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NEWS
Observations: The Skies are Not the Limit
by N. Katzin
A hothouse garden encompassing all of the world's
climatic regions has recently opened its doors to the
public in Cornwall, England. Known as the Eden Project,
thousands of visitors have flocked to this grandiose
project since its opening.
The garden is comprised of eight huge bubbles --
geodesic domes -- each simulating a different climate.
The bubbles have been stocked with 4000 botanic species
and 40 thousand cubic meters of earth. 400 scientists,
draftsmen and botanists worked to set up the project, at
an unprecedented cost of 100 million British pounds. The
panels are made of a double layer of plastic, which is
lighter than glass and gives better insulation.
Visitors are awed by the impressive array of the wonders
of Creation gathered under one roof. Visitors to the
eight huge hothouses encounter climatic conditions
corresponding to various regions, along with its typical
vegetation. One can go from the Brazilian Rain Forest to
an air- conditioned Mediterranean climate. In the well-
tended gardens, one may find local flowers from Cornwall
and exotic plants from New Zealand and the Himalayas.
Waterfalls, lakes, swamps, rivers, orchards and
vineyards are interspersed between the various bubbles,
and within them, constituting an inseparable part of the
overwhelming experience.
The bubbles are made of semitransparent plastic,
bolstered by thousands of tons of steel piping. The
project will serve as a tourist attraction and as a site
where researchers and professionals can find a broad
area for study without having to trek to distant
lands.
First opened to the public last April, many of the
plants are very young. The Humid Tropics bubble is said
to look properly luxuriant, but in others, like the Warm
Temperate bubble, the plants are still quite young and
undeveloped.
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