Thanksgiving is still a few days away, but we are already giving thanks that HGTV is planning to feature the beloved Hobbit House of Montana on the show Home Strange Home on Thursday, November 24 at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific time. Host Chris Grundy will take viewers on a tour of the “magical shire in mystical Montana.”

With the end of the Mayan calendar just a little more than a year away, The Huffington Post is reporting that interest in doomsday shelters is on the rise. Those who fear the end of the world will occur on December 21, 2012 are also helping bring attention to the Monolithic Dome’s features that make it virtually indestructible.

St. Mary and St. Mercurius Coptic Christian Church in New Jersey may soon be the first congregation in the state to build a Monolithic Dome. The new structure, which is pending approval from the Belleville Zoning Board, would serve as a youth center.

Monolithic’s David B. South traveled to South Texas recently for the dedication of the new Eagle Dome at the Woodsboro Independent School District. The new Monolithic Dome, which was financed in part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is being billed as a prototype for shelters of last resort in coastal areas, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Doing well by doing good. That’s a motto that David B. South has lived by since he first started building Monolithic Domes back in the 1970s. Now his philanthropic efforts are being highlighted by one of the nation’s savviest young entrepreneurs.

The wonderland that Steve and Christine Michaels have created around their Monolithic Dome home is once again making headlines. This time it’s the hometown newspaper, the Billings Gazette, that is putting the spotlight on the unusual property. As we’ve reported, the New York Times and MTV Extreme Homes have also come calling.

Time and time again, we’ve seen Monolithic Domes survive Mother’s Nature’s greatest wrath: from Category 5 hurricanes in Florida to EF5 tornadoes in the Midwest. Awareness has been growing in recent years of just how strong these building are. So strong, in fact, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is now providing funding to schools and other public entities that build domes that double as community disaster shelters.

Monolithic, Inc. has been building fertilizer storage facilities for decades. The strong, steel-reinforced concrete structures are well-suited for chemical storage because they can handle the corrosive elements in the fertilizer. They also can withstand the abuse of front loaders and other heavy machinery used to move the chemicals from one location to another. An added bonus is the dome’s energy-efficiency, which makes air-conditioning them cost-efficient, keeping condensation to a minimum.

It’s perhaps the best known of all the Monolithic Dome homes in the world, and it continues to make headlines every time a hurricane threatens the U.S. mainland. Eye of the Storm on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, was the focus of another news feature after Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast.

The wildfires raging across Texas have heightened interest in fire-resistant Monolithic Domes, as home owners look for greater protection against all types of natural disasters. The general public will have the opportunity to learn more about these unusual homes when the Monolithic Dome Institute opens many of the dome homes on its property for public tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 15 as part of the 11th annual Fall Dome Tour.

When we think of people who do not have access to clean drinking water and sanitation, the image of refugees in Africa or other parts of the developing world usually come to mind. But the poor and homeless in the United States often face the very same problems, according to a U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. After a U.S. visit earlier this year, the U.N. investigator Catarina de Albuquerque found that the challenges faced by U.S. homeless are in violation of international human rights standards.

Even though we’re in the midst of hurricane season, the memories of the 2011 tornadoes are still fresh in the minds of most people. This year will go down as the deadliest tornado year since The National Weather Service began keeping records, with more than 500 fatalities. That’s one of the reasons why Jon Thompson wrote a feature story on the protection that Monolithic Domes can offer on Architecture Suite 101

When a multipurpose Monolithic Dome opened in Fowler USD earlier this year, it made news. Not only was it the first dome school building in Kansas, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency funded a substantial portion of the construction costs.

It’s not often that a newsmaker captures the attention of the esteemed New York Times and the hip MTV in the same week, but that’s exactly what happened to Steve Michaels and his wife, Chris. They are the creative geniuses behind the Hobbit House of Montana, a guesthouse inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s book by the same name.

We have documented evidence that “Monolithic Domes”/topics/domes can survive powerful hurricanes and tornadoes, and even wildfires. But what about a catastrophic event like the end of the world as we know it? Thankfully, we haven’t had to put a dome to that kind of test, at least not yet. But dome homes are popular among survivalists, especially those who are interested in an underground shelter.

Two years ago, we announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to help fund construction of Monolithic Dome tornado shelters in two Ohio mobile home parks. Together, the two domes in Licking County are providing a safe haven for nearly 500 people when severe weather strikes.

Dade County, Georgia was one of many areas of the southern United States hit by deadly tornadoes this past spring. An EF-3 tornado struck the area on April 27, followed by two smaller EF-1 twisters. Although several homes were destroyed, one resident weathered the storms with no worries at all.

