Written by Émilie St-Hilaire, Four Green Steps

By the end of 2012, Italian city Milan will be welcoming two new apartment buildings near the Isola neighborhood. These buildings, called Bosco Verticale, will be far from ordinary, as they will host 730 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 ground plants. The trees will be placed on the balconies, and a system recycling the building’s used waters is designed to irrigate the plants. Solar and Aeolian systems will provide energy for both buildings.

Written by Michelle Reeves, Four Green Steps

The Ganges River is a lifeline for millions of people as well as the most sacred river for Hindus. The basin is the most populated in the world, with a density of 1000 people per square kilometre. It is also a hot spot for Israeli tourists, as is the rest of India. They come in such numbers that some restaurants even hang signs and write menus in Hebrew.

Written by Émilie St-Hilaire, Four Green Steps

The great green wall is a 15 km wide and 7000 km long wall of trees and vegetation that would cross eleven countries following a non-linear path from Senegal to Djibouti.

The great green wall is an African project created in 2005 by African governments that aims to reduce desertification of the Sahel area (the buffer zone between Sahara and savannas).

Written by Dominique de Groot, Four Green Steps

Even after formally pulling out of the Kyoto accord in December 2011, it appears that Canada must have been doing something right recently. Even amidst economic growth, Canada has managed to keep its greenhouse gas emissions constant; indication that the country is on the right track to balancing economic development and environmental consciousness.