Four Infrastructure Projects The United States Needs
(1.) Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) Train System
Imagine being able to travel from New York City to Los Angeles in under 10 hours without having to step on a plane or deal with the TSA. The Japanese L0 Series high-speed maglev train of JR Central can achieved a speed of 603 kilometers per hour (or for my American friends, that would be 375 mph). So many other countries have high-speed rail, yet the largest and strongest economy in the world doesn't. Makes you wonder...
(2.) Advanced Nuclear Reactors
Think solar and wind power are the next big energy leap? Think again. Thermonuclear fusion would provide more energy density per capita than any other fuel source known to man and it's production raw material of deuterium exists abundantly in seawater (for all of those who are worried about rising sea levels). The economies of scale of this type of energy production would virtually put every other type of energy source out of business and world production of EVERYTHING would increase dramatically.
(3.) Water Desalination Plants
Regarding the last item mentioned, one may ask: Why do we need so much power? Answer: Because we need clean water. And for all those who think we need to conserve water, have you not noticed we live on a planet that is over 70% water? There is no shortage of water, but there is a shortage of fresh drinking water. The solution to this problem is simple: desalinate the seawater (a.k.a purify the water) through reverse osmosis. This practice is highly energy intensive, hence the need for more nuclear power plants.
(4.) Plasma Arc Recycling Centers
Over 90% of "garbage" is thrown into landfills. But in the world of science, there really is no such thing as waste. Why not turn all that garbage into something useful? Plasma Arc Recycling could eliminate all of our garbage landfills. It is a process that utilizes plasma to split apart molecules into their most basic atomic structure. From there, the molecules can be recombined to form...whatever you want. If this sounds like the replicator from Star Trek, you are on the right track! This process is possible, but is highly energy intensive. Hence, the need for more nuclear power.
