Why the Panama Canal is Stuck

The capacity of the Panama Canal is reduced by 50%, and some ships need to offload over half their cargo. As the worst drought in recorded history lowers the water levels of Gatun Lake, the administrators are forced to lower the number of transits. Is this the beginning of the end for the Panama Canal?
FULL TRANSCRIPT + SOURCES:
docs.google.com/document/d/1Y...
MAIN SOURCES:
Panama Canal drought hits new crisis level with nearly half of vessel traffic targeted for cuts (CNBC):
www.cnbc.com/2023/11/03/panam...
Panama Canal Water Source Gatun Lake Still Shrinking, Slowing Ship Traffic (DTN)
www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web...
#PanamaCanal #Documentary

[@HindsightYT]

CORRECTIONS: 0:13 The date is correct, but it's strangely formulated. What I tried to say is that the Panama Canal Authority announced a 50% reduction of ships by February 2024, at the time of writing this script (Nov 23). 6:21 I say 1200 meters, but it's 1200 feet.

[@cabilgibbs]

Yeah.. Thanks!

[@MegaBanane9]

Consider pinning your comment, it's already a few ones down from the top

[@MrBadjohn69]

Ummmmm then your video is wrong. Change the script, re-record the audio, and upload a correct video. As is, how many other errors are in the video? I bailed at 0:26 because of the date issue.

[@robyoung9994]

Is the difference between going around Cape Horn(41 days) vs Panama Canal(35 days) really only 6 days?? The one ship that spent 4 million to skip the line is that really justified if the trip is only 6 days longer?

[@MrBadjohn69]

@@stizelswik3694 Are you sure there is a drought?? Seeing the creator of the video had no clue it is still 2023 and yet the video says it is 2024 maybe the so-called drought does not exist. Either that or this video is here just for clicks and not for facts. Wrong year. No drought(?). Whatever. Clickbait. Right?

[@kennethng8346]

Another possibility is that as shipping becomes more expensive, more products will be made locally.

[@C_R_O_M________]

Good luck with that plan! Communists tried it and failed miserably! Like 100% of the times.

[@levb.7338]

Unlikely

[@deeacosta2734]

Maybe. Maybe northwest passage.

[@nuraswinney4287]

Yes!! I love this idea!

[@chrisunderhill8853]

Lol the planet is warming and melting ice caps..... and at the same time some how the sea levels are disappearing.. how does the ocean level rise and fall at the same time?? I'll tell you it dont the polar ice caps are not melting and the water levels are not lower.. they simply just stopped daming the water.. use your brain and some common sense..

[@who9387]

De Lesseps was NOT an engineer, he was a diplomat who drove the political will to build the canal. The major cockup with the canal was that the route was only surveyed in the dry season and they had no idea that the Chagres river could rise as much as 37 feet during the rains, subsequently it was vnonsense to attempt a sea-level canal and hence they gave it up as a bad job.

[@nasirjones-bey6565]

Masterful synopsis bravo

[@jooproos6559]

It doesnt have to be on sea level to be a canal with salt water..

[@ernestestrada2461]

There is a possible engineering solution to this. When they lower the ships instead of letting the water flow into the ocean by gravity is to add pumps and pump the water back up to the lake. This backup system will be used until they start getting enough rain again.

[@humyHumsyong]

the water at the ends of the canal is mixed with sea water, not supposedly pumped back to the lake, unless there's another lake just to store the saline water.

[@ernestestrada2461]

@@humyHumsyong several the locks are double staged. The innerstage the water can be pumped back into the lake without affecting the quality.

[@derekmoore8224]

So the sea levels must be falling?

[@kilianhekhuis]

That's what already happens, iiuc. That's the 60% reclaim mentioned in the video.

[@jamiecoxe7327]

I was thinking the same thing. They would need to pump in sea water to keep the ship at the level. The sea water coming in could be gravity fed and possibly able to offset the power needed to pump the fresh water back to the lake.

[@texan-american200]

I remembered back in the 80s, when the Panama Canal Co. encouraged Panamanians to use water because of the danger of the reservoirs overflowing. because of excessive rains back then.

[@Jasmobius]

It's incredible that you only have ~31k subscribers. The quality of your videos is fantastic. Consider your subscriber count increased by 1, at least!

[@remittanceman4685]

So, the route round Cape Horn takes 6 days longer than the Panama Canal route. How long is the wait in the traffic jam? Okay, the math isn't quite that simple, but there must come a tipping point where sitting in a queue becomes more expensive than taking the long way around. Or offloading containers at Los Angeles and transporting them to the East Coast for reshipping elsewhere. Neither is a cheap or easy option but if the cheap and easy option ain't available you can either give up ad go home. Or you can find another solution.

[@alexh3974]

Cape Horn is some of the hardest seas and storms you can face. Theirs a reason they wnated the canal

[@warlike3934]

Plus once a ship has left port with importation documents it is impossible to change the port of entry to the US, shipping direct to West coast and then cross country transport to east coast is near impossible as well, the infra structure can't support what is already landing on west coast.

[@mavra8011]

6 days.... has to cost less than 4 million....surely.

[@toben42]

Waiting 3 weeks instead of 6 days doesn't add up.

[@leechjim8023]

​@@toben42It does add up: To lame excuses and nonsense!👎

[@shanecameron3535]

"At least partly passed on to the consumer..." Yeah-nah, that's not how it works, fully passed on to the consumer plus a "service fee"

[@fakiirification]

a service fee for "these unprecedented times"

[@charlesprice925]

I ordered flower seeds. They charged $20 shipping and a $5 fuel charge. When I know they will mail the seeds via the post office for cents on the dollar. So what's the fuel fee for if they have postal pick-up and delivery? All costs are passed on with a profit margin. Lost customer here.

