Mastodawn

If the world wasn't so full of greedy, idiotic, assholes we could have ultra high speed zero-emission electric trains connecting North America and Asia and we wouldn't need to pollute the skies or the seas.

🤝

We probably burn more fuel in a day with all the air traffic in the world than it would take to build the entire railway from Prince George or Edmonton through Fairbanks, across the Bering Sea/Land Bridge and on to Yakutsk, Moscow, and Beijing.

It's such a shame, you know?

#Rail #theWorld #Canada #USA #Alaska #Siberia #Russia #Ukraine #ClimateChange #EndFossilFuels #HighSpeed

Show thread

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸3d ago

And no, I'm not the only one who has ever thought about it....
But as the https://www.intercontinentalrailway.com railway webpage states:
"technological, geopolitical, and financial challenges thwarted its construction time and time again”

the tech and the finances are available. What still eludes us are the geopolitical conditions.

#Rail #theWorld #Canada #USA #Alaska #Siberia #Russia #Ukraine #ClimateChange #EndFossilFuels #HighSpeed

INTERCONTINENTAL RAILWAY

Connecting North America, Russia and Asia by rail Learn More

INTERCONTINENTAL RAILWAY

Show thread

Amgine 3d ago

@chris

I am not entirely in agreement with why it has failed to happen.

The [Darién Gap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dari%C3%A9n_Gap) is a clear and obvious example of geopolitical interference (though for racist motivations.)

But the benefits you mention - #ZeroEmissions, no #FossilFuel cost so shipping could be cheap enough to pay for it - have direct, immediate #economic impact.

Xi's [Belt & Road Initiative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative) #BRI intends to break the #energy industy's ability to block #rail.

Darién Gap - Wikipedia

Show thread

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸3d ago

@Amgine it could be argued that the Darien Gap is a tougher challenge than a Bering Sea tunnel!

Show thread

Amgine

@chris

Indeed. And it's so weird it survived the '80s-'90s, when industry was moving manufacturing away from North America. Here was cheap labour, low/no environmental regulation, nearby, and you can *drive* to it, if you just build a bridge.

But then, look at the Ambassador Bridge.