Por Jorge Alberto
This morning the Queen of Great Britain opened Heathrow
Terminal 5.
Some features:
Construction started on the £4.3 billion pound project in September 2002 and is running on time and on budget.
2006 Stirling Prize winner the Richard Rogers Partnership designed Terminal 5.
Terminal 5 is the biggest freestanding building in the UK – the building is 40 metres high, 396 metres long and 176 metres wide.
Terminal 5 will be five times the size of Terminal 4, our current main longhaul base.
The building will be comprised of five levels, each the size of 10 football pitches – designed around the different stages of the passenger journey.
30,000 square metres of reinforced glass and 5,500 glass panels have been used to glaze the terminal building and roof giving the whole terminal a light and airy feel.
The baggage system is the biggest, single-terminal baggage handling system in Europe, containing 18km of belts and capable of transporting 12,000 bags per hour around the terminal.
The Terminal 5 site is located between Heathrow’s two runways on land previously occupied by a sludge works. The project has successfully moved 9 million cubic metres of earth and two rivers have been diverted to create space for the new building.
More than 250,000 evergreen ground cover shrubs, 2,000 metres of native hedgerow trees, 1,500 semi mature trees and 2,500 semi mature shrubs are being used to landscape the area around Terminal 5 in the next two years.
Water from Terminal 5’s rainwater harvesting and groundwater boreholes is being used for non-potable uses, reducing the demand on the mains water by 70%. The harvesting scheme re-uses up to 85% of the rainfall that falls on Terminal 5’s campus.
Waste heat from the existing combined heat and power station at Heathrow is being piped to Terminal 5 through an underground pipeline and will provide Terminal 5 with 85% of its heat on demand.
Something which I have picked up in my life is that when one compares, it is to be better at school, work, languages, etc.
In other words, one uses comparisons in order to be efficient and competitive.
I bring this up since the British spent almost 6 years on building this T5. However, we Mexicans, have not been able to have a decent international airport for ages.
In 2000, few "macheteros"-in San Salvador Atenco- stopped the Mexican government from building a better airport.
Don`t you think we ought to ask the British how they came to this decision on Terminal 5 so fast and without "macheteros"?
12 comentarios
Hi, well there are my commentaries.
First able, my commentaries are not so positive, as I wish, about the Mexican society and the Mexican government, i think both are the principal factor that Mexico doesn’t have the better develop, like economic, social and to make progress all the Mexican’s resources.
Although, some people said that in Mexico are many opportunities to be successful, with a lot of Mexican with bigger riches; the society and the government should change the idiosyncrasy, change the ideals, to get better everyday like one unity nation, for the improvement to the all nation instead for a few persons.
That’s why I think we, as a nation, ought to ask to British government , how they did to be the best economical nation, how they developed the government’s projects so fast and in some of them without “macheteros”, also I think we should ask how they listened the nation’s feelings, how they work the society’s problems out.
I believe that the difference to came to that decision on Terminal 5 so fast and without "macheteros", is between the way to one and other nations works it out, and the ideals, customs and beliefs to be a nation.
Hi.
The bouth problems are diferents becouse in UK Heathrow airpot is so far away from the city and is inside to a forest at the same way the Heathrow airport is posible to build the new terminal but in México the problem is more complicated becouse where the goberment wont to built the new terminal, there live many people and the goberment wont to buy chiper that is one of the many probles and the more important, I think si the politics situations too uno of them.
Well, I don´t think that it shoul be a good idea ask whatever to the british because they are trying to solve lots of problems about terminal 5.
Some features:
* Around 50 flyghts canceled every day and looots of delays, including conection flights
* Some aircrafts spend hours in the landing strip
* The labor union is in trouble with the administration because they told to them in advance they were not already qualified for this
* This is the worst issue for British Airways
* Some political groups said this was a shame for the country and an international embarrasing situation
* All the trouble in terminal 5 affected the rest of the airport because they are using all resourses
*There are 20,000 pieces of lost luggage by now
* Some employees had to quit their day off to help with all the problems
* Lost in profits around USD 40 million by now and more coming for the lost of credibility
The thing is there are not macheteros in UK, and our mexican farmers (thanks God they exist because of them we can eat every day) were worried to keep the land they use to survive. I´m afraid it is a better idea we ought to ask the farmers who were kicked out of Santa Fe, it happended the same: some people asked for their lands in 2 pesos and lots of promises that of course they never saw.
We don´t live in the third world any more, even when we are not in the first we are doing good in the second. Some weeks ago I stayed in the real third one in Indonesia, and I have to say the bus station in Cuernavaca looks so much better, our airport doesn´t look so different from the one in Canada, it is efficient as the one in Singapore and thanks God it is opened more time than the most important one in Tokyo where they kick you out at 10 pm and open again at 7 am.... a 7eleven can give you more customer service then that!!!
Comparisons give you a reference where you are, in this way you can notice you are doing better than some others and see the situation you used to live so you don´t go back, in the other hand those who are better give you a reference where you want to go (in your own way and style) but is not to feel you are stupid, inefficient or the worst cocoroach in the world...
Sorry teacher, I think I did something wrong with the previous commentary.
First of all, We have to take into account that both countries are different in so many ways. I mean, just think about the UK's development in comprison with our developing country.
I do not want to be pessimist; on the contrary, I would like to make people aware of the contradictions that exist in our country.
In this particular case the problem was not only the "macheteros". Consecuently, We can assume that there were other interests around this complex situation.
