Mekano Architects have dreamed up the ultimate solution for Cairo’s filthy Garbage City. Long an eye-sore and public health menace, the area on the outskirts of Egypt’s capital was once a recycling center for the Zabaleen. They sorted through waste and recycled it, and used pigs to devour organic waste. After swine flu emerged, however, […]
Do women in Cairo have bigger carbon footprints because they are afraid to ride their bikes? Transportation is a large contributor to air-pollution. Today, the whole world is shifting towards more sustainable means of transportation. While in most countries men and women are equally active in such a movement, in more traditional societies, women are […]
A cyclist with a sense of adventure, last year Yasser took his bike for a swim, I mean spin in the Red Sea. Earlier today, our newest superstar blogger called for a cycling revolution. Inji discusses critical mass biking events, a monthly activity that occurs throughout the world and is sometimes referred to as political-protest […]
Before the 25th of January no more than 150 cyclists could pedal together without attracting police authorities’ attention. In Cairo, Inji El Abd from Cycling for Change, talks about a revolution for bikes. Che Guevara had his motorcycle and they had their bicycles: Revolutionaries on wheels went from all corners of Cairo to Tahrir Square to demand […]
One unexpected consequence of the riots is cleaner air, because fewer factories are running. Amid the turmoil and disappointment of Egyptian President Mubarak’s refusal to leave Egypt despite ongoing and increasingly desperate protests, an unexpected consequence has emerged. Infamous for its stultifying smog, Cairo is packed with factories and cars that create an unhealthy breathing […]
Climate change, peak oil and too many mouths to feed topples the first of the world’s now fragile economies. Egypt is just the first nation to see the instability predicted as a result of climate change, peak oil and the unsustainable numbers of people on this planet. But this is where we are all headed, […]
After seven days of demonstrations rubbish and dirty water have collected in the roads which the Egyptian people are not leaving for outsiders to clear up - watch how and why Egyptian men and women are creating waves of social revolution, one piece of rubbish at a time.
Earthworms to the rescue! Egypt plans to use them to eat through millions of tons of organic waste each year. Waste, after corruption and smog, is probably Egypt’s number one nemesis. Everywhere one travels – even the most popular tourist spots – is overrun with organic and solid rubbish. Finally, the Ministry of Agriculture is […]
Polluting factories will be relocated out of Cairo at their own expense. Will they simply trash their new home? Or will the government encourage them to clean up their act? Widely criticized for its smog and congestion, despite its central, green “lung” – the Al-Azhar park – Cairo is desperate to clean up its city. […]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQa3kUJPEko[/youtube] Moving from a culture of “me” to a culture of “we”. Rachel Botsman, a researcher and social innovator, is hooked on the idea of what she calls “collaborative consumption” – a phenomenon that is gaining force in the 21st century. She recently gave a TED talk about the concept (see clip above) and said […]
Desperation and an entrenched car-culture is pushing Cairenes towards outlandish solutions to their hellish traffic congestion In the bursting-at-the-seams megacity of Cairo, it seems that there is no escaping the traffic. Roads grind to standstill for hours most days and the traffic jams are only getting worse as the Egyptian population simultaneously heads to Cairo […]
American University in Cairo’s new campus was designed for efficient energy and water usage. Most observers would not think of Egypt as an environmental leader. Instead, the smog and litter of Cairo come to mind, or the negative environmental impact of the Aswan Dam. Yet we recently reported here that Egypt ranks No. 1 in […]
Egyptians joined the 350 campaign to create art and demand bold climate action In the Egyptian desert landscape of Wadi Natrun, 200 students and activists worked in the blistering heat to send a message to world leaders heading to Cancan for the latest climate conference. Placing large black strips on the ground and using florescent […]
In the West, leaves are falling from the trees. In the Middle East, Fall means the return of the throat-burning smog which settles over Cairo, Egypt once again. Rice fields are to blame. Every year a noxious black smog hangs over Egypt as the seasonal burning of rice straw by farmers begins, and with it […]
If temperatures continue to increase and icecaps melt, scientists say a one meter rise in sea level will swallow the Nile Delta. In order to protect the good life: big cars, up to three or four or more in one family, massive homes, fancy food, and five star trips to the Bahamas, (all unavailable to […]