One day, one color – NYC’s annual extravaganza
Union Square in Manhattan breeds political, cultural, and environmental events that often spill over into neighborhoods around the square. For the past six years, in mid-October, the public and historic intersection has hosted rows of white tents with green flags for the city’s largest annual green event, “New Green City.” Low-impact lifestyle Born out of...
Blowing in the wind – Lebanon’s alternative energy future hangs in the balance
On the morning of December 7, 2009, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams, wrote a statement following a meeting with Prime Minister Saad Hariri after the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. Williams wrote: “I think that Prime Minister Hariri has given a very good signal by attending the Summit and I very much...
Journey of the asteroids – one company’s plans to mind resources from outer space
Imagine that a company with enough funding and brain power sends armies of spacecraft to observe thousands of asteroids and then mine them. Planetary Resources, Inc, unveiled its plans in April to mine near-earth asteroids (NEAs) for raw materials, ranging from water to precious metals. The resource-rich asteroids will soon be accessible by cost-effective exploration...
A Capital Idea – Paris’s mayor is committed to green architecture
In presenting the 2010 budget for the City of Paris, Mayor Bertrand Delanoe spoke of his desire to turn Paris into a true “eco-capital”. His commitment to sustainable development has earned the French capital second place among the European metropolises in the “green cities” classification. Climate Plan This is largely thanks to the proposed Climate...
A Dilemma for New York
As a resident of New York for twenty years, I am concerned about hydrofracking. The New York Times has recently reported that the Department of Environmental Conservation is planning to approve the natural gas extraction drilling method in the state, though no decision has been made. Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat in his second year...
How oil’s benefits spill over to the fishing industry
Twenty miles off the coast of Louisiana’s Venice Marina, large fish swim around the gigantic legs of oil rigs. Barnacles, coral, and seaweed embrace the hefty concrete and steel that stretches close to three thousand feet along the Gulf of Mexico’s seabed. Dozens of fish and mammals nest in between the legs of the oil...
An impulse to make a statement
André Borschberg strapped himself to a single seat inside his aircraft, which is propelled only by solar energy, and took off from Brussels. He flew silently over Europe for twelve hours before landing safely in Paris in time for the largest international air show. “The Solar Impulse was not built to carry passengers, but to...
Louisiana’s losing game
On the sixth anniversary of the perfect storm that drowned more than two-thirds of New Orleans, and obliged over a million of its residents to evacuate overnight, gray clouds of smoke veil city blocks. A year ago, nearby marshlands dressed in coats of oil—thanks, BP!—coughed up billowing smoke as a result of a stubborn fire...
Inside Brazil’s slaughterhouse: The Amazon Rainforest
Among shaded patches of green broken by ribbons of brown river streams, the Manaus International Airport marks the Amazon Rainforest’s first pit stop. The capital city of Amazonas state lies at the mouth of the largest basin in the world. It is at its artery, Rio Negro, that illegal loggers, ambitious tourists, and founders of Sambazon—the...
From Kon-tiki to Plastiki
Designing a 60-foot catamaran using recycled plastic bottles is unimaginable for a sea voyage. However, a team of mostly British explorers, engineers, and environmentalists have pioneered a round-the-world expedition, using principles of sustainable design. The Plastiki concept took three years to conceive—on land. After reading a UNEP report, “Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Deep Waters and...
New York City is greening up its act
New York City is greening itself. From sustainable building designs and school programs to urban green space and waste byproducts, the Big Apple is greening its grid. As the city adapts to the new Gold Rush – engaging in sustainable practices and purchasing new technology – it should focus on long-term goals, and not just...
I created a monster – the beautiful kinetic beasts of Theo Jansen
The Dutch know Theo Jansen as the man who has spent two decades building beach animals. At the turn of the century, the international art community took notice of his enormous and complex skeletal creatures that were able to walk along beaches of the Netherlands. All they needed to survive was some wind power. Since...
