Hacker News Reader

tomc1985

The Netherlands drained their below-sea-level land at a time before widespread environmental studies and other sources of outside interference. California is notorious for some-random-group-or-another interfering with building plans because it would destroy the homes of the San Elijo Grey-billed Duck Platypus or whatever

View on HN

No, the Netherlands "solved" the problem because they've experienced one flood too many. The more obvious the problem is to an average citizen, the easier it is to gather enough of support to actually tackle it.

This is totally different because it's gradual. Humans aren't good at thinking long-term, so it's more difficult to gather the support for projects that benefit us in the long run. The glaciers are melting, the seas are rising, but a congressman brought a snowball to congress so we don't have to do shit that inconveniences us now for something that benefits us in the long run.

They still lacked the kind of environmental-activist interference that plagues California projects; few if none of these groups existed back then or had the ability to manifest any kind of political power

Reply on news.ycombinator.com