My country is planning to build a zero-waste, zero-carbon, car-less city in the desert.
Famous for a history of development that triumphs over nature -- so much so that it transformed a desert strip into a place known for greenery and parkland -- the region's latest grand development project is for what is billed as the world's first carbon-neutral city, a community that will eventually house 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses near the emirate's airport.
Designed by British architect Norman Foster, the plans for Masdar -- Arabic for "the source" -- feature low-rise buildings with solar panels on their roofs, unlike the skyscrapers of the United Arab Emirates' capital just down the road. Much of Masdar's electricity will be generated through solar power, which will drive the cooling systems and a desalination plant producing fresh water. At present, sunshine in Abu Dhabi is an ignored resource -- it is only used to power parking meters.
The United Arab Emirates, of which Abu Dhabi is the capital, emits more pollution per head than any other country, according to a World Wildlife Fund report of October, 2006.
In addition to Masdar, Abu Dhabi plans to build the world's largest hydrogen-generated power plant, with 500 megawatts of capacity. The Louvre Abu Dhabi will be housed in a futuristic building, designed by star architect Jean Nouvel, who also designed the Institute du Monde Arab in Paris.
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