What Would Happen if the Panama Canal Became Unusable?

[@AG3n3ricHuman]

People are asking why they can't recapture the freshwater. Allow me to explain: The Panama Canal doesn't directly move ships from one ocean to the other. It first moves them to Gatun Lake, which forms 21 miles of the Panama Canal to save on the construction costs of digging that distance. This artificial lake is freshwater and where the water to operate the locks comes from. The reason much of this water can't be recaptured is because of how locks work. They're basically two sets of watertight doors. One set opens, the ship sails in, the doors close, then water is pumped in or out to raise or lower the ship to the level of the other body of water. Then the opposite set of doors is opened and the ship sails out. Because the ship is always floating, some water must always be present in the lock, and there's no way to prevent this water from escaping when the ship leaves the lock. In theory it would be possible to pump all the water out from the lock exiting Gatun Lake (turning it into a sort of dry dock) to recapture the fresh water and then filling it with sea water instead. There are two big problems with this. First of all this would require far more pumping and far more time. The second is that, because the water level in the lock will be both above and below sea level at different times, the ocean side set of doors must be able to withstand enormous water pressure in both directions. This doesn't occur in most locks because the water level on one side is always higher than on the other side, and is why the doors on locks meet at an angle: the water pressure helps keep them closed unless the water level on both sides is equal. If the water on either side of the doors can be higher than the other this little engineering trick doesn't work, and it's not easy to build a door that can hold the water back when the pressure can come from either direction.

[@danielstokoe6564]

Thoroughly explained mate , bravo 👍

[@qualicumwilson5168]

OK I will make the questions simple. Dig a large (say 3 times the volume of water being "released" at the last lock before sea level on both ends) and fill this lake instead of releasing this fresh water into the ocean. On a continuous basis, pump THIS water back into Gatun Lake. ERGO almost ZERO water used for each ship transiting the canal. Sure building and pumping water will cost money but far, far less than the fees charged for the use of the canal. Another faster and easier solution is to build a cofferdam in the arms of Gatun Lake, where appropriate, to "drain" a large portion of the Lake to maintain the Lake level and flow through the Panama Canal waterways. Or do BOTH ideas and balance cost to the most profit. Gatun Lake, being an artificial lake would have no depths greater than 11.6 meters, with most dam water depths, to be built, being, on average, less than 5 meters. Also no water would ever be pumped more than 12 meters and even this cost could be partially recovered by generating power when the lake gets refilled when natural rainfall returns.

[@hybrid9mm]

@@qualicumwilson5168 that was considered and ignored 🤷‍♂️ Also you need to factor in cleaning the water (it’s far from fresh by the time it gets to the end). One other thing you need to scale up by at least 4.

[@SnowmanTF2]

Sure, but why can they not add a similar retention pond system to the old locks like were integrated into the new lock. This only helps so much, but the retention ponds for the new canal are claimed to save about 60% of the water of a transit, so if similar was added to original canal could roughly triple their capacity.

[@hybrid9mm]

@@SnowmanTF2 that has also been considered and well the short answer is cost.

[@EggsOverSleazy]

As a logistics professional, I would freak out and go cry in to a pillow. Even when they reduce daily passages due to drought, we feel it.

[@aaronolivas6970]

I saw mexico was thinking of building one themselves I want to know your opinion you think if they did would it put the Panama one out of business?

[@AidanMacgregor-Personal]

​@@aaronolivas6970 cartel pirates? 😂😂

[@ExcessEnergy]

@@AidanMacgregor-Personalsay what you will about cartels but if it’s profitable and in their best interests, they will keep that trade route open lmao

[@EggsOverSleazy]

@@aaronolivas6970 the Mexican rail (dry) canal concept won't hurt (or help) the Panama canal at all. Now, a theoretical water passage would be fantastic, but the distance ocean to ocean is much greater and that would probably be the biggest mega project of all.

[@hansmariendal4402]

I second that as avocado trader in the EU, importing from Peru

[@y-not]

I honestly thought at some point Simon would put on the matching Panama hat for the linen suit, I was left disappointed.

[@grannyweatherwax9666]

I thought he'd forgotten his trousers 😅

[@pianowhizz]

Panama hats are from Ecuador - not Panama.

[@HoundMonkey]

The Miami Vice cosplay is back and we love it!

