For years, Green Prophet has followed the strange, persistent dream of harvesting energy from roads. Back in the early 2010s, Israel experimented with piezoelectric roads in Tel Aviv, when Innowwatech tested whether pressure from passing cars could generate electricity. Then in 2020 a pilot happened with Electreon and Dan Bus company and we haven’t had an update since.

Similar ideas appeared in Italy, California, and South Korea. Most never scaled beyond pilot projects because the technology struggled with durability, efficiency, or economics. There is cost of laying down new infrastructure, stopping traffic, and dealing with snow, rain and intense heat.

Now an Austrian startup called REPS says it has solved part of that equation.

This week the company announced a $23.6 million equity financing round to scale what it calls the Road Energy Production System (REPS), a “road power plant” that captures kinetic energy from vehicles and converts it into electricity.

Unlike solar panels or wind turbines, the system, according to materials the company sent Green Prophet, does not depend on sunshine, cloud cover, or wind speed. Instead it harvests energy already being wasted every day when trucks brake, slow down, or roll through heavy infrastructure zones.

“Roads are everywhere. Traffic is everywhere. What was previously wasted energy can now be transformed into clean electricity through REPS,” said Alfons Huber, founder and CEO of REPS. The old dream of piezoelectric roads is coming true.

Around 15 years ago, Green Prophet covered piezoelectric energy systems embedded beneath roads and sidewalks. The theory was elegant: when vehicles drive over specially designed materials, the pressure creates small electrical charges. Multiply that by thousands of cars a day and suddenly highways become power stations.

Israel was among the early experimenters. Tel Aviv explored pilot systems designed to capture the vibrations and weight of passing traffic. Similar trials emerged in Europe and Asia. The promise was enormous — roads that could light street lamps, power nearby infrastructure, or feed electricity back into the grid.

But the technology faced serious obstacles. Many piezoelectric systems produced only tiny amounts of electricity. Others wore down under heavy truck traffic. Some became too expensive to maintain once exposed to rain, heat, road salt, and constant vibration.

REPS argues that previous attempts failed because the converters themselves were inefficient and fragile. The company says its system “delivers 254x higher efficiency than the next-best alternative currently on the market.”

That is a bold claim, though one that will likely need long-term independent validation as deployments scale.

Hamburg becomes the first test case

The company’s first commercial installation has been running at the Port of Hamburg since November 2025. According to REPS, more than 115,000 trucks have already crossed the system, generating over 6,700 kWh of electricity.

The idea is simple in principle: Instead of laying entirely new roads, REPS installs modular systems directly into existing infrastructure, particularly in places where vehicles already slow down naturally: port entrances, loading areas, logistics hubs, toll areas, curves, or steep approaches.

In other words, the system works best where momentum is already being lost to braking traffic: “Where vehicles have to brake anyway, clean energy is recovered and can be used directly where we need it,” said Justin Karnbach, CEO of Hamburger Container Service GmbH.

That makes ports especially attractive. Heavy trucks create large mechanical forces, traffic patterns are predictable, and energy demand is concentrated nearby.

The bigger story may not be about roads alone: It is about retrofitting infrastructure rather than rebuilding it.

Most cities cannot afford to tear up roads entirely to create futuristic smart infrastructure. But modular systems that can be inserted into existing roads could potentially make energy harvesting more realistic financially.

REPS says a large rollout across Hamburg’s port roads could generate around 10 GWh annually, while a hypothetical deployment across Dubai could recover roughly 3.2 TWh per year.

Those projections remain theoretical for now. But the interest is real. The company says it is already in discussions with more than 90 port-related organizations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America.

One reason road-energy systems have struggled historically is climate. In northern countries, snow, ice, freeze-thaw cycles, and road salt can destroy delicate infrastructure beneath pavement. Any mechanical system embedded in roads must survive enormous pressure, moisture, corrosion, and temperature swings.

Ports like Hamburg are useful proving grounds precisely because they face harsh winters and heavy industrial traffic simultaneously.

Desert climates present a different challenge. Roads in places like Dubai or Saudi Arabia endure relentless UV radiation and extreme surface temperatures that can soften asphalt and stress electronics. That is why REPS’ emphasis on durability matters almost as much as efficiency. The company says its technology was designed to operate under “heavy traffic conditions for more than 20 years.”