[@dannydetonator]

@charlesprice295 It mostly depends where you're ordering from: there is a international postage law which subsidises poorer countries from richer in postage fees. That's why ordering from China has been one of the cheapest up till few years ago. Now, since Russian invasion of Ukeaine it's all messed up. Chinese apparently growing GDP p/k has also something to do with it, but world's established trade is partially destroyed. It costs multiple times in p&p in Europe to order Chinese stuff what it used to a few years ago. And there is only Suez canal in between, however i guess this trend is global. At least we're not occupied and back in fascist version of USSR, but the future has never been so uncertain. Everyone is suffering, apart from few large energy cartels (i'm not suggesting a global conspiracy, just the chaos tgeory jot possible to control by any entities).

[@charlesprice925]

@@dannydetonator South Carolina to Ohio shouldn't a big deal by US post.

[@downandout992]

I've lived in Panama for around 15 years now, and this is the driest rainy season that I have ever seen where I live on the Azuero Peninsula. All three municipal wells in my community ran dry.

[@downandout992]

@@zonian1966 Things will be picking up now because it's the beginning of the dry season. The last two days now people have been going around saying "Summer is here." I haven't surfed since I wrecked my knee in a motorcycle accident a few years back, so I really haven't been paying any attention to that. The fishing has been steady though, especially for dorado.

[@rickwilliams1204]

Its not dirt moving. Either earth or rock

[@wytdyk]

These are the consequences of cutting forests. For example the water in the Amazon river is mostly generated by the forest.

[@augiegirl1]

My maternal grandpa was stationed at the canal with the Navy during WWII.

[@matthorrocks6517]

It will rain again

[@antonioivan7508]

Should also note that the mining company that caused the protest is taking water form the main water sources that feed the canal river

[@C_R_O_M________]

That's the problem for you? Not the immense corruption of Panama as a whole? Do you truly believe that your excuses would hold if the Americans still were in charge of the operations there or would they have found a solution with simple pumping and desalination technology?

[@wishgodgirl1903]

So interesting! Thank you for your video.

[@Tom-tk3du]

Would it be possible to pull down Gatun Lake to excessively low levels intentionally by mismanaging water use in the canal? It's 2023, so I need to ask.

[@llibressal]

Good point.

[@Tom-tk3du]

There’s also BS going on right now with the Red Sea and Suez. Remember a couple years ago when all the shipping was backed up across the Pacific. Take notice when unexplained things like this start happening more frequently. Especially if blamed on “climate change”. It’s probably not coincidence. Ask yourself, “Who benefits?”. Cui bono?

[@Byahewithkap]

Enormous projects always encounter enormous problems.

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

They may be able to reuse the water in the locks, and not just letting it out?

[@basinstreetdesign5206]

No. By the very nature of how a lock works, to pass a ship, either way, water must be passed from the higher level to the lower level. Since the canal is high in the middle and lower each end, it doesn't pass sea water to do this but lake water to both oceans.

[@jtveg]

Thanks for sharing. 😉👌🏻

[@scronx]

Great report. Thank you! Hope they can fix it.

[@SusieDaw-ix6pv]

My Daddy worked building the bridge across the panama canal. He came home with reel to reel home movies he took. The nets hanging under the bridge, the men waving and smiling while diving off to land in the safety nets. This was in 1960. With the technology now, there is no need for the short cut anymore.

[@celestephelps5897]

That's awesome that your dad helped build the Thatcher Ferry Bridge! I was in Panama for two years!

[@privatepilot4064]

So convenient that it jist happens to occur when they are attempting to do a global “reset”. Does anyone else find the timing strange? Cut the movement of goods or the cost to ship them and they become scarce. Scarcity drives prices through the roof.

[@TimothyOBrien1958]

It is possible to build a canal through Panama at sea level. In fact, the idea of a sea-level canal was considered during the construction of the Panama Canal 1. However, the idea was scrapped due to the engineering challenges involved in building such a canal 1. Instead, the Panama Canal was built with locks, which raise and lower ships between different water levels. It is worth noting that a new canal is currently being constructed across Nicaragua, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Grand Nicaragua Canal will be wider, deeper, and three and a half times the length of the Panama Canal 2. The channel will accommodate the newest cargo supertankers, which are longer than the Empire State Building is tall and carry 18,000 shipping containers 2. The new canal and its infrastructure, from roads to pipelines to power plants, will destroy or alter nearly one million acres of rainforest and wetlands 2. The canal cuts through Lake Nicaragua, which provides most Nicaraguans with drinking water, and critics say ship traffic will pollute the water with industrial chemicals and introduce destructive invasive plants and animals 2. The canal’s true benefits can’t be calculated as long as the costs to Nicaragua’s forests, waterways, and wildlife remain hidden.

[@Krunchy71]

LOL! There is not a canal under construction in Nicaragua. As of 2018 the project is considered to be defunct. You should probably at least read the wikipedia article before posting.

[@TimothyOBrien1958]

@@Krunchy71 AI gave the answer.

[@garydurandt4260]

My understanding is that the bank angle cannot be too steep, i.e. angle of repose (I think). In order to dig the channel at sea level from ocean to ocean met that the depth and width of the canal to remain within the max allowable bank angle would have resulted in an extremely wide canal and disastrous high costs.

