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- Billions needed to upgrade water, sewer systems in Minn.
It will cost about $6 billion to repair and upgrade Minnesota's aging drinking water systems, according to a 2007 study, and around $4.5 billion more to fix its sewer systems. A water-main break released 3 million gallons of water last week in Duluth, Minn., where half of the city's 426 miles of underground pipes are more than 80 years old. "It all comes down to funding and how much people are willing to pay for the water that they receive," said Steve Schneider, St. Paul's Regional Water Services general manager. Minnesota Public Radio
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- Va. proposes 5-year, $3.1B transportation funding package
Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell unveiled a plan on Tuesday to fund Virginia's transportation infrastructure by replacing the state's gas tax with an increase in the sales tax, adding fees on alternative-fuel vehicles and increasing vehicle-registration fees. The plan would generate an estimated $3.1 billion in funds over five years. "If we stick to the old means of funding transportation, we will find ourselves having the same debates and facing the same revenue shortfalls over and over again," said Gov. Robert McDonnell. The Washington Post
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- $1B Fla. Power & Light project nears completion
Work on Florida Power & Light Co.'s $1 billion Cape Canaveral Next Generation Clean Energy Center in Port St. John, Fla., is nearly finished. Walls that blocked construction work have been removed, and a 10-foot-high border wall is expected to be completed by the end of February. The facility upgrade project will allow the plant to reduce fuel consumption by 33% per megawatt of power and cut carbon-dioxide emissions by 50%. Florida Today (Melbourne) (tiered subscription model)
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- $375M overhaul of Chicago interchange to include managed lanes
The rebuild of Chicago's Circle Interchange will be designed to include managed lanes. "We can’t toll existing facilities, so we wouldn’t toll existing facilities," said Secretary Ann Schneider of the Illinois Department of Transportation. The $375 million project is expected to decrease congestion with the addition of new lanes. WBBM-TV (Chicago)
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| Trends & Technology | | |
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- Survey: Global warming is among top global risks
Experts polled by the World Economic Forum ranked climate change as one of the top global risks. Inaction on environmental concerns combined with strains on the global economy could restrict policymakers on the issue, the group said. "A sudden and massive collapse on one front is certain to doom the other’s chance of developing an effective, long-term solution," the report said. The Hill/E2 Wire blog
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| Advancing the Profession | | |
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- An innovation lesson from the original "Star Trek"
If you're putting together an innovation team, you might be tempted to fill it with people who view the world through the same highly logical lens used by the character Spock on the original "Star Trek," Jeffrey Phillips writes. But the truth is the most successful teams also include emotional people like Captain Kirk. This is because "[t]he world is far more unpredictable, capricious, fickle than Spock expects," Phillips explains. Innovate on Purpose
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| News from ASCE | | |
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Free webinar for ASCE members considers human rights and civil engineering
Now more than ever, global society is reliant on civil engineers to create a sustainable world and enhance the quality of life -- indeed, enhancing human rights. Join us for a free eLearning Webinar that will strengthen your understanding of the connections between civil engineering and human rights, and the opportunities and challenges they pose for the profession. Led by Jessica Wyndham, associate director of AAAS' Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program, Applying a Human Rights Framework to Civil Engineering will consider a host of thought-provoking questions, everything from what human rights are and their connection to civil engineering to whether civil engineers have a responsibility to address human rights in their work. Register for this free webinar for ASCE members, Thursday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. ET.
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Civil Engineering online exclusive: Dramatic Changes Predicted in Energy Markets
A new report projects the United States to become a major producer of oil and gas, while the bulk of Middle East oil is exported to Asia. Find out about the surprising trends, then discover more fascinating articles at www.asce.org/cemagazine.
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