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The idea of moving the Prime Meridian (0^\circ) to the International Date Line (IDL) (roughly 180^\circ) involves shifting the global reference point for both longitude and time.

Here are some reasons for such a monumental change:

🌍 Arguments FOR Moving the Prime Meridian to the IDL

The arguments generally focus on a more logical or symmetrical geographical and temporal system.

Symmetry and Simplicity:

By making the 180^\circ meridian the zero point, the entire globe could be labeled with longitude values ranging from 0^\circ to +180^\circ (East) and 0^\circ to -180^\circ (West), which technically still results in the same 360^\circ system but could be seen as having a clear geographical center point in the Pacific.

Geographical Neutrality:

The current Prime Meridian at Greenwich was chosen primarily due to the dominance of the British Empire's maritime and cartographic influence in 1884. Moving the zero point to the IDL, which passes almost entirely over the open ocean (the Pacific), would make the global time and coordinate system geographically neutral and less centered on a single nation's history.

Logical Center of the Earth:

The IDL lies where the calendar day naturally begins and ends. Using this line as the zero point might be argued as more logical because the Prime Meridian would then become the line where the day is halfway over (12 hours of difference), creating a symmetrical temporal division.

I intentionally omitted the arguments against it. Be creative!

I'm gonna be in the area and Kazakhstan is the only Caspian country that doesn't require a visa and the flight only takes 1 hour, and it's a nice stretch of coast but it costs $500. But I'm a HUGE geography nerd, and I don't know when I'm gonna be in this part of the world again, if ever. Be so close to the largest lake on earth and not see it?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-speed_railway_lines

https://www.britannica.com/technology/high-speed-rail

The closest thing the US has is a line that runs from Boston to Washington DC, but it takes 4 hours and has some flaws. Plans to make other high speed rail lines in the country have been continuously delayed. Meanwhile countries like Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, India, Thailand and Saudi Arabia have already either developed some, or are in the process of developing them.

Is this a little embarrassing for Canada and especially the U. S. which is the self proclaimed "greatest nation on earth."

Not sure what other countries are doing about this, but Canada's aiming to have electric cars in all/most people's driveways in the somewhat distant future. Do you think this a reality for most countries or is is shooting for the stars. I've heard/read the following:

- The batteries only last so long and at 13 to 20 K for Tesla's outside the warranty period.

- If you are charging on the go, you can wait hours for a charger due to line-ups, I've seen this at a few stations along the 401 in Ontario;

- More often than not, charger stations are out of order creating longer charging line-ups at popular station stops;

- The rare earth materials used in the manufacture of the magnets in EVs is a limited resource and mostly in countries where there are no limitations on the cost of these materials, similarly the Lithium in the batteries is not a renewable resource and the amount of dirty air industry to mine these materials will simply worsen air quality in these other countries. Does this just equate to an out of sight, out of mind feel good scenario;

- That just adding an at-home charging station in your garage may not possibly due to poor electrical infrastructure in most cities. The lines can easily be upgraded on your property, but the cities don't have the electrical power to support EV charging stations in everyone's homes.

Are these true? What's your opinion, do you think electric is the way to go or will the changeover have more environmental concerns in the long-run with waste battery materials etc.. Are we trading one necessary evil (carbon emission vehicles) for another that may potentially pollute the groundwater and surface water once the batteries start piling-up...