How Businesses Can Become More Sustainable

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

Due to the changing consumer perspectives across the world, sustainability is rapidly becoming a necessity in the business world. To give you an idea, about 66 percent of consumers don’t mind spending more on a product or service provided it is offered by a sustainable brand.

Unfortunately, while a whopping 90 percent of corporations regard sustainability as a crucial part of business, only three-fifths of them have a sustainability strategy in place. This article presents tips on how businesses can become more sustainable in 2026 and beyond.

sustainable business

1. Setting Sustainability Goals

The first step towards building a sustainable business is to set clear goals. More specifically, business management should discuss and document what they intend to achieve concerning sustainability. Examples of sustainability goals include, among others, waste reduction, the adoption of clean energy, environmental conservation, and a healthy workforce.

The right goals not only provide a sense of direction in the quest for sustainability but also motivate stakeholders. Take note that every sustainability goal set should be achievable within the remaining time frame. Therefore, setting feasible objectives is important.

2. Partnering With Other Businesses

Sustainability is a global initiative, and hence, everyone has a role to play towards its achievement. Therefore, it makes sense to say that businesses can support each other through partnerships to achieve sustainability faster, especially because it is not a cheap affair. For instance, businesses need a lot of resources to become sustainable, something that can be hard to achieve without external support.

Through partnerships, businesses can share resources amongst themselves as well as support small businesses in their sustainability initiatives. For instance, a business that specializes in providing green energy can supply its products and services to other businesses at a lower yet profitable price.

3. Implementing Wellness Programs

Social sustainability is equally important in business as it contributes a great deal towards environmental and economic sustainability. Keeping this in mind, businesses should implement wellness programs aimed at promoting good health at the workplace.

Common workplace wellness programs include yoga classes, massage therapy, on-site fitness centers, healthy food, and employee support programs. “Yoga and meditation are all you need to ignite your best life and open into your full potential on and off the mat,” says Brett Larkin, the founder and CEO of Uplifted Yoga. It is worth noting that wellness is not just good for employees’ health but also for the journey towards sustainability.

weatherization strategies for solar panels

4. Adopting Clean Energy

The global sustainability goal is to achieve zero carbon emission by 2050. Since carbon emission emanates from daily activities, every business should take individual initiative to reduce the carbon footprint. One great way to achieve this is by adopting clean energy. This involves using renewable and efficient heating and lighting energies such as solar, wind, bioenergy, geothermal, and hydropower. For instance, by installing solar panels at the premises, an entrepreneur can harness solar energy and use it in their daily activities to reduce pollution.

5. Educating Staff on Healthy Living

Apart from workplace wellness programs, employees should also take personal initiative to live healthy away from work. This can be in ways such as eating healthy foods at home, biking or walking to work, exercising, and taking care of their mental health. In an interview, Michael Dean, the co-founder of Pool Research said, “Exercise is a basic necessity for everyone looking to improve their lives in every aspect, and swimming remains among the best exercises ever invented.” Therefore, to achieve sustainability, healthy living should be regarded highly by business stakeholders.

6. Creating a Healthy Working Environment

A peaceful working environment can greatly contribute towards enhancing collaboration, collegiality, and productivity at the workplace. This, in turn, helps promote social and economic sustainability in businesses. “A good company should treat every employee with the utmost respect, and never let anyone feel alone, down, or unwanted,” said Eric Mills, the Own/CEO of Pro Support Accessories, in a recent interview. Valuing employees motivates them to work hard to attain the organization’s goals, which include attaining sustainability.

supply chain and sustainability

7. Supporting Sustainable Innovation

Businesses should be open to modifying their products and services to suit their sustainability objectives. For instance, instead of packaging products in plastic materials, they can adopt biodegradable materials such as wood and paper. This will help reduce the quantity of plastic dumped in landfills.

Sustainable innovation also involves changing policies, procedures, and operations to promote environmental conservation and sustainability. For instance, creating a policy that bans smoking at the workplace can help maintain a clean working environment, improve productivity, and promote good health amongst employees.

