Researchers and physicians tell us that one of the best ways to keep our brains functioning well is to embrace learning new things continually. Stretching our brains with new ideas and skills requires rigid discipline – the type we associate with nutrition and exercise for health. Unfortunately, it’s more normal to rely on what comes easily, and forcing ourselves to do things differently requires reprogramming our habits.
Finding the discipline to learn new things, however, is likely going to become the norm. That’s because, as Americans, we must assess and solve lots of big problems with new solutions. We must either do that or accept a significantly less favorable quality of life.
While we won’t be required to solve problems like those our forefathers faced hundreds of years ago when they discovered America and set out to build a nation, we have a lot of problem-solving and building to do over the next decade.
America needs new roads, bridges, water purification and distribution systems, new and expanded power grids, updated airports and seaports, modernized educational institutions, affordable homes, sustainable construction of every kind, more healthcare facilities and lots of new public safety assets.
Our success will depend on workforce skills, tools and smart people. Engineers, scientists, researchers, physicians, architects, teachers and technology gurus will be required, but we’ll need more. We cannot be successful without collaborative efforts and individuals motivated to work together to fix what is broken or in need of repair.
Preparing America for a safe and welcoming tomorrow will call for teamwork, trust, respect and the discipline to continually learn new ways to fix or rebuild. The challenge of technology alone will demand extreme discipline from all of us.
Less than 48 hours ago, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a study listing 68 U.S. bridges that need to be assessed immediately for structural risk. Safety experts say this must be done as soon as possible to ensure another bridge collapse is not imminent. The collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore last year was a disaster that could occur again. Bridges at the top of the NTSB’s list of those needing immediate assessment are some of the country’s most notable structures located in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida. Shockingly, 40,000 additional bridges have been deemed structurally inadequate for many years now and these structures also need to be assessed.
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is only days away from issuing its annual infrastructure report card which will grade the country’s infrastructure. The annual report never grades any state highly because the needs are so great. Even though Congress appropriated more than a trillion dollars for infrastructure repair over the past several years, there is much more to be done, and there is great concern currently about whether Congress will continue the funding needed for infrastructure repair.
America’s water concerns are just as serious. A recent water report places water crisis blame on climate changes, the country’s expansion of commercial agriculture and higher demand due to population growth and new business needs. Together, these factors continue to put too much pressure on the country’s vital aquifers, and without some sort of remedy, the escalation will continue. The problem is the significant decline in underground water resources which simply must be remedied. Shocking to some will be the fact that the American West is among the areas of greatest concern. The top six states in need of immediate attention are California, Texas, Idaho, Arizona, Utah and Mississippi.
Another recent report issues alerts related to America’s power grids. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reports that America’s essential systems are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. According to the report, the number of susceptible points in America’s electrical networks currently increases by about 60 new points daily. Cyberbreaches to power grids and other operational systems continue to be one of the highest concerns for federal officials. Many states are already very susceptible to power blackouts and remedies are needed soon. The increased power demands being generated by data centers, population growth, businesses and technology, in general, are creating a problem that only new types of thinking and problem solving can fix.
There are numerous other critical issues that must be resolved. America’s airports and seaports must be modernized for our economic competitiveness in the world. Climate change is wreaking havoc, so sustainable construction must be more available. The areas of education, public safety, healthcare, homelessness and the lack of affordable housing all require new ways of thinking and problem solving.
Our leaders at every jurisdictional level of government are seeking new and innovative ways to solve these problems. They need smart thinkers, investors, technology experts, and companies with industry expertise to help them. Every part of America’s government needs a united front of warriors to overcome these obvious problems that are already beginning to create barriers to the quality of life we desire. We simply don’t have the time, energy or resources to fight among ourselves if we are to be successful in maintaining the greatest and strongest nation on earth.
