Environmental Graffiti

Manhattan of the Desert: Yemen’s Ancient Mud Skyscraper City

Some might assume it to be a mirage. Rising out of the desert in the South Arabian Peninsula, ancient high-rise apartment buildings made of mud meet the eye. Centuries before the modern age of skyscrapers dawned in Chicago and New York, the Middle East had its own skyscraper city – the oldest on earth. This is Shibam in Yemen, a place thought to have existed since the 2nd Century AD.

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The “Lost Brittlestar City” of Antartica

Image from laszio-photo The world record for the fastest a human can swim as a matter of fact, is just over 5 miles an hour. I explain that as a way of proving that there are sea stars thriving in a current in Antarctica that would leave [...]

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Five Deadly Storms in Urban Centers

After having the joy of riding out the tornadoes in Atlanta earlier this month, I started thinking about how rare it must be for mother nature’s wrath to be taken out on urban areas. From ricof3 on Flickr Normally when this sort of thing happens, it’s in the suburbs, [...]

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Lead Metropolis: the Five Densest Cities in America

Recently an American economist crunched the numbers and determined the most dense urban areas in America–something that may be a bit of a misnomer, given our national reputation for sprawl and hourlong commutes. Image from NASA Nevertheless, he had some shocking findings relating to location, geography, and public transportation.

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