26-2008 Cramped Monaco plans new district - on stilts
home | climate | energy | sustainability | water | back
The Prince of Monaco intends facing land shortage with a colonisation of the sea surface.
Environmentalists fear the effect on the biosystems of the coastal waters. They have a valid point. The underlying issue, however, is that Monaco is not sustainable. No city is sustainable. Every city depends on the surrounding countryside for water supply and waste disposal. Food, raw materials and many industrial products are imported. Once the abundant flow of oil starts to decline, city life will start to experience scarcities of many kinds. Therefore, if the Prince of Monaco would like to demonstrate his understanding of ecological issues, he should stop this expansion project. Ecological development means recognising the limits and trying to bring resource consumption in line with reduced availability of natural resources. Helmut Lubbers ecological psychologist and environmental scientist @ ecoglobe.org 11.6.2008 Environmental developments: 
article Your comment or question |
to 
halt 
| ecostory | feedback
back
ecoglobe
since 1997
top
article 8602
(Copyright notice)
Cramped Monaco plans new district - on stilts· Prince Albert studies bids from leading architects· Campaigners voice fears for ecosystem Angelique Chrisafis in Paris Wednesday May 21, 2008 The Guardian Bursting at the seams ... Monaco. Photograph: Graeme Robertson It's a playground for the rich, a Mediterranean tax haven crammed with luxury apartment blocks, where moneyed visitors will flock this week for the grand prix. But Monaco, the second smallest country in the world after the Vatican, has a problem: it has run out of space. Prince Albert II, who took over from his father in 2005, is staking his name on a daring project to expand Monaco's less than one square mile of territory by building a new district out to sea. Like Dubai's artificial islands, it will be a world landmark, designed to boost the economy by attracting new residents, business and luxury tourists. But rather than an island standing alone, it will jut out from the shore on stilts, inspired by the design of oil rigs, and could set a precedent for coastal expansion elsewhere. Contact the Guardian Environment editor environment@guardian.co.uk Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk Letters for publication should be sent to: letters@guardian.co.uk We have reproduced this article for scientific reasons only because of the volatility of the internet. Copyright guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 25 May 2008 Billions wasted on UN climate programme - www.guardian.co.uk
|