8. Revisiting Waste Management

Only about 9 percent of plastic is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills. Unfortunately, the plastic in the landfills ends up in soil and water bodies, contaminating the environment and affecting every living organism along the food chain. Therefore, it is prudent for a business to manage their waste properly to avoid dumping plastics and other non-biodegradable materials in landfills.

Sustainable waste management strategies include, among others, reusing, recycling, biological treatment, and reducing waste. For instance, businesses can reduce their packaging to reduce their wastes and make disposal easier and sustainable.

Also Read: Business Waste Management – What Your Business Can Do Better

9. Learning From Competitors

Most businesses have now embraced sustainability, and are formulating strategies of promoting it in their operations. This means that you can learn what other businesses are doing and incorporate them in your strategies if they tally with your business core values and culture. For instance, if you’re looking for ideas for implementing wellness programs in your business, you can look at what your competitors have achieved so far and adopt their strategies.

10. Reviewing Performance

With time, every business should be able to identify what is working and what is not. There is no harm in abolishing policies and practices that don’t help promote sustainability and implementing those that do. For example, if employees don’t seem satisfied with the new rules and regulations at the workplace, it is always a good idea to hold meetings and find ways of improving or adapting to the new policies. In short, review the sustainability strategies regularly for improvement purposes. Also, your business should write an honest annual sustainability report, instead of greenwashing.

The Bottom Line

Sustainability is the new strategy for business growth and development. Therefore, businesses should use these tips to achieve sustainability. When used correctly, these tips can help businesses become more sustainable.

Climate Risk Assessment in UAE Utilities Finance

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

The way the United Arab Emirates funds its water and electricity projects is changing fast. Before, climate change was seen as a minor issue for the future. Today, it is a main part of how banks and investors decide where to put their money. Because the UAE is very hot and depends on energy to turn seawater into drinking water, any change in the weather can hurt the value of these expensive systems. In the UAE, nearly 80% of electricity consumption is driven by buildings, with cooling alone accounting for 70% of that total. This high demand makes the financial stability of the utility sector highly sensitive to rising temperatures.

seawater desalination plant in dubai

Financial experts now look closely at two types of risks. The first is physical risk. When the weather gets even hotter, power plants and water systems have to work much harder. This makes them more expensive to run and can cause equipment to breakdown sooner than expected. Also, since most of these plants are near the ocean, rising sea levels are a real threat to the buildings themselves. If a plant is damaged by the sea, the people who lent money for it could lose their investment.

A real-world example of managing these physical risks can be seen in the Al Taweelah Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant in Abu Dhabi. As one of the world’s largest RO plants, its design and financing had to account for long-term environmental factors, including seawater quality and temperature changes, to ensure it remains a reliable water source for decades.

A clear example of a lender conducting a formal climate risk assessment is seen with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and other major regional financiers involved in the Mirfa 2 Reverse Osmosis project. Before committing capital, these lenders work with technical advisors to perform “Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessments” (CRVA). In these assessments, the banks analyse how the plant will handle extreme heatwaves or “red tide” algae blooms, which are becoming more common due to warming waters. By doing this, the lenders ensure that the project can continue to generate revenue and repay its loans even if the local environment becomes more challenging.

The second risk is the transition risk. The UAE has a plan to reach Net Zero by 2050. This means the country is moving away from old fuels like gas and toward clean energy like solar power. For banks, this creates a danger called stranded assets. This happens when an old power plant becomes useless or loses its value because new laws or cheaper solar power make it obsolete. To avoid this, financial institutions are now using special tests to see how their investments will hold up as the world goes green. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park serves as a landmark example of navigating this transition. By securing massive private investment through structured competitive bidding, it has demonstrated how transition risks can be turned into financial opportunities, setting global records for low-cost solar energy.

To help manage these dangers, the UAE is using climate finance. This means that if a utility company builds a project that is good for the planet and can survive harsh weather, it can get a loan with a lower interest rate. Much of this work is done through a PPP, or Public-Private Partnership. In a PPP, the government and private companies work together to build and run these systems. The UAE is currently the largest PPP market in the Gulf, and these partnerships are essential for sharing the high initial costs and technical risks of green infrastructure. By sharing the risks and the costs, they can use climate finance to build clean energy that is cheaper than old, polluting methods. Banks also use new technology, such as IoT sensors and predictive AI models, to simulate how storms or heatwaves might affect a project before they agree to fund it.

