To some, the very idea of optimism seems peculiarly American. In fact, the concept was German, the word was French, and the trait precedes nations altogether: it is baked into our DNA
The Illusion of Optimism
Tag Archives: catastrophic
How the Floods May Restore Louisiana’s Wetlands
The talk of New Orleans has centered on whether the most severe Mississippi River flood in more than a quarter-century will cause catastrophic damage to a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. And for good reason: the flood has carved a destructive path from from Cairo, Illinois, to Vicksburg, Mississippi, and prompted Louisiana’s Republican governor, Bobby Jindal, to ask the federal government for emergency assistance
Essay: The China Paradox
I was born in 1957 and spent my childhood in China’s remote Xinjiang region, where my father, Ai Qing, had been exiled.
Trying to Keep the Taps in California Running
Buildings may topple and lives may be lost if the Big One shakes the wrong part of California but another catastrophic consequence of an enormous earthquake in the San Francisco area may involve water. Two thirds of the state’s drinking water supply flows through the gigantic Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region east of San Francisco Bay — and the levees that help direct the massive amounts of water south to farmlands and cities are so antiquated that many may simply collapse with a major temblor.
Lock break halts part of Ohio River traffic
A lock break has occurred on the Ohio River near Warsaw, Kentucky, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Corps spokesman Todd Hornback called the break, which happened Sunday morning, “catastrophic.” No injuries were reported
A330-200: Ultra-modern and extremely safe
Launched in 1995, the Airbus A330-200 is the newest member of the European aircraft manufacturer’s twinjet family. With a range of 12,500 km (6,750 nautical miles) and the capacity to carry 253 passengers, the A330-200 is extremely well-regarded as a medium to long-range airliner. There are 600 currently in service with 82 airlines, including Air France, worldwide