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TechnoratiPictured: The Floating Cities That Could One Day House Climate Change Refugees
At first glance, they look like a couple of giant inflatable garden chairs that have washed out to sea.
But they are, apparently, the ultimate solution to rapidly rising sea levels.
This computer-generated image shows two floating cities, each with enough room for 50,000 inhabitants.
The 'Lilypad' cities would be powered by renewable energy sources
Based on the design of a lilypad, they could be used as a permanent refuge for those whose homes have been covered in water. Major cities including London, New York and Tokyo are seen as being at huge risk from oceans which could rise by as much as 3ft by the end of this century.
This solution, by the award-winning Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut, is designed to be a new place to live for those whose homelands have been wiped out.
The 'Lilypad City' would float around the world as an independent and fully self-sustainable home. With a lake at its centre to collect and purify rainwater, it would be accessed by three separate marinas and feature artificial mountains to offer the inhabitants a change of scenery from the seascape.
Power for the central accommodation hub is provided through a series of renewable energy sources including solar panels on the mountain sides, wind turbines and a power station to harness the energy of the waves.
Mr Callebaut said: 'The design of the city is inspired by the shape of the great Amazonia Victoria Regia lilypad. Some countries spend billions of pounds working on making their beaches and dams bigger and stronger.
'But the lilypad project is actually a long-term solution to the problem of the water rising.'
The architect, who has yet to estimate a cost for his design, added: 'It's an amphibious city without any roads or any cars. The whole city is covered by plants housed in suspended gardens.
'The goal is to create a harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.'
'Some countries spend billions of pounds working on making their beaches and dams bigger and stronger.
'But the Lilypad project is actually a long term solution to the problem of the water rising.
'And it has the other objective of providing housing for refugees from islands that have been submerged.'
The Lilypad city would house climate change refugees
Centred around a lake which collects and then purifies rain water, the Lilypad will drift around the world following the ocean currents and streams.
It will be accessed by three marinas and will also feature three 'mountains' to offer the inhabitants a change of scenery.
Power will be provided through a series of renewable energy sources including solar, thermal, wind energy, hydraulic and a tidal power station.
The city will actually produce much more energy than it consumes and be entirely 'zero-emission' as all the carbon-dioxide and the waste will be recycled.
Mr Callebaut added: 'It's an amphibious city without any roads or any cars.
'The whole city is covered by plants housed in suspended gardens. The goal is to create a harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.
'I think trying to accomodate the millions of people left homeless by environmental changes will prove to be one of the great challenges of the 21st century.'
Neither the cost of building the city or the cost of living there have been revealed.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global sea level is expected to rise between nine and 88 centimetres by 2100, with a 'best estimate' of 50 centimetres.
This is due to global warming which is causing the ice caps to melt.
In many places, 50 centimetres would see entire beaches being washed away, together with a significant chunk of the coastline.
On low-lying Pacific islands such as Tuvalu, Kiribati or the Maldives, the highest point is only two or three metres above current sea levels.
If the sea level was to rise by 50cm, significant portions of these islands would be washed away by erosion or covered by water.
Even if they remain above the sea, many island nations will have their supplies of drinking water reduced because sea water will invade their freshwater stocks.
There are also tens of millions of people living in low-level coastal areas of southern Asia, such as the coastlines of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Burma, who would be in danger.
© 2008 Associated Newspapers Ltd
60 Comments so far
Show AllSince we only have about three years to prevent irreversible climate change, you domeheads better get started. In case you fail, there is alays the WALL-E solution: Axiom, that Great Refugee Camp in the Sky where the overstuffed overfed earthlings resided for 700 years after the earth was completely covered in garbage. For those of you who saw the film, you will see the resemblance of the interior of Axiom to the new cities in Dubai, complete with swimming pools, and other prepackaged entertainment, prepackaged food, and lots of soft drinks on hand. If that's the kind of life you think even refugees want, you are much mistaken. My solution is this: to put all those who propose such solutions on a spaceship and launch them off to some robotized existence in space. It is amazing how many people really think that humans could survive in an enclosed mechanized environment away from nature. Once nature ends, humans do too, physically and mentally. We evolved in and with and because of wild nature. We are predisposed to need this for our existence, not just for our survival. It is amazing how many people think that Life could ever continue in the absence of the wild.
Bucky Fuller had the better idea. Adrienrain, I completely agree the dome masters have the answer. Check out the current exhibition at the Whitney Museum.
who's kevin costner?............