By looking at these risks early, the UAE is making sure its utility systems stay strong and profitable. This careful planning helps keep the economy stable and ensures that the water and power we need will always be available, even as the climate changes. Modern financial laws have been introduced specifically to organize and promote these PPP projects, ensuring a solid legal foundation for private investors. Ultimately, making sure a project is green is now the best way to make sure it is a safe and smart investment.

How To Balance Your Social and Academic Life: Tips and Tricks

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Balancing school and friendships may seem easy on the surface. However, it gets challenging as school becomes more demanding and our friends’ needs evolve. It is normal to feel like you give more time to one than the other. But the best balance can be obtained by planning your time.

Sometimes we find ourselves giving away our social or academic life due to poor timing and planning. Your social and academic lives are equally important, and thus, you should find a way to allocate an equal amount of time for all of them. Being distracted by friends can affect your studies, while limiting your asocial life can cause loneliness and burnout. So, below are a few simple tips to help you find this balance.

how to maintain social and academic life

Carry Out Joint Studies

Friends not only offer emotional support, but also they can be instrumental in helping us achieve our goals. Therefore, it is essential to keep them close. One of the best ways to keep your friends closer is by creating a study group or conducting joint studies. In addition, you can organize library days, form a book club or hold group discussions.

Having your friends as your study partners will give you the motivation to study, and you will still keep them close and spend more time together.

Create Schedule

Creating a schedule helps you keep up with some aspects of your life or activities that you could have otherwise ignored due to lack of time. When creating your schedule, ensure you spare some time for your social life. Then, you can use the break in the schedule to find your friends and bond with them.

Once you plan your schedule, you will not feel like your social life is eating into your academic time since every activity will be spelled out. Sometimes we might feel guilty hanging out with friends while we have pending assignments. However, learning how to stick to your schedule would be best.

Also Read: Simple Study Tips That Can Transform Your Grades

Create Healthy Friendships

Overbearing friendships can cause stress and anxiety since you constantly feel pushed to do things you do not want. So ensure you find friends who understand and support you. For example, a good friend will not feel bad when you take a rain check on a meet-up to complete a pending assignment. A healthy friendship involves helping each other in and out of school and understanding each other’s limits. So if you feel your friends are overbearing, it is time to create new connections.

high-school-study

Join a Club

Joining a club helps you broaden your social circle with like-minded individuals. Finding a club that carries out activities you love will help you meet people with similar passions, and it can be easy to relate. For example, joining a math club will help you sharpen your mathematical skills as you make friends and socialize. In addition, school clubs often work around a fixed schedule, which will help you easily fix it in your planner.

Seek Professional Advice From an Academic Advisor

Sometimes finding the balance can be overwhelming, especially if you are under pressure from school. If you notice that you are struggling, ask for help from a professional academic counselor. They will help develop a suitable schedule that will favor your social and academic life.

Failing to find a balance will be detrimental to the different parts of your life. Staying in school without friends can sometimes cause loneliness and depression, and sometimes giving too much time to friendships can derail your studies, thus the need to find a balance.

Self-Discipline

Through self-discipline, one can prioritize without being carried away. Also, self-discipline means working within your limits so that you do not give in too much to friendships or focus on studies that you forget about the social aspect. Therefore, it will be much easier to take charge of your relationships and studies simultaneously.

Take-Home Point

Students often find it difficult to incorporate studies and entertainment into their schedules. It often feels like socializing hurts academics, and focusing on studies means limited to no socializing time. However, to eliminate such sentiments, it is essential to allocate time for everything.

Friends play a vital role in helping us thrive academically and socially. Thus, as much as you may want to focus on your studies, it is also essential to keep your friends close. Creating healthy bonds where you support and understand each other is vital to balance social and academic life.