[@saucytwang]

Came here to say this😂

[@mikeadams4591]

Me too 😂

[@ydrts_915]

Same:) Only the pants don’t fit that theme

[@MaryObi-v5d]

​@ydrts_915 ... but "is he wearing socks?" is the important question. 🤔😅

[@UmmmmmmmWhat]

Simon Whistler: Vice City

[@mich5924]

I swear a saw a reply on one of his channels explaining that personal use amounts of cocaine are legal in Austria where he lives. It certainly would explain his outfit (and creative output).

[@hendyo_98]

@@mich5924he lives in Czech Republic

[@mich5924]

@@hendyo_98 Don't they call it Czechia these days? (Also highlighting why Idgaf what polities the size of a small New England state call themselves)

[@mpersad]

Another superbly researched, produced and narrated piece on a topic of real importance that does not often get discussed. Top video!

[@djevans614]

Simon looks like he just came off the set of Miami Vice, cerca 1985. Lol. Looking good bro!

[@wyldhowl2821]

Too much beard. Should be a 3 day version of 5 o clock shadow.

[@gungriffen]

Since everyone is mentioning the Miami Vice look, Don Johnson said he was given a complete traditional suit to wear. Belt, under shirt, button up shirt, tie, jacket, black socks. But it was July in Miami and said he was fucking dying, so he ditched the tie, belt, socks, button up, and rolled the sleeves on the jacket. He said he wasnt trying to create a look, he trying not to die outside from Miami 105F heat.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

That's just how much of a Legend of his time he is.

[@ryhol5417]

When the humidity is kicking it’s real. Clothing becomes your enemy unless it’s light linen and there’s money to be made.

[@chezsnailez]

Ed O'Neill (TV's Al Bundy) played an undercover DEA agent in one episode...

[@half_real]

Well, I wouldn't want him to suffer. He should feel free to do the show naked.

[@Kluneberg]

To me he looks more like a Televangelist or a leader of a hippie cult.

[@smithbilly467]

A friend saw this title on my tv and dead face said “They can just use the Suzie Canal, no?” I don’t know what part of that sentence is worse, the fact that he called it the Suzie Canal, or that he thought said Suzie Canal was remotely close to Panama

[@Fazoo247]

My condolences. I don't know who was hurt more in the end.

[@billpetersen298]

That’s painful. Is your friend teachable?

[@chaosordeal294]

But, why can't they just use the Susan canal?

[@DieFlabbergast]

I thought Suzie Canal was a Venezuelan singer.

[@smithbilly467]

@@billpetersen298 I hope so, for his sake

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

As an operation Just Cause vet,this vid was well worth my time to watch and very appreciated.

[@AgtWashingtub]

3:07 Simon: "breadrock"

[@pooryorick831]

When I was last there, they had so much rain that they had to open the Gatun spillway for the first time since it was built. And that was in the dry season. Lucky me...

[@hene193]

It is not only time it saves but the safety it offers. Weather in the Drake Passage produces huge waves and many ships has been lost.

[@Keenok]

Important to remember how dangerous that longer trip is. It is not just a time consideration.

[@rejvaik00]

You can use a strait of Magellan to bypass going down around Cape Horn but the strait is only so deep it would likely have to be dredged

[@xavierandradev]

The alternative to the Panama Canal is the Strait of Magellan, not the Drake Passage.

[@tricky778]

​@@Keenok could you estimate the additional time and price if you were to secure the passage to the same safety and ease as the canal?

[@interesanti9323]

*Panama Canal dies* World: "oh noo" Chile: *rubs hands*

[@medicentio]

Please elaborate. Why would Chile benefit from the Canal dying?

[@chezsnailez]

@@medicentio ~ our guess would likely be its ownership in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago that ships 'rounding the Horn' use to pass through that Chile could raise money with pilotage fees...

[@Djamonja]

lol, no

[@blafonovision4342]

Chile could charge for use of the Drake Passage

[@RECTALBURRITO]

​​@@blafonovision4342do they not charge already? How beneficial is the passage? (I don't know anything about it except it's dangerous due to cold and warm currents)

[@MC-810]

One major issue to Panama voluntarily slowing canal traffic is the impact to their economy. It generates a lot of revenue from tolls, but it also generates a significant amount of revenue from the services that surround the canal.

