My sister-in-law, who is having a 30-day vacation here in the UAE, has been craving for Japanese food, so we decided to take her to Sumo Restaurant in Masdar City.  Unlike shopping malls, there's really nothing much to do here but discover how this eco-friendly city sustains itself using renewable energy sources, promising zero carbon waste.  According to Wikipedia, as of this writing, there are only two places in the world designed to become zero-carbon cities: Masdar City, United Arab Emirates and Dongtan, China.

We have already experienced the dangerous and frightening effects of climate change.  Just almost a year ago, super typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines killing thousands of lives and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.  No one wants to see things like this happen again, that is why I think, it's just about time for us to be aware and take part in caring for our environment.

Having a zero carbon waste is a big step to help reduce global warming and this is the ultimate purpose of Masdar City.  Let me show you around so you could see how the experts who built this city made it all possible.

First and foremost, cars are not allowed inside the city.  We left our car on the parking lot and rode a battery-operated podcar going to our destination.  Podcars are the only means of mass transportation in Masdar.  It is basically a driverless car that brings you from point A to point B.

Upon arriving in the city, you will notice several solar panels on the roof of the low rise buildings.  This place is generally powered by solar and wind energy.  In addition, you'll also find a wind cooling tower which was designed to keep the entire place well ventilated.

If you will take a closer look at the miniature model of this city, you will notice that the buildings were closely built to each other.  This was actually designed to narrow the streets and have more shaded areas for a cooler environment, thus promoting walking and cycling among residents.