[@TimothyOBrien1958]

@@garydurandt4260From what I head, China is doing it, and maybe they can bankrupt themselves.

[@kevinblackburn3198]

Well said. For Nicaraguans the gain in economic living standards who come at the cost of their pristine environment. It’s easy for us to say “don’t do it!” But if I were a Nicaraguan I’d rather have the raise in living standards

[@imnobody4522]

It may seem like a silly question, but, with all the available ocean waters, why are they using fresh water that's in short supply?

[@williamgoins5026]

A massive fresh water lake is the connection between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. I have fished that lake. The geography of Central America can support another waterway. See Nicaragua!

[@gregorylyon1004]

This problem will effect all of us in some way. Most of the cheap goods we buy at Walmart and Dollar general come from overseas ports through the Panama canal.

[@dr.floridaman4805]

Does it? Really? The quickest way from Shanghai to San Fran is through the canal? You flat earthers, climate change cultists are insane

[@f1y7rap]

@@dr.floridaman4805 sea shipping is (was) an order of magnitude cheaper than rail transport. and that is BEFORE you calculate in loss from all the rail car break-ins that occur in CA as trains are scheduled to transit into the rail corridors. Now add to that CA laws that are trying to kill off all diesel powered transport within the state... that is both trucking And rail... because diesel-electric engines are powered by... Diesel.

[@paulrandig]

Many people here suggest pumping the water up. That requires a lot of energy. But: How much energy does it take to make the detour around Cap Horn?

[@user-witwicki]

Curious what if one of you numbers people could calculate if it would be worth it to make sailing ships like the Flying Cloud ( held the Around the Horn record for years and years). How much does it cost per container ( that volume) to go around the horn in a container ship versus a no fuel sailing ship. Is there a room for a bunch of private entrepreneurs to start using cargo sailing ships again. Romantic thought. How big of a ship would it take for a 50 cargo containers. Who's got the numbers with the Pirates they would have to go through in a convoy. How to calculate the fuel of the trip the whole in a round trip the horn way . I recently heard the earth mantle is dropping at the equator from weight because that's where the rise in water level is happening. It's being pulled away from the poles by centrifugal force. We've seen a rise of several feet at the equator but it's going down too.

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

A few years ago, when all shipping was working right, one could ship a container anywhere in the world for $5,000. If you wanted priority shipping; special handling, refrigeration or other features, it cost more. I don't think this number included semi truck or train transport to or from the port. Modern ships hold a lot of containers to move them so cost effectively and make a profit. There have been experiments with adding sails to some ships; but none have caught on.

[@phoenixclaw5441]

a solution to the problem would be to ship any goods that need to get from either us coast to the other via trains and the shipping companies invest in train infrastructure

[@jackhook4192]

Well according to the environmental wackos the glaciers are melting so fast they should have enough water and nothing to worry about.

[@garydurandt4260]

Aah, but those glaciers are melting in the south atlantic and they need the water on the pacific side!!.

[@thebluehotel426]

Very interesting. Thanks!

[@timan2039]

Cycle the lock water?

[@terrykeever9422]

One prob not addressed is the movement of military vessels is also limited affecting our ability to respond to probs in Pacific (China).

[@PTdreaming]

How is that? The Pacific Fleet is enough to deal with any China problem. If need be, its easy to go through the suez canal as well.

[@Chewy_GarageBandDad]

What?????? (Veteran USN)

[@elevateyourcreativeness]

One almost has to ponder if there isn’t some form of weather modification taking place as an effort from preventing products from the East from reaching their destinations.

[@MacGyver2154]

🤔like chem trails or dew ?

[@WndD_74]

@@MacGyver2154 I was waiting for the conspiracy theories to start..... 🤔 The change is weather patterns/trends have been documented globally. That some weather modification... oh wait, it's called climate change due to pollution.

[@monicaluketich6913]

Are you referring to real climate change or some hocus-pocus weather modification?

[@jonchapman999]

What has been the impact on water usage from Lake Gatan of the increase in lock capacity in recent years?

[@jonpierson559]

0:15 how is the capacity for 2/2024 known on 1/1/2024?

[@jpwillm5252]

Would it not be wise to dig a parallel canal without locks, as the French had envisaged? With current means this should be possible...

[@kilianhekhuis]

It would also cost 100s of billions of dollars.

[@jpwillm5252]

@@kilianhekhuis Yes, it’s true that you have to have them. But these billions would be amortized quite quickly. Obviously, if it is more economical to dig a canal elsewhere the latter solution would be chosen.

[@denissesmith2402]

The Canadian mining company First Quantum, has been digging huge tunnels that are taking the water that can feed the Panamá Canal. This with the complicit of a corrupted government.

[@puraLusa]

We are doomed not cause climate change but cause climate change plus corrupt governments, key word here is the corrupted government as they are gonna blame climate change and omit their own responsability. It's infuriating 😠

[@C_R_O_M________]

Now it's the "bad capitalists" that are at fault (the very same ones that built the canal in the first place for the Panamanian people to take advantage of!) not the local corruption who can't even get around solving the "problem" with simple pumping and desalination technology!

[@zebrabike9]

During the upcoming dry season , dig the canal deeper , so there would be no reason to raise the ships 26 meters to reach the Lake . Dig the canal deep enough so that the waters from both oceans can fill the canal to a depth , where Locks would no longer be needed. Excavating today is a lot easier than it was when the canal was first built......... Dig dig...dig.

