Cities

Luxury tower in Jerusalem ruins its sacred heritage and eco-architects are worried

Critics of a new set of luxury towers including Israeli-Greek architect Elias Mesinas, warn that the scale of the towers, loss of public green space, and creeping luxury-led gentrification risk undermining Jerusalem’s historic skyline, community fabric, and long-standing planning principles — raising a fundamental question: not whether Jerusalem should densify, but how it can do so responsibly while preserving what makes the city unique.

Oil pollution in Basrah’s soil is 1,200% higher than it should be

Soil pollution levels in parts of Basra are 1,200% to 3,300% higher than those typically measured in cities like Toronto or New York, according to new comparative soil data. It's getting into water.

Explore Balat in Istanbul for a perfect day of coffee, cats, and second-hand clothing shops

Balat is not a neighborhood you would visit in the standard tour to Istanbul. If you want a real taste of Istanbul and the people who live there, wander around a smaller craftsman, artisan, coffee shops and second hand clothing shops on cobblestone streets in the neighborhood of Balat.

Rent a living Christmas tree in California

You can go to a site or go online, order the tree and pick it up or if if possible have it delivered. A live tree doesn't shed needles after a few weeks and it's obviously the ecological choice to cutting down millions of 7 to 15 year old trees every year.

5 Eco-Friendly Upgrades That Let You Charge More Rent

 When you “go green,” you’re actually building pricing power. By offering tenants amenities and appliances that save money while providing comfort, you’re delivering the kind of value tenants won’t hesitate to pay more for. That means shorter vacancies, faster lease signings, and higher profits.

The little known nuclear testing sites used by France in Algeria’s Sahara Desert

More than sixty years after France’s nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara, radiation still lingers in the sand. At Reggane and In Ekker, plutonium traces remain where underground detonations vented into the open air. The sites were never fully decontaminated after France’s withdrawal in 1966. Algeria now monitors them with help from the International Atomic Energy Agency, but vast areas remain off-limits to herders and researchers.

Top-Quality Building Supplies in Nashville at Decks & Docks

Decks & Docks in Nashville, Tennessee, is a trusted source for premium marine construction materials, offering a wide range of products for homeowners, contractors,...

Why New York Climate Week Isn’t Boring — and 5 Fun Things You Can Do to Make It Yours

Climate Week isn’t just for CEOs and policymakers. It’s a chance for anyone to plug in, whether you’re attending an official showcase or just biking to work with a few friends. Fun and climate action aren’t opposites — they feed each other. And when you connect with community, food, music, or nature, you realize: this is what the future can look like.

Fine-particle pollution is now directly tied to Lewy body dementia

A new peer-reviewed study in Science connects long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with higher risk of Lewy body dementia (LBD) in a dataset of 56.5 million US Medicare records, and backs it up with animal experiments that show PM2.5 triggers toxic α-synuclein clumps — the protein aggregates that define LBD. 

Ancient mud buildings in the Muslim world are spectacular and sustainable

Other notable mud structures in the wider Muslim world include the Bob Dioulasso Grand Mosque in Burkina Faso, and the Khiva Wall in Uzbekistan, which is built around a collection of Islamic schools and mosques. The Siwa Oasis in Egypt (which we visited and posted about here) and the Eastern Castle in Syria have also employed mud bricks in their construction, and research shows that the famous walls of Jericho were built using sun-dried mud bricks.

Saudi Arabia digitizes 100,000 trees in new online tree library

Starting with the first 10,000 trees along Al Khobar’s southern and northern corniches, waterfront zones, and main thoroughfares, the project will expand city‑wide. It sets a foundation for integrating green infrastructure, citizen engagement, and sustainable tourism—an urban ecosystem that’s both cultivated and tracked through smart tech.

Rewilding the Suburb: Lagoon Valley’s Profound Plan for Conservation Community in California–– An Interview with Developer Curt Johansen

Lagoon Valley developers have set aside a remarkable 85% of its total land for open space, trails, and protected habitats—a rare move in an era of unchecked development. This isn’t just a nod to green space; it’s a full embrace of a conservation community model, where nature isn’t a backdrop but a partner.

