Buzz
The term "boondoggle," which refers to a pointless and extravagant project, originates from the Boy Scouts’ practice of "boondoggling," a method of braiding and knotting colorful plastic and leather to create accessories such as bracelets and other handcrafted items.
During the Great Depression, the U.S. Works Progress Administration funded unemployed teachers to instruct underprivileged children in creating decorative items from scrap materials. In 1935, the New York Times reported that federal funds were allocated to support the children's crafting of these boondoggles.
The word "boondoggle" took on political significance when Republicans, dissatisfied with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, began using the term to criticize wasteful spending on public, non-essential projects. The term continues to be used today to satirize questionable government spending and initiatives.
10. Japan’s Monumental Tsunami Barriers
As Irish Times journalist David McNeill reports, a 2011 Pacific Ocean earthquake generated "massive waves" that caused widespread devastation in Koizumi, Japan. Four people drowned, and nearly all of the 1,800 residents of the coastal town were swept away by the waves.
In an effort to prevent future tragedies, government officials revealed plans to build hundreds of sea walls and breakers to protect "the three worst-hit prefectures," with additional barriers to follow. The total cost of the project was projected at €6 billion, and as a result, residents along Japan's 8,699 miles (14,000 kilometers) of coastline would be safeguarded from the deadly consequences that struck Koizumi.
Despite its well-meaning intentions, the project faced criticism. Opponents pointed out that past efforts had yielded mixed results. Some even feared the barriers could lead residents "into a false sense of security," as expressed by Hiroko Otsuka, who "grew up near Koizumi."
Otsuka’s concerns about the grand project stem from the tragic loss of her mother and brother during the 2011 disaster. She believes that if they had sought refuge on a hill behind their home instead of behind the sea wall, they might have survived. Like many others, Otsuka feels that the approach of building barriers to protect against tsunamis should be reevaluated.
9. Spain's City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia
The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia was designed to attract visitors. Despite an investment of €7.5 billion, it has not achieved that goal. Feargus O'Sullivan describes the project as "the gift that keeps on taking."
The cost of the museum-turned-arts center surged from its initial estimate to a staggering €1 billion by the time it was completed in 2005. Even then, it continued to drain government funds, with a €4.5 billion "bailout" for the Valencia region and repairs needed for the complex’s opera house. The building’s metal exterior buckles under "daily temperature extremes" as it expands and contracts.
In 2014, inspectors revealed that the "thousand tiny mosaic-like tiles" covering the metal shell needed to be removed, an undertaking that would cost another €3 million. Santiago Calatrava, the architect behind the design, claims the issues are due to "poor construction," not his design, while O’Sullivan argues that blame can be shared across "failed or underperforming projects… kickbacks [and] an unnecessary airport nearby."
8. Saudi Arabia's Agricultural Fiasco
Charles J. Hanley, writing for the New York Times, points out that while the Saudi government boasts agriculture as "one of the kingdom's most spectacular achievements," it has since become a burden. The government has poured $13 billion into "overpriced crops" and discarded "mountains of grain" in the desert, all to project the image of a wheat-exporting nation—a role that is unnatural for a desert oil state.
Despite its vast wealth from oil, Saudi Arabia can replenish the money spent on farming subsidies, but it cannot replace the precious water required for the crops. This reality has led the Saudis to abandon efforts to cultivate their four million acres of desert "farmland." Cattle have been proposed as an alternative to wheat, but the need to "green feed" the livestock has raised concerns. Agriculture Minister Abdullah bin Moammar admits that such a project "could get out of control."
7. Germany’s Renewable Energy Fiasco
In 2002, Germany made the decision to "phase out nuclear power," reports Rick Mills. Eight years later, Chancellor Angela Merkel reversed this decision, extending the use of the country's nuclear reactors due to the anticipated failure of renewable energy sources to meet the country’s power needs. Political factors led to a 40% reduction in electricity availability overnight, with plans to phase out the remaining nuclear supply by 2022. Just one year before the deadline, Germany shut down three of its six remaining plants.
As predicted, renewable energy was unable to meet the country's power demands, and energy prices skyrocketed. Ultimately, Germany’s $16 billion green energy experiment failed, and the country was forced to revert to coal and nuclear power for its energy needs.
6. England’s Parking Lot Disaster
In England, millions of pounds have been spent on parking garages and lots that remain largely unused. The British Parking Association reports that the country has between 17,000 and 20,000 parking spaces, including both multi-story garages and open-air lots.
Some of these car parks have become hotspots for "anti-social behavior," according to an article in the Guardian. Abbey Walk in North East Lincolnshire is one such site. The local council has requested ₤1.54 million for a "refurbishment programme." Communities are hopeful that converting these car parks into shopping centers, cultural venues, or office spaces will turn the project around. However, the success of such conversions remains uncertain, given the rise of online shopping and "out-of-town retail parks" that have already impacted city-center businesses.
