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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Most Beautiful and Devastating Snapshots of Slums

One billion people – a sixth of the world’s population – now live in slums, and it is predicted that the number of slum dwellers will double within the next quarter of a century. Such statistics are as staggering as they are sobering. Yet beneath the shacks and lean-tos of corrugated metal, plywood and plastic sheets, communities thrive and individuals meet the daily challenges their lives throw up at them.

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No Money For Climate Change

Defra (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), the British government department in charge of environmental issues, is facing £300 million cuts in areas which are concerned with climate change. Agencies tackling recycling, energy saving, nature protection, carbon emissions and safeguarding the environment have all been targeted.

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