I hear Kevin Costner will run the lilypad city maintenance department
i take it all back...........i've just done a search and there are lots of articles about the lily pads. but anyway, it's still a stupid idea.......
ANITA LINKER/PANGOLIN
actually i think this whole article is a 'piss take'. and although i haven't lived in the u.k for over 25 years i believe the 'tabloid' involved is not one of the more 'serious' variety............
These kind of ideas are flat stupidity that couldn't pass the smell test with any naval engineer or farmer on the planet. Who would be engaged in the endless task of chipping and painting one of these presumably steel and concrete monstrosities?
The second obvious thought is where do all the spare parts come from since each lilypad city is probably designed more like a cruise ship than a factory.
The third problem is that you can't possibly produce enough food on such a platform to feed 50,000 people. As the people of Gaza have learned being cut off from your food supply is a bit frightful.
Revoke the designers university degree and send him back to grade school.
"How many of these 'lily pads' would be needed when they can only accommodate 50,000? and who's gonna pay for them?"
In answer to both your questions, Coco, only the very, very rich people will live on these lily pads, so they would comprise the entire population. As to who will pay for them? We will, all the rest of us NOT very very rich people. Before we all drown, of course.
Hey - I have a great idea - these could be well used as retirement communities for various heads of state (pick one). Lots of time to rest up and chat with their peers on neighboring lily pads. Waterfront view and lots of swimming and fishing too.
I worry that the prospect of such "solutions" will just further enable postponement of what we really need to do to arrest and reverse global warming and the rise of the oceans caused by it, namely population stabilization plus the transition to renewable energies.
This is all well and good. Lilypad cities powered completely by renewable energy. If that's completely possible, why aren't we powering our cities with renewable energy now? Why are we looking at building new cities with all these refinements AFTER the water rises? Why aren't we making hanging gardens, no cars, zero emissions in our cities NOW so that Lilypad cities don't exist in the future?
Plus, these things look hip and cool. People will want to live on them and it will be expensive. It's not for refugees. It's for the next group of hipsters looking for the next hip thing.
If the idea is so good and feasible, all those people now living in high carbon emission nations should be moved into the lily pad zero carbon emission prison cities. Let those who are going to be made refugees move into the big emitters former homes. Thats justice.
The not so hidden message: Don't worry. If you have enough money technology will create a refuge for you.
stcfarms said:
"The problem is atmospheric carbon, the solution is water, some places have too much and others too little. If we pump the water from areas that have too much water to the arid regions for irrigation we could actually lower the concentration of atmospheric carbon."
The problem is not just pumping water to the desert -- deserts are not arable land -- they have no nutrients in the soil, all they have is sand. Water is not all they need - they need real dirt that contains the nutrients that plant life needs. Pumping water to the desert will not solve the problem.
stcfarms July 4th, 2008 5:44 pm:
There's plenty of plastic in the Pacific to use to build these jokes:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/19/SS6JS8RH0.DTL&hw=pacific+patch&sn=001&sc=1...
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/pollution/trash-vortex
Sounds like one of those Yes Men deals. Similar (on a smaller scale) to this:
http://www.theyesmen.org/en/hijinks/survivaball
These look more like giant escape pods for rich people. Too bad we cant load them all up on one right not, and then sink it!
The population of the planet increases at three people per second. That is the problem. All those people consuming resources is the problem. Where do all the building materials for these floating cities come from?
People who make things like this ignore the fundamental problem.
Overpopulation and the consumptions of resources causes by overpopulation. Until people address that, then all else is nonsense.
It's like recycling. In the end the population grows faster than people can recycle.
BBR001
they must be out of their 'vulcan' minds................
(Floating in or above the atmosphere.)
You guys reminded me of an old Star Trek episode. They found a planet with floating city called Stratos where the elite lived. The planet's surface had been ruined by mining and industrial activity.
Strange--what will the floating cities be made of, and will there be soil to grow food? Wouldn't it be better to simply address and correct the climate change problem?
Someone went to fantasy land. Up there with flying cars.
GALEN
yeah, the light's on, but nobody's home..............
I WAG an area of 150-200 hectares, based on the drawings, for 50K people. If there are 10^6 m^2 usable area for aggie, that's 20 m^2 per person. Fine for a vegetable garden, I doubt it is anywhere near enough to make a major contribution to the calories needed.
Also, there are 20K cities needed for 1G people.
What's next?
'Jetsons' style apartments on two slender poles and folding briefcase flying cars?
Who else in here thinks that the so-called 'futurists' aren't rowing with both oars in the water?
