The Uncle Gnarley Blog has a new website. Click here to visit www.unclegnarley.ca to view the latest posts!

Sunday 3 December 2017

THE BARD AND THE RISKS OF BUILDING ON CLAY

THE WISE MAN AND THE FOOLISH MAN*

The wise man built upon a rock, the foolish built on sand. 
The bible's lesson:  on sand, the structure will not stand.*
Clay, it's weaker than the sand, and, it's prone to collapse,  
And yet, at Muskrat Falls, clay planned as Churchill trap.**


A natural ridge with clay to impede the Churchill flow?
A natural dam with quick clay - part collapsed decades ago!
No mention in the bible of the man that built on clay:
Such building is foolhardy, maybe doesn't need to say. 
The planners! The politicos! Muskrat confidence spray,
That engineered solutions will ensure the clay to stay. 
Independent engineers have questions on the build:
Expertise dismissed - their fears have not been stilled!  

Dam builders ignore the parable - ancient common sense.  
Their dam wisdom braying: build - spare no expense.  
Willful ignorance fits the bill, perhaps they ought to pray? 
And those below the dam in Mud Lake and Goose Bay  
Should pray with extra fervour that lives won't wash away.  

 John Tuach
January 23, 2016

* from Matthew 7:24-27:
.....  a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  
....   a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.