If that proves true, the implications could be significant for Gulf countries already investing heavily in smart-city infrastructure.

Unlike solar farms, which require large land areas and cleaning regimes in dusty environments, road-harvesting systems could potentially piggyback on infrastructure cities already maintain.

Beyond the gold-plated supercar era of Dubai

There is also something symbolically interesting happening here. For years, Gulf car culture often revolved around spectacle: gold-plated Lamborghinis, chrome-wrapped Mercedes-Benz SUVs, fleets of exotic supercars baking beneath Dubai sun with cheetahs riding shotgun.

Now some of the same regions are becoming laboratories for infrastructure-scale sustainability experiments. Instead of merely celebrating traffic, the question becomes: can traffic itself produce value?

That shift mirrors broader changes happening across the Middle East, where governments are investing in energy transition projects, AI-driven infrastructure, desalination technology, and climate adaptation systems.

The road itself may be becoming part of the power grid.

Many road-energy concepts have looked promising in pilot phases only to stall under maintenance costs or real-world economics. But REPS is entering the market at a moment when cities and ports are under pressure to decarbonize rapidly without waiting decades for massive infrastructure rebuilds.

The company believes roads could become decentralized energy assets: “We spent six years developing the technology. Now the scaling phase begins,” said Huber.

Green Prophet has watched these ideas evolve for almost 20 years — from piezoelectric experiments in Tel Aviv to kinetic sidewalks that glow in Europe to now industrial-scale road harvesting in Hamburg.

But for the first time, the road-to-electricity concept appears to be moving beyond the science fair stage and into commercial freight infrastructure.

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A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York offers a striking insight into how the environments we are born into can quietly shape our brains years later. By analyzing naturally shed baby teeth, the ones tucked under pillows for the tooth fairy, researchers have reconstructed a detailed timeline of exposure to environmental metals during pregnancy and early infancy. What they found reads like a forensic map of vulnerability.

The study, published in Science Advances, followed children from the PROGRESS birth cohort in Mexico City, tracking them from the womb into adolescence. Using a laser-based technique, scientists were able to read the chemical composition of baby teeth much like tree rings: each layer revealing exposure to metals such as lead, manganese, zinc, and magnesium at specific developmental stages.

This approach allowed researchers to pinpoint not just what children were exposed to, but when, and timing, it turns out, is everything.

Two critical windows emerged as especially sensitive: the first between weeks 4 and 8 after birth, and the second between weeks 32 and 42. During these narrow periods, higher exposure to metal mixtures correlated with measurable differences in later brain structure, connectivity, and behavior.

Adolescents who had higher exposures during these windows showed increased symptoms linked to anxiety, attention challenges, and mood disorders.

Many of the metals studied—such as manganese, zinc, magnesium, and lead—are commonly encountered through food, drinking water, and the built environment.

“This study shows that when exposure happens matters just as much as what the exposure is,” said senior author Megan K. Horton, PhD, MPH, Professor, Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Our findings shift prevention from broad early-life exposure concerns to protecting children during specific high-risk windows.”

Lead author Elza Rechtman, PhD, Assistant Professor, Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, emphasized the broader environmental significance: “What surprised us most was how precisely these vulnerable windows emerged. Exposures occurring during just a few critical weeks—especially in early infancy—were linked to measurable differences in brain structure, connectivity, and behavior more than a decade later. These findings highlight how environmental policies that reduce metal exposure during pregnancy and infancy could have lifelong benefits for brain health.”

“The results suggest that environmental regulations and public health policies may need to focus more specifically on protecting pregnant people and infants from metal exposure in food, water, and housing,” added Dr. Arora.

This isn’t about a single toxin causing harm, the researchers note. Instead, it’s about a complex cocktail of everyday exposures: heavy metals found in food such as fish, water, and pesticides from the urban environments interacting with a developing brain at precisely the wrong moment. About 4% of children in the study showed behavioral scores in the clinical range, suggesting real-world implications for mental health.

Brain imaging backed this up. MRI scans revealed that early exposure was linked to changes in how different brain regions communicate, subtly rewiring that may only become visible years later in behavior or emotional regulation.

For researchers, this marks a shift toward what they call “precision environmental health.” Instead of broadly warning about early-life exposure, the goal is now to identify, and protect, the specific developmental windows when the brain is most at risk. It’s a more targeted, and potentially more actionable, way to think about prevention.

