Coastal cities may soon
be
underwater. Before big cities
drown,
they should USE that water to make electricity!
A group of architects have developed a proposal for a series
of floating docks for New York City that would contain
turbines underneath them, where they couldn't be seen,
which would produce electricity by churning up the water and
eventually power all the streetlights in the city.
They would also give residents a place to relax and enjoy the
water, since the city has almost 600 miles of waterfront
property, most of it inaccessible. In LiveScience.com, Charles
Q. Choi quotes architect Richard Garber as saying, "Many
times, you can stand on the corner of 42nd St. and Park Ave.
in Manhattan and have no idea you're on an island, with the
idea of the waterfront lost. A big picture goal here is that via
clean energy, one can heighten awareness of the water."
But New York is not quick to make decisions (they still
haven't built anything in the hole that was once the World
Trade Center towers). However, other cities around the world
are taking notice. While New York's city planners haven't
contacted the research group yet, Choi quotes Garber as
saying, "people from other cities internationally have."
No matter how cities are powered in the future, they may
become bare, concrete places if their local plant life keeps
going extinct. An international team of botanists has
investigated the extinction rates of plants in 22 cities around
the world and found that some places are doing better than
others: Both Singapore and New York City now have less
than 10% of their original vegetation, but San Diego and
Durban, South Africa still have over 60% of their original
plants.
On BBC News, Matt Walker quotes researcher Amy Hahs as
saying, "Plants and people can coexist in urban areas. We
just need to consider vegetation as a long-term investment
rather than as a disposable asset."
"Mankind is trapped. I want to help you spring the trap."
"The veil between the worlds can fall. The undiscovered
country can become your backyard."
"Your destiny, each of you, is to become all of God."
As the ocean water continues to rise around us, find out
who said
the provocative words that first alerted Whitley to the
facts about global warming, which he then wrote about in his
book
which became the hit film
The Day
After Tomorrow.
To learn more,
click here and here.
