Without a true world government to control reproduction and the use of available resources, the sharing ethic of the spaceship is impossible. For the foreseeable future, our survival demands that we govern our actions by the ethics of a lifeboat, harsh though they may be. Posterity will be satisfied with nothing less.
Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor
by Garrett Hardin, Psychology Today, September 1974
“The poorest continent in the world is hosting the biggest, most expensive sporting event there is in the middle of a recession. My worry is, who is going to pitch up? Look, there are two sides to this. The government is spending 40bn rand on this project – that's half the medical budget – including 11bn on transport and another 11bn on stadiums. Meanwhile, seven million are dying of Aids, for which the budget is 600,000 rand.”
Professor Matthew Lester, Rhodes University, Grahamstown
“We have seen empty stadiums in recent cricket and football World Cups...”
Tim Crow, chief executive of the sponsors' consultancy Synergy
ANC Captain Blighs of S.S. ZA-Titanic Charging Full 'Circus Maximus' Speed Ahead to 2010 World Cup Iceberg...
Titanic's Lifeboat Builders:
Michael C Ruppert, Collapse
 Today, 6.5 billion humans depend entirely on oil for food, energy, plastics & chemicals. Population growth is on a collision course with the inevitable decline in oil production. 18July 2006 :: PeakOil_RSA Briefing Paper |
Simplistically the world is running out of energy -- particularly cheap, easy to find oil. The consequences of Peak Oil, are energy shortages, along with resulting price increases, for all things made from cheap energy, directly and indirectly. Directly that means for food security purposes: chemical fertilizers and pesticides; i.e. skyrocketing food prices; and the same for transport.
Put differently, Peak Oil means the end of industrialized civilization, of the global economy and our entire way of life. In Confronting Collapse, author Michael C. Ruppert, an investigative journalist:
details the intricate connections between money and energy, including the ways in which oil shortages and price spikes triggered the economic crash that began in September 2008. Ruppert argues that we are not, in fact, on the verge of economic recovery, but on the verge of complete collapse.
Ruppert’s truth is not merely inconvenient. It is utterly devastating.
Ruppert outlines a 25-point plan of action, including ... a thorough assessment of soil conditions nationwide, and an emergency action plan for soil restoration and sustainable agriculture.
City: Portland, Oregon: Peak Oil Task Force
These Lifeboat Builders from the City of Portland, Oregon have set up a Peak Oil Task Force (2006), compiled a Peak Oil Task Force Final Report (PDF); passed a Peak Oil Resolution: 36488; compiled a Peak Oil Briefing book with policy planning documentsCity: Bloomington, Indiana: Peak Oil Task Force
These Lifeboat Builders from the Mayor's Office of the City of Bloomington, Indiana, established a Peak Oil Task Force on December 5, 2007. It first formally recognized that the City must begin preparing for peak oil in July 2006, with the adoption of Resolution 06-07: Recognizing the Peak of World Petroleum Production. With the support of the Mayor, the Environmental Commission and the Commission on Sustainability, the Task Force shifts this recognition to action.
In establishing this Task Force, Bloomington joins scores of other cites who have begun to address the challenges of peak oil, such as: Portland, Oregon; Willits, California; Tompkins County, New York; Denver, Colorado; San Francisco, California and Austin, Texas to name a few.
San Francisco, California: Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force
In March 2009 the the San Francisco Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force published its report on the city's vulnerability to peak oil and gas. The report acknowledges the threat to San Francisco from peak oil and gas and includes a raft of recommendations. On 23 July the report (PDF) is slated to be presented to the Board of Supervisors at the Government Audit Committee meeting.
The report states that the most important impacts of Peak Oil & Gas on San Francisco (and all other large cities) will be:
- Violent fluctuations in energy prices
- Rising food prices; possible food shortages
- Damage to the overall national and local economy
- Spreading poverty, as the economy contracts
- Loss of confidence in the future
- Increasing cost of travel and freight, especially by air; declining air traffic
- Increasing pressure on public transit
- Exacerbation of other problems such as climate change and credit contractions
- Increasing gentrification as the affluent move to the City from the suburbs, displacing those who cannot afford to stay
- Declining city government revenue, due to generally lower level of economic activity
- fewer conventioneers and tourists
- lower revenue-sharing from state and federal governments
Meanwhile Elsewhere ......