PFAS in Water Systems: Sources, Challenges and Emerging Removal Technologies

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as one of the most critical classes of persistent organic contaminants threatening global water resources. Due to their exceptional chemical stability, resistance to degradation, and widespread industrial applications, PFAS are increasingly detected in groundwater, surface water, wastewater, and even drinking water supplies.

This article reviews the origin and environmental pathways of PFAS contamination, with a particular focus on aquatic systems. It also examines the principal analytical techniques currently used for PFAS detection and quantification in water matrices, including LC-MS/MS and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the study critically analyzes conventional and advanced PFAS removal technologies such as activated carbon adsorption, ion exchange resins, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, advanced oxidation, plasma technologies, and electrochemical degradation. The advantages, operational limitations, and energy implications of each technology are discussed.

Special emphasis is placed on the challenges facing desalination-dependent regions such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where water scarcity and emerging contaminants constitute interconnected strategic risks. The article concludes that integrated treatment approaches combining advanced monitoring, source control, membrane processes, and destructive technologies are essential for long-term PFAS management and water security.

PFAS contaminated water

Introduction

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic fluorinated compounds characterized by strong carbon-fluorine bonds, among the strongest chemical bonds in organic chemistry [1]. These compounds possess unique physicochemical properties including thermal stability, hydrophobicity, lipophobicity, and chemical resistance, which have made them indispensable in numerous industrial and commercial applications for more than seven decades [2].

PFAS have been extensively used in firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, food packaging, textile coatings, aerospace materials, electronics manufacturing, pesticides, and metal plating industries [3]. However, their remarkable stability has also resulted in extreme environmental persistence, earning them the designation “forever chemicals” [4].

Over the last decade, growing scientific evidence has demonstrated the widespread occurrence of PFAS in aquatic environments worldwide, including groundwater aquifers, rivers, lakes, wastewater effluents, seawater, and drinking water systems [5]. Their persistence and mobility raise serious concerns regarding environmental contamination, bioaccumulation, ecosystem disruption, and human health risks [6].

In arid and semi-arid regions such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the issue becomes even more critical due to increasing dependence on desalination, water reuse, and highly stressed water resources [7]. Consequently, understanding PFAS contamination pathways, analytical detection methods, and efficient removal technologies has become a strategic priority for sustainable water management.

This article reviews the major sources and occurrence of PFAS in water systems, analyzes state-of-the-art analytical methods, and critically discusses existing and emerging technologies for PFAS removal and destruction.

Sources and Occurrence of PFAS in Water Systems

Industrial Sources

Industrial activities remain the dominant source of PFAS contamination in water environments. Significant emissions originate from fluoropolymer manufacturing facilities, electroplating industries, semiconductor production plants, and textile treatment operations [8].

Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), extensively used in airports, military bases, and firefighting training centers, are among the most documented contributors to severe groundwater contamination [9]. Studies have reported PFAS concentrations exceeding several µg/L in aquifers surrounding firefighting sites [10].

Municipal and Domestic Sources

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) represent secondary but significant PFAS sources. Conventional biological treatment systems are generally ineffective at degrading PFAS molecules due to their high chemical stability [11]. Consequently, treated effluents often discharge PFAS into rivers and coastal waters.

PFAS-containing consumer products such as cosmetics, waterproof textiles, food-contact materials, detergents, and household products also contribute to diffuse urban contamination [12].

Landfills and Leachates

Landfill leachates contain elevated concentrations of PFAS due to disposal of contaminated industrial and domestic waste. These leachates can infiltrate groundwater systems and persist for decades [13].

Several studies have identified municipal landfills as long-term PFAS reservoirs capable of continuously releasing contaminants into surrounding hydrological systems [14].

Occurrence in Drinking Water

PFAS contamination of drinking water has become a major global concern. Monitoring campaigns in North America, Europe, and Asia have detected PFAS in public water supplies serving millions of people [15].

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently established extremely low drinking water limits for PFOA and PFOS due to their toxicity and persistence [16].

Human Health and Environmental Impacts

PFAS exposure is associated with multiple adverse health effects. Epidemiological and toxicological studies have linked certain PFAS compounds to:

  • endocrine disruption;
  • immune system suppression;
  • liver dysfunction;
  • thyroid disorders;
  • reproductive toxicity;
  • developmental effects;
  • elevated cholesterol levels;
  • kidney and testicular cancers [17].

