Mining for ice, is the latest natural resource and crazy plan concocted by the United Arab Emirates to solve their drinking water shortage. A 2014 UN report dealing with climate change stated that “the worst is yet to come” to countries with chronic to acute water shortages. The report particularly noted that countries in the Arab Gulf […]
People have this general perception that the Middle East lags behind in matters of sustainability. There is the misconception that people in this region lead flashy lifestyles and engage in over-consumption to balance out the ever-increasing wealth from an endless supply of oil. However, when you get to the ground, you soon discover that the […]
Build a “mini city” on Mars? A project being conceived in the United Arab Emirates plans to construct a human settlement on the Red Planet within the next 100 years. These plans are a result of environmental studies made at Abu Dhabi’s on-going sustainable Masdar City environmental project which also studies the wrath of global warming and its […]
Windmill apprentices wanted: Click-clack…click-clack, click-clack the rhythm echoes the heartbeat of the Persian desert wind. For more than one thousand years the people of Nashtifan, in northeastern Iran have heard this sound as they harnessed the “storm’s sting” wind that gave their village its name. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qqifEdqf5g] There are about 30 windmills in the desert […]
على الرغم من احتلالهما المركزين الأول و الثاني في الشرق الأوسط على مؤشر أركاديس للمدن المُستدامة للعام 2016، لا تزالا دبي و أبوظبي بعيدتين عن المراكز الأولى مقارنة بالمدن العالمية الأخرى. و طبعا، حلول دبي و أبوظبي في المركزين ال52 و ال58 على التوالي يعد إنجازا يُحسب لهما و مثالا يُحتذي به، و لكن لا […]
Electric car fortunes have had their ups and downs; especially following the collapse of the Better Place electric car network that left hundreds of EV car purchasers with the possibility of being stranded without power over in ISrael. Although some electric car models like Nissan’s Leaf and Tesla sport EVs have made modest inroads, over all, electric cars have yet […]
Just when we got excited about Dubai’s solar trees, seems like innovations like this will not be enough to save the Middle East. In 85 years the region will not be fit for human habitation. Extreme Middle East weather patterns as a result of global warming and climate change have become commonplace for some time […]
Following Israel’s smart solar trees, the Dubai Municipality is rolling out a series of “community tech hubs” based on 3D printed palm trees that collect solar power. The stations are also where users can recharge their phones, tablets and laptops, enjoy free WiFi, and check in on local weather and news. The Smart Palm initiative aligns with […]
The unveiling of Dubai’s rooftop solar project during March 2015 is one of many steps the emirate is taking in order to grow a domestic market regarding solar technology and usage. It is clear from these actions that the emirate is setting out to be greener and cleaner. At the same time, it is obvious […]
Abu Dhabi police unveiled their latest acquisition cop car, a Rolls Royce Phantom tricked out in purple and white, the colors of the state police force. It’s the newest addition to the fleet of United Arab Emirates (UAE) police supercars.
Jordan’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources announced a new initiative that will convert all 6,000 of the kingdom’s mosques to solar generated power beginning this year. It’s part of a five-year program to decrease the nation’s reliance on crude oil while diversifying its energy portfolio to include more renewable energy sources, such as wind and […]
Mission Control for the Solar Impulse 2 is open for business, ready to guide the solar plane’s first flight around the world. Located in Monaco, the Mission Control Center (MCC) serves as project nerve-center, where a team of analysts and engineers will collect satellite-transmitted flight information to calculate and adjust the plane’s flight path. The plane will take off from […]
Two Egyptian banks are moving into green lending with an initiative to finance rooftop solar power systems for residential consumers. National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr are offering loans within specific areas of Cairo, with plans to expand into Egypt’s other governorates. How will that work in a mostly Muslim country, where interest payments are forbidden […]
The experimental flying lab better known as Solar Impulse 2 was launched today in Abu Dhabi. The groundbreaking airplane will circumnavigate the world flying both day and night without using a single drop of fossil fuel. Said co-pilot Betrand Piccard, “You can achieve miracles with renewable energy and clean technologies.”
Luca Curci architects studio presents Desert City, a project proposal for a sustainable way to live in the desert. It surely beats the maze of crazy unsustainable cities we see in regions in the United Arab Emirates, save for Masdar the zero energy city outside Abu Dhabi. The architects say that their theoretical project was born from […]