Some new research from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the U.S. confirms what we've been hearing from environmentalists for years: the world's developing cities will be the ones hardest hit by the effects of climate change. According to the analysis, which will be published in a journal called "Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability," even though these cities face a high risk of serious climate change consequences, they've done little to address the problem and try to protect residents.

 

Cities themselves can set green-friendly targets, like lowering CO2 emissions or choosing renewable energy projects. But developing metropolises have been slow to take those kinds of steps. So some of those negative effects of climate change that we've seen in recent years–like severe weather and natural disasters–could end up wreaking havoc in these teeming, booming hubs–which are often overcrowded, too.

 

Do you live in a developing city, or near one? What could your city do to protect its people from the dangers of climate change?

Yesterday was Earth Hour 2011–did you take part? Or watch the lights turn out in your city? Earth Hour was started by World Wildlife Fund, or WWF, in 2007, and now it takes place every year on the last Saturday in March. For one hour across the globe, homes and businesses switch off their lights and electrical appliances to send a message about climate change.

 

The participation has grown year after year: in 2010, 126 countries took part, compared to 96 the year before. It's always an impressive site to see major cities like Sydney, New York, Paris and Berlin power down for an hour–the Russia Today video above gives you an idea of what it looks like. But every household and every person who takes part is also making a major contribution.

 

Do you have pictures from Earth Hour 2011? Post them on our GLOBAL IDEAS Facebook site!

New York is known for a lot of things: its towering high rises, insane traffic and, if you're talking about the environment, air pollution. It's not exactly known for being sustainable–but that might be changing. Los Angeles designer Neil Denari has designed a new highrise for Manhattan's Chelsea district that will be both energy-efficient and sustainable!

 

The building, called HL23, would take up less surface space on the ground than the dimensions of its floors–and it will be 14 stories high. The builders are looking to get a seal of approval from LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is the internationally-recognized green building certification system.

 

The space inside will include green features like eco-friendly heating systems, an electric elevator without  machine rooms (which consume a lot of energy), and recycled paints. The building has already won awards, and it's expected to be unveiled on June 1st–we'll be watching!

Making your own wind turbine might seem like an impossible feat, even for an expert DIY-er. But according to one man in the U.S., it's not all that hard. Mike Marohn from the state of Washington came up with an at-home wind turbine as a way to heat his water. And it turns out, it's not that expensive or complicated. All it takes is a little shopping at your local hardware store and online!

 

His creation is called the 'Zoetrope,' and it's a vertical-axis wind turbine made from ordinary things like a stove pipe and plastic sheeting. And the best part is, Applied Sciences has decided to make the Zoetrope open source–meaning they've made the instructions available to everyone on their site, from the manual to a special video. So you can take those instructions and use them to build your own Zoetrope wind turbine, adjusted to the conditions where you live.

 

Have you heard of Sustainable Dance Club? The company creates dance clubs around the world that are powered by green technology and embrace eco-friendly trends. The coolest part is that the dance floor itself generates electricity: the more people dance, the more energy is produced–and that's used to power the club.

 

It started in the Netherlands, in the city of Rotterdam back in 2006. A company called Enviu teamed up with an architecture firm called Döll to launch their first sustainable dance night in a club called Off_Corso. It was such a big hit that they started exporting their idea to other clubs and other cities…and now other countries, too. There are even mini-dance floors and other new, innovative products.

 

Have you ever been to a sustainable dance floor? Would this idea work in your hometown?