Still another device, called the Roots Up Dew Collector, is now being developed for Ethiopia in a project together with the University of Gondar. The device, which can also be used to grow vegetables and other crops, is dew trapping and will be used in the country's arid northern regions.
Seven designers teamed up on a project to transform an ancient Egyptian pyramid into a green skyscraper that works to reverse desertification. Their Bio-Pyramid concept won an honorable mention in the 2015 eVolo Skyscraper Competition, an award that recognizes outstanding ideas that challenge the way architecture relates to both natural and built environments. Could up-cycling the Great […]
Vive la France! The country recently passed legislation that requires rooftops on all new commercial buildings to be at least partly covered with solar panels or rooftop gardens. French environmental activists had sought to mandate full green roof coverage for all new buildings, but the new law allows commercial owners the option to install roof-mounted solar panels […]
An artist in northern California (need we add, “where else but?”) is making tiny glass beads meant to look like planets or solar systems encapsulated within delicate glass beads. What makes her creations especially otherworldly is the secret ingredient – cremated human remains caught in dramatic and colorful swirls for eternity. So do we now switch the funereal sentiment […]
Earlier this month mothers everywhere reeled over hearing about the baby who died from his neighbor’s unlaw pesticide use. While it’s an extreme example, it’s very worth remembering that just because you are inside does not make you free from air pollution caused by cars, industry, and by pest control. On a darker level, indoor air […]
Dubai has taken a giant step forward in greening up the city with its decision to move away from ordinary Portland cement (OPC) for all new buildings. As of April 1, OPC use is limited across the emirate; building permissions are reliant on developers specifying eco-friendly Supplementary Cementing Materials (SCMs). The new requirement aims to […]
With the weather heating up more people are going to be heading to the sea for a big cool down. Boating, jetskiing, sailing, paragliding at sea. Spending the day at sea is a very low-carbon footprint activity, and it can be greener – especially if you make your own natural tea sunscreen (check out our […]
Hey Brooklyn and your micro-breweries – turns out you’ve got nothing on Tel Aviv! Evidence of an Egyptian brew-house dating to 5000 years ago is being dug up in Tel Aviv. Archeologists there have found pieces of ancient pottery vessels used to make beer. See above and below for how they did it back then. Apparently […]
Travel to the Middle East has never been a better deal than now – in terms of economics (deep-discounted hotels and holiday packages), weather (blizzards have all blown by and crushing heat is still months away), and – in most of the region’s top touristic venues – political stability. All my view based on four […]
Finding greener ways to bury our dead is nothing new. In both Judaism and Islam, people are buried in the most simple and green manner. Along with these “basic” burial rites, a variety of eco-funerals are now available to let your death be ever-green. Perhaps, the most novel, and really earth friendly way of disposing of […]
IKEA and UNHCR (the United Nations High Commission for Refugees) emerged from two years of research with a prototype shelter suitable for refugee families anywhere. It features an innovative roof that reflects 70% of the sun’s rays during the day yet retains heat during the night, and it’s fitted with solar panels that power an […]
How can the environment around computers be used to hack data? Computer scientists have now determined that it’s possible to send data or “steal” data by using heat transfer between computers – those typically used as servers in high profile institutions like banks and police. Their exercise in hacking heat points out vulnerabilities in today’s […]
The Middle East is seeing the worst rising weights of obesity in the world: but a new Biggest Loser contest in Dubai, is showing that locals there, and children, are taking on the challenge for losing weight. If the prize is gold coins for every pound you’d drop, you’d want to lose too! Consider this […]
Is sitting the new smoking? Nature designed human bodies to be in constant movement throughout the day, but when modern office jobs plant us in seated positions, only our fingertips get a workout. Now there is compelling evidence that prolonged sitting kills, even if you exercise regularly. In fact, the paradigm that moderate physical exertion, such as […]
It’s already well known that manure or poop can be recycled for making products like paper as well as creating biogas power from methane gas. Turning urine or pee into electricity is another matter. This readily available “resource”, whether it be from animal or human origin, is now being experimented with to actually generate electricity by using our […]