Newly discovered Camelopardalis meteor shower
May Camelopardalis is the name given for a newly discovered meteor shower which may or may not dazzle viewers under clear-dark skies.
Villa Minima #3 looks like a caterpillar on a rocky landscape in Turkey
There’s something so compelling about this minimalistic villa shanghaied on the edge of a rocky Mediterranean landscape. One of five small villas conceptualized for varying landscapes by Italian design studio LAD, Villa Minima #3 is a distorted parallelepiped structure envisioned for a private residence in Turkey.
Kingdom renewables so slow, Saudi oil empire to take over
Saudi Aramco may be taking over the Kingdom’s renewable energy industry in order to hasten the uptake of solar, wind and other alternative sources of energy. The move comes after the government-backed group forecasted a significant slump in export revenue as local oil consumption soars.
The ‘original iPad’ – 1,200 years before Apple
Turkish archaeologists have unearthed what Discovery News calls the ‘Byzantine iPad.” Dated to the 9th century A.D., the wooden tool was found among a shipyard of roughly 37 ancient ships in Istanbul. The original ‘iPad’ measures roughly seven inches, except it’s thicker and made of wood, and comprises five overlaid carved rectangular panels coated with wax, Discovery reports. “Yenikapı is a phenomenon with its 37 […]
When in Rome… Keep the Middle East Beautiful
Green Prophet’s Brian travels to Jordan and finds way too much trash out at sea. He asks: What would Iron Eyes Cody do?
Greening your real estate purchase in the Middle East
If you are shopping around for a home in Saudi Arabia or the Middle East there are conventional places to turn to like Craig’s List, Facebook, AirBNB to see what you like, local real estate agents to help you find properties of interest. But let’s say you are a foreigner or returning national looking to […]
Water turned off in Abu Dhabi desert tree experiment (photo)
Our local photographer takes a look at what happens when trees are cut off from their water source in a “desert experiment” in the United Arab Emirates. I previously talked about the irrigated forestry projects in the deserts of the Western Region of the UAE. This picture shows what happens when someone turns the tap […]
Cliche Arab references in Libyan bank design by Henning Larsen Architects
We don’t mean to pick on any one firm here, but a string of repetitive competition proposals has culminated most recently in the Central Bank of Libya design for Tripoli by Henning Larsen Architects. Although they and other foreign foreign firms are making an effort to be culturally relevant, how many desert-like “flowing facades” do we need?
Tips to curb the energy consumption of your aquariums
Like any other appliance, the various components of a home aquarium can consume not insignificant amounts of energy over the course of a year.
8 reasons to go meatless on Mondays – take our challenge!
A new case of Mad Cow disease has been reported in Egypt. It may be the final push to make me pass on meat.
Saudi man’s charity fridge reduces food waste and helps the poor
A charitable man who wishes to remain anonymous recently installed a refrigerator outside of his home in Hail, Saudi Arabia. His neighbors can leave their excess food inside the refrigerator where it is kept fresh and clean. Needy people can then anonymously use this excess food without the shame of begging.
Toilet of the future? Holy crap, it’s here!
The 2012 winners of a competition with a cringe-inducing name teamed up with a powerhouse plumbing manufacturer to design a self-contained restroom that could be deployed anywhere – it doesn’t require plumbing infrastructure or connection to a power grid!
Tunisia’s eco-conscious start-up: Exploralis
As I enter Arafet Ben Marzou’s new “office” at the top floor of an apartment building facing the lakes in Tunis, I am met with a very familiar feeling: that silicon valley, young brains, start-up feel. Only this time it is “ à la Tunisienne”, and I have to say, I prefer it.
Organic farming doesn’t pay off in Gaza
Organic farming is widely thought to be the healthy choice – not only nutritionally but because organic farmers are required (in general) to keep their crops chemical- and pesticide-free. But in poverty-stricken Gaza, people are more frequently buying conventionally-grown foods.
Tiny trash homes create humanity with salvaged waste
Artist Gregory Kloehn veered off course from a career creating large-scale sculptures, focusing his talents on making tiny buildings from garbage. He erects one-room houses to hotel the homeless, dumpster diving for raw materials which he reassembles into inventive (and minuscule) mobile homes.