[@eurlovegisbert6846]

In Alacant people drink and use water from desalination plants because the fresh water that exists is used for golf courses, and massive vineyard and orange groves created in recent years. In Panama I hope they will soon do the same, but water for boats instead of vineyards

[@duanenavarre7234]

You''d think they would just land freight on east or west coast and rail carry it to end point. To save money on labor they could offload in Mexico or Central America and rail carry to US. I think there needs to be more direct shipping to US coastal ports, or Mexican coastal ports. There was also a prior plan for a Nicaraguan canal.

[@f1y7rap]

Even if the rail capacity existed at ports in Mexico, and the mountainous terrain in Mexico didn't exist, transport by sea is an order of magnitude cheaper than rail transport. Oh, then you need to do something about the border crossing. And inspections. And increase rail infrastructure and a rail yard ... And yes, China was looking at the feasibility of another canal and found that even in the pre-covid era of cheap & easy loans it was too expensive and the time required to make back the invested money was WAAAY too long. CCP wanted it to be the Belt&Road killshot against the US economy.

[@mrjayslab]

The floating ton is far cheaper than rail - it is the cheapest way to transport tonnage.

[@duanenavarre7234]

@@mrjayslab While true, its mostly headed to the US and rail carry at some point. things transiting to other nations beyond the americas it would need the sea lanes. Perhaps they can do the canceled Nicaragua canal as redundancy.

[@mrjayslab]

@@duanenavarre7234 Yes, Nicaragua is possible, maybe even a good idea; But I think the powers that be are more interested in reducing production and trade. The current situation plays well into their hands.

[@danharasty6686]

Freight the whole ship. Give hull a little TLC as it rumbles thru the jungle a day later

[@neinkalando2519]

If 80% of everything in the U.S was made right here it would still be a huge problem because of global export from the U.S

[@kellyschram5486]

What i dont understand is why the water is not pumped back to the lake from the last lock

[@BarrieHughes]

Transfer containers to train each end of canal?

[@michaelgeraghty3989]

Besides more efficient water recovery from the locks, why not pump sea water up to an existing or new reservoir?

[@bodybuilderslave7125]

Using solar powered pumps. Problem solved. You're welcome.

[@FalbertForester]

The existing reservoir, Gatun Lake, also provides fresh water and fishing to a lot of Panama's people. Dumping seawater into it is a non-starter.

[@michaelgeraghty3989]

Yes, you need an existing or a new saltwater reservoir.@@FalbertForester

[@jfiery]

Wonder how much the huge expansion of the canal had to do with this. Having spent a good amount of time at the former Ft Sherman I am not surprised they managed to screw up a good thing.

[@EnufAlrdy909]

It's what corporations working with government does best!

[@davidhuttner9431]

This is bad news, temporarily, for the world, but good news for Nicaragua. I'm not an engineer or an environmental expert, but I suspect that the correct design for a Nicaraguan canal is one that EXCLUDES fresh water lakes. The correct alternative, it seems, will be more expensive to built but more viable in the long-term. I refer to a single, sea-level, salt water, concrete-lined trench, from coast to coast. Intermittent ramps could be built over it, ramps on which the animals could walk.

[@michaelsteele4587]

Yes, this will create an issue for shipping goods in the United States BUT...let's not forget that we have plenty of major rail lines connecting the East and West coasts therefore, what is generally put onto ships can just as easily be put on a train...shipped off to ports on the West Coast where its loaded onto ships and then sent to Asia and beyond. No need to panic when we have plenty of solutions at hand.

[@stewartread4235]

Unfortunately California is in the way, and they have a way of fcuking up every good idea.!

[@themr_wilson]

Ok. Now, for the rest of the world...

[@leechjim8023]

​@@themr_wilsonEurope can reach Asia via Africa, or Suez canal.

[@davidtettleton2732]

The canal was enlarged a few years ago for bigger ships. But could this also be using alot more water.? It would seem they exceeded the engineering of the original canal locks.

[@MidnightVisions]

There are two faults with the canal authority. 1. The policy of having ships using less draft is allowing twice as much water to flow out. More ship draft equals less water wastage. 2. Same for the new locks.

[@skutchBlobaum]

So your solution is run ships aground in the canal to save water ?

[@2Truth4Liberty]

Converting to use ocean water instead might be a permanent solution I just dont know how much it would cost to do that or how much more costly it would be for maintnance since the steel would obviously have issues with salt water (though I'm pretty sure some ocean salt does seep in right now).

[@rodneystanger1651]

I thought the same, more or less.

[@alexhayden2303]

Surely, Large ships nearly filling the lock space, will use less water than smaller vessels? Lower, sea locks up to the last but one before the lake, could be replenished by pumped sea water?

[@bhaebe6671]

Has clearcutting the Amazon basin rain forest affected rainfall there?

[@rexdenemo5235]

Hi Folks, How much would it cost to re-use the water by pumping it up from the drained lock, or directly from the sea itself? One merely has to fill the lock, it does not matter where it comes from. Tougher issue on maintainence, with sea water, but that would be cheaper in the long run than loosing the lost revenue. How quickly can water be pumped up with positive displacement pumps? And redoing the piping, and a new storage tank system for lock water? Respectfully, R

[@rexdenemo5235]

@@zonian1966 Hi z1966, One can use diesel powered pumps, not electric ones. A person can think of a positive displacement pump with the pistons of a steam engine in reverse moving the water by the rotation of the diesel engine they can be built a meter or more in diameter, bigger if need be. 85 feet of lift is less than 45 psi. So we are not thinking that a thick walled pipe will be necessary for pressure. More like external damage and corrosion . The only real electrical load is for the valves and control circuitry, probably three-phase 440 or 408 volts.

