Bridge Over Troubled Water: Glacier Melt Takes Out Greenland Bridge and Roads

In what could be a sobering and frightening preview of things yet to come, a runaway glacier melt has washed away an important bridge and roadway in Greenland.

The glacier melted in only four days. The glacier normally retreats during the northern hemisphere summer months, but the melt this summer has been unprecedented. NASA imagery from space showed the Russell Glacier had melted by some 40% on July 8. The same satellite imagery from only four days later shows that the glacier had melted by an astonishing 97%, which would break all previous records according to climatologists studying the effects of climate change.

The incredible burst of fresh water took out the vital bridge over the Watson River at Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, an important part of the infrastructure used by scientists and locals alike to cross the glacier river. The bridge and roadways also link to the island's largest airport. This sudden melt-off follows another recent incident, where the Petermann glacier in Greenland collapsed, with an ice chunk twice the size of the island of Manhattan breaking away from the ice shelf.

The bridge was constructed during the 1950s, but can no longer handle the summer glacier run off due to the changing climate conditions in the region. Replacement of the bridge and roadways could costs hundreds of millions of dollars.

Burning Bridges: Metal Thieves Steal 10-Ton Bridge

How easy is it to steal a 10-ton bridge? Very easy, as was the case in the Czech Republic.

It seems a group of very crafty metal thieves concocted a rather simple plan: pretend to be part of a demolition crew contracted by the state to tear down a pedestrian footbridge over a length of unused railroad tracks to make way for a new bicycle route. The plan worked, and the metal thieves quickly took to task dismantling the steel bridge, working tirelessly until the (devilish) deed was done.

After the bridge and over 650 feet of railroad track had been taken away, city officials soon discovered that there had been no order or contract to take down the bridge, and that they had been duped by some clever grifters who were only interested in selling the remnants of the bridge and railroad track for scrap to make some quick, dishonest money!

Now, the poor town is without a pedestrian bridge and new cycling route, not to mention potentially millions that the scrap metal would have brought to the city's coffers!

Bridge Over the River Norris: Slovaks Vote to Name Bridge After Chuck Norris

"I have a bridge in Slovakia named after me...what do you bring to the plate?"

Action star Chuck Norris has the chance to add another superlative to his list of reasons why he is better than you... the people of the nation of Slovakia will be voting to name a bridge in his honor.

The Walker Texas Ranger actor is extremely popular throughout most of Eastern Europe, where his movies and television shows are still a top draw. The only  two other top names in the running for the bridge, which will span the Morava River and cross the border into neighboring Austria, were Maria Theresa, after an Hungarian empress and the Devinska Cycling Bridge in honor of a nearby historic village. Yeah, like there's any competition there!

The final decision about the name will be up to a regional assembly. But regional governor Pavol Freso has said it would follow the wishes of the local people in the internet ballot where Norris leads as the top choice for the bridge's name by a landslide.

 The voting will run through the month of April. As of Thursday, 1,157 votes have backed Norris, 74% of the total, leaving the runner-up "Maria Theresa Bridge" far behind with a meager 8% of the votes.