The researchers noted that simple steps that may help reduce exposure include:

• Ensuring safe drinking water
• Careful food preparation and sourcing
• Reducing exposure to known environmental metal sources

The implications ripple outward. For families, it reinforces the importance of reducing exposure to contaminants in water, food, and housing, especially during pregnancy and infancy. For clinicians, it suggests that environmental history should be part of how we understand long-term mental health risks. And for policymakers, it raises a sharper question: are current environmental regulations precise enough to protect the most vulnerable moments of human development?

In a warming, industrialized world where environmental exposures are shifting, this kind of research feels necessary. The idea that a few weeks of exposure early in life could echo across a decade reframes how we think about both risk and responsibility. How we help reduce exposure to toxins is another story.

A brief history: Mount Sinai as a Jewish hospital

Mount Sinai Hospital in New York was founded in 1852 by members of the city’s German Jewish community as the “Jews’ Hospital,” created to serve Jewish immigrants who often faced discrimination in existing medical institutions. It quickly became a center not only for care but for medical training and innovation, open to all regardless of background. Over time, it expanded into one of the leading academic medical centers in the United States, shedding its sectarian name but retaining its roots in community care, social justice, and scientific leadership, which are values that continue to shape its research today.

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In the shimmering heat of the world’s great deserts, from Saudi Arabia’s Rub’ al Khali (the Empty Quarter) to the sands outside Abu Dhabi, lies a paradox. These landscapes bask in uninterrupted sunshine yet remain under-leveraged in the global renewable economy. The stumbling blocks to starting solar projects are rarely physical: the sun blazes. The hurdles are administrative, financial, and usually bureaucratic. As we’ve learned from Ipanema some 80-90% of renewable projects fail due to unforeseen, high grid connection costs, which Astro’s AI identifies upfront.

The company secures grid interconnection agreements, then sells these de-risked, shovel-ready projects to larger energy companies who can immediately start construction.

How? Astro, based in Silicon Valley uses artificial intelligence to map, acquire, and ready land for utility-scale clean energy build-out, then sell these “plug-and-play” sites to developers hungry for opportunity but infuriated by paperwork.

Astro’s pitch sounds almost too simple to be disruptive because if the biggest barrier to solar and wind isn’t physics but red tape, what if you solved the red tape first? The company’s machine-learning models ingest satellite imagery, grid maps, land-use data, and localized weather forecasts to pinpoint parcels that are ideal for renewables — not just sunny or windy, but grid-connectable, low-conflict, and low-cost.

Once a site is selected, Astro negotiates land access, coordinates environmental assessments, and aligns utility interconnection agreements, all the elements that typically take years.

For oil-rich, environmentally vigilant Gulf states, this isn’t just another startup story. It is a blueprint for accelerating an energy transition that is now existential, not optional. Regionally, governments have set ambitious targets such Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 (which is most likely going to fail from poor planning and the dropping cost of oil) and the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategy among them — but the execution often collides with an analog world of forms, approvals, and human inertia. Astro’s model turns that world digital, algorithmic, and fast.

Now imagine applying Astro-style intelligence to water resources, wind energy, and even remediation of damaged lands. They could help us map out where to put greenhouses and towns of the future. They can plan cities not based on a feeling but on opportunities.

In arid environments, the scarcity of freshwater supplies is as pressing as the need for clean power. By layering hydrological data onto the same AI platform that identifies prime solar sites, planners could locate aquifer recharge zones, optimize placement for desalination projects powered by renewables, and reduce the energy footprint of water distribution.

Wind isn’t far behind. Coastal zones of the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea present compelling offshore and onshore wind potential. The same technology that pinpoints grid access for solar can model turbine wakes and logistics corridors, dramatically shortening the time from concept to construction.

And then there’s the elephant in the room: the environmental damage left in the wake of fossil extraction. You don’t have to look far for a cautionary tale — the soil and water crises around Basra’s oil fields which we wrote about last month, have made headlines and sickened communities. While Astro doesn’t sell cleanup services, the implication of its approach is clear: when you can map the viability of a clean project with precision, you can also map the liabilities. That opens the door for investors and sovereign wealth funds to bundle renewable investment with environmental remediation in blended finance vehicles.

