Houston wants to build a big ole' dome to 'protect its citizens', of course. Houston should probably let neighboring towns like Sugarland, Pearland, Pasadena, and La Porte know that they'll be breaching a couple city land boundaries to make this all possible though. While the idea of finally protecting infrastructure that is greatly hindered by natural disasters and severe weather, I still firmly believe that there are other ways to shelter and save without going to the ridiculous length of cutting off an area of civilization from the outside world. This isn't the first time that a dome city was proposed here in the US, and actually this will be the third time that it was suggested and (more than likely) forgotten, at least one would hope.
The first time a desire to dome a city for its own well being came out was back in the 1960s when President Buckminster Fuller (Yea, I know.. Who?) suggested that Midtown Manhattan be domed for weather reasons and pollution reduction. Obviously that idea was shot down, as Midtown doesn't have a dome nowadays- but it's pretty interesting to think about what would have happened to the city if it was approved. The second time it was suggested was in Winooski, Vermont where the locals wanted to reduce heating costs in the winter months, it was later decided that it a pretty extreme idea to cut costs. Now Houston wants one, so that they can protect the city and its people from severe weather, natural disasters and infrastructure damage.
Elsewhere in the world, where stupidity is obviously very lacking, a dome has only been suggested once. And as luck would have it the Siberians who thought of it were smart enough to know that it wasn't a people protector, but rather a pretty useless protector of a large hole that no one was really bothering with. *Ahem.. Houston, Do you copy?*
Apparently though someone from Houston was pretty impressed when China placed a 'dome' in the Olympics to save on energy costs (Okay, I know, it was a cube.) and since China pretty much owns us anyway- Houston said 'Hey! Let's Give it a Go!". Hopefully they really think this stuff out though, and if not I'm sure Steven Spielberg can make it a movie- and Disney/Epcot can make it a theme park.
Which big city facing common natural disaster threats will be domed next?
xoxo disaster girl
P.F.S. Links for the Curious
Concerns about Dome Project Voiced
Houston Plans to Dome City
Domed City Wiki
Beijing National Aquativs Center (Summer 2008 Olympics)
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