Skip to main content

How Would Donald Trump's Proposed Wall With Mexico Actually Work?

Image
By


Donald Trump wants to build an "impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful and beautiful southern border wall" between the US and Mexico.

Many of his supporters have been galvanised by his plans, echoing his calls for a wall at his rallies.

It is a "yuuge" idea, but the Republican nominee has been accused of being small on detail.

:: What's already in place?

The border is 1,954 miles across Arizona, California and Texas, stretching across empty plains, to dry desert and the rugged bush of the Rio Grande.

There are already some 650 miles covered by a mix of steel fencing, concrete slabs and other structures.

But Donald Trump says a wall is better and he has vowed to cover 1,000 miles with it, leaving the natural landscape to block out the rest.

:: How much will it cost?

It depends what he builds it with. Engineers have suggested concrete as the best option, but iron and wire are cheaper.

Mr Trump claims it will cost anything between $10bn (£7.5bn) to $12bn (£9bn).
But engineers have arrived at higher estimates.

In 2009, the Government Accountability Office said the cost to build a mile of the fence initially averaged between $2.8m (£2.1m) and $3.9m (£2.9m).

But the mountains and deserts may be harder to build in.

Some 1,254 miles of the border is in Texas, but the state only has about 100 miles of wall.

And costs could rise - with much of the land privately owned, it may need to be purchased through financial settlements.

:: Who's going to foot the bill?

Mr Trump maintains that Mexico will.

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto insists they will not.

The businessman, who prides himself on the art of negotiating, has suggested various ways of forcing their hand - from increasing the fees for visa applications, to trade tariffs and anti-terror legislation.

But with some feeling alienated by his rhetoric, he must decide if the security benefit is greater than the need to keep America's neighbour on side.

:: What about the environment?

It is a rich ecological area, with endangered animals and regular animal migrations between the north and south of the American continent.

There are natural flooding zones.

And then there is the impact on the landscape and the challenge of getting the right parties to agree to a new feature - a 50 foot wall?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Post

Buhari tells Nigerians to change for a better future

By
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday set out his vision for a better Nigeria, imagining an incorruptible paradise where drivers don’t run red lights and internet scams are a thing of the past. In Buhari’s Nigeria, police turn down bribes from rich men driving SUVs, militants in the oil-rich Niger delta lay down their arms, rubbish is thrown in bins, not the street, and workers are on time. “I won’t sell my body for marks,” a student is quoted as saying in a promotional video to launch the initiative before a gathering of high-profile politicians in the presidential villa in Abuja. “I no go do yahoo yahoo or 419 again,” says another in pidgin English, referring to the online scams originating from Nigeria that have snared victims around the world. The “re-orientation campaign” conjures up images of social engineering and Big Brother-style state control but Buhari maintained it was first and foremost about a change in “mindset”. “We must resist the temptation to fall bac...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eating a combination of chilli and ginger could help prevent cancer

By
Past studies have suggested that capsaicin (an active component of chili peppers) may cause cancer. But in a new evidence by scientists, it was observed that the spicy compound in ginger, 6-gingerol, could counter the harmful effects of capsaicin. Researchers at the American Chemical Society, Washington DC, USA found out that eating chilli and ginger together could help prevent cancer. The compounds in ginger and chilli – capsaicin and 6-gingerol –bind to the same receptor on cells. They fed mice prone to lung cancer either capsaicin or 6-gingerol, or a combination of the two compounds. Mice fed with just capsaicin alone developed lung tumours, while those fed with 6-gingerol also had the disease. Interestingly, a large part of mice fed with both capsaicin and 6-gingerol didn’t develop lung cancer. Scientists are, however, optimistic that future studies will focus more on how exactly the compounds interact to help reduce cancer risk.
Post a Comment
Read more

Meet Ime Archibong; the Nigerian who runs things @Facebook

By
Looking at Facebook’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Ime Archibong, one sees the figure of a Hollywood honcho; the type who keeps you glued to the tube in a box office thriller-crime movie. With his huge, tall frame sitting on a well built macho body, Archibong could have passed for another Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallion of Rambo fame. The difference, however, is that Archibong plies his trade in Silicon Valley and not in Hollywood. He directs activities at Facebook and not on a movie set. He leads the team focused on accelerating Facebook’s product strategy by establishing partnerships, driving product integrations and unlocking new business opportunities with leading companies across multiple industries and sectors. Call him Zuckerberg’s deputy and you would not be far from the truth, because they seem to be Siamese twins in fashioning new ideas that have transformed Facebook into something much more than a social media initiative. The fact that they are ...
Post a Comment
Read more