The modern air conditioner is only about a century old. So what did people do to survive the summers before then? They used ingenious natural cooling methods.

Oscar the cat suffered a tragic accident, but thanks to the dedication of a medical team - and a healthy dose of luck - he's on the mend with new bionic paws.

What do you do with a decommissioned Boeing 747? One architect is remaking one of the planes into a unique, massive eco-home in the remote hills of Malibu.

Need a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city? The Endless Urban Forest was designed to provide an infinite green escape right in the city.

The Solar Decathlon highlights the best and most innovative in solar home design. These 5 entries were picked as the judges' favorites in the 2010 competition.

Think that fleabag motel you stayed in was trashy? It was nothing compared to this hotel, which was made entirely of garbage found on the beach.

Who says parks have to be on the ground? These brilliant urban park concepts use elevated space to green their cities and provide leisurely recreation space.

The 2010 World Expo in Shanghai is filled with wonders, but the UK Pavilion, known as the Seed Cathedral, is arguably the most awe-inspiring of them all.

Water towers can't often be called beautiful or thought of as gathering places. This amazing water tower design, however, is both of those and more.

This vending machine is exactly the opposite of what you'd expect: instead of inserting money and getting a drink, you insert bottles and get points for prizes.

This gorgeous housing development in Singapore will be one of the most beautiful apartment complexes ever, with open courtyards and plenty of eco-features.

A huge "island" of plastic garbage is already floating in the Pacific. Why not turn it into the habitable, self-sustaining island city of the future?

Most sculptures are cold, lifeless stone. But this sculptor adds touches of living green moss to make his sculptures come alive: a fusion of art and gardening.

We've all seen vertical farm concepts, but this one takes the idea where it's never been: the ocean. Could the ocean be the future site of vertical farming?

Reducing, reusing and recycling would be simpler if the things we buy weren't wrapped in so many layers. One store is setting the standard for greener shopping.

The homebuilding business is always particularly hard-hit by an economic downturn. These developments were abandoned to return to nature when the money ran out.

Public spaces are rarely as functional as in this concept. These spaces would function as recreational centers when dry...and when filled with storm water.

Most people are sleeping at 3 am, but one brave photographer is out stalking insects to catch amazing portraits of these jeweled forest wonders.

South Korea's planned Ecorium Project consists of huge greenhouses, beautiful nature preserves, and high-tech research and education facilities.

Modern buildings in natural settings often look out of place. But this "log" cabin uses attractive camouflage to mask its true nature and help it blend in.