[northwest2k]

Whats the word on this? Last I read it was only in the proposed stage. Russia is all gung ho about it. Apparently they'll fund the entire thing. What the word from the government on our side of the world? And more importantly how do US citizens feel about it?

[Nutterbug]

Probably "Let those silly Russkies waste their money on it."

[JDRCRASH]

^Now that is the kind of attitude that is crippling any improvement of Russian-American ties; I say build it, but both pay for it fairly.

[America 117]

Probably "Let those silly Russkies waste their money on it."

I agree!

:haha: :haha: :haha:

but for real why would they want to do this.
there is no really good reson for it.

[kcexpress69]

^Now that is the kind of attitude that is crippling any improvement of Russian-American ties; I say build it, but both pay for it fairly.

Build it for what?? It's not like building a tunnel to link France and England. That made sense. You're talking about linking two of the most remote places on the planet spending billions of dollars. Hey, if Russia wants to fund it, fine. Let them do it!! :rolleyes:

[JDRCRASH]

^I don't think you understand. Alaska's economy will have grown greatly by the time it's finished.

Because of the melting of the Northern Passage, and the increasing likelyhood of offshore oil drilling taking place in the near future, i'd say the reasons for building such a tunnel are increasing.

Plus don't forget that Russia's economy is on the rise as well.

[America 117]

^Now that is the kind of attitude that is crippling any improvement of Russian-American ties; I say build it, but both pay for it fairly.

Build it for what?? It's not like building a tunnel to link France and England. That made sense. You're talking about linking two of the most remote places on the planet spending billions of dollars. Hey, if Russia wants to fund it, fine. Let them do it!! :rolleyes:

i agree
there is no reson to build it. and if we dont want it why should we pay for it!

[America 117]

Plus don't forget that Russia's economy is on the rise as well.

thats funny.:haha:

[kcexpress69]

Why does Russia want to build it?? Regardless of how their economies are, can't a boat or a pipeline be just as effective?? That tunnel will only serve Alaska!! (on the U.S. side) I don't see people from the lower 48 states spending 4 dollar a gallon gas driving up there to use it to get to Moscow. Flying to Russia would be cheaper!

Another question. What does the U.S. gain by having it built??

[JDRCRASH]

Actually, I was going to get to that; I was thinking of it being one of those Future Super High-Speed International Rail Lines; you know, kinda like that visionary Transatlantic Tunnel with Air-Tight chambers to make the train go much faster.

thats funny.:haha:

:sly:

Umm, you might want to read news on the internet again. Besides, I just got the lates Nat. Geographic, and it talks about how Russia has the largest proven oil reserves outside the Middle-East, and how it is raking in Tens of Billions of $'s because of it.

[Rathgrith]

maybe Sen. Ted Stevens is behind this after his bridge failed....

[kcexpress69]

:sly:

Umm, you might want to read news on the internet again. Besides, I just got the lates Nat. Geographic, and it talks about how Russia has the largest proven oil reserves outside the Middle-East, and how it is raking in Tens of Billions of $'s because of it.

I'm certainly not disagreeing with you on Russia's economy. Although I haven't studied up on that, or their oil reserves. But it just seems like a waste of money. Besides, I'm not a geologist or anything, but aren't there tectonic plates that divide that area? If so, I would think that would be potentially dangerous to straddle that across plates that are capable of shifting. Even a few inches would be bad!! Plus maintaining it on a regular basis. Those are my questions!!

[America 117]

:sly:

Umm, you might want to read news on the internet again. Besides, I just got the lates Nat. Geographic, and it talks about how Russia has the largest proven oil reserves outside the Middle-East, and how it is raking in Tens of Billions of $'s because of it.

ya but i dont think a little oil is going to change its economy like a boom town. they got a lot of promblems in that country.
and why would it matter to us we dont really trade with them and correct me if im wroung.
theres no logical reson to build this thing.
and dont we want to be as far awey from them as possible?

[Nutterbug]

ya but i dont think a little oil is going to change its economy like a boom town. they got a lot of promblems in that country.
and why would it matter to us we dont really trade with them and correct me if im wroung.
theres no logical reson to build this thing.
and dont we want to be as far awey from them as possible?

They probably want to collect tarriffs on an overland trade route to other parts of Asia, and possibly even Europe.

[JDRCRASH]

I'm certainly not disagreeing with you on Russia's economy. Although I haven't studied up on that, or their oil reserves. But it just seems like a waste of money. Besides, I'm not a geologist or anything, but aren't there tectonic plates that divide that area? If so, I would think that would be potentially dangerous to straddle that across plates that are capable of shifting. Even a few inches would be bad!! Plus maintaining it on a regular basis. Those are my questions!!

Yeah, but then again, look at Palmdale.:haha:

[kcexpress69]

True, the San Andreas Fault is no friend to infrastructure, but highways can be rebuilt easier than a tunnel!! Think of the headaches they're having with the Big-Dig out in Boston!! If the weather wasn't such a factor they (Russians) would be better of building a bridge or a causeway of some kind!!

[JDRCRASH]

kcexpress69, I believe there was something on that on Extreme Engineering; one major hurdle is the increasingly high threat of icebergs, especially with Global Warming accelerating the melting of glaciers in the Arctic.

http://www.headway.us/getfile.php/bridgebig.jpg

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/engineering/archives/gallery/beringbridge_archive.jpg

[kcexpress69]

They would have to figure out a way to monitor them. Kind of the same way we monitor asteroids. Obviously the bigger the ice above the water, the more massive it will be underneath. Cool picture btw.

[JDRCRASH]

Indeed; what is it? 85% of an iceberg is below the surface?

[PHXguyinOKC]

would be cool, could drive to almost anywhere on earth, cept australia and all the little islands

[weatherguru18]

Piss on the Russians. I agree as well...why spend billions connecting us with Russia--a very remote part of Russia at that. I say we build missle silo's there instead that way when the Russians decide to pick on somebody their own size, we'll be ready and more capable of bringing down the Cremlin.

[pherek]

Piss on the Russians. I agree as well...why spend billions connecting us with Russia--a very remote part of Russia at that. I say we build missle silo's there instead that way when the Russians decide to pick on somebody their own size, we'll be ready and more capable of bringing down the Cremlin.

Yeah!!!!! What weatherguru says!!!!!! O'Doyle Rules!

[wkiehl101]

I highly doubt at this point that the building of a tunnel between North America and Russia is likely, given the Georgia crisis and the developments concerning the building of a missile defense base in Poland. Even if those developments weren't occurring, what's the point? I say we use our share of the money in working on our existing transportation infrastructure.

[kcexpress69]

:previous: :yes: That little fiasco last week pretty much did it for me as far as wanting anything to do with Russia!! I don't trust Putin any further than I could throw him!!

[JDRCRASH]

Dude, how long did it take you to come to that conclusion as far as how trustworthy Vladimir is, especially after his human rights record has been tainted? :sly:

[kcexpress69]

Trust me!! I felt that way for a long time about Putin!! I didn't draw these conclusions yesterday!! However despite my feelings about a tunnel being built, I always felt that we (the U.S. and Russia) could have a semi-cordial relationship despite the differences we have for one another. My mistake was believing we could work with Putin with the hopes that eventually he'll go away. Now that he's prime minister, it's not likely. But with the events that have taken place over the last couple of weeks, I now conclude that we can't work with Putin at all. That's the difference!! And that's just my opinion!!

[JDRCRASH]

Whats truly childish is that him, along with Medvedev are using their crude reserves as leverage to convince United States to stay out of their way.

[kcexpress69]

It's basically "damned if you do, damned it you dont!!"