ITALY: SCIENTISTS FIGHT TO STOP VENICE FROM SINKING INTO SEA

Record ID: 375912

  • Title: ITALY: SCIENTISTS FIGHT TO STOP VENICE FROM SINKING INTO SEA
  • Date: 12th March 1970
  • Summary: 1. LV ST. MARKS, VENICE FROM WATER (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. CU TRACKING DOWN CANALS (2 SHOTS) 0.22 3. LV PLATFORM AT SEA 0.27 4. MAN PAN ACROSS PLATFORM FROM LAUNCH 0.32 5. TV PAN DOWN TOWER PLATFORM 0.37 6. MV PAN DOWN TO MEN ON PLATFORM OVER WATER AND CU DITTO (2 SHOTS) 0.45 7. MV DIVER PREPARING TO GO IN WATER 0.48 8. MV&LV PLATFORM AND TOWERS (2 SHOTS) 0.56 9. MV MEASURING DEVICE TOWERS 0.59 10. LV LAUNCH AND TOWERS 1.04 11. LV CENTRE OF VENICE PAN ROUND TO BRIDGE 1.12 Initials PF/V/CT/SGM PF/V/CT/MH Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th March 1970 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: VENICE, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVAD00I5CZHTO4OTFB20EB10K32M
  • Story Text: VENICE IS GRADUALLY SINKING INTO THE SEA. IF IT GOES ON SINKING AT ITS PRESENT RATE TWO-THIRDS OF THE CITY WILL BE UNDER WATER WITHIN 20 YEARS AND WITHIN 70 YEARS VENICE WILL HAVE VANISHED AS LIVING CITY. ALL THE STREETS. THE PIAZZAS AND THE GROUND FLOORS WILL BE PERMANENTLY UNDER WATER.

    THE DISAPPEARANCE OF VENICE WOULD BE A LOSS FOR ALL MANKIND AND SAVING VENICE HAS BECOME ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

    NOT ONLY ITALY BUT THE WHOLE WORLD, THROUGH UNESCO, HAS BECOME INVOLVED IN EFFORTS TO PRESERVE FROM EXTINCTION ONE OF THE GREATEST ARTISTIC AND HISTORICAL SITE IN EUROPE.

    ONE OF THE LATEST WEAPONS IN THE FIGHT TO SAVE VENICE IS A SEA PLATFORM BRISTLING WITH MODERN MEASURING DEVICES. IT WILL HOUSE OCEANOGRAPHIC AND METEOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS WILL RELAY THE INFORMATION OBTAINED TO A COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER WILL SORT OUT ALL THE FACTS ON WIND AND WATER CURRENTS, BAROMETRIC PRESSURES, SUN RADIATION, TEMPERATURES TIDES AND THE CHEMICAL CONTENTS OF AIR AND WATER.

    AND, IT IS HOPED, THE COMPUTER WILL HELP PROVIDE THE ANSWERS THAT WILL SAVE VENICE. THE PROBLEM IS AN URGENT ONE. FIFTY YEARS AGO THE SOIL ON WHICH THE CITY RESET WAS SINKING AT THE RATE OF ONE CENTIMETRE EVERY 10 YEARS. WITHIN THE PAST TEN YEARS THE RATE OF SINKING HAS INCREASED FIVE TIMES.

    SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT AMONG THE MAIN CULPRITS ARE NEARBY RECENT INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS WHICH ARE CAUSING THE BED OF THE LAGOON TO SINK AND SHAKING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CITY.

    EXPERTS SAY THAT THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE SINKING OF THE SOIL'S SURFACE WAS AN UNDERGROUND VACUUM CAUSED BY THE PUMPING OUT OF WATER AND THE DIVERSION, FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES, OF RIVERS AND STREAMS WHICH FED THE UNDERGROUND WATERS.

    INDUSTRY IS ALSO CAUSING VENICE OTHER TROUBLES. THE FACTORY TOWN OF MARGHERA, FACING VENICE ACROSS THE LAGOON FIVE MILES AWAY, IS ITALY'S MAIN PRODUCER OF PETROCHEMICAL, COKE AND GLASS. FUMES ARE DRIFTING ACROSS THE WATER, EATING INTO STONE AND MONUMENTS AND POLLUTION THE AIR.

    EVERYBODY AGREES: VENICE MUST BE SAVED FROM EROSION AND POLLUTION. THE PROBLEM IS HOW. HUNDREDS OF SCIENTISTS AND TECHNICIANS ARE NOW TRYING TO FIND THE ANSWERS.
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