So when students from the University of Engineering & Technology (UTEC) sought a creative solution to water scarcity as part of a campaign called “Ingenuity in Action,” they found a way to turn these two lemons into clean drinking water  with a billboard that sucks moisture from the air.

The students worked with a local advertising agency to design a water-producing billboard that extracts water from the air, which is then processed by a filtration system and funneled to a series of taps at the base of the board.

“The central concept of the creative campaign is ‘Ingenuity in Action,'” said Humberto Polar, Regional VP Creative, May Advertising.

“[It] focuses on showing how behind all that surrounds us, big or small innovations, there are engineers who through his ‘wit’ have been able to provide solutions to problems and contributed to society,” he continued in a recent statement released by UTEC.

Located at the 89.5km distance marker along the Pan-American Highway, the water-producing billboard is equipped with five electric tanks that have a combined carrying capacity of 96 liters of water.

Once filtered, the water captured from the air is reportedly safe to drink.

“This billboard reflects the educational proposal of the university, which is to develop the ingenuity and talent of our students through a practice-based teaching,” said Jessica Ruas Quartara Director Promoting UTEC.

“The aim is to awaken the vocation to study engineering making it more attractive to young people and prepare them to become highly qualified professionals who apply science, technology and innovation for sustainable development of Peru.”

By summer 2013, the billboard should be completely operational. This is the kind of advertising we can handle.

:: Gizmodo

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DESERTEC Power, backed by the original DESERTEC Foundation, recently launched in Saudi Arabia with plans to work alongside scientists and researchers at the King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (KA-CARE) to usher in a clean, renewable new era for the world’s most notorious oil producer.

“Acting as a regional facilitator DESERTEC Power addresses the in-kingdom needs for both renewable energy and desalinated water production, according to a recent DESERTEC press release.

Supervisory Board Chairman Dr. Ahmed Al-Malik, the former Vice Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, is responsible for overseeing “the planning, realization, ownership, and likely the operation of renewable power plants as well as associated matters of education and employment,” according to the group.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the potential to be a championing nation in power generation from renewable energy sources and to advance in global climate friendly development,” said Dr. Thiemo Gropp, Director of the DESERTEC Foundation.

“The DESERTEC Foundation highly appreciates the opportunity to encourage the intended development through concrete projects.”

In 2009, DESERTEC was established in part to generate renewable energy in the Middle East and North Africa region and evacuate it via subsea cables in the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. But the group has also spent considerable energy nurturing multilateral knowledge-sharing and business development  networks in order to increase global awareness of and interest in cleaner sources of power.

Saudi aims to produce 41,000 MW of solar energy by 2032; working with KA-CARE, DESERTEC Power backed by Germany’s DESERTEC Foundation will provide the necessary infrastructure and support to help make that happen.

Among the challenges will be establishing the necessary regulatory framework to encourage investment in renewable energy plants throughout the Kingdom.

But of one thing we are certain: both Saudi and DESERTEC are very serious about laying the groundwork for a cleaner future.

Image of Riyadh at sunrise, Shutterstock

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With over 50 percent of the world’s oil and gas reserves the Middle East is not the likeliest place to be witnessing a green revolution, but with climate change running its course and oil prices rising through the roof, the region, and especially the Gulf countries, believe they can lead the charge to a greener and more sustainable future. Coming off a year that saw numerous gains for the renewable energy sector, including solar, wind and biogas, the region is ready to take on 2013 with a little bit more green in its focus. Masdar in Abu Dhabi is arguably the most prominent figure in this new revolution, which could easily be dubbed the Arab Green Spring.

According to Nawal al-Hosany, the director of sustainability at Masdar, their portfolio is expanding and the region is getting on board the movement away from traditional greenhouse gas emitters to push solar and wind energy to the forefront of development of energy.

Masdar has already erected the world’s first zero-emission city and hopes that this is simply the cusp of greater development of the alternative energy sector that already has experts pointing to the Gulf region as the world’s leader in renewable energy infrastructure development.