The tornado-resistance of Monolithic Dome structures will be one of the featured topics at the Rebuild Joplin Strong workshop scheduled for July 8 and 9 on the campus of Missouri Southern State University. David B. South, president of the Monolithic Dome Institute, is slated to speak at the event, which is designed to bring survivors, planners, and builders together with experts in storm-resistant, green construction practices. 

Imagine hitting the road, and going in search of new discoveries and then telling your story to a worldwide audience. That’s what Aaron Fown is doing on The Trip for Life

Oklahoma is home to more Monolithic Dome schools than any other state in the nation. It will soon have one more as Dale Public School completes construction on a new steel-reinforced concrete dome facility that will serve as an events center and cafeteria. The 109-foot-diameter building is scheduled for completion in January 2012.

While most Americans are focused on the devastating tornadoes that have been ransacking the nation, those who live in coastal areas have another type of natural disaster on their minds. Hurricane season began on June 1, and meteorologists are predicting that it could be a much more active than last year.

Sadly, it’s official. This year will go down as the deadliest tornado year since record keeping began, according to The National Weather Service. More than 500 people have died in tornadoes in 2011, with nearly half of the fatalities occurring in Alabama. Missouri ranks second with 139 deaths from the Joplin tornado alone. 

The deadly tornadoes that hit the southern United States were a vivid reminder of the tragic consequences that ensue when people do not have a safe shelter during severe weather. They also served to make Fowler school officials even more grateful that they had the foresight to build a Monolithic Dome multipurpose building to house their new gymnasium, band/vocal room and computer lab. The building, which is the first of its kind in Kansas, was funded in part by a $345,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

When the Avalon Independent School District in Texas needed a new multipurpose building, Superintendent David Del Bosque had safety at top of his mind. Since the nearby Italy school district had just completed a Monolithic Dome multipurpose center of its own, the decision was easy. “I personally was concerned about safety for students: the stability of the building in case of a storm,” Del Bosque said, adding that when he saw Italy’s dome, he knew that it was “the safest structure anywhere.”

Two times each year, we invite would-be Monolithic Dome builders to our headquarters here in Italy, Texas for a hands-on, five-day workshop. Although participants start out in the classroom, they quickly go out in the field and actually build a dome. The goal is to train the next generation of dome builders who will keep this industry thriving for years to come.

Like many American families, the Smiths live in a small wood frame house. The traditional square home is located in a wooded area in Orange County, Texas. But that’s about to change. David Smith is a dome builder, and he’d like his family home to be the first of many that he builds in the area in the years to come. The Beaumont Enterprise featured the project after Smith inflated the dome, and it peeked out from behind the trees that surround his current home.

People who live in Monolithic Dome homes usually are willing to think outside the box. So it’s not surprising that dome owners also commonly live “off the grid” or OTG for short. OTG is a term used to refer to homes that are self-sufficient when it comes to their utility services. They might generate their own electricy using wind, solar or other alternative energy sources. They also sometimes provide their own on-site heat.

David B. South has spent most of his life trying to change the world. Since building his first Monolithic Dome in 1975, he has been working to convince people to think outside the box. Now he has a chance to be formally recognized as a Changemaker as part of an international competition for sustainable urban housing.

It took nearly 10 years of planning, fundraising and construction, but Fellowship Bible Baptist Church finally got their Monolithic Dome. About 3,000 people recently attended the first church service inside the new dome sanctuary.

On its homepage, SprayFoam.com, a website designed to serve the spray foam insulation community, is featuring Urethane Foam: Magic Material – And the Best Kept Insulation Secret. It describes the book as “a must-read for anyone with questions about the nature of urethane foam or its insulating qualities” and provides links for its purchase or free download.

News articles are supposed to contain all the most important information about a topic in the “lead” or first paragraph of the story. Chris Sweifel very succinctly sums up the key advantages of Shotcrete domes in his article, which appears in the current issue of Shotcrete Magazine. Headlined “Shotcrete Domes: A Model of Sustainability,” the article starts off as follows.

On December 3, the Science Museum in London will open a new exhibition that explores climate science. The exhibition is an immersive experience with a variety of objects, audiovisuals and interactives for the visitors to explore. One of the visuals - a touch screen information zone examining climate change — features hurricane resistant buildings. Among them is a Monolithic Dome home.

Inventor-illustrator Steven Johnson first fell in love with Monolithic Domes when he attended a builders’ workshop in Italy, Texas. This week, he had the opportunity to showcase dome technology in an unusual way - in a cartoon panel for GOOD magazine. Each week, Steve features leading-edge, pioneering designs in a cartoon-style format. His assignment is to find examples of products and ideas that move the world forward in creative ways.

