Saturday, September 20, 2014

Ride The Wave...Lynn Mass USA Confronts Sea Level Rise...




Every coastal city on Earth faces unprecedented decisions as Sea Level Rise becomes a bigger and bigger issue.

My contention is...overreaction, based on misinformation is rampant.

This is a brand new thought for all Humanity.

Nobody has any experience interpreting Sea Level Rise news and information.

The potential for immediate danger has been dramatically blown out of proportion by every form of media, forcing politicians to speak up and say, "We must take action. Let's build a seawall."

These decision makers have no factual information to go on, but the public demands forceful leaders with 'can do' answers.

It's time to add some balance to the discussion.

I've devoured the info/data RE Sea Level Rise for several years, corresponded with the top scientists in the field, and have come to the conclusion that we have time to confront many of the impending coastal issues before they go critical, and turn a negative into a positive for all.

All of which brings us to the story in Lynn.

Let's start with Lynn's Waterfront Development Project.

The entire development zone will be affected by Sea Level Rise.

Much of the proposed area is within recently announced FEMA flood zones.

Forced insurance increases, based on political and media speculation, along with the inevitable cost of Coastal Remediation will prove prohibitive for developers in the long run.

That's the bad news.

If we take positive action now, these problems will be much less significant.

There is a brighter side to Sea Level Rise.

First and foremost, it's not going to happen tomorrow.

We may get more severe coastal storms, pushing tides to the limits of containment.

But nobody is going to wake up some fine morning and notice that The Ocean has suddenly filled up a few feet.

However, while the worst is yet to come, and it's not for a long time, we are paying for the possibility right now.

Business and Government have decided that Sea Level Rise is a genuine threat to The Global Economy.

Said Global Economy starts and stops at The Shoreline, and The Shoreline is in trouble.

The money men, who make The Global Economy function, need answers.

This has lead to countless paid studies and overreaction on every front.

The Public is paying for all of this via price increases across the board for anything and everything.

Business and Government are building a financial cushion for when and if the worst case scenario hits the fan.

Costs will get ever higher as Sea Level Rise info/data is refined and the facts become clearer.

All of which coincides with the timing and future planning of Lynn's Waterfront Development Process.

The constant barrage of changes in response to Sea Level Rise will toss new wrenches into the works on a regular basis.

This will add unforeseen costs and lead to eventual forfeitures and foreclosures, leaving unfinished construction projects strewn along our shoreline.

Rusting, skeletal high rises, sheathed in sheets of ripped, wind blown blue plastic will be the view as one enters Lynn along The Lynnway.

Not to mention the enormous piles of dirt strewn here and there from failed Coastal Remediation attempts.

None of which will accomplish anything to stop Sea Level Rise.

When the tide comes in the water has to go somewhere.

Attempts to protect Lynn Harbor and adjacent properties with seawalls will lead to flooding at the mouth of The Saugus River.

This will inundate the GE property, rapidly bringing inspectors from every environmental agency there is to Lynn.

Testing will ensue.

Inspectors will find countless tons of heavy metals and petrochemical waste embedded in the soil along the shoreline.

Headlines will read...

"Waterfront Pollution Stops Lynn's Economic Development."

What then?

Let's go back to the brighter side I mentioned earlier.

Introducing TISLEF...The Infinitely Sustainable Lynn Electric Ferry...

The City of Lynn ( in partnership with The Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council ) has invested in a commuter ferry, to run between Lynn and Boston Harbor.


There are many questions regarding the profitability of said ferry.

Lynn is involved in a huge waterfront development project which hopes to draw newcomers who will provide the ridership, but this is still several years down the road.

The issue is how to maintain the ferry service during early stages of ridership.

Lynn EDIC boss, and major ferry proponent, Jim Cowdell, has hinted that State Subsidies are the solution.
I've been proposing that Lynn partner with GE to develop Tidal Electric Generation at the outflow of The Harbor.

Let's start with a prototype tidal generator that delivers power to a charging station located at the ferry dock.

GE's electric motor division develops a battery powered motor for the ferry.

All of this can be done via retrofits using available technology.

With adaptation and evolution the concept of a tidal powered electric ferry becomes doable in very short order.

The ferry powers up every time it returns to Lynn. 

As an added bonus, electric motors with tidally recharged batteries ( developed in Lynn ) become the choice for ferries everywhere.

GE and The City of Lynn enter into a new phase of their long partnership.

This is the perfect situation because ferries always go point to point.

If batteries can last the round trip they can be recharged.

A passenger ferry is large enough that the weight of battery packs is not an issue.

They can be placed low in the hull as ballast.

With power provided by tidal generation, fuel costs become insignificant.

This makes operating ferry service during Lynn's development stage feasible.

On the Green front, Tidal Electric Generation utilizes the power of The Ocean but does not consume anything...nor does it produce any toxic petro chemical exhaust.

As another added bonus, The Ocean and tides are a natural resource on the upswing.

Sea Level Rise means that tides, unlike petroleum, coal, and natural gas, are not in danger of running out any time soon.

The Lynn Maritime Future Center and The Infinitely Sustainable, Tidal Powered, Lynn Electric Ferry are the Global Investment Attraction required by the City of Lynn to put the waterfront development plan over the top.

This can be shown as workable and the infrastructure can be under way within a year if positive minded people got together.

GE would be smart to say yes.

It would open a whole new industry for them.

Turbines and electric motors are right up their alley. 

Stay Tuned...more to follow RE how to, why, etc...


CONTACT   smythspace@gmail.com   copy/paste

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Note...The vessel currently in use is much larger than needed.


At this point...Lynn has borrowed an out of service Whale Watch boat from Boston...like this one...


Fleet-Asteria2.jpg

250 passenger capacity...much larger and more expensive to operate than is needed.


The battery powered ferry would be a smaller, commuter style vessel...as pictured below...much more doable and practical.





TISLEF is The Infinitely Sustainable Lynn Electric Ferry.

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This is one example of the brighter side of Sea Level Rise.

It solves the Ferry problem and presents GE with an opportunity to provide the world with green electricity as the Tidal Turbine project develops right here in Lynn.

This inexpensive electricity will assist in the costs of coastal cleanup as Lynn progresses through the 21st Century Nexus.

The Ocean and Tidal Energy are an infinitely sustainable energy source.

The world needs energy.

We have plenty.

It's time to let the rest of the world know about it.

Let's work to make Lynn Harbor into the image people recognize when considering Earth's Maritime Future.



It's all up to us.


A lot of people with enormous amounts of $$$ at stake are interested in Earth's Maritime Future.


They need brilliant solutions to get the investment $$$ flowing.


Let them know we're here and ready with those brilliant solutions...!


Lynners love to Talk it Up...let's do it...!



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