Photo: Perché abbiamo smesso di alzare Venezia?
I’ve never visited Venice, and at the rate things are going, I might never have the opportunity, due to the fact that it’s slowly sinking into the Adriatic Sea.
The Italians had a brilliant idea, back in the 5th century. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, barbarians from the north were raiding Rome’s former territories. In order to escape these raids, the Venetian population on the mainland escaped to the nearby marshes and found refuge on the sandy islands of Torcello, Iesolo and Malamocco, where they were basically protected from invasions by one of the most common chemicals on earth, hydrogen dioxide.
Otherwise known as ‘water’.
Over the next 1,000 years, the well-protected, water-based city became Europe’s hub of international trade — an international trade that largely depended, in those days, on shipping.
As it still does today. At least, it still depends on shipping until our federal government succeeds in ruining the whole thing.
Nevertheless, Venice is sinking.
No one knows why, exactly, but I suspect it’s due to the added weight of all the tourists.
I’m thinking about Venice this morning, because certain American cities are also sinking, although the phenomenon has been getting less press in the Lamestream Media. But The Washington Post recently floated a story about sinking American cities, accompanied by an illustration:
The maps are based on a scientific study published in Nature magazine on May 8. So, like, last week.
Houston, in particular, looks problematic. Too many tourists? Or maybe, too many oil company office buildings?
I suspect many of us would be just fine with these major cities sinking into a watery non-existence. Especially, perhaps, Houston. And maybe also, Denver.
But before we get too excited, we need to remember that Denver is known as the “Mile High City”. At a sink rate of 2 millimeters per year, it will take Denver 804,670 years to reach sea level. Will Denver still have tourists then? I sort of doubt it.
The situation in Pagosa Springs is more encouraging. For one thing, scientists have not yet confirmed that we are sinking. Based on the uncontrolled growth of the tourism industry here, I suspect the worst, but it’s anybody’s guess at this point.
But Pagosa is located at 7,110 feet above sea level. (Approximately.) And our Uptown area is even higher. The Pagosa Springs Golf Course, for example, sits at about 7,499 feet. For our golf course to reach sea level — assuming we are sinking at the same rate as Denver — would take about 1,142,850 years. (Of course, the sand traps would fill with water first.)
I’ve rounded these numbers to the nearest decade. So don’t take them as ‘exact’.
Texas is home to some of fastest subsiding places in the country, due not only to tourism but also, from pumping oil and gas out of the ground. Mother Nature never meant for her oil and gas to be pumped out of the ground, and when you mess with Mother Nature, you’re messing with one mean mamma.
The scientists didn’t have time to study the entire state of Texas, so they focused mainly on the larger cities. But it’s entirely possible that the entire state is going to find itself under water at some point. And in my opinion, the sooner the better. Go ahead, Texas, keep pumping your oil and gas!
I had been trying to cut back on my gasoline purchases lately, but I’m now re-thinking that strategy.
This is a photo from Venice, but it could be Houston in the not too distant future. If we play our cards right.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all. You can read more stories on his Substack account.