Day: March 26, 2021

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A Long Shutdown Might Roil The Global Economy : NPR

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Suez Canal: A Long Shutdown Might Roil The Global Economy : NPR

Before the grounding of the massive Ever Given container ship in the Suez Canal, some 50 vessels a day, or about 10% of global trade, sailed through the waterway each day — everything from consumer electronics to food, chemicals, ore and petroleum.

Now, with the ship lodged sideways in the canal, closing off the main oceangoing highway between Europe and Asia, much of that cargo is sitting idle. It's either waiting to transit the canal or stuck in port while owners and shippers decide what to do.

The Story of Brooklyn’s Grand Stage, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade

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The Story of Brooklyn’s Grand Stage, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade

It is almost impossible to watch a television show or movie set in Brooklyn without encountering a scene set on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Whether it features heartbroken characters leaning on the railing with Manhattan as their backdrop or chase scenes along its length, the promenade is the perfect setting. With iconic brownstones in the background and the harbor, Statue of Liberty and the towers of Manhattan in the distance, the promenade is a New York icon.

Ironically, the walkway was not planned as a tourist spot. It was a grand concession by New York City power broker Robert Moses to an organized and determined group of Heights activists who were not going to let Moses do to the Heights what he did to Carroll Gardens — destroy blocks of homes and divide the neighborhood with a sunken highway.

Pandemic Wipes Create Sewer-Clogging Fatbergs – Bloomberg

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Pandemic Wipes Create Sewer-Clogging Fatbergs – Bloomberg

Even before the pandemic, Americans were already flushing far too many wipes into the sewer system. After a year of staying at home, the pipe-clogging problem has gotten worse.

Just ask Larry Hare, who says he immediately observed the change from his vantage point as the manager at a wastewater reclamation facility in Des Moines, Iowa.  

Sewer backups are up 50%, and he attributes this to the flushing of wipes, which don’t break down in water like toilet paper. “We’ve always had the problem, but it just hasn’t been as big a problem as it is currently,” Hare said.