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☆ This storm chaser captures stunning photographs of extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Ad FeedbackThough she is an accountant by trade, Sarah Hasan Al-Sayegh calls herself the first Kuwaiti-Arab female storm chaser. “Storm chasing made me see the world more,” she says. Al-Sayegh recalls that on May 31, 2016, she and fellow storm chaser Mike Olbinski came across a huge storm structure near Lamesa, Texas. She now hopes to expand her meteorological knowledge and raise awareness around climate change. “I just hope to be able to put that message to everybody through my photography and through my storm chasing,” Al-Sayegh says.

Persons: Sarah Hasan Al, Sayegh, ”, “, sandstorms, Storm Daniel, Mike Olbinski, “ Don’t, ” Al Organizations: CNN, UN, United Arab, Kuwait City Locations: Kuwaiti, Kuwait, East, North Africa, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Dubai, Libya, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Al, Lamesa , Texas, Gulf

☆ ‘Tree of the Year’: Ancient and iconic trees are competing for UK title
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. “Ancient trees in towns and cities are vital for the health of nature, people and planet,” Naomi Tilley, lead campaigner at the Woodland Trust, said in a press release. “They give thousands of urban wildlife species essential life support, boost the UK’s biodiversity and bring countless health and wellbeing benefits to communities.”According to a 2020 study, ancient trees are in global decline. Despite their demonstrated resilience across centuries, ancient trees might struggle to adapt to the rapid environmental and climatic shifts anticipated in the years ahead. “Most ancient trees aren’t protected by law,” continued Tilley.

Persons: CNN —, ” Naomi Tilley, “, ”, Tilley Organizations: CNN, Woodland Trust, Sheffield City Council Locations: Lincolnshire, England, ”, “

☆ Ancient treasures are being looted, but blockchain could help protect them
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Now, some are suggesting blockchain could spare the blushes of those trading in ancient treasures and artifacts. Blockchain, the technology that underpins cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, is essentially a decentralized, immutable, publicly accessible digital ledger. Salsal allows a museum or collector to submit details about their collection using the web platform. People powerAnother blockchain based tool, called Kapu, was developed in Italy in 2017, but the tool has since gone offline. There is a small cost for collectors to use Salsal, but no more than a couple of dollars per collection.

Persons: Adel Khelifi, Mark Altaweel, ”, Khaled Desouki, Tasoula Hadjitofi, Hunter, Hadjitofi, Salsal, “ We’re, Altaweel Organizations: CNN, New York Met, University of Abu, University College London, UCL, Association, National Museum of, Getty Locations: Egypt, University of Abu Dhabi, Cairo, AFP, Famagusta, Cyprus, Netherlands, British, Hague, Italy

☆ Why we should build cities that are kind to nature
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For Call to Earth Day 2023, we will focus on the vital link between urban areas and wilderness, and shed light on the impact cities have on distant natural spaces. Here, we explore how our cities can be part of the great tapestry of habitats on Earth. The feral flock is thought to represent around 10% of the remaining population, showing how cities can be safe spaces for wildlife. Letting animals moveThrough the sprawl of cities, animals increasingly encounter challenges in navigating their once-open territories. By blending the urban and natural worlds, these buildings can become a crucial part of the solution to create greener cities for future generations.

Persons: Noemi Cassanelli, ” Organizations: CNN, Park, Getty, International Locations: Varanasi, Hong Kong, Banff, Fukuoka, Japan

☆ Scientists are growing seeds in space to help adapt to climate change on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of changing climate conditions and although changes to temperature, rainfall patterns, and frost might extend a growing season or enable the cultivation of different crops, climate change also introduces major challenges for farming. Shoba Sivasankar examines sorghum seeds that spent around five months at the International Space Station . K. Laffan/IAEABy selectively breeding plants grown from the mutated seeds, Sivasankar and her team hope to create new crop strains. The private sector has also taken an interest in the impact of spaceflight on plant seeds. StarLab Oasis plans to grow seeds on external docking platforms at space stations, shown here in a rendering Nanoracks/Starlab OasisSending seeds to space will help “sustainability, climate change, and food security on Earth,” StarLab Oasis’ co-founder Allen Herbert told CNN in 2022.

Persons: Shoba Sivasankar, ”, “, StarLab, Allen Herbert Organizations: CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Agriculture Organization, FAO, International Space, of, Food, Agriculture, Space, Michigan State University, MSU, United Arab Emirates, StarLab Oasis, Oasis Locations: China, Abu Dhabi

☆ Dubai to build world's first 3D-printed mosque
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —In recent years, 3D-printing has been used to build everything from homes to businesses and even bridges. Now, Dubai is set to construct the world’s first 3D-printed mosque. A rendering of the 3D-printed mosque, which will be built in Bur Dubai. By 2019 it held the world record for the largest 3D-printed structure – the Dubai Municipality building (standing 9.5 meters tall with an area of 640 square meters) – as well as being home to the world’s first 3D-printed office, and a 3D-printed drone research laboratory. He believes that a project like Dubai’s proposed mosque is the next phase in 3D-printed architectural design, but anticipates it will face challenges.