In the Titanic's Superdome Sports Bars of Denial the 'Bands Play On'....
Over in the City of Detroit, Michigan
The city of Detroit, Michigan has no Peak Oil Task Force that I am aware of, however the city of Detroit sits at the forefront of the consequences of Peak Oil, hard hit by the slump in the auto industry One of the emergency financial decisions by the Pontiac City Council was to sell the Pontiac Silverdome, originally built for $55.7 million 35 years ago, for $583,000.... less than a small middle class McMansion.
The dome changed hands at a price that represents just a quarter-cent on the dollar versus what it cost to build in 1975 — $220 million in today’s dollars. That comes out to $7.25 a seat, a fire sale that’s reduced the once-proud arena to another sad symbol of the Detroit area’s economic collapse.
Under the Silverdome’s air-inflated, cross-hatched silver roof, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley have played. So have the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons. In 1987, Pope John Paul II drew more than 90,000 for a Mass there.
Now it’s an abandoned laughingstock.
“An 80,000-seat domed arena and its 127-acre site sold for less than a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan,” Jon Stewart marveled on “The Daily Show.”
Not just any apartment — one “with a rodent problem, above a bowling alley and below another bowling alley.”
Fred Leeb, who was appointed by the state as Pontiac’s emergency financial manager, said the city was lucky to get anything at all.
“In fact, due to past difficulties in dealing with city administration, the depressed state of the local economy and high cost of demolition, three major real estate developers stated they would not take over the Silverdome even if it were provided to them at cost,”
Leeb said, Pontiac could ill afford to continue paying $1.5 million in annual upkeep for the stadium.
Meet the ANC Captain Bligh's of the S.Y. ZA-Titanic...
 R1,5bn The cost of the renovation of Soccer City. The stadium was partially demolished and completely revamped. 90 000 m³ of concrete was used to build Soccer City. 10 000 ton of reinforcement steel and 13 000 t of structural steel were used. $1,2bn (R8,9bn). The estimated total construction cost of SA's 10 World Cup stadiums. [Fin.Mail] |
Forget all that Peak Oil Crap... You are on the S.Y. ZA Titanic! In a couple of years, SA Taxpayers will be able to sell their 2010 World Cup Superdomes, for the price of ten tin shacks in Sowetho! Viva 2010 World Cup!!
South Africans uniting for a 2010 Titanic Iceberg Fireworks...
 Peter Mokaba, Polokwane: Initial plans to upgrade the current Peter Mokaba Stadium were abandoned in favour of the estimated R1,100,000,000 (ZAR) (US $154,000,000) new Peter Mokaba stadium. [Wiki] Plans to upgrade the old stadium for the 2010 World Cup were abandoned in favour of building a new ground at a cost of 1.1bn Rand. [Soccerphile] |
“Construction is on schedule and our deadlines remain. All ten stadiums required for hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be ready for the final inspection date which is December 2009, while the Confederations Cup matches’ four venues will be completed by mid December 2008.”
Government is overspent by R2-billion on the upgrading of stadia.
"There are going to be some cost over-runs," he said, adding that this was the result of increases in the cost of importing equipment, the high international oil price and complexities in the design of some of the stadia.
Mr Moleketi said the extra funds would come from the national fiscus and the individual host cities.
City of Johannesburg's Preparations for Building Peak Oil Lifeboats?:
 Cape Town Stadium/Green Point Stadium: Cost: R4.4 billion (incl. road/electricity/site infrastructure) [Wiki] |
Johannesburg has started the process of refurbishing its 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup stadium, which will be upgraded at a cost of R1.5 billion.
