August 1, 2024
by Building The World
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Peatlands occupy only 3% of global terrain, yet hold more than 30% of land-based carbon. But when harvested (for fuel or industrial use), peat releases ten times more greenhouse gases – including powerful methane – than cut forests. Another danger … Continue reading
July 26, 2024
by Building The World
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Paris opens the Olympics today. One hundred years ago, in 1924, the city of lights last hosted the world’s games. What has changed? Each Olympic city endeavors to introduce innovations: this summer, many will reflect responses and solutions to climate … Continue reading
July 4, 2024
by Building The World
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July 2024: a month of celebratory aerial art. It is time for a new sky? July 4: In the United States, today marks Independence Day with festive sky illuminations over cityscapes from Alabama (“Thunder on the Mountain”) and Arizona (Scottsdale’s … Continue reading
February 29, 2024
by Building The World
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Prometheus may have stolen fire, but ancient Greeks also believed that water stole time. Early clocks used water, acquiring the technical term, clepsydra, from ancient Greek “klepto or steal” and “hydor or water.” Water clocks measure time by regulating and … Continue reading
July 27, 2023
by Building The World
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HEAT – So far, July 2023 has been the hottest on Earth in history. Sadly, that breaks the record just set in June 2023. The heat has set new records equally in Canada, United States, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and eastern … Continue reading
March 22, 2022
by Building The World
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When is an icon also a beacon? The Eiffel Tower has a new capability: digital radio transmission. A helicopter installed the antenna, extending the tower’s height to reach 1,083 feet. Communications transmission is a tradition of the iconic tower. Gustave … Continue reading
February 10, 2022
by Building The World
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Plastic: it is the convenience – and scourge – of our Anthropocene era. Most of it lives in cities, and then landfills. Diplomats are now turning their collective attention to plastic pollution. Modeled on the 2015 Paris Agreement, developed in … Continue reading
November 23, 2021
by Building The World
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Giving thanks can take many forms including exchanges to strengthen friendships between nations. American presidents sit at the Resolute Desk, given by Britain to the United States in 1880 as a gesture of thanks for rescuing the HMS Resolute from … Continue reading
July 4, 2021
by Building The World
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On Independence Day, France will give a gift of diplomacy to the United States, celebrating the shared value of liberty. France’s national motto “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity), and the American holiday of independence, will join sentiments as a … Continue reading
June 29, 2021
by Building The World
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Cities have an opportunity to inspire and unite urban denizens in shared values. As Toynbee demonstrated in Cities of Destiny, the metropolis can create a unique cultural climate. Many urban centers possess iconic monuments, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, … Continue reading