tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post1694017069824413229..comments2024-03-29T04:06:37.402-07:00Comments on Had Enough Therapy?: Can the Economy Be Saved by Dirt?Stuart Schneidermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-11162361548296025102011-02-15T15:58:28.180-08:002011-02-15T15:58:28.180-08:00On the broader cultural issues raised here, see my...On the broader cultural issues raised here, see my post <a href="http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/11680.html" rel="nofollow">faux manufacturing nostalgia</a>.David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-59373228123769235942011-02-15T15:57:10.176-08:002011-02-15T15:57:10.176-08:00Colombia is looking at building a land-bridge rail...Colombia is looking at building a land-bridge railroad, largely funded by China, to serve as an alternative to the Panama Canal. Freight will transfer from ship to rail on the east coast, go about 130 miles overland, and reverse the process at the other end.<br /><br />It's questionable whether this really makes economic sense for container freight, given the costs of offloading and onloading (unless the Panama Canal becomes very, very traffic-saturated)...but it appears a major use of this railroad would be for COAL, which exists in quantity on the east coast of Columbia and is needed by China.<br /><br />Which tends to provide more evidence that, Tom Friedman notwithstanding, the Chinese leadership sees coal power plants in their future for a long, long time. They understand that if they can achieve an electricity cost basis significantly below that of the US, it will greatly advantage their manufacturing in a whole range of industries.David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.com