[@rexdenemo5235]

@@zonian1966 Hi Z1966 Positive displacement pumps can operate with diesel engines. The only added electrical power is in the valves, if desired, and a control board circuitry

[@rexdenemo5235]

@@zonian1966 wow! Have to think bigger!

[@Krunchy71]

@@rexdenemo5235 It would cost an enormous amount of money and damaging to the environment to use diesel engines. It would make it cost prohibitive to ship through the canal.

[@rexdenemo5235]

@@Krunchy71 Hi One can use hydrogen in the place of diesel fuel.

[@alimin8r201]

This is kind of stupid to me that ships are waiting up to 3 weeks to go through the canal but added travel time around South America only adds 1 week plus the food and fuel cost. Ships that won't go around are losing more money than if they just went around instead of waiting, and paying to jump the line sounds like folly. I did hear of a plan to build another canal in Nicaragua but that was last year and I haven't heard any news since then.

[@opathe2nd973]

You say the difference in time going from Florida to Asia is 6 days. I have problems doing the math. $400,000 will pay a great deal of the savings of 14 days in sail time. I have no idea how much extra fuel, crew costs, etc., involved in that saving 14 days and getting more revenue in making more trips. Tons of questions about the conclusions unanswered in this video

[@z31344]

I enjoyed the video. I was especially impressed by the data you provided at 6:20. I had no idea that there was a cargo ship the is over 3,900 feet long. That is longer than the longest U.S. aircraft carrier. And, I didn't know the expansion of the Panama Canal created locks that long either.

[@itsumotanoshimi]

Impressed by data... but you missed that they are saying it is 2024... very poor detail of data If they can't get the year correct then the facts in the entire video are fake.

[@JustinJackson11]

lol, there's multiple errors in this video like that.

[@martyzielinski1442]

There ISN’T..........

[@JustinJackson11]

@@martyzielinski1442 he was being sarcastic

[@KB-ke3fi]

It holds thousands of illegal immigrants from Africa headed to the U.S.

[@IsleOfFeldspar]

I wish it were possible to have a lockless canal. Dug to 100 feet below sea level in a straight line; end to end. But I imagine that would be far too enormous of a job.

[@InternetzSpaceshipz]

Why would ships wait for over 3 weeks, if going around South America only takes an additional 6 days?

[@bmatterne]

00:13 I had to do a date check, was thinking I missed a year :)

[@certainthings2000]

Is the drought hurting the Panama Canal, yes but the main problem is the Panamex Canal enlargement. A stop gap would be to pump the fresh water back into Gatun Lake, but you would also have to install large desalination plants to compensate for the normal lose of water due to the water cycle. The real fix would be to cut the rock to level out the canal with locks at the Atlantic side to compensate for the different in Ocean height and to prevent any change in the Gulfstream over the long term.

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

It would be cheaper to simply buy the land and build a new dam.

[@certainthings2000]

​@@cryptickcryptick2241 Yours is a, Bandage solution!

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

@@certainthings2000 It has worked great for a hundred years. A bandage and added supply of water for the people sounds good to me.

[@johnsanders561]

I thought the new locks were supposed to be much more efficient than the old ones. Are they still using the old locks? Panama is incredible and I encourage everyone to visit.

[@natehill8069]

The new locks are more efficient, they reuse about 1/2 the water; however they are also much, much larger in order to fit larger ships ("post-Panamax"), they ONLY handle the large ships. And the old ones are still 100% utilized for smaller ships ("Panamax" or smaller). Consequently they are using more water than ever.

[@johnsanders561]

@@natehill8069 That's disappointing to hear, I thought the old Locke's were going to be decommissioned.

[@natehill8069]

@@johnsanders561 Plus, instead of the famous "electric mules" of the old locks to guide ships through the locks, they use 2-6 Diesel tugboats per ship.

[@johnsanders561]

@@natehill8069 Well now I have to go back and investigate this myself. Thanks for the update.

[@benw1726]

Maybe I'm just stupid but I don't know why they haven't figured out how to use the salt water from the ocean to pump up the locks.

[@VisibletoanyoneonYoutubes]

5:04 the “pacific*” typo correction is right below the KZbin generated closed captions. Perfectlyyy

[@michaeljames5936]

Whenever we talk about an urgent energy transition, the impossible cost is trotted out, as a reason it can't happen (as though we had a choice.) How much will it cost the world, when the Panama canal shuts down? Droughts, crop failures, forest fires- it's costing a lot to do nothing. Great video. Thanks.

[@C_R_O_M________]

You have no idea what you are talking about! The energy transition is going to be disastrous not only in terms of economics AND the environment, but it's also not going to have any ultimate effect on the weather! Now, if the corrupt operators in Panama (the whole government really - remmebr why the French abandoned the initial project and how the US actually managed to get it done - by force?) used simple pumping and desalination technology to refill the lake, there wouldn't be a problem! And that solution is a way cheaper and much more feasible than altering the whole world into an horrendous EROEI trip (which, btw, the Chinese, India and much of the third world ISN'T following) with "renewable energy" junk that isn't even renewable!

