The Dane Karsten Andersen from Termalou has since 2007 worked together with controversial Danish inventer Poul Jakobsen to dig blue drain pipes into the Thai beaches to re-establish them after the tsunami.
The drain pipes are a group of pipes that are supposed to ensure that the ocean will not eat up the coasts – for instance following a tsunami.
“He is living in a world where nothing makes any sense, and I will advise everyone not to get involved in projects with him,” Karsten Andersen says to the Danish newspaper Ingeniøren (The Engineer, red.).
Andersen, though, was of another belief in the beginning of the entire project. He believed in the theory behind the drain pipes, and he was willing to try the theories off in Thailand.
“Both at that time and now, I think that the basic theory behind the drain pipes makes perfect sense, but I quickly noticed that Poul Jakobsen also tried to use the pipes in areas where they would never work – if you were to believe his own theory,” Karsten Andersen says.
The two Danes were close to secure themselves a supportive amount of around 500.000 Danish Kroner to complete a link in a so-called ‘partnership-project’ where pipes were to be added in the beach Kukkak at Khao Lak in the Phang Nga province, says Ingeniøren.
It all ended up in one big mess, though and the attempt in Kukkak was cancelled.
The problem about Jakobsen’s theory is, says Karsten Andersen, that the drain pipes will only have an effect at a beach where the phreatic surface is above sea level. After the first project snapped out of the hands of the two Danes, Poul Jakobsen tried a last time for himself. He wanted to move the project to a beach on Phuket’s southern peninsula. But the pipes would never work here, says Karsten Andersen, because of the high position of the phreatic surface.
It all ended with the project of the drain pipes were cancelled on Phuket.
The discussion between the two Danes has lasted for years, but Poul Jakobsen insists that his pipes work.
Several reports have scientifically proven that the drain pipes are a hoax, though.
The debate about the drain pipes have been going on for 10 years, but they are now being ablazed to a new level after the Danish Minister for Transport has opened up for possibilities of a test usage of of the drain pipes the coming three years, says Ingeniøren.
If you are interested in reading more about the case of the drain pipes, Ingeniøren has two long articles on the subject. Click on the links underneath to read them (Articles in Danish).
http://ing.dk/artikel/110993-draenroers-partner-i-thailand-hold-jer-vaek-fra-jakobsen
http://ing.dk/artikel/111081-kontroversiel-opfinder-mine-draenroer-virker-altid