5. Mexico’s Controversial Mayan Train
As reported by an online Nation article, critics have raised concerns over Mexico’s $20 billion Mayan train project. Despite the controversy, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador remains committed to the construction of the 900-mile (1,448-kilometer) railroad, which will pass through southeastern Mexico and is designed to promote Indigenous history and culture to tourists.
The train’s route will pass through the Calakmul biosphere reserve in the Mayan forest, which spans 3,000 square miles (4,828 square kilometers) and is home to the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul. The region is currently experiencing a prolonged drought, and some are questioning the wisdom of introducing 8,000 tourists daily, despite the government's promise of a new aqueduct to address water concerns.
Many Indigenous people, alongside their conservationist and academic allies, have criticized the Mayan train project, calling it "an act of war." They fear it will "devastate southern Mexico’s ecosystem, trigger unsustainable development, and further marginalize local communities." Instead of empowering Mexico's Indigenous peoples, the train project appears to have alienated and angered them.
4. China’s Three Gorges Dam
Chinese officials disregarded warnings from scientists about the environmental risks of constructing the colossal Three Gorges Dam. Only after the dam—currently the largest hydroelectric project in the world—was completed, at a cost of $24 billion, did the officials acknowledge that the scientists’ concerns about landslides and major disruptions to ecosystems might have been valid.
Although supporters of the dam envisioned it as a key source of renewable energy, capable of generating 18,000 megawatts of power for China’s growing demand, its construction has also led to less rainfall, drought, and potential increases in disease, according to tropical medicine expert George Davis. Additionally, in June 2003, a rockslide claimed fourteen lives, and dozens of other landslides have occurred, one of which buried a bus and killed at least 30 people. Experts warn that the worst impacts may still lie ahead.
3. Australia’s Controversial Submarine Deal
In 2011, Australia’s federal government, known as the Turnbull Government, secured a dozen French-built Shortfin Barracuda submarines. Initially, the cost was $50 billion, which, while steep, was just the beginning. The project, marked by its lack of competition in design and pricing, was also restricted by a ban on purchasing from overseas suppliers.
The purchase came with strategic complications. These submarines were intended to operate alongside U.S. vessels in the South China Sea, where they would face off against Chinese submarines. However, while Chinese and U.S. submarines were nuclear-powered, the French vessels were not. Critics questioned whether the French subs would be an effective deterrent against the Chinese fleet, and whether the U.S. Navy would even want to cooperate with Australia’s conventionally powered vessels. Some argued that Australia might better serve its interests by using the submarines for coastal defense.
Ultimately, Menadue concluded that this overpriced purchase was a disaster, proving to be detrimental to policy, the Australian navy, taxpayers, and the nation’s future defense strategy.
2. USA’s Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository
The construction costs for the U.S. Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository have ballooned to $38 billion, encompassing the construction itself and a decades-long political struggle over its approval. Located near Mercury, Nevada, just 100 miles from Las Vegas, the repository is designed to house 88,000 tons (79,832 metric tons) of nuclear waste accumulated by the country's nuclear plants. A five-mile (8-kilometer) tunnel, dug in 1987 at a cost of $19 billion, leads into the mountain’s depths, but the battle over its use remains unresolved.
Scientists have raised concerns that the nuclear waste might contaminate underground water sources, posing a risk to local farming communities. However, William Boyle from the Department of Energy reassured CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti, calling the threat 'manageable.' Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto further pointed out that the railroad cars transporting the spent radioactive fuel would pass directly through the center of Las Vegas on their way to the repository.
As the debate continues, nuclear waste keeps accumulating across the nation. It is unfortunate that the government did not plan ahead for the safe storage of radioactive waste, which remains hazardous for thousands of years.
1. Canada’s 407 Express Toll Road
Canada has certainly experienced its share of costly failures. As Benjamin Hunting highlights, these include 'a bridge too far, an airport in the middle of nowhere, [and] a boat that won’t float.' One of the more expensive missteps was the 407 Express Toll Road. Work began on the project in 1987, but it wasn’t finished until 2001, at a total cost of $3.1 billion. The government claimed it saved $1.6 billion by allowing a 'private consortium' to lease the road for 99 years. However, this agreement didn’t account for the $100 billion paid to acquire the land for the highway.
The company leasing the toll road raised the rates to such an extent that drivers, particularly those in commercial trucks, chose to endure traffic on Highway 401 instead. Ironically, as Hunting points out, 'a highway intended to ease congestion was now actually causing it,' with toll rates continuing to climb. To make matters worse, in 2019, SNC-Lavalin Group, a partner in the toll road lease, sold 10.1% of its stake for $3.25 billion, 'valuing the entire operation at a staggering $30 billion,' which was 10 times the amount Ontario paid for it.
