SpaceX, Ocelots and the Mexican War

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Tesla chief Elon Musk



Photo:

ryan lash/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Elon Musk

on Tuesday formally defected from the Democratic Party. “I voted for

Mayra Flores,

he said on

Twitter,

referring to the Republican candidate who flipped a Democratic House district in South Texas. “First time I ever voted Republican,” Mr. Musk added.

Yet is his political evolution any surprise? The man desires to fly to Mars, however try the federal government’s pink tape. The Federal Aviation Administration this week issued an environmental evaluation of SpaceX’s plan to launch its Starship rocket from Boca Chica, Texas. The 40-page doc outlines dozens of required mitigation measures, together with:

• “Preparing a historical context report (i.e., historical narrative) of the historic events and activities of the Mexican War (1846-1848) and the Civil War (1861-1865) that took place in the geographic area.”

• “Funding the development and production of five interpretive signs (in English and Spanish) that describe the history and significance of the historic properties.”

• “Make an annual contribution of $5,000 to the Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Adopt-an-Ocelot Program.”

• “Provide $5,000 annually to enhance the existing TPWD Tackle Loaner Program. This funding may be used to purchase fishing equipment (rods, reels, and tackle boxes with hooks, sinkers, and bobbers) for use at existing, heavily visited sites and/or allow the program to expand.”

• “Provide enhanced satellite monitoring via solar powered Starlink for remote wildlife viewing opportunities.”

• “A qualified biologist will conduct lighting inspections to eliminate unnecessary lighting before nesting season and weekly during the nesting-hatching season (March 15th to October 1st) and send the results of the inspections to the FAA.”

We like sea turtles, falcons and jaguarundis as a lot as the subsequent man, and affordable steps to guard America’s pure property are warranted. But with a doc like this, good luck to the SpaceX compliance crew. The authorities offers no indication it understands that somebody really has to pay these historians to write down a e book report concerning the Mexican War.

Elon Musk can afford it, however how concerning the startups that by no means get off the bottom? It’s arduous to think about the aggregated price of this rigmarole, unfold throughout the entire economic system. The Hoover Dam went from laws to ribbon chopping in eight years. These days it may well take longer than that to get by planning for just a few miles of Interstate freeway.

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Appeared within the June 17, 2022, print version.

Source: www.wsj.com