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

CSP-Powered Desalination: Prospects in MENA

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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 →

Hydroponic Gardening – 5 Easy Ways to Get Started

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Have you ever wondered if you could grow a plant without using any soil? Well, now you can, thanks to an existing system of gardening called Hydroponic Gardening. Instead of using soil, this system allows you to grow plants and vegetables in a solution of nutrients and water! It doesn’t end there, this method can grow plants much faster, can be used all year round, requires less space, and yields more than conventional gardening. Some of the easiest and most common plants, herbs, fruits you can grow are lettuce, oregano, tomatoes, and some other kinds. This is great for those … Continue reading →

4 Tips for Creating An Ecofriendly Home

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If you want to make your home greener, there are simple modifications that won’t require much effort at all. Making your home ecofriendly is as simple as changing a light bulb or investing in a dish towel that won’t require you to work very hard, but together they will help to create a complete eco-friendly home remodeling. Below are 4 important guidelines for creating a cozy, eco-friendly home. 1. Save light It is known to all of you that LEDs are better for the ecosystem as compared to incandescent bulbs, but have you ever thought they can reduce your energy bill … Continue reading →

What Football Clubs Can Do To Be More Eco-Friendly

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It’s common knowledge in the modern-day that our environment is in serious trouble. Everyone in every corner of the globe needs to make a conscious effort to live a greener and more eco-friendly life. You may be thinking since it’s such common knowledge, why doesn’t everyone do it? You think it would be that simple, but unfortunately, it is not. But what can football clubs do? After all, they are a major part of a lot of communities. They host dozens of people on a weekly basis and can be one of the stand out parts of a community. The … Continue reading →

Your Best Guide to King Post Walls – Their Best Uses and Benefits

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Whether you are involved in a wall retaining project for the first time or the nth time, you may have already heard of king post walls and what they can do. The proper retaining wall will make a vast difference in your property and the safety of your location, effectively preventing soil erosion and water buildup. But whilst you may have different choices regarding your retaining wall system, king post walls have more than a few qualities and characteristics that make them stand out. So if you are planning and building a retaining wall for your property, here’s your best … Continue reading →

What You Need to Know About The Top Green Building Trends

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With green building movement sweeping across the world, innovative technologies are being developed to keep pace with increasing shift towards sustainability. In this article, we will provide an overview of the top green building trends from across the world. Integration of biodegradable, recycled, recyclable and renewable building materials in the construction of buildings is attracting great attention worldwide. Natural paints, recycled steel, cellular concrete, clay bricks, wood, bamboo etc. are getting huge popularity in construction of green buildings. Another interesting innovation is zero-energy building which utilizes solar cells/panels, wind micro-turbines, fuel cells and biofuels, among others, to meet electricity and … Continue reading →

Knowledge and Youth-Led Climate Action in the Arab Region: A Regional Survey

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UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in the Arab Region – Cairo Office is leading the development of a regional report entitled Knowledge and Youth-Led Climate Action in the Arab Region. This report will analyze the knowledge dimension of youth-led climate action in the Arab region including the sources youth rely on, the knowledge they generate, and the avenues they utilize to disseminate information and knowledge in order to make an impact in their societies and with policy and decision makers. More information about the report is provided in the abovementioned link. An integral part of this report is a regional survey that contributes … Continue reading →

Things You Should Know About the Energy Mix in the UK

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We take fuel in our home for granted, rarely contemplating how the energy that lights our rooms, charges our smartphones, and heats our dinners arrives at those switches, sockets, and hobs. But with the world facing a climate crisis, the sources of our power are moving from the coal-smoky shadows into the sunlight, and into the centre of politics. The energy infrastructure in UK is rapidly evolving to use more renewable resources and emit fewer pollutants, a transformation that is impacting every sector of our economy and that some have compared in its scale to the Industrial Revolution that first … Continue reading →

Swapping To An Off-Grid Life

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A sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle is something more people strive for every day. For some, the answer is to give up the ease of municipal life to go off the grid. While this route is certainly far from easy, the rewards of freedom and a more ethical footprint make the entire struggle worth it. The Freedom an Off-Grid Life Offers Most people who choose to go off-grid do so in pursuit of a dream or ideal. Moving away from modern conveniences and providing for oneself off the land offers a desirable lifestyle for the people who choose it. Living sustainably off the … Continue reading →

Everything You Should Know About Landfill Gas

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Landfill gas is generated during the natural process of bacterial decomposition of organic material contained in municipal solid waste landfills or garbage dumps. The waste is covered and compressed mechanically as well as by the weight of the material that is deposited above. This material prevents oxygen from accessing the waste thus producing ideal conditions for anaerobic microorganism to flourish. This gas builds up and is slowly released into the atmosphere if the landfill site has not been engineered to capture the gas. The rate of production is affected by waste composition and landfill geometry, which in turn influence the … Continue reading →

7 Easy Ways to Make Organic Liquid Fertilizer

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Many organic farmers struggle to find natural ways of enhancing their soil. While organic fertilizers are readily available, it makes more sense to produce them as only then can one be sure of the components used. When produced appropriately, homemade organic liquid fertilizers can be as good as their commercially made counterparts. There are different types of organic liquid fertilizer available. For instance, compost tea is a powerful fertilizer while coffee grounds are said to provide sufficient nitrogen to plants. A huge percentage of organic fertilizers are made from kitchen waste. However, there are many more things one can convert … Continue reading →

The Wisest Green Decisions You Can Make For Your Home

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When you own a home, it’s up to you to make decisions about everything from maintenance to furniture. With so many competing issues, it can be difficult to figure out how where to focus your energy — not to mention your dollars. By making thoughtful and wise green decisions for your home, you can keep it in top shape for decades besides protecting the environment and conserving natural resources. Environmental psychology may also play a key role in strengthening the relationship between between you and your surroundings. Read on for the wisest green decision you can make for your home: … Continue reading →