[@ph11p3540]

The loss of the Panama Canal would not be as devastating as the loss of the Suez Canal. The fact that the majority of cargo ships are now detouring around South Africa has already cost the shipping industry over a trillion dollars in added fuel, cargo insurance and other logistical costs over the course of 6 months. The really strange part is how super quiet Egypt is about the huge loss Suez Canal revenue they are experiencing.

[@sortasurvival5482]

They were included in the BRICS talks...

[@harrymu148]

The US navy would be feeling the hurt though.

[@tricky778]

Egypt isn't losing anything. France and UK paid to build the thing.

[@martinstallard2742]

1:26 a critical artery 4:41 shutting down the canal 11:57 global pandemonium?

[@Mr30000feet]

My grandad and uncle worked on the canal for a very long time I remember going back to Panama to visit my family and going to see them at work a few times such a beautiful View

[@redhotmoon1656]

I lived close to the Atlantic side of the canal as a child. It's an amazing place

[@Awakeandalive1]

While i appreciate the desperate attempt to make it a matter of "Climate Change," as a former Panamanian I can state with some authority that the reality is simply managerial incompetence. We were so happy to see the Americans go, giddy with the thrill of our newfound sovereignty, that we didn't bother LEARNING HOW TO MAINTAIN THE CANAL BEFORE THEY LEFT. We assumed it was less complex than they said it was and that the Panamanian "can-do" attitude (combined with slapdash repair strategies) would be enough forever. Now even the slightest malfunction actually means jury-rigging a solution, backwards engineering what we can, and hoping it will last...and that means a lot of wasted water. The problem has only gotten worse since I left a couple decades ago, with the Canal succumbing to the vicissitudes of time and the fumblings of increasingly-incompetent "maintenance" crews further and further removed from those who even halfway knew what they were doing.

[@SkunkApe407]

Yeah, I don't too bad for Panama. We spent millions to build that canal, brought prosperity to Panama, and put them on the map. Panama was little more than jungle before we built the canal. When they saw how much money was being made by the canal, Panama felt entitled to it, despite it being a US venture on land purchased by the US. Panama wanted the money, and to hell with anything else. Now they own the canal, have all the money, and none of the knowledge needed to keep it running. This is a mess of their own making. If you can't build it yourself, you likely can't maintain it.

[@BlyGuy]

Reminds me of colonial rule in Africa and what happened when they were kicked out. You don't look a gift horse in the mouth and you don't kick out the people that advanced your country 100's (1000's of years in some circumstances) of years into the future without learning their knowledge first.

[@JerryB507]

Add to that, Panama decided to go ahead with their New Max build even though they were warned the lake water levels would suffer.

[@gangstalker5461]

@@BlyGuy yea man, dont bite the hand that enslaves you

@@SkunkApe407 Just like the Russians will be finding maintaining cold weather gas and oil infrastructure.

[@bradbrandon2506]

You know it's going to be educational when the video pops up and Simon is wearing a suit 😂. Beautiful suit, though. Off white really is your color!

[@brianmclean6293]

Excellent research and delivery of information yet again Simon. Hope things opens many eyes to the significance of the infrastructure that moves, finances and ultimately profits our world!! Peace ✌️

[@swapshots4427]

Mexico is upgrading their transOceanic railroad and a Teohuatucan canal is back to consideration as well.

[@liondriven9073]

I gotta get myself a white jacket... and a red Testarosa 😎

[@scottbruffy9071]

Brah. 😎

[@puddinggeek4623]

Excellent video. Very interesting and informative. Keep up the good work.

[@wgowshipping]

Simon makes it sound like that the detour of 8,000 miles around the Panama Canal is not a big deal. Very few ships sail via the Drake Passage due to the weather conditions. There have been three ships that have lost containers sailing around Africa's Cape of Good Hope and that is much better passage than that off South America. There is no way that the Arctic will also replace the Panama Canal as it requires ice strengthened ships for the passage and all the major shipping lines have announced they will not use it; plus the Canadians won't allow it. Finally, look at the impact that the diversion around the Suez is causing to shipping due to the Houthis. Simon is underselling the impact of a Panama Canal closure. 5% of world trade moves through it and the largest users are US and China. The US depends on it for the shipment of oil and grain from the Gulf of Mexico to Asia and the neo-Panamax lane is used to deliver containers directly to the population along the US East and Gulf coasts.

