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https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5417842-trump-administration-cuts-green-energy/
Baobab Waterfall, Madagascar by Ahmad Eghtesad,
The island is rich in natural resources and unique biodiversity, yet severe energy shortages leave a vast majority of the population without electricity. This energy crisis contributes directly to economic hardship and rising crime rates, leading to severely overcrowded correctional facilities. This project seeks to address these interconnected crises through a radical architectural intervention that turns a societal challenge into a profound economic opportunity.
The core structural form of the complex is heavily inspired by the native Baobab tree, a national symbol of Madagascar known for its ability to store water and sustain life in the harshest environments. Mimicking the tree’s thick trunk and sprawling, protective canopy, the central building functions as a multi-story administrative and living hub rising high above the tropical landscape.
The floating design proposes a massive and continuous system of deep-ocean waterfalls, generating renewable electricity on a scale akin to natural wonders. By engineering a colossal, circular marine infrastructure, ocean water is funneled directly into subterranean turbines deep below the surface. This dual-function structure acts simultaneously as a highly efficient green power plant and a monument. The sweeping cascades protect a lush, palm-fringed central sanctuary from the open sea, creating a spectacular landmark designed to draw global eco-tourism.
Designed as an entry for the prestigious Jacques Rougerie Foundation competition.
With the American Southwest facing a drier future, cities from L.A. to Las Vegas are getting creative about wise water use.
From the article:
“We really kind of refer to this as our third aqueduct,” says John Bednarski, an interim assistant general manager at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — a powerful agency, as the largest wholesale provider of water in the nation and owner of the Colorado River Aqueduct. The “third aqueduct” Bednarski is referring to is not another man-made appendage stretching to the Colorado River Basin or into Northern California but rather a project that’s designed to stay local — and sustainable: Pure Water Southern California would recycle wastewater, treat it and produce 150 million gallons of water each day, accounting for about 10 percent of the agency’s local water demands, according to Bednarski. “So it’s going to be a major contributor,” he says. [...] The L.A. Department of Water and Power is pursuing a similar recycling project. And in 2022, 26 cities and wholesale water providers that pull from the Colorado River wrote a memorandum of understanding committing to focusing on water recycling and reuse. The signatories, including Metropolitan, often point to Las Vegas as a model for recycling wastewater to reduce its total Colorado River use and increase the amount of water available for use. Nevada has long faced scarcity; of all the states, it receives the smallest share of the river: just 1.8 percent of all the water rights. By treating and reusing nearly all of its indoor water, the Las Vegas water purveyor effectively uses the same water over and over, expanding its supply. Now Las Vegas officials, along with Arizona water managers, are looking to the Pure Water project to further shore up supplies on the Colorado River. Their thinking: If Metropolitan can reduce its Colorado River use, its unused water could flow to Nevada and Arizona, providing a needed boost in an era when there is little to spare. In that way, water recycling projects in one area can have consequences across watersheds."
ai is smart, but its carbon footprint is not cute
ai feels invisible because you only see the final answer on your screen, not the giant physical system running underneath it. every prompt relies on servers, cooling systems, power grids, rare metals, and nonstop energy use. ai may feel like vapor, but its environmental impact is very real.
ai uses a lot of resources because modern models are so large. training them can take weeks of nonstop computation. this requires electricity, water, hardware, and maintenance. even everyday use consumes meaningful energy because data centers must stay online at all times to respond to billions of requests.
researchers usually agree that ai’s carbon footprint comes from four main areas.
training is the most energy intensive part because the models need to process enormous amounts of data.
inference is the energy used every time someone asks a question or generates content. it is smaller per use but happens millions of times per day.
data centers generate heat and need huge amounts of water and electricity to stay functional, so cooling is required
chips require mining, metals, manufacturing, and shipping.
the energy impact depends heavily on where data centers are located. regions powered by fossil fuels create higher emissions, while regions with renewable energy lower the impact. water usage matters too because many cooling systems rely on evaporative cooling, which consumes large amounts of water each day. ai is not unique in this; streaming, gaming, and cloud storage also use these systems, but ai is growing fast enough to raise sustainability concerns.
carbon markets come into the picture as a tool governments and companies use to reduce emissions. a carbon market lets organizations buy and sell allowances for the amount of carbon they emit. when ai companies participate, it can push them to reduce energy use or switch to renewable sources in order to stay under emissions limits. carbon markets also raise funding for environmental projects that theoretically offset the emissions produced by training and running models. the challenge is that offsets do not always match real-world reductions, and not all carbon credits are equally effective.
