So as most Capetonians know, the Athlone cooling towers came down last Sunday, 22 August, forever changing the Cape Town skyline. Albeit slightly earlier than scheduled hence I was one of the unlucky ones still stuck in traffic on the way to my viewing point when the towers came crashing down. It really did look spectacular from the video and images I´ve seen during week but my one concern is what damage did this demolition do to our already suffering atmosphere? Did this now add to global warming?
I know that those nearby residents who suffer from asthma, lung or heart conditions were advised to remain indoors during the implosion and for a couple of hours afterwards as well and to keep their windows closed to keep out the dust. Apparently the fact that it was overcast and rainy helped to settle the dust.
The two 80m towers were built in the late 1950s to cool the water used in the coal-fired power station. They were mothballed for a few years in the 1990s but were reopened for use during peak demand periods.
Apparently the air pollution from the towers had been compared from when they were in use and from when they were dormant and was apparently extremely bad when the ´salt and pepper pots´ were operational.
So perhaps we are much better off without them, despite what damage may have been caused during the destruction…
What are your thoughts?
Below is a video of the implosion for those of you who may have missed it too!
Nics
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