[@harrietharlow9929]

The elimination of the Panama Canal would be a catastrophe. No matter how you slice it, a much longer voyage would be necessary. And people don't realise how dangerous both the Drake Passage and the Cape of Good Hope are.

[@sidorgeorge]

Why wouldn't the Canadians allow ships to come through the Northwest passage. Seems like a good money maker to me.

[@stevenpaton7008]

The comments about deforestation in Panama are somewhat misleading. While some areas of Panama are experiencing deforestation, they are to the east of the Panama Canal watershed. Other areas Panama are actually experiencing reforestation as old farmland is returning to forest. In the case of the Canal Watershed, the Panama Canal Authority has for many decades been implementing extensive reforestation in the Canal Watershed. The Canal has experienced 2 major droughts in the last 3 decades (1997/8, 2015/6 and 2022/3). All have been caused by major El Niño events. It is unknown whether this series of events is related to global warming, or just a random grouping. Panama has one of the best rainfall records in the region (143 years) and this is the first time three events have occurred in such a short period. Not discussed in this video is the flip side of the equation - too much water. In 2010, the single largest storm in history nearly caused catastrophic damage to the earthen damn that created Gatun Lake. There is a trend to every larger storms in the region. Forest cover is, again, critically important to mitigating this danger.

[@mikemissel7785]

Here at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach they making the rail yards larger so the containers go from ship to train quicker

[@mipko]

Oh somebody has been watching Miami Vice. :) Looking sharp, thumbs up

[@TwisterWizzleNineThousand]

No MegaProjects intro? Tighten your belts, Simon is jumping right into it!

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:30 - Chapter 1 - A critical artery 4:45 - Chapter 2 - Shutting down the canal 12:00 - Chapter 3 - Global pandemonium ?

[@evankalbach9985]

There are many that are used to saying "I want it now" If the canal closed the companies that use it would take one of the alternate routes and in pretty short order things would balance out schedule wise and products delivered. But I wonder what the difference in fuel/ energy costs would be and since that would be passed to the consumer; what the impact the rise in consumer cost would have.

[@terryshrk]

Don Johnson called from the 80s. He wants his white linen jacket back.

[@SkunkApe407]

From everything I've heard about the show, Don doesn't want that thing anywhere near him. He said wearing the thing was miserable.

[@tomholroyd7519]

0:10 "most recognizable landMARK,"

[@kasahadragon9499]

For a lot of the world this is all Panama is known for (and the hat style 😂).

[@katrinabryce]

If you want to take a ship from for example Shenzhen to Baltimore, another option surely is to go the other way round the world? Yes it is longer, but not that much longer. Or take it to a West Coast port and offload it on to trains / trucks there. It probably isn't all going to end up in Baltimore.

[@steveeuphrates-river7342]

Simon rocking the Miami Vice look! :)

[@laser-sj]

The man from DEL MONTE says NO 😂

[@shades9723]

Globally crucial, deadly construction, always interesting. Simon shall cover it 😂 ❤

[@midlifeduck7040]

@megaprojects you mentioned that it's costly to do large scale desalination. There has been statements out there to the opposite. How expensive is desalination?

[@scottodowd5735]

Non stop simon video drops ❤

[@Praisethesunson]

We build another one slightly farther north.

[@jonh9561]

Don't take the alternative route around Cape Horn for granted, the weather conditions are more often bad than good and it has long been regarded as high risk.

[@stevederp9801]

Honestly there is a better alternative that can be built through Nicaragua. They could make it much wider and it would allow for more traffic of ships between both canals.

[@bishopmabry2054]

If Simon Whistler videos going live were predictions, this mans would be Nostradamus. Putting $1k on the Panama Canal being OOS in the next four months

[@williamhardes8081]

How about installing several small hydroelectric dams on the Chagres River? The hydroelectric power generated could be used to pump seawater for the locks, and any surplus electricity could be supplied to Panama's energy grid.

[@stevenpaton7008]

Several problems. There is not enough of an energy potential in the river to generate enough electricity. Second, sea water in Gatun lake would be an ecological disaster (changes in the lake itself and the possibility of allowing species to cross between oceans). There is already a trend towards slightly increased salinity in the lake and many people are worried. Third, Gatun lake is used as a source of fresh water for hundreds of thousands of people.

