zero-waste

The World Future Energy Summit begins in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. hosts the event and they will be unveiling a model of their Masdar Initiative on Monday. The Initiative's goal is to develop the world's first zero-waste, zero-pollution city. Masdar (which means "the source" in Arabic) is expected to break ground in February and take 10 years to complete. The 6 km square city will house 47,500 people, who are scheduled to start moving there in 2009.

Designer Foster and Partners envisions the city to be a model of sustainable architecture.

The first step toward reaching sustainability is procuring a clean energy source. Masdar will rely on a solar photo-voltaic power plant. Solar canopies will also permeate the city, providing both shade and