Green Options

Unlike Venice, which was built in the middle ages, modern cities have key electrical infrastructure at ground level and below, making it almost impossible to inhabit a modern city with skyscrapers submerged up to the first or second floor.

A US-based company has successfully tested a revolutionary solar panel that is expected to cut the costs of photovoltaic solar power generation by more than 50 per cent, and herald a new era of improved efficiency and lower production costs of solar energy globally.

The panel, known as the Alubond Solar Collector Panel (SCP), was created by American Building Technologies, a subsidiary of the UAE-based multinational group Mulk Holdings. Commenting on the breakthrough, a spokesman for Mulk said, “We hope the success of this project will lead to an upsurge in the development of more solar energy plants, which will not only lessen the strain on existing energy resources, but also severely reduce the pollution levels that are currently witnessed in power generation.”

Iran is on its way to having nuclear energy, but the United Arab Emirates may get there first. Yesterday, the UAE embassy in Washington announced that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to sign a nuclear cooperation pact with the country.  The UAE agreed to numerous conditions for Rice’s approval, including inspections from the International Atomic Energy Agency and a ban on building uranium enrichment plants.

Most of the time here at Cleantechnica, we report on important technical advances and breakthroughs that help mankind to reduce its harmful impact on the environment. Once in a while though, a tech story emerges that highlights how willfully unconcerned some people are with the green issues that worry the rest of us.

The latest news from Dubai falls squarely into the latter category. It seems that planners in the Arab state have stumbled on the great idea of creating a fully refrigerated beach so that tourists don’t burn their feet. From late next year, guests at the exclusive Palazzo Versace hotel will enjoy private access to the beach, situated next to the main building.