[@HeadlessChickenTO]

I count myself as one of the lucky ones to have traversed the entire canal on one of my cruise trips. These days, i'm guessing is because of the lowering of traffic quotas, fewer and fewer cruise ships go no further than the first lock on either end. It was a pretty interesting experience.

[@damenwhelan3236]

Simon has finally become internet God.

[@BIGJATPSU]

I know there is a VAST height difference between the two side, and I know it would cost TENS OF BILLIONS of dollars. But if Panama wants to conserve it's fresh water AND stay relevant to world trade.... digging a totally new canal level to both sides and using sea water and charging a toll might be their best option. For the record I am not saying this would be an easy, quick, or even financially vaible project for even DECADES after it'd be done, but it'd solve the crux of the issue at least.

[@captainspaulding5963]

Wouldn't you need to look into the environmental impact of bringing seawater that far inland?

[@BIGJATPSU]

@@captainspaulding5963 that as well yes. I literally am speaking of splitting the country in half. Will need to be bridges connecting both sides for both human and animal travel. It will not be a project light on environmental impact sadly.

[@litagoal]

Mmmm when you say "splitting the country in half" what do you mean? (Im asking because we already have 3 bridges (Centenario Bridge, Americas Bridge and the Atlantic Bridge) connecting the East side of the Country with its west counter part, and there is a 4th crossing directly at the Gatun Lock, but it can only be used at intervals while the locks are closed) and there is a 4th bridge planned to be finished by 2028, and an underground tunnel for the Panama Metro Line 3 currently in construction.

[@stevenpaton7008]

Digging a sea level crossing is as, or even more, impractical now as it ever was. Ignoring the social and ecological costs related to such a project (which would NEVER be accepted by Panamanians), the financial costs would be utterly prohibitive. Much better to allow the Mexicans and Nicaraguans finish their proposed crossings.

[@sidorgeorge]

@@captainspaulding5963 There's no impact to the USA, and that's what matters right?

[@Etaripamai47]

I have made 7 round trips through the panama canal. 4:26 I'm pretty sure the Panama canal operates simultaneously in both directions. The upgraded locks are only one direction at a time, much like the suez. But the ship I was on was smaller than most so may be size is a limiting feature to two way traffic in lake gatun.

[@anothersquid]

I've been through it from Pacific to Atlantic. Between the lake and the Pacific side there is a narrow channel that Panamax ships can only pass in one direction at a time, but that was 7 years ago.

[@Gav_Jam]

I really liked this video but it was probably better suited on the warographics channel. Not that it really matters, will watch everything you upload

[@ClemensKatzer]

Warographics, as in Humanities war against our planet? :)

[@rejvaik00]

If the Panama canal stops either temporarily or permanently you still have three options if you're using sea based shipping The strait of Magellan , round Cape Horn using Drake's Passage or the Artic route

[@ArnoModelstate]

0:42 Wasn't that in the Suez Canal ?

[@proscreens2137]

Looking the bomb for this vid Are you trying out for GTA6 Vice City?

[@finnianfitzsimons623]

I don’t seem to be able to find a megaprojects on the SU-57

[@horst_gott]

Could you make a video about desalination and why it is so difficult?

[@ClemensKatzer]

It's not difficult, it's only energy intensive :) I saw some video recently which claimed there's some new approach which need 80% less energy, but it's in proof-of-concept-in-lab phase.

[@GoblinKnightLeo]

As has been shown in India, reforestation would tend to mitigate the effects of drought.

[@maureenjacobs3697]

Miami Vice……love this outfit Simon

[@jamesmyers421]

Damn, I'm liking the white blazer! Im getting Miami Vice vibes.

[@robsquared2]

How do you form breadrock? Pumice and wheat?

[@MaxBrix]

That's silly. It's pumice and Elmer's glue. Wheat!?