The City of Johannesburg handed over the site of FNB Stadium to the constructors today, which would see amongst others, its seating capacity increased from 70 000 to 94 000.
"I would like to assure you that Johannesburg is ready and prepared to take on the challenge of hosting all relevant events and matches. Significant progress in preparations is self-evident," the city's Executive Mayor Amos Masondo said at the sod turning ceremony.
FNB will host the opening ceremony, the first match and the final game of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.
Calabash Soccer City Pit of Fire Gauteng:
 Moses Mabhida, Durban: “It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that the city cannot afford it.” It was initially estimated that the rebuilding of the stadium would cost R1.6bn, but other costs such as the demolition of the old King's Park Stadium where the 70 000- seater stadium will be built have pushed the cost to R1.893 Bil. Details about how stadium's construction will be financed not been made known. [Cup 2010] |
According to the City of Johannesburg, the budget for the stadium's reconstruction project is estimated at R1.2 billion.
From an engineering perspective, Soccer City is the biggest roofed stadium ever built for a World Cup final.
It will unquestionably find a unique place among the best stadiums in the world... (such as the Silverdome, perhaps???)
"The calabash, or 'melting pot of African cultures', sits on a raised podium on top of which is located a 'pit of fire', he said, adding that spectators and the world-wide television audience will be left with the impression that they are sitting inside this giant cauldron.
Sowetho's Plans for Peak Oil?
 Mbombela, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga: The stadium is expected to cost about R600 million. Mr Makwetla, Mpumalanga's premier: “National government has made an undertaking to provide the financial resources pertaining to the 2010 world cup infrastructure requirements.” [Cup 2010] Construction Costs: Construction cost R1.05 bill. [Wiki] |
The Orlando and Dobsonville stadiums in Soweto already meet the requirements of the world football governing body, FIFA, in terms of capacity, safety standards, medical facilities, flood lighting and media requirements.
A total of R 337 million and R69 million has been allocated for the final touches to the two stadiums and their precinct respectively.
A further R227 million has been set aside to bring the other four venues up to code.
Minister of Fiance Manuel Speeds Up The S.Y. ZA-Titanic:
 The five-tier, 1.1 billion Rand (approximately $150m USD) Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. [Wiki] The final cost is estimated as R2.1bn (originally the cost was estimated to be R250m, this was increased to R1.1bn in Jun 2006 and then finally it cost R2.1bn). [Cup2010] |
Pretoria – Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has given a massive boost to South Africa’s preparations to host the 2010 Fifa World CupTM.
Addressing the National Assembly during his medium-term budget speech, Manuel allocated an additional R1.4-billion to cover cost overruns on 2010 Fifa World Cup stadium projects
Countrywide, the following stadia have been constructed or upgraded for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. South African Taxpayers can look forward to -- perhaps if they are very very lucky -- getting 1/4 of a cent on the Rand, for their Massive investment, of extremelys scarce resources, into speeding up the South African Titanic, for its Fireworks Implosion with the FIFA 2010 World Cup Iceberg.
- FNB Stadium in Johannesburg;
- Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg;
- Peter Mokaba Sports Complex in Polokwane;
- Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town;
- King Senzangakhona in Durban;
- Nelson Mandela Metro stadium in Port Elizabeth;
- Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit;
- Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria;
- Mangaung Stadium in Bloemfontein and the
- Royal Bafokeng Sport Palace in Rustenburg.
Other Infamous Sports Stadiums
From the Tribal Melting Pot Collapsed State of Afghanistan
Taliban Publicly Execute Woman in Sports Stadium:
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Thousands of people watched as a woman, cowering beneath a pale blue all-enveloping burqa, was shot and killed today in the first public execution of a woman in Kabul since the Taliban religious army took control three years ago.
Zarmeena was taken from the back of a pickup truck that drove into the sports stadium. Two female police officers, both in deep blue burqas, held Zarmeena's arms.