Astro is founded by Alex Fuster. He is a Stanford-trained physicist and computer scientist and former energy trader at Citadel, he built Astro after seeing how predictable grid congestion data is overlooked by traditional developers. Astro is part of Y Combinator and is starting business development in Texas. Astro Energy closed a pre-seed funding round of about $500 K in April 2025, with participation from Y Combinator.

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Express your green views for all to see – right on the walls of your house, restaurant or office. It’s the hottest trend in urban agriculture, after hydroponics and vertical farming.

This way you can follow the customization trend and literally green your walls: create whimsically-shaped words and images out of live moss to decorate your outside walls.

The environmentally-conscious gardener adapts to the climate, as Jordan did with its brown golfing greens. Still, it’s not all arid desert and sand in the Middle East. Many countries here contain hilly, wooded areas where damp winters allow enough moisture for moss to thrive.

Related: make your own sugar wax

An underestimated garden ornamental, moss requires no fertilizers nor even watering after its established, making it a sustainable house decoration. Here’s the way to encourage the velvety green stuff to grow just the way you want it to.

Old buildings are ideal for this, especially those standing in damp, shady corners. You could leave a message of love, or a rant on life, or express political opinions in living moss. Or if you’re into The Lord of the Rings, write a graceful green rune in Elvish to cast a spell over those who might wander into your garden. It needn’t be limited to walls: moss being a tough, resistant plant, a living green message could also decorate a footpath.

According to the National Gardening Association, moss thrives in shady, moist, sheltered areas. It likes  filtered light, such as that falling through tree branches, and morning or late afternoon sun.

You need to either collect moss from an established patch (search your own or a friend’s garden) or buy some from a specialized garden center. Take it into your kitchen.

Moss Graffiti – What you need to DIY

1 can of beer

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Several clumps of garden moss

Tools for making moss graffiti

Recycled plastic container with lid

Blender

Paintbrush

Stencil with your design

Crumble the moss into the blender. Add the beer and sugar and blend just long enough to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Now pour the mixture into the plastic container.

Paint the moss blend onto a damp and shady wall, either free-hand or using a stencil. Water the new moss at regular intervals for the first month. Be gentle – don’t aim a hose at it, because that would wash it away.  And don’t fertilize; moss doesn’t like a rich environment. Soon the bits of blended moss should begin to grow together into a whole rooted mass. You’ll need to trim excess away once it begins to grow and stray out of your design area – or just let it go to become a green tapestry on your garden wall.

Got moss graffiti growing?

Now, read on for the world’s oldest terrarium here! 

Or how to grow an olive tree in a container. It’s easy! 

The post Make moss graffiti appeared first on Green Prophet.

? BEER: Did you know that beer can be greenified? Green ingredients such as matcha and spirulina have hit the international market. Spirulina, a blue-green algae superfood packed with protein, copper, and B vitamins, in particular is growing in popularity among international brewers. RedDot Brewhouse, located next to the Singapore Botanical Gardens, offers a spirulina-infused lager.

Japan’s Okhotsk Brewery created the highly popular Okhotsk Blye Ryuhyo Draft with unique local ingredients including spirulina.

? SLÁINTE!  Like so many people across the world, the Irish say “Health” to toast to one another’s well-being. Try this nutrient-packed six-seed soda bread to moderate your libations.

? SHAMROCK:  Four-leaf clovers are believed to occur every one in one thousand. For a shot at finding one of these rare shoots, consider cultivating a clover lawn. Decimated by the herbicide revolution in the mid-twentieth century, clover lawns are making a comeback as a sustainable alternative or addition to turfgrass. They are heat and drought-tolerant, able to thrive in partial shade, and attractive to pollinators.

? LEPRECHAUN:  Leprechauns are often depicted as cobblers. Ireland’s shoe-making traditions are increasingly innovative; Sampla is a sustainable Irish footwear brand pioneering designs made with vegan leather formed from apple waste.

? RAINBOW:  Check out these rainbow-wrapped pencils that are wood and plastic-free, using recycled paper instead. Eco-conscious retailer Friendsheep makes multicolor pom pom coasters out of natural wool.

? GOLD:  E-waste is glittering on the economic horizon after Cornell University researchers developed a non-toxic method for extracting 99.9 percent of gold from recycled electronic waste. As an added bonus, the process catalyzes carboxylation, or converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds.