[@williambrasky3891]

Nah, it’s like normal bread but instead of flour and egg, you knead cement and aggregate. Basically, it’s bread you build on. So, let me break it down for you. They call bed rock bed rock because by the time you find it, you’re gonna be tired af. It’s a pain in the ass. It’s inefficient, super inefficient. This inefficient ass pain not only arbitrarily restricts major construction to sites with “stable ground,” it presents a bottleneck in the construction process itself. In other words, it’s a barrier to progress. 5 long years ago, after his laborers demanded a full days pay for constructing little more than a big, stupid hole in the ground, our patriarch and founder, Frederico Tunt found himself overcome by the vapors of revelation. And what, you ask, did Frederico conjure? Breadrock!! Dig a foot and a half down, max. Mix up some breadrock. Pour it. Let it set for a good half an hour, and get back to work. This children’s hospital ain’t gonna build itself!! Boom! THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED! 30 story orphanage in the middle of what used to be a swamp? That’s the third one this year! Big bedrock was keeping the world down. Think about where’d we’d be if we had kicked them to the curb a 100 years ago? Bedrock is a scam, baby! Get you a 10 story swimming pool complex built on the literal beach! Break free of dead load. Pour you a breadrock and live load it up!! Every man gets a penthouse. Every woman? Another penthouse! There is literally nothing on the first 39 floors! Oh, and for the they’s out there, have I got a deal for you!! That’s right! A sixty story building with only one floor! Which floor is it? Could be any! Let your skyline meet our bottom line! Reserve your custom tower today! No money down!!

[@captainspaulding5963]

If The Internet is to be believed, you can build it with Ramen!

[@jimp8400]

Thank you

[@AnthonyValentine-vm1yc]

Just wondering if the massive long ships could endure the seas round Drake passage. Remember vaguely an iron ore ship breaking its back in very stormy seas in the Atlantic.

[@sidorgeorge]

A container ship would be ok, as it's not nearly as heavy as an iron ore, or other "rock or mineral carrying ship". And your thinking about the El Farro, where the stupid captain ignore the weather forecasts, and instead of avoiding the storm, or going into a safe ports, decided to drive straight into the Hurricane. As it was a heavy iron ore ship, it broke in half, when it was suspended on a wave. It wasn't the storm that sunk the ship, as much as it was stupidity.

[@יניב_לוי]

talking about Panama canal and showing pictures of the Suez canal and Egypt( nazer) 00:39

[@ohheyitskevinc]

Miami Vice Simon returns! 🦩

[@vice.nor.virtue]

I thought I saw you on the no 2 bus earlier going through Brixton

[@frank-y8n]

Container vessels will never go around Cape Horne because of the horrible weather and waves. Recently a container ship lost containers near Cape of Good Hope - she went there because insurance for going through the Red Sea was too high. Containers from China to the US East Coast can go by large container ship to Europe, for example Rotterdam, and are there loaded on container ships small enough to use US ports.

[@ClemensKatzer]

Yes, that's a funny thing, that most (or all?) ports on East cost are only able to handle smaller ships. That route China-Europe-USA East Coast would solve the "dangerous water at Cape Horn" problem, but it's probably still very long?

[@xavierandradev]

They would go through the Strait of Magellan. It's shorter and safer.

[@TheDopekitty]

I'm guessing you did the waziristan video the same day. That white blazer is snappy

[@davezobeljr9025]

what about building a land port on gulf and use port in San Diego and train between ports.

[@MaThista91]

12:42 and 12:48 are the same content in different words...editor missed to cut out one OR juuuust pushing the video over 20min?

[@augiegirl1]

10:29 During WWII, my maternal grandpa was stationed in Panama for the Navy to guard the canal.

[@richardpatton2502]

Simon does Miami Vice 😂 All the best to everyone

[@karlslicher8520]

Ram pumping can scale if made with gas-fluid gravity assisted spring mechanisms.

[@bmitch3020]

Rather than desalinating sea water to makeup for lost drinking water going out the canal, wouldn't it be more efficient to pump up sea water into holding basins to run the canal?

[@wizz1358]

They actually do something like that, except that with fresh water, the locks have sort of like storage tanks where they keep some of the water when they start to drain the lock to equalize with the lower lock. But even if you are 100% with the water movement (for example pumping everything back up) you would still lose a whole lot of water to when the lock connecting with the sea opens, because the ship must be at water all time, meaning that you just can't pump all the lake water out of the lock and then pump salt water into it. All the lake water within the final lock is lost, and the lake isn't feed by a lot of rivers, I think is only one big river (don't quote me on that)

[@addicted2monster88]

He talked about this. The problem is the lake Gatun, which is used for a good portion of the canal, and the 2 other lakes it runs through. Gatun is a large reservoir for fresh water. Running the locks with salt water would contaminate the water in the lakes.

