Author Archives: Salman Zafar

About Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the Founder of EcoMENA, and an international consultant, advisor, ecopreneur and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biomass energy, biogas, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. He has participated in numerous conferences and workshops as chairman, session chair, keynote speaker and panelist. Salman is the Editor-in-Chief of EcoMENA, and is a professional environmental writer with more than 300 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability in different parts of the world. Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com

Why Eco-Friendly Cars Are Important?

By | | , , ,
7 Comments

The transport sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions for many countries. The biggest reason why is because of the conventional car, as vehicles account for over half of the emissions from the transportation sector. Your typical car emits carbon dioxide and many other harmful chemicals that are hurting the environment and human health. This makes driving the right vehicle more important than ever.   Driving an eco-friendly vehicle is a great way to help human health and the environment. A green vehicle releases less harmful chemicals into the air, as it emits low carbon compounds when running. … Continue reading →

Biogas Potential in the Middle East

By | | ,
6 Comments

Anaerobic digestion is the natural biological process which stabilizes organic waste in the absence of air and transforms it into biofertilizer and biogas. It is a reliable technology for the treatment of wet, organic waste.  Organic waste from various sources is biochemically degraded in highly controlled, oxygen-free conditions circumstances resulting in the production of biogas which can be used to produce both electricity and heat. Anaerobic digestion is particularly suited to wet organic material and is commonly used for treating animal manure, organic fraction of MSW, sewage and industrial effluents. Anaerobic digestion is a unique treatment solution for organic wastes … Continue reading →

Solar Panel Maintenance: The Basics Every Homeowner Should Know

By | | ,
2 Comments

Nowadays, people are joining the wagon of sustainable practices. One of the most popular ones is using solar panels to provide renewable energy for the whole household. While purchasing solar panels can be expensive, they can be worth the investment in the long run because of the many benefits they bring. One of these benefits is saving electricity bills since solar panels collect energy from the sun and store it for you to use in your home. However, to maximize your investment, you should know the basics to maintain the quality of your solar panels. How Long Do Solar Panels … Continue reading →

What is a Healthcare Reimbursement Plan – Explained

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Healthcare Reimbursement Plan or HRA are reimbursements offered by an employer to their employee for health expenses claims. They are an alternative traditional group healthcare plan. Healthcare reimbursement plans are different because the employer covers health expenses by offering a certain allowance amount instead of choosing a “one-size-fits-all” group health insurance. A healthcare reimbursement plan can provide an employee with an allowance for medical expenses that includes insurance premiums. How Do They Work? Healthcare reimbursement plans require some legal documentation to be constituted as a formal arrangement.  They are also subject to complex federal regulations which need to be fulfilled … Continue reading →

How to Choose the Right Countertop for Your Modern Kitchen

By | | ,
5 Comments

Your outdated kitchen is about to be a thing of the past! If you’re ready for a kitchen renovation, you’ve probably given a lot of thought to design and décor. But don’t get too comfortable yet; there’s a lot of materials you’ll need to choose and things you’ll need to do before demolition day. Bringing your kitchen into the 21st century comes with a lot of fun decisions, like what kind of new cabinets, appliances, fixtures and the type of flooring you’ll choose. These are all important elements to consider, however, one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make … Continue reading →

Environmental Sustainability in Islam

By | | , , ,
13 Comments

Islamic beliefs, traditions and values provide an effective and comprehensive solution to the current environmental challenges faced by the human race. Islam has a rich tradition of highlighting the importance of environmental protection and conservation of natural resources. According to Islamic law, the basic elements of nature – land, water, fire, forest, and light – belong to all living things, not just human beings. The Holy Qur’an and Sunnah are a guiding light to promote sustainable development in Islamic countries as well as around the world. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) commands human beings to avoid doing mischief and wasting resources … Continue reading →

3 DIY Ideas to Spruce Up Your Old Boat

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

Sailing a boat has a load of benefits that some of us may not even be aware of. You know that it gives you a sense of freedom, being out in open waters. You may enjoy fishing or love sailing and relaxing after a long week of work; what better way is there than getting in your boat and forgetting about the everyday stress and just taking in the fresh air and loving every minute of it. Your boat may also be like a second home to you, a place to enjoy quality time with your loved ones or have … Continue reading →

The Importance of Ecological Education in Schools

By | | , , ,
4 Comments

How important is the environment in our everyday life and what impact we have on it and what can you do as a student? There is no need to mention how radical our lives have changed in the last decades due to the ignorance we gave to the eco-friendly aspects. How bad things are? The environmental status of each year is increasingly worrying: the forested spaces are reduced, the deserts are spreading, the agricultural soils are degraded, the degree of pollution is higher, and the ozone layer is thinner, the greenhouse effect is accentuated, and many plant and animal species … Continue reading →

The Health Impacts of Drinking Contaminated Water

By | | , ,
2 Comments

Drinking dirty or contaminated water causes numerous health problems, all of which one should be aware of. The contamination of water sources can start from the main water sources such as city water supplies, rivers, streams, and lakes, or well water supplies. Moreover, the main water source such as groundwater might get contaminated from toxic chemicals found underground, such as fluoride or arsenic, if the water is not filtered properly. Furthermore, contamination can occur from something as dangerous as a badly designed hazardous waste site or industrial site, exposing the water to numerous dangerous chemicals. As previously mentioned, contaminated water … Continue reading →

Ten Tips for Green Living

By | | ,
19 Comments

Green living is an attempt to reduce an individual’s or society’s use of the Earth’s natural resources by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption, water usage etc. Green living aims to meet present ecological, societal, and economical needs without compromising these factors for coming generations. Also Read: How to Start Off-the-Grid Living Reduction in the size of ecological or carbon footprint is the natural outcome of sustainable living. Water pollution, soil contamination, air pollution, waste disposal, resource conservation, wildlife protection are the major environment challenges facing the mankind. When it comes to sustainability, every individual has a role to play. … Continue reading →

5 Benefits of Remote Monitoring Systems

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Remote monitoring systems are fueling the proliferation of industrial revolution 4.0, partly thanks to the advancement in the Internet of Things (IoT) and data logger technologies. These systems allow organizations to have a clear, continuous, and holistic view of their processes, personnel, and equipment, as well as monitor environmental conditions that may impact their products and occupational safety. In today’s highly competitive and regulated business environment, organizations must efficiently and consistently monitor conditions, assets and proactively detect problems. The ability to know when conditions are about to go out of range or to have early warning of a potential equipment … Continue reading →

CSP-Powered Desalination: Prospects in MENA

By | | , , ,
6 Comments

Conventional large-scale desalination is cost-prohibitive and energy-intensive, and not viable for poor countries in the MENA region due to increasing costs of fossil fuels. In addition, the environmental impacts of desalination are considered critical on account of GHG emissions from energy consumption and discharge of brine into the sea. The negative effects of desalination can be minimized, to some extent, by using renewable energy to power the plants. What is Concentrated Solar Power The core element of Concentrated Solar Power Plant is a field of large mirrors reflecting captured rays of sun to a small receiver element, thus concentrating the … Continue reading →