Cities

Saudi Erects World’s Tallest Tower

Construction of the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, also known as the Kingdom Tower, has been plagued by political, economic and labour issues, with the proposed completion date of 2020 deemed unrealistic for many years now.

Iranian Snipers Take Aim at Tehran’s Giant Mutant Rats

It sounds like a sci-fi B movie, but the problem is real: Super-sized rats infesting Tehran are so huge that a special team of...

Abu Dhabi’s New Market “The Souq” Harkens Us Back to Disco Days

Everything old is new again in Abu Dhabi's Central Market "The Souk" where developers are inspired by the emirate's  not-so-distant past. Kinda crazy that the...

Earth Architect Nader Khalili’s Book: Racing Alone

In the book "Racing Alone", Nader Khalili pursues his own revolution using fire, earth, air and water. In “Racing Alone”, the late Iranian earth architect...

Why Earth Hour Still Matters

March 23 at 8:30 PM marks Earth Hour. Will you switch off? Writing for Slate magazine, Bjorn Lomborg argues against what he believes to be...

Fake Wind Towers “Heat” Homes in Abu Dhabi

On a man-made Abu Dhabi island, fake wind towers heat homes instead of cooling them. I recently photographed a new housing development on Yas...

Green-Roofed Istanbul International Financial Center Breaks Ground

Istanbul residents have been dreading this moment: construction has broken ground on an enormous International Financial Center designed to position the Turkish economy among...

Why It’s Hard To Celebrate World Water Day In the Middle East

With the region getting drier 'at an alarming rate', what is there to celebrate this World Water Day? In the lead up to World Water...

Israel’s Self-Sufficient Solar Decathlon Home Shapes Up

In 2012, Green Prophet reported from the front lines of the Solar Decathlon in Spain, but this year the event is taking place in...

OMA to Mastermind Doha Airport City in Time for 2022 World Cup

Starchitects OMA have won an international design competition to be the master planners for Doha's new Airport City in Qatar. Occupying a 10 kilometer...

Turks Ask Their Leaders to Say “No to Nuclear”

Two years after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in Japan, the Turkish government is moving ahead with nuclear power despite public opposition. Hundreds of Turkish activists...

Qatar’s First Passivhaus on Track for 2013 Completion

A host of private and government organizations in Qatar have teamed up to build the emirate's first Passivhaus - one of the world's most...

Saudi Jails 21 People for 100 Drowning Deaths

At least 1833 people died when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, but - as far as we know - nobody went...

Nation Estate is a Massive High Rise for All Palestinians

We are accustomed to writing about art and architecture that addresses environmental and social problems in the Middle East, but nothing as interesting as...

The Greenest Libraries Have No Walls

Pity the paper book. Libraries everywhere are closing due to lack of funding and tepid public support, and e-readers are luring people away from...

Hot this week

Bricks and Minifigs, and the Future of Circular Play

A second-hand LEGO marketplace keeps plastic bricks circulating for years instead of ending up forgotten in basements or discarded in landfills. It gives children access to building materials at lower prices. It extends the lifespan of a product that was originally designed to last generations.

HelloFresh’s pride prepping ad raises a bigger question: we are we still outsourcing dinner?

The backlash against HelloFresh's Pride Month marketing campaign has sparked a wider conversation about food, labor, sustainability, and whether consumers should reconnect with local farmers, butchers, and home gardens instead of relying on subscription meal kits.

Regenerative Wool or Greenwashing? Zentera Responds to Critics

Zentera responds to questions about ZQ wool, animal welfare, regenerative farming, ethical fashion and the fallout from PETA's New Zealand investigation.

The Ocean’s Hidden ‘Dark Web’ Is Being Fished Before Scientists Understand It

Deep below the ocean's surface, in a dimly lit region known as the twilight zone, millions of fish are being caught every year. Scientists say the consequences are largely unknown.

Barnacle glue could fix coral reefs, inspire new advances in building and medicine

Aalto University researchers create a protein-based adhesive inspired by barnacles and mussels that works underwater and could aid coral reef restoration.

Topics

Bricks and Minifigs, and the Future of Circular Play

A second-hand LEGO marketplace keeps plastic bricks circulating for years instead of ending up forgotten in basements or discarded in landfills. It gives children access to building materials at lower prices. It extends the lifespan of a product that was originally designed to last generations.

HelloFresh’s pride prepping ad raises a bigger question: we are we still outsourcing dinner?

The backlash against HelloFresh's Pride Month marketing campaign has sparked a wider conversation about food, labor, sustainability, and whether consumers should reconnect with local farmers, butchers, and home gardens instead of relying on subscription meal kits.

Regenerative Wool or Greenwashing? Zentera Responds to Critics

Zentera responds to questions about ZQ wool, animal welfare, regenerative farming, ethical fashion and the fallout from PETA's New Zealand investigation.

The Ocean’s Hidden ‘Dark Web’ Is Being Fished Before Scientists Understand It

Deep below the ocean's surface, in a dimly lit region known as the twilight zone, millions of fish are being caught every year. Scientists say the consequences are largely unknown.

Barnacle glue could fix coral reefs, inspire new advances in building and medicine

Aalto University researchers create a protein-based adhesive inspired by barnacles and mussels that works underwater and could aid coral reef restoration.

Jaakko Torvinen finds that the next green building revolution is misfit trees

Crooked, forked and curved trees are often treated as second-class timber. They are considered less valuable, and not suitable for load bearing walls or support systems in building. If a tree trunk is not straight enough to become a saw log, it is frequently diverted into pulp production or burned for energy. Now, new research from Aalto University could help change that.

Black fathers live longer than non-fathers, new study

Researchers found that fatherhood was associated with lower rates of early death among Black men, while early fatherhood was linked to poorer long-term health outcomes.

Dan Zaslavsky’s energy tower dream is rising again in Iran and China

The Energy Tower idea never made the leap from drawings and engineering studies to full-scale construction. But nearly two decades after most people stopped talking about it, the concept is quietly evolving in two unexpected places: China and Iran. The concept let dreamers dream and doers do - figuring out more pleasing designs and engineering.
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