After WW2 they were designing home hangars so that everyone could park their personal aircraft right in suburbia. This looks like an even better idea. We could power them with the electricity from the nuke plants that are too cheap to meter.
And the man built Titanic was unsinkable. Oops!
Dream on. How about finding water on Mars and seeding it with phytoplankton? That is just as sensible as this dream.
http://www.whyplankton.com
anyone see the movie Zardoz? Reminds me of the "Vortex"
"The gun is good. The penis is evil. The penis shoots seeds, and makes new life to poison the earth with a plague of men, as once it was. But the gun shoots death, and purifies the earth of the filth of brutals. Go forth... and kill! "
Actually, now that I look at it, Bush is Zardoz!!
De-evolution incarnate...back to the ocean with you all.
I bet they will be really comfortable in the 200 degree heat.
I just noticed that the credit for the photo is by Solent News. Sounds eerily close to Soylent, as in Soylent Green.
This idea, although very creative in its own right, unfortunately also helps to prop up the myth that there's nothing to worry about; technology will save us. The truth is that IF we are to be saved (no guarantees that it's already too late), it will be because enough of us have the wisdom and courage to radically reorder the way we live on this planet. And the first step in that journey is to internalize our total interdependence with all life.
"... The time for the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we've been waiting for."
Unintended subtext (or maybe intended): See? Global Warming is just an opportunity for us to be creative, and invent new utopia's with nonexistent capital for the worlds disposessed. We don't have the cash or political will to do something about global warming today, but tomorrow (having drowned half our manufacturing capability), we'll be making entire cities out of inner-tubes!! Utopia indeed. No cigarettes allowed!
Can I get one with refridgerated armrest pouches to keep by Bud Light cool???
What happens when the Happy Lilypadlians become nationalistic and start singing "MY LILYPAD UBER ALLES" ??? They start attacking each other by de-gassing their floatation devices???
This definately has potential for a summer blockbuster film, but as a serious solution... I'm with the previous poster building his condo on the dark side of the moon.
You've gotta be kidding. I'm not surprised at all that the not-so-rich would be building community yachts for those who can't afford their own, but taking this seriously is ridiculous. None of these will ever be used to house refugees, they'll instead be substitute third or fourth homes for those whose seaside villas wind up in the drink. The poor will be left to rot as we always have been.
This is sweet. Fu!@#ck the rest of the world up with our carbon emissions and retire into 'green' cities. Anyone willing to guess what segment of the population will make up the 50,000 inhabitants ??
I suggest that all hands read Tim Flannery's book "The Weather Makers" - 2006 revision (paperback). This gives a very clear and detailed picture of what we're up aganst. Not good and our climate may already be out of control and unable to be stopped. in other words, nothing to laugh about.
Only one post has mentioned it, but serious consideration should be given to what happens during a storm. Remember that hurricanes will be a lot more powerful because of the energy they derive from the warmer water. Tsunamis won't be a problem as long as they are far enough out because those waves don't break until they get near land. Wind derived waves are a different story.
The problem is atmospheric carbon, the solution is water, some places have
too much and others too little. If we pump the water from areas that have
too much water to the arid regions for irrigation we could actually lower
the concentration of atmospheric carbon. I offer as proof the NOAA CO2 chart
 http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/carbonlevels/  the chart clearly shows
that CO2 levels drop by 6 ppm every northern hemisphere summer. I attribute
this to the fact that more vegetation is growing during the northern
hemisphere summer. At the rate of 6 ppm per year it would take about 18
years to reach the carbon level set in 1750 AD, after that a certain amount
of carbon would have to be added to the atmosphere to keep the carbon level
at that point. If carbon were allowed to drop below a set limit it would
trigger an ice age.
Cheap rafts made from waste plastic bottles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Island  could collect rainfall from the
oceans and produce energy at the same time. There are millions of square
miles of arid land (expanding daily) that could be used to grow vegetation
if only enough pure water were made available, the rafts could supply all
the water needed. Since the rafts would cover millions of square miles of
ocean they would lower the water temperature and provide a marine life breeding
sanctuary from overfishing.
The reclaimed desert areas would provide small farms for refugees and the
homeless. Since the islands can be made at almost no cost using simple hand
tools there would be jobs for billions of third world workers and ensuring
that they have good food, clean water and adequate housing. If the rich
nations do not want to give up their lifestyle then they had better take
notice of the world around them and fix the problem.
