Germany and Spain took steps to dial back green-energy subsidies that have driven up household electricity bills.

WSJ: What's News

BARCELONA, SPAIN - August 14, 2012 - Urban Green Energy (UGE) and GE (NYSE: GE) have unveiled the world's first integrated wind-powered electric vehicle charging station.

ENGADGET: GE, Urban Green Energy set up first integrated, wind-powered EV charging station (video)

With little in the way of accessible domestic reserves, the three Mediterranean states looked to build strong trade routes (Libya-Italy, Spain-Algeria) and bet heavily on a green path forward, with some nuclear thrown in for good measure.

FORBES: What the Euro Crisis Means for Mediterranean Energy

More than 20 field projects followed, on such themes as energy flows and recycling in Lae (Papua New Guinea), urban flora and fauna in Berlin (Germany) and in Xalapa (Mexico), children in the city of Toronto (Canada), urban green spaces in Dayton (USA), Seoul (Rep. Korea) and Valencia (Spain) and linkages between the urban and rural environments in Bangkok (Thailand) and Rome (Italy).

UNESCO: Urban connections of biosphere reserves