Abu Dhabi’s Masdar initiative break ground in February 2008. Masdar (“the source” in Arabic) is the the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste city, car-free city. The project is led by world’s famous design office, Foster & Partners. The total development budget of Masdar is $22 billion. An essential driver for the development of the city is carbon finance. Carbon emissions reduced by Masdar City will be monetized under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.

In addition to full-time residents of approximately 50.000 in total, Masdar City will seek to attract and encourage collaboration between experts in sustainable transportation; waste management; water and wastewater conservation; green construction, buildings and industrial materials; recycling; biodiversity; climate change, renewable energy and green financial institutions. Masdar will maximize the benefits of sustainable technologies, such as photovoltaic cells and concentrated solar power, through an integrated planning and design approach.

Masdar CEO Dr. Sultan Al Jaber announced that “Masdar City will become the world’s hub for future energy. By taking sustainable development and living to a new level, it will lead the world in understanding how all future cities should be built.” Some however criticise Mastar initiative for being merely a profitable business for energy companies rather than a sincere environmental effort. It is questioned whether those who cannot afford living in Masdar like cities will have to live in a world of Mad Max in the future. Masdar will no doubt mark what men is capable of doing. And will be another reason to visit Emirates.

Um padre e cosmólogo polonês que sustenta a possibilidade de comprovar matematicamente a existência de Deus é o vencedor do mais polpudo prêmio acadêmico do mundo.

O professor Michael Heller, 72, de formação religiosa, com estudos em filosofia e doutorado em cosmologia, receberá em maio, em Londres, o prêmio Templeton, outorgado pela fundação homônima de estudos religiosos sediada em Nova York. O valor da premiação é de 820 mil libras esterlinas (cerca de R$ 2,87 milhões).

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