making ai more sustainable is possible. there are several strategies researchers and companies are exploring.
designing smaller and more efficient models that require less computation.
powering data centers with renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.
building data centers in cooler climates to reduce the need for artificial cooling.
improving chip design so each unit uses less power during training and inference.
using liquid cooling systems that conserve water and energy.
requiring transparency reports so users know the environmental cost of the tools they rely on.
ai is not going away, so the goal is not to panic, but to optimize. the more aware people are of resource use, the more pressure there is for companies to choose greener options. sustainability is not just a tech problem but a systems problem. when engineers, policymakers, companies, and users all care about environmental impact, ai has a better chance of growing in a way that benefits people without harming the planet.
Monthly Good News Roundup for May! 🌷🩵
May has brought some a-MAY-zing good news our way! (Alright, not my strongest pun, I'll admit. 😅) Let's wrap up the month by taking a look at five uplifting news stories from May! 🌻🐝
1. ♻️ French and African leaders announced $11 billion for renewable energy across Africa!
Leaders of more than 30 African countries as well as executives from major companies gathered at a forum alongside the French-African Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, to unveil numerous renewable energy projects, ranging from sustainable aviation fuel to solar and wind energy initiatives. The investments coincide with numerous African countries looking to expand electricity access to millions of people while avoiding more fossil fuel-polluting pathways, seeking to tap into the continent’s solar, wind, and hydropower potential!
French and African leaders have announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments during the France-Africa Summit in Nairobi.
2. 🌳 Amazon deforestation is at an eight-year low!
Between August of 2025 and March of 2026, the number of deforested kilometers fell by 36% compared to the previous year, the lowest figure since 2018! States with historically high Amazon deforestation saw sharp reductions, and the largest Brazilian state, Amazonas, also saw deforestation decline. The decrease can be attributed to improved governmental responses to environmental protection, as well as changes in forest fire management — the trend, if continued, is a step in the right direction for the Amazon rainforest.
Despite a drop in the size of deforested areas, the number of wildfires in the region increased by more than 30 percent.
3. 🚨 Major crimes in Jamaica have decreased by over 20%!
During the period from January 1 to May 23, 2026, Jamaica recorded a sharp decline in murders, shootings, robberies, and other violent crimes. One police division even saw violent crimes plummet by over 70%, part of this series of successes across the island in bringing crime numbers down!
4. 🏳️⚧️ Transgender people in Kenya just won a major court victory!
The country’s High Court ruled that refusal to amend gender markers on transgender Kenyans' official documents violates the nation’s constitution. The plaintiff behind this case, a well-known Kenyan trans advocate, was also involved in a landmark 2014 ruling, which forced an academic body to change the name and gender marker on her academic certificates. With the court now ordering government agencies to begin receiving and considering applications for gender marker changes immediately, this decision is one of several recent victories for Kenya’s LGBTQ+ community!
"Silence and delay cannot defeat rights," the High Court wrote.
5. 🍼 Chile’s maternity leave extension has boosted women’s employment!
Extending maternity leave from 12 to 24 weeks increased women’s formal employment after having children by 16%, with no harm to women’s wages or employment prospects over the long term! The reform doesn’t only benefit mothers but also their children as a result, with mothers reporting lower stress levels on returning to work and their children showing better health. Chile’s family leave reform is an example of how these policies can improve maternal and infant health and support gender equality!
Extending maternity leave from 12 to 24 weeks in Chile increased mothers' formal employment for up to three years after childbirth, with no
Climate Backwards
Ed Miliband said it was part of plans to turn the UK into a "clean energy superpower".
"Enviornmental campaigners have welcomed Labour’s decision to lift the Tories’ ban on new onshore wind developments.
In one of the new government’s first acts, the department for energy and net zero confirmed that future projects will be treated in the same way as other planning applications.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “The onshore wind ban has been in place for more than nine years. We’ve been in government 72 hours, we’ve lifted it.
“That’s the pace we’re going to move at. We’ve got to become a clean energy superpower for energy independence, to cut bills, to create good jobs and tackle the climate crisis. We’re getting on with it.”
“By harnessing the country’s vast renewable power potential, the new government is staking its claim as a global leader in the green energy transition.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the change as she also announced major changes to the planning system to allow the building of more homes as part of the government’s moves to boost economic growth."
-via HuffPost, July 8, 2024