This reminds me of the "ship of fools", when lunatics were put out to sea to fend for themselves, often sinking in the ocean and ridding the rest of civilization of the problems of care,feeding,etc.... Again, an idiotic idea, all over again.
david.peace.2002 - Your math is wrong or maybe you expressed it badly. 80 meters is 260 feet (80m x 39" = 3120", divided by 12 = 260 feet). Now that's serious -
Stupid-est solution I've read yet. 50,000 on a huge life-raft? No sane person would want to live on the water that took his home and land!! They will want to move INLAND, you idiot! Ignoring the CAUSE of the solution (rising co2 and soon, methane levels) and propose what amounts to an expensive floating concentration camp of humans which could be sunk in 15 minutes ridding "excess" population that the powerful won't have to kill in the future anyway. Fix the problem! Don't create the illusion of a solution by avoiding the problem! It just creates a new, more technological problem. Putting 50,000 people on a raft isn't the answer no matter the size of the raft.
Hey, the computer model looks great at 2,000 feet - what's it look like on the human scale, down on the street in one of these things?
Idiot fucking architects. Smart, but often sensless.
This article and the one about Canada are lifeboat strategies. It will be a terrible time if these things are needed or we all walk to Canada, and the survival percentage will be low.
"New York and Tokyo are seen as being at huge risk from oceans which could rise by as much as 3ft by the end of this century."
The USGS, the governments own scientists, estimates that the seas will rise about 80 meters! Three feet and the world's coastal cities could deal with that and just build a relatively small wall. Lilly pad cities to house the refugees from coasts? We'll also need some for the far inland refugees who will have beach front property for a short while.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs2-00/
Yeah..right...they'll take care of the people as they did the levies and inhabitants of New Orleans.
Ummm... question?
What are they going to build these things out of? And what will they use to power the machines to build them? Where will they get the food to support the refugees? What will the refugees do to be a contributing part of society? What other country would be happy to see a load of ocean-borne freeloaders showing up on their doorsteps? What would the refugees do if a 'lilypad' ran aground? Who says that nations desperate for resources wouldn't attack and loot a 'lilypad'? What would Israel do to a Palestinian 'lilypad'?
And lastly, wouldn't the only 'refugees' who could afford to live on one of these things be the wealthiest percentage of their particular nations, given how monumentally expensive these things will be to create in the first place??
Heres an old joke to go out on: 'Neurotics build castles in the sky. Psychotics live in them. Psychologists collect the rent.'
awbloss: What'll they use for water in the desert? Also, land in the desert is not cheap anymore.
The track we're on, I'd say "Waterworld" (as in the movie some years back) will be more like what we'll see.
They don't have to float. It is easier to make a big dome in a desert, cheap land, sunshine, and solid earth to build on. And space for more solar panels if needed.
Jacque Fresco was advocating and designing these cities 30 or 40 years ago. See: thevenusproject.com
Some paragraphs appear at least twice.
Some paragraphs appear at least twice.
Finally, Buckminster Fuller's ideas will get some attention. Had we begun implementing them some time ago, maybe we wouldn't be so desperate.
Someone should start building one of these NOW. And GIVE them to the Maldive Islanders, etc., who are the victims of our 'fabulous' lifestyle.
I only hope this signals the end of corporate rule, rather than the beginning. Other ideas pioneedred by Bucky Fuller have been perverted in the interests of greed - exactly the pposite of his intention.
How about floating prisons--preferably some place close to the equator--for all the politicians, media whores, and corporate criminals that brought us this disaster.
It could be a two-fer: On their vacated ranches and mega estates, there might be plenty of room for condo development to build new lives for the refugees.
www.StudentsForTheEarth.org
A Great Idea--just so long as there is buck in it!
How about a condom? I forgot--there is the issue of having to dispose of billions every day.
Let's not call this a "solution." It's a desperate, make-shift attempt put a Happy Face on disaster. But at least they're talking about the melting of the ice caps, not pretending that we can avoid it..
But seriously, it doesn't look like it could handle a 100 ft. storm wave or Tsunami (although it's difficult to estimate scale from this photo). Might need to be bigger to be safe long term. And probably further from shore. Nonetheless, a very, very good and appropriate idea that should be pursued.
The Kermitage? :-)
considering there are (according to the article) 'tens of milions of people who would be in danger' of rising seas, how many of these 'lily pads' would be needed when they can only accommodate 50,000? and who's gonna pay for them? sounds like a big 'fun fair' at sea..............
give me a break - how about my condo on the dark side of the moon?
Ribbet.