The post Going green with Saint Patrick’s Day iconography appeared first on Green Prophet.

I hate to buy new things and prefer vintage finds. But when it comes to a travel backpack, it’s wise to have something new and dependable. As an owner of the Cotopaxi Allpa 42L Travel Pack in light blue, priced at $250, I can confidently say it’s one of the best travel bags I’ve ever had. The design is both functional and stylish, with a suitcase-style opening that makes packing and organizing effortless. The internal compartments and mesh pockets keep everything in place, and I love the addition of a stretchable water bottle pocket and a luggage pass-through strap—it just makes traveling so much smoother.

One of the things I love most about this backpack is the color. The vibrant mix of blues and subtle color accents gives it a unique, personal feel—like it was made just for me. It’s not just another generic bag; it has character, and that makes me want to keep it for a long time. And that, in itself, is a form of sustainability—buying something you truly love and want to keep instead of replacing it frequently.

Related: how to pack your bags with the planet in mind

Beyond aesthetics, the sustainability aspect is a huge plus. Cotopaxi was founded by Davis Smith, an entrepreneur passionate about using business as a force for good. Inspired by his childhood in Latin America, where he saw both the beauty of nature and the struggles of poverty, he created Cotopaxi with a mission to give back. As a Certified B Corporation, Cotopaxi meets high social and environmental standards, ensuring that their products make a positive impact.

The Allpa 42L is made from 100% recycled polyester and repurposed nylon, reducing waste and keeping materials out of landfills. The company also focuses on fair labor practices by partnering with factories that ensure safe working conditions and fair wages for workers. Their Del Día collection uses leftover fabric from other companies’ production runs, preventing textile waste and creating one-of-a-kind designs. Cotopaxi also prioritizes carbon neutrality, offsetting emissions through environmental projects.

Related: wearable luggage ideas to beat Wizzair overcharges

Additionally, their Gear for Good initiative donates a portion of revenue to poverty alleviation, education, and environmental conservation efforts, particularly in underserved communities. Knowing that my purchase supports not just sustainability but also global humanitarian efforts makes me feel even better about this backpack.

Overall, the Cotopaxi Allpa 42L isn’t just a backpack—it’s a long-term travel companion. Between its durability, smart design, ethical production, and the personal connection I feel with its colors and craftsmanship, I know this is a bag I’ll cherish for years.

And because it’s made with sustainability in mind, I can travel knowing my purchase supports both the planet and the people who make these amazing bags.

:: Cotopaxi

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The Conference is organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) with the support of Host Expo 2023 Doha Qatar and Headline Sponsor Biblo. Prominent speakers from around the world will present on the Conference theme of ‘city greening solutions for arid environments’.

In the opening session, AIPH is pleased to welcome Prof David Simon, Professor of Development Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. Prof Simon’s research focuses on cities, climate change and sustainability, and the relationships between development theory, policy and practice. His recent book ‘Sustainable Human Settlements within the Global Urban Agenda’ explores the dynamics of the UN’s SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities – and how it is understood in different regional and national contexts. This opening presentation will showcase Prof Simon’s work with Earthna on arid cities.

The second speaker in the opening session is Kishor Rajhansa, Chief Operating Officer of the Global Carbon Council (GCC). Based in Qatar, Mr Rajhansa is a climate change, energy, and sustainability leader with 28 years of experience. He is responsible for operating GCC, a carbon-offsetting programme that assists organisations in reducing their carbon footprint. This is achieved by developing stringent but simplified standards and establishing transparent certification processes.

During the second session, the Conference will focus on local and regional initiatives that combat challenges that arise in desert cities. Founder and Chair of the Society of Sustainability & Green Materials (SSGM), Dr Ali Al Jassim will present the non-profit’s work to raise awareness and improve knowledge sharing in sustainability, green materials, and circular economy in the UAE. The Society’s work involves supporting the development of policies and regulations that advance these goals.

