The big commitments, campaigns and collaborations at GCAS

What’s swirling at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco?

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The big commitments, campaigns and collaborations at GCAS

Cities grab for the steering wheel on urban mobility issues

San Francisco’s decision to limit its scooter program signals the need for more attention to safety and equitable access.

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Cities grab for the steering wheel on urban mobility issues

The road to eliminating fluorinated chemicals in food packaging

Consumers, purchasers and scientists all want a safer alternative — and collaboration can get us there.

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The road to eliminating fluorinated chemicals in food packaging

Global Climate Action Summit: A business preview

Five themes, hundreds of events. Inside the upcoming San Francisco extravaganza.

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Global Climate Action Summit: A business preview

Behind the scenes: How Mars sources renewable energy

Here’s how the M&Ms maker is taking a bite out of its emissions.

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Behind the scenes: How Mars sources renewable energy

Electric scooter networks charge up as Scoot drives into Barcelona

San Francisco’s home-grown e-scooter startup is headed over to moped-loving Spain.

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Electric scooter networks charge up as Scoot drives into Barcelona

Toward a playbook for public-private partnerships

Here’s a tool for building sustainable cities, whether in Charlotte or Detroit, San Francisco or New York City and beyond.

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Toward a playbook for public-private partnerships

Solar-powered Noe Hill Smarthome is an eco-friendly dream in San Francisco

The LEED Platinum -certified Noe Hill Smart Ecohome marries state-of-the-art green technology and the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that urban dwellers dream about. The house, designed by EAG Studio , creates a healthy living environment with plenty of natural light, native plant gardens, rain catchment, solar power and a bevy of smart features to optimize power use. The house occupies a coveted site near the crest of the Collingwood hill in San Francisco . It spans three levels and comprises 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths (with 3 bedrooms ensuite on the upper floor), media room, gym, flexible use 2-room guest suite, an open main level floor plan, 4 distinct outdoor living areas and 2-car independent parking. Related: Sunset’s Green Dream Home in San Francisco The dramatic vistas open up from the main living room and dining area connected to a sunny deck and a landscaped garden. The garden features drought-tolerant , native plantings. Retractable glass doors in the kitchen open directly to the deck and enhances the experience of the indoor-outdoor lifestyle. A sculptural staircase leads to the upper level and receives natural light from the skylight above. The bedrooms occupy the upper floor, with the luxurious master suite openning to its own view deck ideal for a morning cup of coffee or casual lounging. The staircase leads further up toward the roof deck with multiple dining and lounging areas perfect for entertaining guests. Related: San Francisco’s Solar “Mission: House” is a High-Tech Marvel A rainwater harvesting system captures most of the roof/surface water for landscaping irrigation. All exterior walls are insulated and optimized for energy efficiency, while a solar array provides renewable energy for the building. These systems, along with LED lighting , occupancy sensors and the use of reclaimed building materials make this building a modern and truly eco-friendly home. + Noe Hill Leed Home + EAG Studio

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Solar-powered Noe Hill Smarthome is an eco-friendly dream in San Francisco

Hundreds of mysterious stone structures discovered near ancient volcanoes in Saudi Arabia

Professor David Kennedy of the University of Oxford just discovered hundreds of mysterious structures near ancient lava domes in Saudi Arabia. Using Google Earth , Kennedy found approximately 400 stone walls that are believed to be more than 9,000 years old. Because the structures appear similar to others found in the Middle East , they have been dubbed “gates” The mysterious gates are located in the western Harrat Khaybar region of the country. According to the Bedouin, a nomadic group of Arab people, they were the “Works of the Old Men.” While there are similarities between the newly-discovered gates and others in the country, there are notable differences, as well. For instance, the gates Kennedy discovered are larger (the longest measures more than half a kilometer, the shortest is just 13 meters) and the space between them varies. Some are “almost touching” while others are “miles apart,” reports The Independent . Kennedy told Newsweek , “It is impossible at the moment to date these gates except relatively. I have argued in the article that they are the earliest of the so-called ‘Works of the Old Men’, the stone-built structures found widely in Arabia from northern Syria to Yemen , but especially common in the lava fields.” The “Old Men” are also credited with building “kites” – stone structures archaeologists say were used to catch migratory birds . They are found on top of the gates in other areas of the Middle East, signifying possible relationship. Said the Professor of archaeology, “The works known as Kites, which are certainly animal traps, may be as old as 9,000 years before present in some cases and there is one example of a kite overlying a gate. So Gates may be up to or more than 9,000 years old, which takes one back to the Neolithic .” Related: Large organic farm in Saudi Arabia switches to solar-powered irrigation Because the gates are situated on ancient lava domes (the volcanoes remain inactive), some of the structures bear traces of lava. This could prove a sufficient method to date the mysterious phenomenon. Kennedy’s findings will be published in an upcoming issue of Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy . Via The Independent Images via Wiley/Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy/Douglas Kennedy , Google Earth

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Hundreds of mysterious stone structures discovered near ancient volcanoes in Saudi Arabia

Here’s how cities can go completely renewable

A new handbook offers advice to cities willing to make the leap to join Frankfurt, Vancouver, San Francisco and more than 300 others in the transition to clean energy.

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Here’s how cities can go completely renewable

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