[@azzajames7661]

​@Helladius666 Solar panel's are made from crude oil, which is not renewable and they don't get recycled and go into the rubbish and end up as landfill. The wind turbines are not recyclable either and take thousands of litres of oil for lubricant which leaks and they catch fire and also can't be recycled. They say the problem is from too much CO2, but they chop down millions of tree for the solar and wind farms, and as we all know tree take in CO2 and release O2 in its place🤔 It all sounds backwards to me🤯

[@robertmacias7920]

​@@C_R_O_M________ why would the water need to be desalinated? It's going into the canal blocks and back to sea. The Aztecs proved long ago separating brackish waters from fresh water isn't so hard

[@C_R_O_M________]

@@robertmacias7920 in the clip it was mentioned that the lake is the main water resource for the city of Panama (if I'm not mistaken about the city). You don't want that mixed with sea water.

[@robertmacias7920]

@@C_R_O_M________ that's why I mentioned the Aztecs having figured out water separation, takes calculation work and planning, so they have both without the astronomical cost of desalination

[@wytdyk]

Interesting. I always thought the canal was at sea level, and I think it's a big flaw they didn't build it this way in the first place. Just a canal between the two oceans, not connected to rivers.

[@remittanceman4685]

I think the reason they didn't keep it at sea level was the sheer scale of the earthmoving they'd have had to undertake. Remember this was back at the end of the nineteenth century, nearly 150 years ago. I'm an open pit miner and the volume of rock that would need to be moved is daunting, even with today's technology and equipment. With what was available in Roosevelt's time it would have seemed impossible.

[@stewartsmith1947]

They cannot do it because of tide differences . The pacific has about a 14 ft tide and the Atlantic has a much smaller tide.

[@remittanceman4685]

@@stewartsmith1947 That would complicate things, but one could overcome it. The Suez Canal enjoys tidal differences at either end although not so great and that doesn't seem to affect matters. If however there were issues, gates and basins could be used to mitigate the effect. They'd need a lot less water than the current lock arrangements and would cost a lot less to construct ismply because they'd only need to cater for a 20 ft (7m) maximum level difference rather than the current system. I still maintain that the excavation cost would be the killer. Lord knows how many billions of cubic metres at a cost of around $4 per ton (and 2.5 tons per cubic metre. what's more, given the geology were talking friable, oxidised rock so the sides of the channel would have to be battered back to significantly less than the angle of repose (which is around 35 degrees) for safety and access. Then you have the costs and impact of disposal of all that material and the impact of creating a trench that size. All the remedial work and rehabilitation would easily double the cost per ton if not more.

[@BergquistScott]

I toured the Panama Canal in 2015. Tides have nothing to do with using locks. The problem that was the biggest hurdle was the huge amount of rock to move, because there was a huge mountain in the way. They even tried to start a rumor about "GOLD! in the mountain, to try to get mining companies to dig. Most of the time between 1903 and 1914 was used to move earth and rock. Huge effort. You take the tourist boat to the locks from Lake Gatun and you start getting blase...even looking up at the mountains, which tower up high. "no big deal!" Oh baby, it was HUGE! Eleven-plus years of running trains loaded with rock and earth.

[@stewartsmith1947]

I worked there for two years .@@BergquistScott

[@TractorWrangler01]

The problem is not rainfall as much as it is that shipping goods is coming from China instead of the USA. When goods were mostly made in the USA the goods from the east coast would go into the Atlantic and the goods made on the west coast would go into the Pacific. The traffic going through the canal was still important but light in comparison to today with China shipping so many goods through the canal as well as the population and amount of goods needeng to be shipped. Today if the water could keep up to the demand it would be fine. However, today the simple answer would be to manufacture in the countries that are buying the goods. This would also lower the greenhouse gas emissions from the coal plants in China to nuclear and natural gas plants in cleaner countries.

[@amirsanchez8193]

Very good video. Have to point out three things: (1) The success of the American construction of the Canal was also due to the discovery of the yellow fever transmission by the mosquito Aedes Aegipti by Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay in 1886, although it was not until early 1900's that efforts to eradicate the mosquito - first in Havana and later in Panama - allowed the construction to continue without the human cost. (2) The current government of Panama has been stagnant in approving plans to create new reservoirs. There are studies done to create at least 10 more reservoirs to supply water for the population and the normal operations of the Canal, but they lack the political urgency to do so. With El Niño becoming more and more frequent, this is a must if the Canal doesn't want to become inoperative. Hopefully there are elections in May 2024, and the new government to replace the stagnant one shall address the need to have more reservoirs. (3) The mining in the area next to Rio Indio, which has been stalled by being illegally operated (Dec 2023), has deforested a great extension of land needed for the flow of Rio Indio. Fortunately, all mining projects have been suspended, as the tropical forest is essential for the rain cycle.

[@ddunn3489]

Well I am not sure that Gatun Lake was designed for the Big expansion they installed..We had many dry rainy seasons. But never had lock water shortage.

[@terrykeever9422]

Not designed for the increase in shipping and cruise ships plus private vessels. I doubt anyone dreamed of the vast increase of usage over 100 years ago.

[@ddunn3489]

@@terrykeever9422 Very true but still dont think Gatun lake can keep up with the expansion.

[@JRd2U]

Why not using sea water? From the other side of the sluice of course

[@ramrod9556]

Using sea water might seem viable but it would not take very long to contaminate the inland side of the docks and kill everything in the lakes. The fresh water coming out of the docks to the sea ultimately would have wind up in the ocean anyway as all rivers flow to the sea.

[@JRd2U]

@@ramrod9556 thanks, you're absolutely right.

