Perpetuity the Sustainable City

Perpetuity

St. Philip Neri School

Perpetuity – The Sustainable City

Perpetuity, aself-sustaining underground city, occupies the abandoned Super Pit Gold Mine of thewestern Australian Outback. This subterranean superstructure is located approximately 600kilometers east of Perth. The 600-meter-deep and 6-square-kilometer former open pit is enclosed by an ethyltetrafluoroethylene dome. In the year 2222, Perpetuity (population 12,001) provides residential, commercial, and industrial areas whilehealing the scarred desert landscape.

Perpetuity uses efficient and renewable energy sources.

Hydrothermal-Circulation, a hybrid of geothermal technology and silicon-based thermoelectric materials, captures the Earth’s heat for electricity. Waste heat (e.g., heat from the solid waste incinerator) is captured and converted to electricity. Additionally, rechargeable silicon-based lithium-ion batteries provide portable power.

ELM-X (Electric Levitating Magnetic eXpress) provides travel within the city and across the continent. Magnetic fields, generated by electrified coils located in the tracks, smoothly propel the train. Within the city-structure, citizens easily travel to different floors. Using the same technology as ELM-X, civilians utilize maglev elevators. Because Perpetuity’s skyscraper is so massive, moving sidewalks within the hallways quicken commute time.

The hybrid E-BTS (Ear-Bud Telecommunication System) provides innovative communication. E-BTS’s “Sphere of Silence” technology duplicates unwanted ambient noise sound waves, canceling them out. Communication between distant parties can then take place without audio interference.

Being a desert community, water is at a premium. Filters and reverse osmosis desalinate the saline ground water making it potable. Water is also carried through pipelines from freshwater reservoirs located west of the city. To preserve water, wastewater and greywater is recycled. Separatesets of pipes differentiate greywater from wastewater. Solid wastes are incinerated, creating ash which is used in the production of concrete.

Each floor’s recycling unit processes greywater for reuse as potable water.

Citizens are provided entertainment and educational sites. Within the city is a historical, cultural center that celebrates the history of the local Aboriginal Maduwangka tribe. A museum shares the history of the former Super Pit Gold Mine. Parks and a recreation center allow citizens to openly meet, mingle, do business, and exchange ideas. Another attraction is bungee jumping from a platform located on the dome’s grid work.

Each citizen receives a high-quality academic education. Ed-Pad, given to each student, allows learning at his/her own pace. Ed-Pads are downloaded with textbooks, worksheets, and other necessary activities. A college and libraries add opportunities for higher-education.

Providing the populace with a safe, healthy environment is of the highest priority. Sensors inside the buildings’ walls detect fire, break-ins, and medical emergencies. Once the nature of the emergency is identified, a message is sent to the appropriate emergency service. To protect citizens from developing Seasonal Affective Disorder, LCD “windows” show natural outdoor scenes, and solar tubes in the dome provide natural light. Desert temperatures average 40°C, butunderneath the dome it is a comfortable 20ºC.

Perpetuity is known for its innovative Hydrothermal-Circulation Energy System, healthy living, and a cultural diversity blended with its Aboriginal heritage. Citizens feel unique and appreciated within the community and truly live “one with the earth”.

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