According to a RAWA reporter, Zarmeena's children and the family of Zarmeena's husband were present in the stadium and all of her children were crying loudly for their mother. Several minutes before the execution, her husband's family announced to the Taliban that they forgave Zarmeena. But the Taliban said that it was impossible to stop the execution because they had already announced it to thousands of people. Islamic law allows the family to forgive the killer but the Taliban did not pay any attention to the law.
Collapsed State of Louisiana: Superdome & Hurricane Katrina
 The Louisiana Superdome stands littered and deserted, except for some police, military and an occasional stray dog, Sept. 3, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina refugees staying at the Superdome evacuated New Orleans. Buses, helicopters and trains carried survivors of the storm and its chaotic aftermath to safety and more than 10,000 survivors were flown out of New Orleans as part of the largest airlift in U.S. history. (Photo: AP) |
The Louisiana Superdome was used as a "shelter of last resort" for those in New Orleans unable to evacuate from Hurricane Katrina when it struck in late August 2005.
This was the third time the dome had been used as a shelter; it was previously used in 1998 during Hurricane Georges and in 2004 during Hurricane Ivan. During Georges, the Superdome had no problems related to the weather, but the evacuees stole furniture and damaged property that resulted in thousands of dollars in losses, and there were difficulties supplying the more than 14,000 people living temporarily in the dome with necessities.
The Superdome was built to withstand most catastrophes; the roof was ostensibly estimated to be able to withstand winds with speeds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h); flood waters could still possibly reach the second level 20 feet (6.1 m) from the ground, making the structure an unreliable shelter in severe rain and wind. When looking into the origins of this 200 mph (320 km/h) wind security in the Superdome, CNN reported that no engineering study had ever been completed on the amount of wind the structure can withstand; the building's engineering study was underway as Hurricane Katrina approached and was put on hold.
Soccer Stadium Disasters as Analogies for Overpopulation Colliding with Scarce Resources
According to Rankopedia
Soccer stadiums seem to be particularly susceptible to major disasters. It probably has to do with a combination of the number of fans in the stadiums and the fervor of the spectators. Whatever the reason, disasters due to stadium collapse, overcrowding, fighting, etc. have claimed the lives of thousands of victims over the millennia.
 |
- Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy 1102
- Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Racecourse, Hong Kong 604
- Lenin Stadium, Moscow 340
- National Stadium, Lima, Peru 318
- Sincelejo Corralejas, Sucre, Colombia 222
- Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana 126
- Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, England 96
- National Dasarath Stadium, Katmandu, Nepal 93
- Le Mans, France 83
- Mateo Flores National Stadium, Guatemala City, Guatemala 83
- River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina 74
- Ibrax Park, Glasgow, Scotland 66
- Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England 56
- Kayseri Atatürk Stadium, Kayseri, Turkey 44
- Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa 43
- Oppenheimer Stadium, Orkney, South Africa 42
- Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium 39
- Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy 28
- Karaiskákis Stadium, Pireaus, Greece 24
- Armand Césari Stadium, Bastia, Corsica, France 18
- Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy 15
2 comments:
S.Y. = Sailing Yacht
The Titanic was a steamship and should have the S.S. abreviation before Titanic.
S.S. = Steam Ship
When a ship is fitted with a Diesel engine it is called, M.V. Titanic for instance.
M.V. = Motor Vessel.
Others in use are M.T. (Motor Tanker) and M.Y. (Motor Yacht).
Hi Anon,
You are absolutely correct; thank you very much for the corrections, and additional context.
Me being one of those hippy yachty Rainbow heads, who has mostly sailed only Sail Yachts, and knows didly squat (actually I do know a little about engines, far more than the average woman; but not a fraction of a fraction, of a fraction of M.T. Engineer's knowledge) about engines, seems to go around thinking that all things that float on water are Sail Yachts! When in fact they are not! ;-)
So thanks for the correction... And note here, that the title of this post, was incorrectly stated as S.Y. Titanic; and was corrected to S.S. Titanic, on 02 December 2009; subsequent and with thanks to the comment corrections submitted by Anonymous; on December 2, 2009, at 3:00 PM.
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