[@dbijenhof]

You'd have to employ encredibly large pumps to pump up thet much water to that height. THe whole idea of the canal is that it's operated mostly by gravity, which comes cheap.

[@TheCanalZone]

JR, the Panama Canal runs on the gravity of the freshwater lake in the middle. So much salt water would have to be pumped into Gatun Lake that it would be economically unfeasible to run the Panama Canal. Remember, each ship uses 50,000,000 gallons of water for each transit ; that is as much water as the entire city of New York uses in one day.

[@bwithgod6374]

Build a small nuclear plant to supply the power to run all the pumps for sea water.

[@ricktell7454]

What country operates the canal?

[@StillPlaysWithModelTrains1956]

Looks like someone forgot to factor in the increased level of water usage from the Chagres River to me.

[@aronandreas]

Install pumps.

[@bliz4600]

Use the fresh water over & over?

[@George-vf7ss]

Too practical.

[@JZsBFF]

If they've got in long term vision, which they probably have, that's what they'll do but that could take some time and lots of money.

[@thekingminn]

Can't they make the canal deeper and reach sea level with today's technology.

[@jasperpluk]

possibly? but i think even if it was possible, the money question could stop that process.

[@dinloud.3887]

Would you not have to shut down the canal to do so? I would think that is not an option.

[@CheckmateSurvivor]

@@jasperpluk But the canal could be transformed into some kind of high speed railway. That will solve lots of problems at a cheaper price.

[@LHSMeleeClub]

Apparently a lot of people depend on the lake for freshwater also. Plus that would destroy the ecosystem the lake created

[@jasperpluk]

@@dinloud.3887 it would, it would also mean somehow draining and lowering the entire lake first otherwise you will always have the problem of hight.

[@TheWorldsprayer]

So let's get this straight. In order to respond to the lack of water, perceived to be the fault of greenhouse emission caused by use of fuel...they want to build 3 dams and then make a pipe system from one lake to another. That wouldn't cause any ADDITIONAL greenhouse gasses by any chance would it?

[@christianterrill3503]

Wait i thought sea levels were raising? Shouldnt there be more water for the canal?

[@JZsBFF]

Pay attention to what the man explained, Christian. Your bias blinds you.

[@lisaroberts8556]

Stop using Logic! Smarty!

[@fantabuloussnuffaluffagus]

6:20 - I don't think you'll have much luck getting a 1,200m ship though the Panama canal, that is of course, if a ship even half that length existed.

[@brandoncampanaro7571]

They go through it every day bud

[@lingham2099]

No they don’t. They don’t exist.

[@jimihendrix991]

@@brandoncampanaro7571 ...care to provide info on the ship that is 3937 feet long (1200 meters = 3937 feet)........................................................................................ I'll wait...

[@ronskancke1489]

I was doing a little math too and these ships would be a half mile long? I'm not a metric fan but a meter is about 3 feet i think.

[@fantabuloussnuffaluffagus]

@@ronskancke1489 1200m is a little short of 3/4 of a mile or about 3900'. Have a look at the converters in windows calculator, no need to do math to convert.

[@davetomlinson9063]

Offload one side rail transport to other side,Panama becomes biggest freight hub on earth.

[@sonnylatchstring]

6:22 "Ships with a length of to 1200 meters can transit?

[@JZsBFF]

"Push, Pedro, push!"

[@fishyerik]

As they can compensate income loss caused by reduced capacity by inflating prices and slot auctions, it's no wonder they're not too eager to fix the problem. of course there are ways to minimize the amount of water lost for each passing, it's not even very difficult, it would be somewhat difficult without also increasing the amount if salt that gets into Gatun Lake, but then again a slight increase, for a limited time like a few years, would probably not be very problematic. It's not like the lowest locks opens straight into ocean currents. The amount of salts that get into Gatun Lake on average, over longer periods of time might need to be reduced, anyway.

[@Homoprimatesapiens]

The solution to this problem is to build container ships and other cargo ships which is nuke driven. Then sail around the South American southern tip to the U.S, or just off load at the harbours on the Western coast of the U.S. and the rail transport will do the rest.

[@chrisfabian7193]

The problem with going down around south America is the water is alot rougher just like down around South Africa.

[@stevensmith8876]

i thought rising sea levels would make this all fine.

[@Krunchy71]

LOL thats not how it works genius

[@mrbaab5932]

If USA railroads and trucking was not so expensive and inefficient, the goods could be sent to the west coast directly.

[@dlewis9760]

If Panama doesn't fix this, it may not be so expensive and inefficient. I'd hardly call the long haul trains inefficient. You want more trains, more tracks, longer trains? If more tracks, where? Do the railroad companies have enough land next to current tracks? You ok, with the destruction of Native American burial sites in the process? How about endangered species? What exists, exists. Anything new has to go through that process. Or do you consider it's the wages that is the problem. Maybe people working for the railroads should make 5 dollars a day. That would make things cheaper. How long does it take to build a bridge? How many bridges do they need?

[@derekmoore8224]

So are the sae levels falling?

[@JZsBFF]

Sae levels are like spelling: They always get worse.

[@chrismacqueen4891]

Better solution is a new canal along the US / Mexico border. Far longer and tons more work required but it would also serve the purpose of securing our border as it would of course be far to wide for swimmers. It could also be done without any need of raising and lowering water levels.

[@rdelrosso1973]

So how much would it cost? And how long would it take to build? Nicaragua would provide a shorter route! OOPS! I think that's what China (or a Chinese Billionaire) is doing!