Joining Dr Al Jassim in this session is Jala Makhzoumi, Vice President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) and Acting President of IFLA Middle East. In her presentation, Ms Makhzoumi will motivate the focus of greening to go beyond the physical space to embrace intangible processes and consider perceptual and emotional perspectives of urban nature. Through this, an enduring stewardship of natural resources in cities and globally can be achieved. Dr Saeed Alhassan Alkhazraji continues the theme of caring for natural resources to describe innovative research for solving water issues using nature. Technologies developed at Manhat produce water by mimicking the natural water cycle.

The issues faced by arid cities are not unique. In the afternoon session of the Conference, speakers from other regions will present the living green solutions being employed to combat shared issues. Speakers will showcase the initiatives being employed to mitigate urban heat in Asia, re-naturing cities through nature-based solutions, and how AI can offer easy access to nature data.

Conference speakers include:

• Prof. David Simon, Professor of Development Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, and author of ‘Sustainable Human Settlements within the Global Urban Agenda’
• Kishor Rajhansa, Chief Operating Officer, Global Carbon Council
• Dr Ali Al Jassim, Chair of the Society of Sustainability & Green Materials (SSGM)
• Jala Makhzoumi, Vice President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) and Acting President of IFLA Middle East
• Huda Shaka, Director of Urban Strategy and Planning, Gehl
• Dr Saeed Alhassan Alkhazraji, Founder, Manhat
• Dr Mario V Balzan, Senior Lecturer at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), and Managing Director at Ecostack Innovations
• Diane Lee, Media Relations Manager – Asia Region, AIPH
• Thomas Gooch – Founder/CEO of Office of Planetary Observations (OPO)

On the second day of the Conference, on 6th March 2024, delegates will visit key green city sites in the Doha municipality. For more information about the speakers and the program, and to book your place at this inspiring meeting, visit the AIPH Website.

The post Doha conference to showcase urban greening in arid climates appeared first on Green Prophet.

Greening your life, doesn’t require you to overhaul your house.There are small ways you can green your kitchen and your bathroom; we’ve even started a series for greening your baby. Let’s take a look at the bedroom.

When John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded the song Give Peace a Chance from their hotel bedroom in Montreal during a 10-day honeymoon bed-in, it was hardly random that they chose their sleeping quarters as the place to launch their political campaign against war: “We are just looking for a little peace,” John wrote in a song about that time.

For usual folk, the bedroom is a room set aside for life’s most intimate moments – which includes the obvious, plus sleeping, dressing, reading and even working (if you have a laptop).

Times have changed since Lennon and Ono started their not-so-private revolution in the bedroom. The spirit of activism has changed too. Today each of us knows that to stay healthy and keep the planet green, every one of us needs to nurture and develop our own inner-activist.

And the bedroom, where we spend at least one-third of our time, is a great place to start a mini-green revolution.

Some studies have shown that people are more exposed to toxins and nasty chemicals inside the house than on city streets. For that reason it is wise to make sure that if you are about to purchase sheets, furniture or mattresses you look into ones that are low emitters of formaldehyde and other chemicals and glues.

Stores around the world, many of which sell through the Internet, can supply you with non-emitting natural paints and thinners to help you create soft and clean walls that don’t interfere with your bodily processes as it slumbers off into the night. And if you can recommend any to buy in Israel, please post them in the comments section.

Entering dreamland and consolidating our daily experiences into memory are two very important processes that occur in the bedroom. And research has shown that our state of sleep today is much different than it was for our ancestors just a century ago, says sleep expert William Dement, M.D., Ph.D., of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center in The Promise of Sleep (Delacorte Press, 1999).

Our great-great grandparents slept on average 1.5 hours more per night, he says.

Before the advent of the electric light bulb, our ancestors drifted off not long after the setting sun and rose with the cock’s crow in the morning. Today, busy days and unhealthy sleeping environments mean that we often don’t have enough sleep.

“If you can see your hand after the lights are turned out, your bedroom is too light,” says Carol Venolia, a US-based ecological architect who has written the book, Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House published in June 2006.

Scientists warn, Venolia explained, that if there is too much light in your bedroom, cast from streetlights, light from the bathroom etcetera, melatonin production in our bodies is disturbed which can lead to irritability and long-term health problems.

Consider soft lighting in your bedroom and avoid checking emails just before you plan to doze off. Even the strong light from the screen can give your body a jolt of light, and can have the same effect as drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee just before bed.

Houseplants can aid to your peace of mind and ones like cheese plants don’t just produce oxygen, they filter out a lot of pollutants and toxins.