[@bmitch3020]

The water has to be treated for drinking. If the salt content is low enough, they wouldn't even bother. And if the drinking water is pulled from closer to the source streams, the contamination coming out of the locks would be immeasurable.

[@thepax2621]

That would be bad, but aren't they already working, or at least, *planning* alternatives? Like in Mexico and Nicaragua or something?

[@ClemensKatzer]

There was big talk about a railway solution across Nicaragua, and it mostly flopped (cost cuts, ...). Some cargo can be transported, but as he said, insignificant compared to shipping.

[@frankjones5770]

Ok so the PC system is open. Is it possible to close it so they wouldn’t lose water from the lakes and just ships that will transport good on the ships they’d have in it

[@sarahlevine776]

There is a railway across Panama. They could try to expand it in order to try and drought proof trade. It probably wouldn't be able to carry as much, but it could be another source of revenue for them.

[@PAnon-sama]

Yeah, no. Panama is not know for it's natural disasters. Quite contrary. Panama was chosen over other rutes because of the lack of such events like earthquakes, huracains, etc.

[@BongoBaggins]

I live in Congleton, so probably not much. We have a new bypass and I don't even use that, let alone a canal 6,000 miles away

[@leonardmilcin7798]

Here is how you can halve water usage. The canal is build with parallel locks. Having two ships in two directions... you can equalise both locks by letting water flow between the parallel locks and move one ship halfway up and another ship halfway down. This saves about half of the water that would otherwise be wasted. When the canal was built people were not thinking about the water as finite resource. I guess there is lots of smart people there and somebody has already figured it out but it is a major modification to how the locks function so it is going to take time to implement.

[@ClemensKatzer]

If I remember correctly they have at the moment already some basins which preserves 2/3 of the water, but some amount will get lost in any case.

[@stevenpaton7008]

The Canal, especially the recently build locks, uses every trick that is physically possible to conserve water and, at the same time, avoid the introduction of a lot of salt water from the oceans into Gatun Lake - which would be very bad.

[@richardshiggins704]

An interesting fact regarding the Canal being it is the only body of water where a US Navy Commander yields command of his vessel to a Panamanian pilot . In essence yields command of his ship when transversing the Canal . PS : Simon , our man in Panama ( an eponymous hat would have been a nice touch though ) .

[@katrinabryce]

Isn't the Pilot always in charge in such situations?

[@richardshiggins704]

@@katrinabryce Indeed so though the point is that Uncle Sam would yield one of his Billion $ ships to a mere pilot is worth noting .

[@sidorgeorge]

Yeah, not really. He simply delegates navigational command to the pilot, but I'm sure if the pilot does anything that the captain deems unacceptable, that navigational command will be over immediately, and the pilot will not enjoy the consequences.

[@anthonyC214]

Already Mexico is building a new railroad to connect their ports on both sides. Once completed the containers can be transferred between coasts cheaper than using the Canal

[@nigelyorkshiremanwadeley6263]

Damn those people a hundred years ago who didn't foresee the titanic ships and import/export uses for the Canal back then...

[@shinnok80]

could be alternative to drill two ship tunnels from one end to the other as have been or was planned to do in parts of the troublesome norwegian fjords, just make it wide enough and deep enough... build it and ppl will show

[@sidorgeorge]

I don't know, taking a ship through a water tunnel? Seems dangerous.

[@ArthurvanH0udt]

IMHO the Mexican Isthmus of Tehuantepec railroad might not be real competition for the Panama canal, but if capacity of the Panama canal drops again it will be one real alternative option for shippers. And mayve it becomes an option for shippers that now pay a very hefty extra fee to skip the wait lines as the train might be a viable alternative.

[@DavidVincent-f5l]

It sounds like they should build desalinization plants at each end of the canal. That should be enough for drinkable water and not mess with the lakes ecosystem. Technically they just need fill the outer gate locks. They should also build new larger locks.

[@philscott7949]

12 minutes in and Simon has mentioned going around Cape Horn every minute. Will he say it 20 times by the end of the video?

[@sam1812seal]

A white jacket with rolled up sleeves… Is Simon auditioning for a reboot of Miami Vice?