[@skutchBlobaum]

That will not stop the assault on labor. Get ready for your enslavement.

[@sentientflower7891]

Carving a canal through the Rocky mountains and Colorado river to keep Mexicans out? Seriously?

[@Krunchy71]

This is an absurd idea. There's already a river there that does NOTHING to "secure the border" because people just cross it with boats. And it would cost $TRILLIONS of dollars. Do you even comprehend that there's mountains in the way?

[@mikeoconner557]

The Panama Canal isn’t dying. The area is simply experiencing a nasty drought. 300 years ago that would have caused a wicked famine. Now people from that area illegally come to the US, and once they agree to vote Democrat, they soak up a nice living in Federal and state subsidies, plus they get to keep everything they earn, tax free.

[@MrBlank-ig6fo]

If it takes 11 days longer to go around the Cape Horn , why sit and wait 3 weeks to cross the canal?

[@ncg5560]

The weather around "the horn" is unbelievably rough at times. Many bad storms.

[@largemarge1603]

06:21 1,200m is close to 4,000'. I challenge the accuracy of that claim. Our longest ship is SEAWISE GIANT/HAPPY GIANT at 458m, or about 1,500'.

[@C_R_O_M________]

Climate change my behind (have been studying the science for 15 years)! A 1C degree "warming anomaly" in GATs in 150 years and coming out of the LIA, the coldest era in 10.000 years is ONLY beneficial for all life on Earth. The anthropogenic effect is negligible at best, never proven practically for the system as a whole, only theoretically and without tangible evidence that any mitigation agendas have any, whatsoever, effect of altering weather. BTW, extreme weather events are...on the decline and that's even admitted by the latest AR6 IPCC report (working group 1, or the scientific section of the report, not the SPMs, or Sections for policy makers that are written by politically appointed .... consultants and whose advice must be first approved by the policy makers themselves!!! - how's that for cyclical logic?). Please stay within the borders of your knowledge in an otherwise useful video.

[@randylplampin1326]

Let me see if I have this correct. There is a shortage of water. There are two oceans, one to north, and one to the south. No one has any idea of where to get extra water from.

[@ivanivonovich9863]

Wht they need to do is to remove the locks, and place the canal lower... Dig it out to below sea level. Then all you have to do is to allow the flow of the ocean water to bring the ships thru locks from the west side to the east side. Another thing that can be done is to re-pipe the dropping water back up to the higher lock level. Costs a lot of money in electricity but it can be used again.

[@richardb4787]

That's no coincidence that an international business passage would be blocked, unless by evil intent on disruption.

[@papa.mike01]

Why do you say the lack of rain is due, in part, to El Niño? What do you suggest is the other part(s)?

[@wytdyk]

Deforestatation. Forests generate rainfall (that's why they are called rainforests).

[@robertmgtx]

I have doubts about this looking at the annual rainfall has very little difference and has used rail for a long time and the recycling of water

[@ma6netho]

Brazil cutting down the rainforest might reduce the rainfall in the area. More land to produce beef is mayby more importen., for them.

[@scyfox.]

I finally found out how to read "Maersk" containers :) If the canal isn't enough they're truly welcome to go by Valparaíso instead of the waiting line :)

[@curtiscox7105]

Ships are waiting two or three weeks to get through the canal? They may have been better off going around the horn.

[@josephrogers8213]

Or the north west passage

[@showdoctors]

Can they not pump sea water using pumps

[@alejandrocantu4652]

How can you claim a cuts in early 2024 when it Dec 2, 2023 when i am viewing your video?

[@HindsightYT]

I should probably have phrased that differently. But the cuts are announced to be in place until at least February 2024.

[@puraLusa]

​@@HindsightYTI actually understood exactly that, don't know where the confusion is.

[@alejandrocantu4652]

@puraLusa when you refer to cuts. This means the cuts have happened or are currently happening. The cuts in the future (February) are projected cuts, as these cuts have not happened.

[@puraLusa]

@@alejandrocantu4652 if I am in control of a door where 10 people used to pass and I state than only 3 will pass - i am using future tense as a done deal not as a projection. In linguistic studies the example used is actually a group of soldiers and the baracks entrance - its the 1st year 3rd subject discussed. Verb tenses definition in english are understood not as a stagnant grammar but by the speaker/ writer intent, aka, context, cause english verb tenses are simpler than other european language where complex tenses convey intent in time and location with more precision.

[@alejandrocantu4652]

@puraLusa congratulations on controlling the world where it leads to I do not know and I do not care thank you very much for your concerns and affections

[@russell7489]

Opps Hmmmm, cloud seeding? It seems unlikely that one small lake will make up for drought. Tapping additional rivers to feed moire reservoirs N and S of the canal piping one to the other is likely needed. Some effort might be made to pump water back level to level and use sea water for the lowest locks and use solar and wind to reduce cost of pumping. Luckily dry periods would have less cloud, more sun, more power. Need to find a use for power when reservoirs are full to help with system pay back. Crack water to hydrogen to feed into local natural gas systems, power plants?

[@OldManGibb]

Make products locally, also freighters are starting to go through the North West Passage.

[@rscott2247]

How can this be with ever increasing sea levels ?

[@andrewfalenski6583]

The Suez Canal does not have locks. It would be a long and expensive endeavor but in the long run a better solution to continue digging until the Panama Canal is at sealed level.

[@kevinwilliams1071]

What About Cloud Seeding??