Iran is sinking in sinkholes from overwatering

What's that sinking feeling? In Iran, the very ground under your feet may drop away. The issue here isn’t war. The issue is land subsidence, a...

What We Carry Preparing for a Cross-Country Move with Ease

Learn how to prepare for a cross-country move with ease and reduce moving stress

Would You Live In These 10 Regions of California?

California has always been known for big dreams and bold lifestyles. From sunny beaches to scenic mountains, buzzing cities to peaceful suburbs, every corner of the state offers something a little different and a lot to love.

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HelloFresh’s pride prepping ad raises a bigger question: we are we still outsourcing dinner?

The backlash against HelloFresh's Pride Month marketing campaign has sparked a wider conversation about food, labor, sustainability, and whether consumers should reconnect with local farmers, butchers, and home gardens instead of relying on subscription meal kits.

Regenerative Wool or Greenwashing? Zentera Responds to Critics

Zentera responds to questions about ZQ wool, animal welfare, regenerative farming, ethical fashion and the fallout from PETA's New Zealand investigation.

The Ocean’s Hidden ‘Dark Web’ Is Being Fished Before Scientists Understand It

Deep below the ocean's surface, in a dimly lit region known as the twilight zone, millions of fish are being caught every year. Scientists say the consequences are largely unknown.

Barnacle glue could fix coral reefs, inspire new advances in building and medicine

Aalto University researchers create a protein-based adhesive inspired by barnacles and mussels that works underwater and could aid coral reef restoration.

Jaakko Torvinen finds that the next green building revolution is misfit trees

Crooked, forked and curved trees are often treated as second-class timber. They are considered less valuable, and not suitable for load bearing walls or support systems in building. If a tree trunk is not straight enough to become a saw log, it is frequently diverted into pulp production or burned for energy. Now, new research from Aalto University could help change that.

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HelloFresh’s pride prepping ad raises a bigger question: we are we still outsourcing dinner?

The backlash against HelloFresh's Pride Month marketing campaign has sparked a wider conversation about food, labor, sustainability, and whether consumers should reconnect with local farmers, butchers, and home gardens instead of relying on subscription meal kits.

Regenerative Wool or Greenwashing? Zentera Responds to Critics

Zentera responds to questions about ZQ wool, animal welfare, regenerative farming, ethical fashion and the fallout from PETA's New Zealand investigation.

The Ocean’s Hidden ‘Dark Web’ Is Being Fished Before Scientists Understand It

Deep below the ocean's surface, in a dimly lit region known as the twilight zone, millions of fish are being caught every year. Scientists say the consequences are largely unknown.

Barnacle glue could fix coral reefs, inspire new advances in building and medicine

Aalto University researchers create a protein-based adhesive inspired by barnacles and mussels that works underwater and could aid coral reef restoration.

Jaakko Torvinen finds that the next green building revolution is misfit trees

Crooked, forked and curved trees are often treated as second-class timber. They are considered less valuable, and not suitable for load bearing walls or support systems in building. If a tree trunk is not straight enough to become a saw log, it is frequently diverted into pulp production or burned for energy. Now, new research from Aalto University could help change that.

Black fathers live longer than non-fathers, new study

Researchers found that fatherhood was associated with lower rates of early death among Black men, while early fatherhood was linked to poorer long-term health outcomes.

Dan Zaslavsky’s energy tower dream is rising again in Iran and China

The Energy Tower idea never made the leap from drawings and engineering studies to full-scale construction. But nearly two decades after most people stopped talking about it, the concept is quietly evolving in two unexpected places: China and Iran. The concept let dreamers dream and doers do - figuring out more pleasing designs and engineering.

A visit to Amirim, Israel’s first all-vegetarian village in the Galilee

Just 15 kilometers from Tzfat there is a moshav that was founded in the late 50s that was ideologically influenced by organic, vegetarian and vegan principles. My hostess at Ohn-Bar, the tzimmer where I stayed, explained that the people of Amirim were among the pioneers of Israel’s strong vegetarian movement.
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