Abu Dhabi is almost entirely dependent on desalination for its vital water supply. If desalination plants were bombed, the city would have just four days of water. The wealthiest of the United Arab Emirates federation has just begun to build…
Transplanting seas to inland ocean lakes? A good idea for the Middle East? The two century-old and highly respected Japanese engineering giant Shimizu has hatched a wild and crazy proposal to rehabilitate the desert for human use. Their idea is…
The carbon-neutral Masdar City seems to have been a concept for forever, it seems. In my mind, it has long been filed under “noble theory.” So I was surprised to get an email from Foster+Partners today. The Architects responsible for…
A 21st Century Bionic Pioneer, Melissa Sterry talks to Green Prophet about built environments that embrace the volatile new world order. Melissa Sterry makes our spooky future full of increased flooding, stronger hurricanes, and severe drought look like a playground….
We’ve heard about peak oil. Ilana asks about “peak Jerusalem stone” – and if it will ever be under threat. My earliest memory of arriving in Jerusalem in 1993 is permeated with a sense of bewilderment. Coming from Queens, New…
Traffic fatalities are 5 times the world average at 22,000 deaths a year: It’s time for Iranians to get on their bikes. Iran has the highest rate of traffic accident fatalities in the world – even higher than the United…
Mud buildings have withstood the test of time; will they populate our futures too? Think of Islamic mud structures and more than likely the iconic Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali will come to mind. The largest mud brick building…
Israeli Haim Dotan incorporates the soul of nature into his art and architecture Few things make our green hearts soar more than an architect with a gentle, artistic, nature-loving touch. Although we learned this week that cave homes built into…
Will Abu Dhabi’s citizens choose solar panels for their roofs when electricity prices go up? The residents of the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi, will soon experience three major changes as the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company electricity supplier plans…
