Venice
Italy has begun building floodgates to stop the sea from swallowing Venice. The historic city sits on a soggy foundation and has been slowly sinking as sea levels rise. After decades of debate, officials decided to install 79 massive gates capable of sealing the three inlets into the lagoon around the city, to hold back high tides. The so-called Moses project will cost $4 billion. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said that was a small price for preserving “the pride of Italy.” Environmentalists complained the project would wreck the lagoon’s fragile ecology, but they could not compete with activists fighting to save Venice. “There is no point in having a wonderful ecology if the city is four feet underwater,” said Anna Somers Cocks of the Venice in Peril Fund.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
July 5 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include an extrajudicial detainment camp, 'alligator Alcatraz', and tax cuts for billionaires.
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of JulyCartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