The question is, can these countries and companies follow through on their projects, which are slated to be operational by the end of 2013. If so, the region could easily see a large percentage of energy coming from non-traditional sources, and may well be a litmus test for the future of the global push towards greener technologies. It won’t mean a dramatic change from relying on fossil fuels in the immediate future, but it will put the region on track to show that green energy is not only possible, but profitable.

In an interview with Green Prophet earlier this month, Al-Hosany said that the Gulf region is prime for change, in both energy infrastructure from a governmental top-down aspect as well as societal. People are ready for solar and wind energy.

“The MENA region, and especially the Gulf States, has an opportunity to leverage its expertise in energy and move into new sectors, including wind and solar power,” she said.

“The future energy mix will include renewables, and we should embrace this transition. In addition, the region also has an abundant solar resource – an energy we should tap into to address energy security and our rising demands. Although the region’s renewable resources have been underexploited, technology advances and increased deployment are now making certain forms of clean energy economically viable across the region,” she added.

On top of the simple reality that the region is quickly catching the eyes of international companies to invest in their renewables sector, Al-Hosany believes that women can help lead the charge. She’s already showing it to be possible in her own capacity.

“When it comes to the region, women have an active voice in the climate change discussion. However, we can all do more, regionally and globally. The fact is climate change affects women differently, especially underprivileged, uneducated and un-empowered women. Women form the majority of the 1.3 billion people living in poverty in the world,” she said.

Bringing renewable energy to the forefront of a multiplicity of issues, both economic and cultural, could help bring change that reaches beyond our consumption to assist in dramatic societal changes that will only be a boost to the ongoing efforts of countries and corporations to be greener.

Image of mother and daughter from Shutterstock

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Although the new headquarters will be the heart of the Masdar City complex, which includes the growing Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), the building will also host a series of other international corporate and organizational giants, including Siemens and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

In fact, IRENA played a role in ensuring that the building meets its renewable energy standards. In addition to the 10.764 square foot rooftop solar array, the building will be constructed with many locally-sourced materials such as low-carbon cement, recycled steel, high recycled content aluminum and sustainably-sourced timber.

“It is only fitting that the headquarters of IRENA, dedicated to the sustainable use of renewable energy, be located in one of the most sustainable buildings in the world,” said director-general Adnan Amin.

Given the harsh environmental context, water conservation was a crucial aspect of this design, which Masdar has covered with a 50% reduction in water consumption.

Keen to cement its reputation as a leader in green building, renewable energy and clean technology, Masdar is shooting to attain four out of five pearls under the Estidama Pearl Rating system.

“We remain committed to the growth of Masdar City as a technology cluster, enabling companies to set up Middle East operations to support the achievement of regional renewable energy targets and the development of clean technologies,” said CEO and MD Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.

Our exclusive images of Masdar’s early stages were a huge hit among readers around the world who are eager to watch the future developments of what the Middle East’s most sustainable city. We expect the next round to do just as well.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2014.

Image via Brookfield Multiplex

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“It’s not as if they are doing it and hiding it; they’re doing it in broad daylight in front of the fisheries observers,” The National quoted Jabado in a recent report. “The law is there and no one is enforcing it.”

Stanley Hartman of the Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) confirmed Jabado’s concerns, adding that 60% of the annual shark catch takes place during the four months when fishing is banned.

The Gulf is one of the main Middle Eastern hubs for shark fins, which are exported to Hong Kong. An image published last year of a hammerhead shark and a pile of her 45 pups lying dead at a market in Dubai remains one of the most disturbing visuals of the industry’s destructive nature.

But without adequate regulation, profit will continue to drive the industry. One large shark fetches over $300, according to Hartman, which is a significant figure for poor fishermen.

Roughly 2,500 sharks were caught during the closed season last year, although that number is smaller than previous years. However, as Jabado puts it, “we’re still not at zero.”

“As many as 47 sharks and rays are threatened in this region, with this workshop we are taking an important step toward the sustainable management of shark fisheries and fin trade,” said Dr. Nick Dulvy from IUCN.

Compounding the problem, roughly half of the fishermen scouring UAE waters for sharks are unlicensed, even though the Ministry of Environment and Water, which instituted the ban in 2008, issues free licenses.

“However much we want to deny it, we do not have sufficient enforcement of the shark fishing,” said Thabit Al Abdessalaam of EAD.

