The Queen Mary - Meant to Be

 

22^nd July 2021

Dear Mayor Garcia,

 I was truly disturbed to hear in recent news that the scrapping of The Queen Mary was still an option. Whereas it pains me even to think of this there are still two courses of action that should be placed before the city. One would be to fill the ship’s enclosure with something like sand or concrete which would prevent it from sinking. The second would be to open the enclosure, and tow the ship out to see where it could be made into a reef. 

The first option is one that would need to be taken up with an engineer. I would have to think that sand would be your cheapest solution, but once it’s in there is no turning back. Getting it out would be more costly than water. The most expensive and best option would be to turn the enclosure into a dry dock. This would come with its own technical issues. However, the ship would be preserved as a hotel. It would simply no longer be a floating hotel.

Towing the ship out to see and dedicating it as a reef would be a risky proposition, but it would better the environment and keep it as some kind of tourist attraction. Divers could still visit the wreck, and it would still bring some money into Long Beach. Moreover, it would be a small push against global warming and you would save face over scrapping her.

Keeping the ship above water is going to be a battle involving creative ideas, setbacks, innovation, and lots of money. Losing her would be crippling to the legacy of whoever signs the papers that let her go. The vast changes to tourism needed to make The Queen Mary hold water as an investment in Long Beach would be a good thing for the city, but, well, maybe it’s just not meant to be.

Best,

 

Richard Leland Neal

Fire Reef

11^th November 2020

Dear Governor Newsom,

I’ve been a resident of the great state of California all my life and watching the wildfires burn is of growing concern. I sheltered in place but was almost trapped in my home by the smoke and ash. For now the economy is faltering and the tourists that make up much of the California economy are gone, but they will return, and we want them to find something better when they come around again.

Then I look at the burnt out buildings on the news and see the fire scorched husks of cars and ask myself if there isn’t something that can be done with the aftermath to lessen the likelihood or severity of the next fire. At very least some plan to help California pay for it all could be found in the wreckage of homes and businesses.

Then it came to me that not all of the state’s forests are susceptible to fire, they are all subject to climate change, but some grow where fire cannot reach. I write of our kelp forests which are of the fastest growing variety. Unlike a forest of trees, the kelp forests need something like stone or brick to anchor them in place. A burnt out chimney may not be of use to a new home, but it can provide habitat for sea creatures, and aid the kelp that will fight global warming. 

It would come to me that in the wake of the fires we have burnt out bricks that would go to the landfill. These could be used to expand our natural reef system and build the forests of kelp or at very least stop beach erosion. A large memorial reef could be planned with the burnt materials of lost homes and cars. This would benefit our environment, commercial fishing, and tourist trade. 

The fires have become a way of life here in California. We have come to accept that they will get worse every year. We need to prevent them as best we can, fight them as efficiently as possible, and heal stronger than before. After all, who would take a vacation in a state where the sun is blotted out with smoke?

Just a suggestion,

 

Richard Leland Neal