With regard to the main question whether we should ask the British how they came to the decision on the proyect or not.
I would prefer to look into the case to know exactly the reasons for stopping the proyect.
In conclusion, as a society we really do need to consider carefully the consequences of these events, which instead of improving our city causes more problems.
Hi! George, I agree with you, it’s necessary to compare our country with other countries because we need to be competitive, but sometimes it’s difficult to find the correct solutions that solve all kind of problems there are in this country and sometimes it is impossible to be like other countries because there are a lot of things that influence or affect the progress of it.
I don’t think that only the “macheteros” (as you call them) were who affected it, I think there were several situations that stopped this construction, maybe it was a good idea but I think that there are a lot of more important things that have a better airport, I don’t mean that it’s not important but in this country there are worst problems that affect us.
Always we had been manipulated by this bad government and governors always make decisions by their own and sometimes these decisions are not the best ones. That’s why that people (the “macheteros”) stopped it because government is always doing things without thinking about our real benefits, government sometimes affect us instead of help the progress of this country, I think the progress of this country depends on all of us but this bad government is the main problem.
We need more technology, we need to have a better education in order to be more competitive, that’s the main problem, the bad education. People need to be heard and governors must consider us. This country is not their property and they are always exploding it, spending our money (or stealing it), doing things just on favour of rich people.
The actual airport is bad and within few years it will be worst and it’s necessary to find a solution but I don’t think that only the “macheteros” are the guilty.
Hello George!!!
First that nothing I want to offer an excuse by not to have written. The reason was that I was in a quite heavy epoc at work as you know I am accountant and between school, work, social service and the languages it was very difficult from me, that this is an error since always time for everything is necessary to occur, but profit not to even control it.
Respect to the article, my father`s friend has enough land there, but those "macheteros" isn`t owner of some piece of earth ,ja surprises to you, that happens almost in all the places (Mexico of course) but also it is certain that those people were paid by the government.
While in the screen treatment to persuade the people who have a luxury airport like anybody ever seen and accusing the factor farmers like the guilty of the no contruccion of this, in the other hand we have to these same personages and their competition paying to the guilty.
In personal opinion I always believe that who is the true guilty we are. We are conformist people, and I do not think
“ Uh! As which it serves that I change if will not change to the world”
Yes but if you less change to yourself you feel happy and you continue with your family and become to be less than now.
Main reason of the flights of brains in the country is that we never found the best way to live here almost everybody is searching for a new life.
By the way there are so many politicians that are attacked among them and they are not let grow by the competition. Well I will wait to some day we understand as Mexican people and we will unit for our own improvement, we are one of the best country around the world. We have natural resources, conditions of life, weather, etc, nevertheless are not the best ones in pioneering technology nor in the operation of which we have, we are plagued of foreigners who are visualizing all this advantages and the mexicans only are seeing what they are doing whit our country.
Here is my proposal for a new article, something for us to be proud about our awesome country which is simply UNIQUE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ivsxdmqF4g
This is why we Mexicans are the only people with the real answers to solve any problem
Mexico… live it, love it and work hard for it!
Hi George.
Certanly in our country is still in third world jet, the democracy is in daipers and the governors are looking their own bussiness, Fox was a weak president, some one who never opened his eyes to look that the people voted for him (not me, but the mayority)in order to change the rute of the country an his "greats proyects" like the airport, the Mega-library "José Vasconcelos", the structural changes, and others more; those represented invoices that he doesn't want to payed or bad invest intaht they becomed as a white elephant.
Also, us mexicans have the government than we want, because we permited to the government spend too much money in stupid things and we permited to them earn scandal salaryes.
Mexico need better things, we have the key, our democracy have to grow-up in a short time. the new airport is urgent to be build in Texcoco or Hidalgo or wherever but right now, of course in the rigth place without disturb the enviroment and the people obtain benefits with it.
May be, our disagree about whole of the government facts are that we does not have benefits in wichever of that neither in our pocket nor in our life style.
My comment:
This article is very interesting because for people how these estopped Mexican development, and this is too sad, and I ask me, what example are give we to kids?, This situation is very worry.
With this airport, it would give better jobs at more people; it would create more capital for our country and better quality of life.
I hve seen pretty persons that only are preocupate for their interest and not for their country, tha lesson for my is give an image responsable and worry to our country, because if only we are bothering with our government and we are not making nothing, we are same that “macheteros”.
This article was very interesting, I like so much.
macheteros. My opinion es one article very intesting for persons that we are like to overcoming, the our countryBut for this we are have that to pass for best education. In our Mexico have most ignorant people, and the government is elect for same Mexican society and this is sad. For same cultural European, we are need much, much generations, with educational depurate, so I think to take the place one sand granite, with I self improvement. The Mexican society are need to study more study or minimym, read, read. I was sad because didn't build the aiport in Mexico was proyect good, in the period the president Fox . However for oposition government didn't build aiport in Texcoco. Without think the very important for open the doors of development the our Mexico. We are must imitate the culture the development countrys.
In Mexico the goverment is busy in others affairs and our goverment does not develop and they overlook things important for our.
So the citizenship should change their ideas and engage about en the economic and the progress, and will be a better contry.
Well,
I think, it acttitude is very bad , but also I think that the government has fault because, it wants to govern to peoples with a politc which favors always principally to richs, then how does it think to do to understand to people that these projects is for their good?, when since the beginning, the government hasn't worried for educating and to favor to peoples before that to the rich.
Escribe un comentario