This week (11-15 July) in infrastructure systems:
- IEEE Spectrum highlights the "Tesla Autopilot Crash Exposing Industry Divide" concerning the development and use of self-driving cars. This story is part of IEEE Spectrum's "Cars That Think" series [RSS feed][Follow @CarsThatThink on Twitter] looking at the integrated systems of sensors, software, hardware, and human behaviors that are making the humble automobile more exciting and innovative. Tesla's Autopilot feature is an interesting example of a futuristic feature that circumvents some of the regulatory, ethical, and societal risk management challenges faced by autonomous vehicles by, at least formally, not removing the human from the loop. Well, a recent accident challenges all of this, and it remains to be seen what this means for self-driving cars going forward.
- The US is seeking opportunities to expand the use of "living shorelines" to protect coastal areas. I wrote a paper on this topic with Professors Seth Guikema and Roshanak Nateghi, among others, but we were simply looking at the possibility of using extended life cycle cost analysis to evaluate these opportunities. In this piece, Scientific American discusses the innovative approach by the Army Corps of Engineers to streamline permits employing "living shoreline" defenses such as wetlands with sea and marsh grasses, sand dunes, mangroves, and coral reefs, instead of bulkheads, sea walls, or other grey infrastructure. This parallels important advances in stormwater management and infrastructure, and I'm curious to see how much it improves the resilience of coastal communities.
- EPA continues work with states to improve protection from lead in drinking water. At an event on campus here at GW in February, I mentioned that Flint is just a particularly loud canary in the coal mine. There are many communities affected by lead in their drinking water, but the unique combination of political, social, and economic flashpoints made Flint a more compelling example. The EPA is trying to strengthen compliance with the current version of the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), even while trying to repair breaches in public confidence in the law. In some instances, a utility may be in compliance with the LCR even while exposing its customers to significant public health problems. As Dr. Yanna Lambrinidou states:
What separates these cases from Flint and DC, is that in Flint and DC the contamination was first discovered through lead poisoned children and their parents at a time when the utility met federal standards and assured everyone that the water was safe to drink. In Flint, it took 18 months for the problem to be confirmed, not by the City but by Virginia Tech; in the District it took 2.5 years for the problem to be made public, not by the water utility but by the Washington Post.
- And in the world of sports, at the upcoming Rio Olympic Games the US Rowing Team may vanquish all its opponents except one: Rio's water. Substantial flaws in sewage infrastructure, land use, economic development, and equity have left the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon dirtier than many of my readers' toilets. Moreover, as Wired reports, the suits don't prevent exposure through non-dermal pathways. This may leave the athletes vulnerable to inhalation risks as viruses and other pathogens are aerosolized. This may leave athletes seeking to optimize their preparations looking for ways to strengthen their immune systems as well as their aerobic capacities.