(Other toxins to avoid are mothballs, used in closets to prevent moths from chewing your wool sweaters. Instead use cedar chips, rosemary, mint and peppercorns, added to cedar oil. Stored in your cupboard, it will keep the moths at bay.)

Pay attention to the design in your room. You want to be given the feeling of being cradled and protected when sleeping. Avoid clutter and bright colours. The Waldorf or anthroposophic movement has some great color schemes to play with.

Feng Shui experts have known this for some time. They also say to face your bed towards a door and away from drafts of the window. A strong headboard behind you is necessary for absorbing negative energies.

Nader Khalili, a visionary architect from Iran, now in California, builds “bedwombs” in his home. He digs out small shells from the side walls of his naturally crafted homes – shells that are big and deep enough for someone to sleep inside.

“It is just like a pouch that becomes a bedwomb,” he says in an online interview.

“I see them as bedwombs,” says Khalili, “because they are more in line with our own bodies. They are organic forms. You don’t see any straight lines in your body, all these angles and forms, and so on. Somewhere along the way the history of humans became very square, angular!”

While not all of us have the desire, time or resources to build a “Khalili bedwomb,” there are still some basic and necessary things to do, in order to keep the bedroom a healthy and protected environment.

Sleep as far away as possible from the noise of the street and from electric equipment that makes noise or emits electromagnetic radiation.

Experts say that keeping the heat down in the bedroom (to 65 degrees Fahrenheit) is healthier than jacking up the radiator. Avoid the use of electric blankets and excessive heat that you don’t really need and the planet will thank you.

Also consider using energy-saving bulbs. They will keep your energy bills low and can last up to 12 times longer than the conventional bulbs.

Choose some natural looking pottery elements to fill in some gentle corners of your room.

How does your bed feel? Is it comfortable? Watch out for dust mites and mold. Keep the room clean, fold down the sheets on your bed so it can air out and clean your duvet and blankets every six months to get rid of skin scales and house dust mite faeces.

Some colour theorists believe that soothing colours will help put your body into a sleepy frame of mind. Lavender, blue, or light green are among the most popular.

In the morning, take it slow and let yourself awaken gradually with the sun. (Eco Rabbi might say different, because the Torah says one should awake like a lion!)

The post The green guide to eco mattresses and greening your bedroom appeared first on Green Prophet.

The post Curating 50 Good, Green Reads for a Sustainable Planet appeared first on Green Prophet.

Abdalla Almulla’s vision transcends the borders of the UAE, finding resonance in the practices of craftsmen in the Middle East who have long recognized the versatility of palm trees.

The intricate weaving of palm fronds into leaf mats, a prominent feature in the pavilion’s ceilings, gives shade, beauty and comfort unlike plastic which breaks down quickly in the hot sun, you can see palm structures stand for decades, with parts replaced as needed.

The bark-clad trunks acting as pillars in the pavilion echo the structural elements found in historic Egyptian furniture, showcasing a harmonious blend of modern design and ancient craft.

Moreover, Almulla’s choice to use palm wood for furniture pieces within the circular pavilion aligns with the region’s age-old tradition of creating durable and elegant pieces from this readily available material. Darker wood panels form stools and display cases, emphasizing the enduring appeal of palm-based creations. Locals in the Middle East know how strong palm wood fibres are. Car accidents with palm trees tend to be more fatal than hitting a regular deciduous tree.

Almulla’s “Of Palm” pavilion in Dubai, pays homage to the shared heritage of palm tree. It serves as a contemporary reminder of the sustainable design principles deeply rooted in the history of furniture-making in the region.

As we celebrate the convergence of sustainable architecture and traditional craftsmanship, the story of palm tree furniture extends beyond the pavilion’s temporary existence. It intertwines with the narratives of local artisans, weaving a tapestry that spans centuries, connecting the past with a future where sustainable practices continue to shape the world of design.

If you love the look and possibilities of palm, Arish is a great book by Sanda Piesik to explore. She is also the editor of Habitat. In Arish she features traditional buildings made from palm which are called arish in some Middle East regions. These structures have provided shelter from the extreme climate of the Arabian peninsula for generations. Just as bamboo is central to many forms of Asian vernacular constructions, so is palm leaf in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and surrounding countries.

::MULA

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