Some PFAS compounds exhibit biological half-lives ranging from several years to decades in humans [18]. Their bioaccumulative nature increases long-term exposure risks through drinking water and food chains.

Ecologically, PFAS can affect aquatic organisms, alter microbial communities, and disrupt trophic interactions within freshwater and marine ecosystems [19].

Materials and Methods: Analytical Techniques for PFAS Detection

Sampling and Sample Preparation

PFAS analysis requires strict contamination control because these compounds are present in numerous laboratory materials such as Teflon tubing and fluoropolymer containers [20].

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is commonly employed for concentration and purification of water samples prior to instrumental analysis [21].

A scientist sampling PFAS contaminated water

Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is currently considered the reference analytical method for PFAS quantification in water matrices [22].

The technique provides:

  • high sensitivity;
  • low detection limits (ng/L);
  • excellent selectivity;
  • simultaneous multi-compound analysis.

EPA Methods 533 and 537.1 are widely applied for drinking water monitoring [23].

High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS)

High-resolution mass spectrometry enables non-targeted screening and identification of unknown PFAS compounds [24]. HRMS has become increasingly important because thousands of PFAS molecules remain poorly characterized or unregulated.

Emerging Analytical Approaches

Recent advances include:

  • total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay;
  • extractable organic fluorine (EOF) analysis;
  • combustion ion chromatography;
  • fluorine mass balance methods [25].

These approaches improve understanding of precursor compounds and total fluorinated organic content in environmental samples.

Results and Discussion: Technologies for PFAS Removal from Water

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)

Granular activated carbon remains one of the most widely used PFAS treatment technologies in drinking water facilities [26].

Performance

GAC exhibits high adsorption efficiency for long-chain PFAS such as PFOS and PFOA, with removal efficiencies frequently exceeding 90% [27].

Limitations

However, shorter-chain PFAS demonstrate lower adsorption affinity, reducing treatment efficiency [28]. Media exhaustion and regeneration costs also represent major operational challenges.

Ion Exchange Resins

Ion exchange resins provide high PFAS removal capacities and rapid adsorption kinetics [29].

Studies have demonstrated removal efficiencies between 90–99% depending on water composition and PFAS characteristics [30].

Advantages

  • higher capacity than activated carbon;
  • efficient short-chain PFAS removal;
  • compact system design.

Challenges

Resin fouling, regeneration complexity, and waste management remain critical concerns.

Nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis

Pressure-driven membrane technologies currently provide the highest PFAS rejection efficiencies [31].

Performance

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems can achieve rejection rates above 99% for many PFAS compounds [32]. Nanofiltration membranes also demonstrate strong performance for high molecular weight PFAS.

Limitations

Despite their effectiveness, membrane systems generate concentrated brines containing elevated PFAS levels [33]. Managing these concentrates represents one of the major unresolved challenges in PFAS treatment.

Additionally, RO systems involve substantial energy consumption, particularly in seawater desalination applications.

Advanced Oxidation and Destructive Technologies

Conventional oxidation processes are generally ineffective against PFAS because of the strong C–F bond [34]. Consequently, research has shifted toward advanced destructive technologies including:

  • electrochemical oxidation;
  • plasma treatment;
  • UV-persulfate systems;
  • sonochemical degradation;
  • supercritical water oxidation [35].

These technologies aim to mineralize PFAS rather than merely transfer contaminants to another phase.

Electrochemical Oxidation

Electrochemical oxidation has demonstrated promising PFAS degradation capabilities, particularly when using boron-doped diamond electrodes [36].

However, high electrical energy demand and electrode costs currently limit large-scale implementation.

Plasma Technologies

Cold plasma processes generate highly reactive radicals capable of breaking PFAS molecular structures [37].

Recent pilot-scale studies reported degradation efficiencies exceeding 95% under optimized conditions [38].

Nevertheless, operational scalability and energy optimization remain under investigation.

Challenges and Future Perspectives

Several critical challenges continue to hinder effective PFAS management:

Regulatory Complexity

More than 10,000 PFAS compounds exist, yet only a small fraction are regulated [39].

