drilling in the state's coastal waters. His proposal builds on a policy set in motion a year ago when a federal ban on drilling off the Atlantic Coast was …
The Sad State of American Mathematics Education
As a) a civil engineering professor and b) a veteran of a school superintendent search, with all of the research that went with it, I can concur that American mathematics education leaves a lot to be desired of: The statistics on U.S. math performance are grim. American eighth-graders ranked 25th out of 30 countries in …
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Positive Infinity 