Posted by
Boris Tiraspolsky on Thursday, December 06, 2007 1:27:27 AM
In the 1970s Richard Buckminster Fuller doc-umented the feasibility of a geodesic dome two miles in diameter that would enclose mid-town Manhattan in a temperature-controlled environment, and pay for itself within ten years from the savings of snow-removal costs alone.This extraordinary futuristic project never came to fruition. However, even Buckminster Fuller could not imagine that due to an unparalleled strength, efficiency and the relatively low cost of geodesic domes they could be utilized as secure shelters against the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): nuclear, biological, chemical, both as ground and underground units. Richard Buckminster Fuller would have been very surprised to learn that his great architectural discovery of the geodesic dome is capable of saving millions of lives, and may save our Civilization in the 21st century. (Read more...)

Geodesic dome that would enclose an entire American town
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How Could We Save Manhattan With a Geodesic Dome?
Concept by Boris Tiraspolsky in cooperation with Louis Pokorny
Any high density populated area is likely to be a target for Terrorists using Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) against population. The Island of Manhattan in New York City always has been and always will be an integral part of evil plans by people with "evil thoughts". Manhattan is the most desirable target for Terrorists. And Terrorists always accomplish their evil plans. All of us should keep this historical truth in our minds.
From a strategic point of view, there are three general types of high density populated areas, based on their locations:
• An open field, or an area that has no obstacles or/and natural limitations for evacuation;
• A partially opened field, or an area that has at least one obstacle or/and a natural limitation for evacuation;
• A closed field, or an area that has only obstacles or/and natural limitation for evacuation.
Manhattan represents a classical example of "closed field" for evacuation. It is a high density populated area. And at the same time Manhattan is an island with a limited number of entrances and exits that could be utilized for escape of the population in a "worst case scenario". There are only eight bridges (George Washington Bridge with its connections to the Fort Lee, NJ and Bronx, NY could be counted as "two" bridges), and four tunnels available as escape routes from Manhattan. Just three bridges connecting Manhattan with the "main" land have double decks. Regardless of the situation all these routes are extremely sluggish and sometimes totally congested. It happens every morning and evening rush hour. Therefore, in the situation of being attacked with WMD the Island of Manhattan will inevitably become a trap to millions of people living and working there.
The War on Terrorism is a new type of War. It is the War with no Rules of Engagement and no mercy. It is the War of the Evil against the Good. However, we all must realize that we are not dealing with a few disengaged "nuts". We are dealing with a new type of extremely dangerous Military Force. If at some point Terrorists find a way to use WMD against our population they not hesitate to do that. And Manhattan is a number one target on their list. Therefore, an old fashion Strategic Concept of building reliable underground bomb shelters at the same location must be abandoned as an outdated and useless one, unless someone wants to commit suicide and be trapped in a Zone of Direct Impact (ZDI) with Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).
Needless to repeat, there is no return to a "status quo" after an explosion of WMD. In the "worst case scenario" Manhattan will be the ZDI, and will not be livable anymore after an explosion of the WMD. A survived population must be relocated to a Permanent Secure Zone (PSZ). However, evacuation of up to10 million people from Manhattan to a PSZ within a reasonable amount of time, which is counted by minutes and not even by hours after an explosion of the WMD, does not seem possible either.
In spite of the described above "gloom and doom" scenario, there is a way to defend and save Manhattan from possible attacks by Terrorists with conventional arms, and in particular those with WMD. In order to" preserve, protect and defend" the population living in the New York City one must turn the Island of Manhattan into an impregnable "fortress". This could be done by creating a number of smaller impregnable "fortresses" on the territory of Manhattan.
Every "fortress" must be enclosed with an appropriately-sized geodesic dome. Each "fortress" must become a secure and controlled environment: with its own independent air, water, energy, food supply and entertainment. All "fortresses" must be physically connected with each other by a number of controlled and secure passages for pedestrians and their means of transportation. Such double controlled environment applied in the "fortresses" should be save enough for the population of Manhattan. However, if one or a few of the "fortresses" were to be directly attacked by Terrorists with the WMD, survivors from these "fortresses" would be safely evacuated into all other "fortresses". And in the "worst of the worst case scenarios",: failure to provide security for at least half of the "fortresses", all survivors will have enough time to be evacuated to a Permanent Secure Zone (PSZ) away from Manhattan.

12 Impregnable "Fortresses" on the Island of Manhattan
Below are 12 suggested divisions of the Island of Manhattan created by enclosing them with 12 geodesic domes of up to 2 miles each in diameter:
• Fortress of the Lower Manhttan - Financial District;
• Fortress of China Town, Little Italy and SoHo;
• Fortress of. the Greenwich Village and East Village;
• Fortress of the 14 St.-34 St.;
• Fortress of the Midtown: 34 St.- 59 St.;
• Fortress of the Upper East Side: East 59 St. - East 96 St.;
• Fortress of the Central Park;
• Fortress of the Upper West Side: West 59 St. - West 96 St.;
• Fortress of the Harlem;
• Fortress of the West 96 St. - West 125 St.;
• Fortress of the West 125 St. - West 165 St.;
• Fortress of the Uptown - Washington Heights and Inwood.
Anyone who is involved in a military Strategy knows that no matter how strong and impregnable a fortress could be, there is always a chance of being defeated by an Enemy and to loose or surrender a fortress. In order to avoid a total annihilation of the population of Manhattan we need to plan a long term hideaways. Such hideaways or rather a network of secure units are supposed to be at some location in a Secure Zone and at least 150 miles away from the Island of Manhattan somewhere in upstate New York.
The network of secure shelters should be built in advance and in parallel to building the "fortresses" of Manhattan. They should be using geodesic domes as a general architectural design skillfully adapted to the needs of surviving population. The shelters should reflect the closest as possible quality of life to ground "fortresses" of Manhattan. All units should be connected with each other by tunnels for pedestrians, and all necessary means of transportation They also should be using the same principles of independent supply of air, water, energy, food and entertainment for each unit. Minimum accommodations in these shelters should be at the level of 10% of the total population of the State of New York.