☆ Dubai's stunning skyline shown in surreal, dramatic images
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Now, artist Baber Afzal is capturing the city-state’s famous towers and spires in a new light through a series of stunning images that marry architecture, environment, and atmosphere. Afzal, 40, uses a combination of landscape and architectural photography, and visual art techniques, to illustrate the city of Dubai as he sees it. “Awareness of the climatic conditions gave birth to a unique editing style and technique to express my visions.”A Pakistani native, Afzal first started making art in 2007. “I gravitated toward the editing aspect since shifting color and contrast values really fascinated me.”Photographer and visual artist Baber Afzal captures Dubai in a unique light in his ethereal images. He believes that technology will play a significant role in the future of the art scene in Dubai.

☆ Dubai could get a 93-kilometer indoor cycling super highway
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The 93 kilometer-cycle highway would allow people to get around the city of Dubai without using fossil fuels. Bagherian says that a visit to the Agri Hub would help guests to understand and engage more in sustainable practices. Visitors to the Agri Hub could learn about sustainability and enjoy environmentally-friendly tourism offerings such as farm-to-table cafes and restaurants. URB says the projects will be funded by private investors and that it is currently undertaking feasibility studies to establish the best site for the development of the Agri Hub. Bagherian hopes construction of the Agri Hub will begin in 2024.

☆ This record-breaking artist uses the beaches of Dubai as his canvas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

For Dubai-based Filipino artist Nathaniel Alapide, it’s how he became a Guinness World Record holder. Dubai’s 72 kilometers (45 miles) of sun-bleached coastline, and the vast Arabian desert, are his canvas. The scale of the drawing impressed the hotel, who offered him his first full-time job as a sand artist in 2015. It took 30 days to create and required 12,000 tons of sand in four colors, sourced from across the UAE desert. Though he has crafted a career from the practice, Alapide says creating an artwork from sand isn’t without its challenges.

☆ Why three robot sisters could be the friendly face of AI
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The key to winning over a skeptical public could be a family of robot “sisters.”Sophia, Grace and Desdemona are humanoid robots, each programmed with sophisticated AI. However, their AI “brains” were engineered by Ben Goertzel, former chief scientist at the company, and now CEO of blockchain-based AI company SingularityNET. The robot will never get bored with it.”Are we already living in a robot future? Giving people the opportunity to interact with relatable robots could help humanize AI, and go some way to improving its image. This is one of the reasons that people respond so well to humanoid robots.”

The Rashid Rover was built by Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is being delivered by the HAKUTO-R lander, engineered by Japanese lunar exploration company ispace. The Rashid Rover, named after the late Sheikh Rashid Al Saeed, the former ruler of Dubai, will analyze the plasma on the lunar surface and conduct experiments to understand more about lunar dust. The Rashid Rover was built at Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC)The rover will be entirely solar-powered and equipped with four cameras, including a microscopic and thermal one. Al Marzooqi hopes that the lunar surface mission will be a stepping stone to Mars.

☆ This Dubai-based photographer captures the city as you've never seen it
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —With their cornflower blues, candy floss pinks, and pumpkin oranges, photographer Preet Uday’s images of Dubai conjure a bittersweet nostalgia. It reminds them of their childhood, and that’s a global feeling, not just in Dubai.”A different DubaiIn contrast to the futuristic steel and glass that makes up the city, Uday captures quiet and modest moments. Uday has a fondness for classic cars, which he finds hidden throughout the city among the glossy supercars. For some reason, these images got me attention.”Over the last two years, Uday’s images have gained him a healthy following on social media, and his popularity continues to grow. Preet Uday's photography shows the city of Dubai in a new light.

☆ Downtown Circle: Dubai architects design a massive ring to encircle the Burj Khalifa
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-09 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

ZNera Space’s principal architects, Najmus Chowdry and Nils Remess, envision Downtown Circle as a horizontal stroke against Dubai’s vertiginous, futuristic skyline of seemingly endless skyscrapers. An ever-changing skylineAs compelling and radical a design the Downtown Circle may be, it is – for now – practically and financially implausible, Chowdry and Remess admit. Downtown Circle would draw power from both solar and solar-hydrogen cell systems. Part of the design concept includes an electric tram system suspended around the bottom of the structure. ZNera SpaceThe design was drawn up to align with Dubai’s optimistic masterplan for a sustainable urban environment by 2040.

☆ Mbongeni Buthelezi: The South African artist turning plastic into portraits
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-14 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —While other artists might use watercolors or oil paints, Mbongeni Buthelezi uses waste plastics to create highly textured portraits at his studio in Booysens, Johannesburg. He explained that plastic litter was so common in grazing areas that it became an unwelcome part of the cows’ regular diet. In 2018, 107,000 metric tons of plastic waste from South Africa ended up in the marine environment. With plastic waste growing around the world, Buthelezi is using his work to both highlight and combat the issue. Buthelezi uses plastic litter to create artworks depicting life in South Africa.

Persons: ” Buthelezi, ”, Buthelezi, “, “ I’m, what’s “, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, Black, African Institute of Art, Johannesburg Art Foundation, Fine Arts, University of, African National Science and Technology Locations: Booysens, Johannesburg, KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa, Soweto, Witwatersrand, Germany, USA, Barbados, Egypt, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi

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