“Rather than us denying, we need to do something to correct that.”

:: The National

Image credit: dead sharks in the UAE, Shutterstock

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The theory goes that Abu Dhabi financed the film, which was also produced by Focus Features and Participant Media, because if the fracking industry fails, western states will be forced to continue purchasing oil from OPEC (as if there was ever any risk that a single drop would go to waste.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHQt1NAkhIo[/youtube]

Abu Dhabi’s creative merit called into question

Because Abu Dhabi Media is chaired by his Excellency Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, who also reports to a member of the  Supreme Petroleum Council of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the film can’t possibly have creative merit.

Business Insider reports that the “movie was funded out of a $250 million “slate-based investment” formed in 2008 between Participant Media and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, in which both sides agreed to make 15-18 films using the capital from the investment fund. Participant Media, which is known for creating provocative and socially conscious films,” added via email that the investment covers all qualifying Participant narrative films regardless of genre or subject matter.”

Bear in mind that this same partnership produced “The Help,” a powerful critique of the relationships between African American maids and their  employers (owners?) during the 1960s US civil rights movement. If Abu Dhabi were completely controlling the puppet strings of Image Nation, they couldn’t possibly have sanctioned this film since it draws attention to similar, often unhealthy relationships between wealthy Emiratis and their foreign employees.

The dangers of tracking

In the Promised Land, Matt Damon is a salesman for a natural gas company who heads into a small American town hit hard by economic crisis. The locals are beguiled by offers of money for their land, which will be subjected to a controversial method of natural gas extraction called hydraulic tracking.

This method not only requires about 1-8 million gallons of water per job but also uses up to 600 chemicals in 40,000 gallons of fracking fluid injected 10,000 feet into the ground through a drilled pipeline. More discussion about the environmental and social dangers associated with fracking can be found at a thedangersoffracking.com.

That an Arab film production company is capable of such a strong social criticism seems to be the real issue here. Are westerners so ignorant of the talents in this part of the world that they must instantly draw sinister connections when something remarkable is produced here?

Not only that, but Abu Dhabi’s environmental record, despite the Emirate’s reliance on fossil fuels for its wealth, has taken much larger strides in environmental progress than the United States.

Recall that while President Obama refused to reinstall Jimmy Carter’s solar panels on the White House roof,  HH Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the same connection used to substantiate these dubious conspiracy theories, crowned his court with a rooftop array of photovoltaic panels.

Spotlight on the real bad guys

Could it possibly be that Abu Dhabi creatives actually mean to condemn an environmentally destructive method of fossil fuel extraction? Could it be that some states evolve with the times? That what defined our past need not define our future?

Instead of promulgating slippery stereotypes that Gulf countries are oil-mad demons who will stop at nothing to get every last cent out of their oil, rather let the spotlight cast by Promised Land shine on the real bad guys: the frackers.

Image credit: Screengrab from Promised Land Trailer

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With Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the helm, Qatar’s bid committee spent years fighting to host this prestigious cycling event for two reasons: first, Al Thani thinks the presence of ultra lean athletes from other countries will convince Qatari nationals that physical fitness is more fun than shisha and McDonalds, and second, the State wants to send the message that bicycles are better for the environment than cars.

In addition to the UCI Road World Cycling Championship in 2016, the Gulf nation with one of the highest carbon footprints and percentage of fat people will host the 2014 FINA World Swimming Championship, the IHF World Handball Championship (for men only) in 2015, and then the much-discussed FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Al Thani is on a fat-melting, emissions-slashing crusade and he’s using international sporting events to spread his vision.

“Apart from the fact that Qatar will be the first country in the Middle East to host the Road World Championships, the most important aspect of the event is the legacy it will create in terms of physical fitness and awareness about protecting the environment,” Sheikh Saoud said.

In preparation for building a culture of cycling, the state has already starting building some bicycle lanes in Al Waab and near the airport, which doesn’t sound like the most exciting place to burn off calories and choke down soot.

And if Doha is anything like its Gulf cousin Abu Dhabi, cyclists better wear armor when they hit the roads.

