Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the number of border physical barriers have gone from 15 to at least 77 around the globe.
There’s already a 580-mile border barrier between the U.S. and Mexico made of physical and virtual fences.
But President Donald Trump, who wants to deliver on his campaign promise, seems adamant to build a wall along the whole U.S. southern border, across about 2,000 miles.
After the Government Shutdowd and the failed negotiations with Democrats in Congress, the president declared a national emergency and is now facing lawsuits from a coalition of States.
Other than politicians and lawmakers, American scientists also want a say in the border debate.
Energy-Water Corridor: a Wall of Opportunities
According to a research team from a dozen U.S. universities, instead of a dead physical wall, the US-Mexico border has ideal conditions for an Energy Corridor,
This idea comes from a team of 27 scientists and engineers led by Luciano Castillo, a professor of energy and power at Purdue University.
“Let’s put the best scientists and engineers together to create a new way to deal with migration, trafficking—and access to water. These are regions of severe drought,” says professor Castillo, at Purdue University who leads the group. “Water supply is a huge future issue for all the states along the border in both countries.”
As reported by Scientific American, the team has sent an outline of their Future Energy, Water, Industry and Education Park (FEWIEP) plan to three Congress representatives and one senator.
Running along the 2,000 miles of the U.S.–Mexico border, the Energy Corridor would include solar and wind facilities, as well as natural gas plants and water pipelines. On both sides of the border, populations benefit from cheap, greener energy, desalinated water from the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Professor Castillo and his colleagues think such a gigantic Energy-Water Corridor would transform the U.S.-Mexico border, now a dead and costly area, into a zone of opportunity for both countries.
“A future energy, water, industry, and education park will create massive opportunities for employment and prosperity.”
Just the installation of the eight million solar panels as part of the Corridor would make a big difference. More economic opportunity in Mexico means fewer people risking their lives trying to get into the U.S. looking for a secure future for their children.
Aside from the socio-economic and environmental impact, the proposed energy corridor is also viable politically speaking. Such a “wall” could help both the Republicans and the Democrats find a way out of the political impasse they’re in right now.
“Democrats want a Green New Deal. Republicans want border security,” says Castillo. “Both parties could win. It could be a win-win for the U.S. and Mexico, too. This idea could spark a completely new conversation about the border. And we need that.”
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