[@tealkerberus748]

There's a nice spot in Mexico to build a canal. Combine a fairly short distance from one coast to the other with pretty low elevations and while you'd need gates at each end to control tidal forces, you could run a canal though at sea level - no freshwater reservoirs required.

[@goldie3464]

As A Panaminian I can say: It is almost impossible for the canal to close since that is under the control of the USA. It is a treaty that they teach us from school and about the reduction of ships it was by a Canadian mining company that stole the water but it was closed by the Panamanians in favor of to protect the canal even at the cost of lives.

[@litagoal]

But I have a question, clearly the Panama Canal is an important transit point for the Americas to assist with global trade, but its not the only means of transit there is in Panama. We also have the Trans-Panama pipeline that Oil cargos use on a regular basis to move their product from one coast to the other without having to use the Panama Canal (860 thousand barrels per day), and also we have the Panama Canal Railway which actively moves 1,000 containers per day from one coast to the other. Wouldnt it be easier perhaps to help expand the operations of the Trans-Panama pipeline, and the Panama Canal Railway as means to assist the Panama Canal instead of having to explore alternative routes such as the one in Mexico? The distance still is considerably shorter in Panama than elsewhere in the Americas no? It should help with drought seasons (like during the Niño, which caused last year's drought). If I'm not mistaken a Post Panamax can carry about 5k TEUs, where as a Neo Post Panamax carries 14k TEUs. It we could expand the railway's capacity to at least that of a neopostpanamax that should really help the canal during drought seasons, no?

[@de_skoga]

i like the jacket simon!

[@echomande4395]

One thing that might happen in this case is that the US might actually shell out to build or buy a few icebreakers. The US Coast Guard IIRC currently has precisely one operational icebreaker.

[@1110631]

I sailed through the PC on the CGC Sweetbriar going from Cordova, Ak to Baltimore Md. Now that was a trip.

[@removechan10298]

for mexico, make a shipping container train across mexico, and do an unload/reload. could be interesting, and faster. they need to make it super automated... tracked etc. maybe more rails. would be a big project, but if it's faster (but requires two ships, doing half routes) it could work very well - they know the demand is there

[@joshquivey6990]

Wearing white after Labor Day?! SIMON!!! How COULD you!?

[@Rollermonkey1]

Panamax traffic is bi-directional. Only the New Panamax ships need to wait for directional passage.

[@mitch95722]

What is that map a 00:22

[@ZebraLens]

For context, pausing at 00:26 South America is just off screen to the bottom center. Florida can be seen in the top right and Cuba can be seen to the right. Mexico is top center.

[@mitch95722]

@@ZebraLens ohhhhh now I see Florida. Wild how that looks like S/N America, but Florida is missing from NA. Thanks!

[@DejwR]

Simon! Dammmn. You look good in that white jacket

[@poodlescone9700]

Another huge problem is the crime policy in California. Shippers are diverting ships to the East Coast ports because the cargo loaded onto Union Pacific rail cars are being robbed in the Los Angeles Area. This renders the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach to be much higher risk. Ships from Asia going to the East Coast of the US requires passage through the Panama Canal instead of being offloaded in California and make its way across the US.

[@SkunkApe407]

Oh, wait. You mean that weak Progressive policy doesn't keep crime low? 😂

[@greenbeenie2]

THANK YOU SIMON, ANOTHER WONDERFUL VIDEO...

[@bmitch3020]

I'm constantly depressed that train and pipelines aren't much more common across the US. Transporting goods over land should be a much more viable option. I realize it would be more expensive (higher wages, more trains, and more fuel). But those trains can also deliver goods anywhere in the US, not just on the coastline.

[@RK-cj4oc]

Freight train travel is actually well developed in the US. There just is not much more you can do as it is simply more expensive

[@swapshots4427]

I just read A path between the Seas, fascinating and tragic and epic. But my huge question is this. WHY, if they spent so much $$ and countless lives and had 100s of engineers on the project, Why did they not go the extra measure and build huge pumping stations to fill/drain the locks, using water from the sea rather than the short sighted "drain to waste" method on every transit.? It makes absolutely no sense.! It is not too late to create/use parallel cisterns for topping up as necessary for the fresh to sea transitions.

[@c6q3a24]

Panama has exceptionally high rainfall, and low population. You don't pay for pumping when water falls out of the sky for free.