What is the problem? "Climate change, climate change,climate change"
The earth's climate is changing and the temperatures are rising. Rising temperatures mean rising water.
After a 1000 years of keeping the sea out, the Dutch have decided to let the water in.The experts say that there will be more winter rain in Europe. The government will not build higher barriers to stop the water. No, the government has decided to lower the barreirs in forty different areas. These areas will flood when the rivers rise..
What will happen tothe people living in these 40 flood areas? Their lives will have to change. Some will move away. Others are staying. Engineers are creating houses that can float if necessary. Special pipes keep the house connected to the electricity lines when the house is floating. They plan to create floating villages.
Rising sea levels? No problem, say architects in Holland. To adapt, they're re-designing the entire country so that it floats on water. Houses are being built with giant foundations that sit on the bottom of the river, so that if the river level rises to a flooding state, the house floats up with it.
The pipes are designed so that they can stay connected to electric and sewer lines even with movement. 20% of the country's below sea level right now, but it's only getting worse. City planners near Amsterdam are creating a new suburb with 12,000 houses, 600 of which will be built in water. Image by WaterstudioDutch Architects Plan for a Floating Future [NPR]
Watch some videos about the Delta Project
http://www.deltawerken.com/Brouwers-Dam/325.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxB8Bs66Ujk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaTvuudh0l4&feature=related
Launching a floating house
http://www.flixxy.com/flo
ating-house.htm
Projects in other countries
http://www.dutchdocklands.com/thewhitelagoon
http://www.dutchdocklands.com/thewhitelagoon
http://www.dutchdocklands.com/floatingbeach
http://www.dutchdocklands.com/floatingbeach
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