Still, we can’t fault Qatar for striving, as part of its National Vision 2030, to build a healthier nation, and for the sake of humanity and the environment, we hope this worldly flurry of athleticism will have its intended effect.

:: The Peninsula Qatar

Image credit: Arab Man on Bicycle, Shutterstock

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Comprised of an above water disc connected to an underwater disc by five legs, a vertical shaft, lift and stairway, the WDH was designed by Deep Ocean Technology to give leisure travelers a novel way to experience underwater life. Now the company has teamed up with BIGInvestConsult AG  in order to commercialize WDH projects all over the world!

The new venture called DOT & BIG GmbH was incorporated in Switzerland as the next step in bringing the popular WDH concept to oceanside cities across the globe.

Originally we didn’t take the renders very seriously as we have seen numerous similar ideas sink in the last few years, but Deep Ocean Technology persevered.

During the Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai earlier this year, the firm signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Drydocks World and Maritime World, raising significant interest for their concept.

“As a result of the campaign,” the joint company announced in a recent press release, “specific projects are under consideration and preparation with locations in the United Arab Emirates, Maldives, Oman and Martinique.”

We are waiting to establish whether the company has conducted environmental impact assessments.

In the meantime, “If any changes in environmental or economic conditions occur, the Water Discus modules can be transferred to a different place,” visitors to the DOT website are assured. “This offers a unique opportunity to live underwater on a permanent basis with unlimited options to change locations.”

“The mobility makes changes in interior design of a hotel much easier, as any disc can be detached and replaced with a new one.”

Stay tuned for details: an underwater hotel may be coming your way soon.

The post Luxury Underwater Discus Hotel Close to Anchoring in the Gulf appeared first on Green Prophet.

Africa’s most dangerous animal will make its debut in time for the upcoming Eid holiday at the Al Ain zoo in the United Arab Emirates. The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a massive herbivore that roams swamps and shallow waters throughout sub-saharan Africa.

My stepmother kissed Jessica the Hippo on her rubbery snout last year in South Africa, but get between a normal mother and her calf, and you may as well say your prayers.

Mature male hippos can weigh as much as 3 tonnes, but that doesn’t stop them from running at speeds of up to 19mph, and they are very unpredictable. They may appear docile, but they’re fearsome animals that have until now been kept out of view of Emiratis who frequent the Al Ain zoo.

This doesn’t mean they weren’t always there. Gulf News reports that hippos have been a part of the zoo’s animal collection for a long while, but this is the first time that they will be presented to the public.

It’s not easy to keep hippos in captivity – especially not in a sauna like the Gulf region. They require special facilities to ensure they can stay suitably cool.

Unlike Egypt’s zoos, which are mostly rundown places that badly neglect the wild animals they keep, the Al Ain zoo is a respected facility that has conducted a variety of breeding programs over the years.

They have ensured that the hippos will have access to water that is cleaned with a special filtration system as well as shading trees and shrubs.

There will be five hippos on display in sum and the zoo is open to visitors during the Eid Al Fitr holidays from 10am to 10pm; thereafter the exhibit will be open from 4pm to 10pm.

:: Gulf News

image via Tafline Laylin

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The Gulf obesity epidemic in has come under increased scrutiny recently. Supersized boys and girls are barely recognizable and four of the world’s fattest countries hail from Gulf nations – a staggering number that has increasingly tragic consequences.

Just 19 years old, an Emirati boy who weighed 170 kilograms was flying from Dubai to Bangkok to receive treatment for obesity when he suffered a fatal heart attack. The pilots of Emirates Airline Flight EK 374 were then forced to make an emergency landing in Hyderabad, where the teenager was pronounced dead at the Apollo Clinic.

His body will be flown back to Dubai on another flight.

Government officials in Dubai have launched a fitness competition that will take place during Ramadan in order to combat this growing problem. Although people fast during the day, at night, when they break the fast, they tend to make up the lost calories without doing any kind of exercise.

The event sponsored by Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktourm, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Fitness First Middle East will award massive cash prizes to the “Fittest Man” and “Fittest Woman” in Dubai and hopefully encourage more citizens to lose the extra weight they’re carrying around.

:: Gulf News

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