Because many people still are not familiar with Monolithic Domes, one of the biggest hurdles proponents face when pitching this new technology is a lack of awareness. In Port Colborne, Ontario Canada, resident John Mitchell is making sure that city council members understand the many advantages that dome buildings have to offer.

Charter schools are known for their innovative curriculum and pioneering strategies. It is fitting, therefore, that the Career Success Charter High School in Phoenix has housed its newest campus in four monolithic domes. Located just east of downtown, the brightly colored structures are painted to look like planets - Earth, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. The buildings are also totally solar powered and equipped with the latest technology.

U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, was back in his home district recently handing out checks to local organizations that have qualified for federal grant money. Congressman Hinojosa also took the opportunity to tour a new Monolithic Dome school building that was funded by federal grant money last year - the Woodsboro gymnasium/community center.

Time and time again, we’ve seen people confuse the Monolithic Dome, invented by David B. South and his brothers, with the geodesic dome popularized by Buckminster Fuller. eHow.com, which posts informative articles on more than 1 million different topics, recently shed light on the difference between the two structures in an article headlined “What Are Different Types of Domes?”

News Radio 1080 is one of the main sources for local news in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Recently, the station launched a weekly segment called the Greener Side, which focuses on new green technologies and products.

If you’ve ever been to an inflation of a commercial dome structure, you know how exciting it can be to watch a huge Airform expand before your very eyes. For the students of Woodsboro Elementary, the excitement was contagious. During the recent inflation of their South Texas school district’s new multipurpose center, they got into the spirit by chanting: “Blow it up, blow it up.”

StockMarketsReview.com provides news coverage, analysis and research of world stock markets, commodities and currencies. The site also publishes articles provided by experts of leading brokerage and investment companies.

Your Energy Minute is a blog sponsored by the Energy Education Foundation and the SayYesToGreen.org initiative. It was created to provide consumers with energy news, clean energy resources, conservation tips and strategies and the latest updates on energy policy.

The Next Big Future is a web site that reports on new technology and science that can “impact the future course of civilization.” It covers a variety of topics ranging from new university research to economic forecasts. A recent post focused on the home of the future - the Monolithic Dome – and specifically on the EcoShells that are being constructed in developing countries around the world.

Although a deadly tornado can strike anywhere, about half of all fatalities occur in manufactured homes, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory. But residents of Summit Ridge Estates, a manufactured home development in Pataskala, Ohio don’t worry too much about storms these days. That’s because they have a Monolithic Dome storm shelter on their property that provides a safe haven when severe weather strikes.

Like most of the Caribbean islands, St. Lucia is vulnerable to hurricanes. On the average, a severe storm brushes the area about every four years. The last one was Hurricane Dean, which blew by with 100 mile per hour winds in 2007 and tore many roofs away, even in the elegant community of Vigie, Castries where residences are supposed to be built well. The area’s vulnerability to hurricanes is one of the reasons that real estate developer John Craciun is looking to build Monolithic Domes in St. Lucia and the wider Caribbean.

A Monolithic Dome home in Wisconsin will be featured on an upcoming episode of This New House a 13-part series that premiers on the DIY Network this summer. The episode, scheduled to air on Thursday, August 5 at 8 p.m,, will focus on the unique approach used to build the energy-efficient and disaster resistant dome home that overlooks Lake Michigan in Manitowoc.

Al Fin, who lives in the Cayman Islands, has been a blogger since 2005 - long before the blogosphere was as popular as it is today. His primary interest: seeing that the best of humanity survives long enough to reach the next level.

Since April, British Petroleum has been trying to stem the flow of oil from a leaking deep-water well in the Gulf of Mexico. After a series of failed high-profile efforts, the company is currently trying to siphon off oil using a containment cap system and drilling relief wells aimed at stopping the flow by August. But with an estimated 60,000 barrels a day still gushing out of the well, the search is on for better solutions.

Dorothy dreamed of going back home to Kansas after losing her home to a tornado. Kay and Ernie Mudd never have to worry about their dream home because they built a super safe Monolithic Dome, which meets the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s standards for near-absolute protection.

David Smith first learned about Monolithic Dome construction 13 years ago, and has been a fan every since. In fact, he has been so impressed with the buildings that he started a dome-building business called Smith Family Dome Home Builders.

Robert L. Duffy High School, which will open its doors this fall in Phoenix, is a different kind of school. While it does offer core curriculum classes in English, math, social studies and science, it also has career-focused classes designed to help students get an entry-level job in the field of their choice. It’s fitting, therefore, that this innovative curriculum will be housed in innovative buildings—three monolithic dome school buildings to be exact.