The first zero waste, zero carbon emission city is to be constructed in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Masdar City, a $22 billion complex designed by Sir Norman Foster + Partners, will be kicked off with the completion of a mixed-use positive energy headquarters building, the first of its kind in the world.

With today's unpredictable climate, producing an ample food supply for the world's population has become increasingly challenging, especially in developing countries. Much of the farmland in these areas have been made available by clearing rainforests, which only compounds the problem of global warming. Even after the land has been cleared, there's no guarantee that the field will produce a bountiful harvest. Often, a flood, drought, or other natural disaster will prevail, leaving farmers with little or no reward for all their hard work. If the crops do come through, they must be shipped hundreds or thousands of miles to the highest bidding consumers all around the world, and all too often, thrown in the trash where they end up in a landfill. We know our population is growing and demand for food is growing. We know weather conditions will only get worse. How will we adapt as a species to the new habitat that we've created for ourselves? What is the solution?

This week, after all the questionable nonprofit organizations in the news, I'd like to highlight one of my favorite nonprofit organizations. Red Feather Development Group, started by Robert Young in 1995, builds sustainable housing for homeless native Americans living on reservations in the middle of nowhere.

One of the compelling aspects of how ASCEND accomplishes its mission is the use of volunteers in combination with professional staff to accomplish ongoing sustainable programs. ASCEND offers volunteers the chance to participate in short-term expeditions of 1-2 weeks, or longer-term internships / fellowships of 2-18 months.

Imagine a world with clean power plants. All transportation, manufacturing, recycling would be done with near zero impact on the planet. Even better, the energy supply would be free (or low cost) and renewable. There would be no wires and poles, no dirty energy grid and no nuclear power.