Ep 10. Sinking Cities

In Project Impossible season 1 episode 10, titled "Sinking Cities," the show focuses on cities around the world that are facing grave threats due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. This episode takes viewers to several locations, including New York, Miami, Tokyo, and Venice, where engineers, architects, and urban planners are working on innovative solutions to combat the detrimental effects of raising sea levels on urban areas.

The episode starts in New York City, where storm surges caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 devastated areas like the Rockaways and Staten Island. Now, experts are working on solutions such as building seawalls and using natural barriers to protect the city from future storms. Project Impossible shows how the city is preparing for the worst while still preserving its iconic skyline.

From there, the show moves to Miami, where a combination of rising sea levels and the porous limestone foundation upon which the city rests is creating major infrastructure concerns. By 2100, Miami may see up to six feet of sea-level rise, which means that many of the city's existing buildings may not be habitable. The episode looks at how engineers and architects are working to redesign infrastructure so that it can withstand these new environmental factors.

Next, viewers are taken to Tokyo, where the city is located on an alluvial plain, on the one hand, susceptible to flooding from its rivers and on the other hand, to the rising sea levels. The episode shows how the city is using both traditional and modern engineering methods to cope with these challenges. For instance, they've built giant underground silos to hold excess stormwater and keep the city's streets from flooding.

Finally, Project Impossible goes to Venice, where the city has been slowly sinking for years. Venice, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, has also been hit hard by climate change, and the effects are particularly visible during acqua alta (high water) events. The episode delves into the ingenious engineering methods the Venetian people have been using for centuries to manage their unique environment, including the construction of underground chambers, the installation of watergates across the lagoon's three major entrances, and the development of an integrated tidal defense system.

Throughout the episode, viewers get a sense of the scale of these challenges and how difficult it can be to prepare large cities for the worst, especially if budgetary and political constraints are not present. By the end of "Sinking Cities," however, the program leaves viewers with a sense of hope. Despite the challenges, the engineers and architects featured in the episode remain optimistic that many of these cities can be saved using the latest in technological advancements. The most important takeaway, though, is the reminder that the effects of climate change are real and immediate, and how important it is for everyone to take responsibility to address the problem before it's too late.