Analytical Limitations

Current analytical methods cannot comprehensively identify all fluorinated compounds present in environmental samples.

Concentrate Management

Membrane and adsorption systems often transfer PFAS into secondary waste streams requiring further treatment.

Energy and Sustainability Issues

Advanced destructive technologies remain highly energy-intensive and economically challenging for full-scale deployment.

Implications for Desalination Regions

In desalination-dependent regions such as the MENA region, PFAS contamination introduces additional complexity to water security strategies. Concentrated PFAS rejection in desalination brines may create emerging environmental risks for marine ecosystems [40].

Integrated approaches combining advanced monitoring, hybrid treatment systems, renewable energy integration, and source reduction policies will likely define the next generation of PFAS management strategies.

Conclusion

PFAS contamination has emerged as a critical global environmental and public health issue due to the persistence, mobility, and toxicity of these fluorinated compounds. Water systems are particularly vulnerable because PFAS are highly resistant to conventional treatment processes and can accumulate across aquatic environments.

Analytical advancements such as LC-MS/MS and HRMS have significantly improved PFAS detection capabilities, enabling trace-level monitoring in complex water matrices. Meanwhile, adsorption, ion exchange, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis remain the principal technologies for PFAS removal from water.

However, most current technologies only concentrate PFAS rather than destroy them completely. Emerging destructive approaches including electrochemical oxidation, plasma treatment, and advanced oxidation processes show considerable promise but still face economic and energetic barriers.

Future sustainable PFAS management will require integrated multidisciplinary strategies combining source control, advanced analytics, hybrid treatment technologies, regulatory harmonization, and circular water management principles, particularly in water-stressed regions increasingly dependent on desalination and water reuse.

References

  1. Buck RC, Franklin J, Berger U, et al. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment: Terminology, classification, and origins. Integr Environ Assess Manag. 2011;7(4):513–541.
  2. Wang Z, DeWitt JC, Higgins CP, Cousins IT. A never-ending story of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)? Environ Sci Technol. 2017;51(5):2508–2518.
  3. Glüge J, Scheringer M, Cousins IT, et al. An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Environ Sci Process Impacts. 2020;22(12):2345–2373.
  4. Cousins IT, DeWitt JC, Glüge J, et al. The high persistence of PFAS is sufficient for their management as a chemical class. Environ Sci Process Impacts. 2020;22(12):2307–2312.
  5. Ahrens L. Polyfluoroalkyl compounds in the aquatic environment: A review of their occurrence and fate. J Environ Monit. 2011;13(1):20–31.
  6. Sunderland EM, Hu XC, Dassuncao C, et al. A review of the pathways of human exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2019;29(2):131–147.
  7. Arun KK, Alhassan M, Ahmed M, et al. PFAS contamination risks in water systems of arid and desalination-dependent regions. Environ Sci Water Res Technol. 2026;12(2):455–478.
  8. Lindstrom AB, Strynar MJ, Libelo EL. Polyfluorinated compounds: Past, present, and future. Environ Sci Technol. 2011;45(19):7954–7961.
  9. Hu XC, Andrews DQ, Lindstrom AB, et al. Detection of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in U.S. drinking water linked to industrial sites and firefighting foam sources. Environ Sci Technol Lett. 2016;3(10):344–350.
  10. Anderson RH, Long GC, Porter RC, Anderson JK. Occurrence of select perfluoroalkyl substances at U.S. Air Force aqueous film-forming foam release sites. J Environ Qual. 2016;45(6):2017–2025.
  11. Rahman MF, Peldszus S, Anderson WB. Behaviour and fate of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water treatment: A review. Water Res. 2014;50:318–340.
  12. Trier X, Granby K, Christensen JH. Polyfluorinated surfactants in paper and board coatings for food packaging. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 2011;18(7):1108–1120.
  13. Lang JR, Allred BM, Field JA, Levis JW, Barlaz MA. National estimate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance releases to U.S. municipal landfill leachate. Environ Sci Technol. 2017;51(4):2197–2205.
  14. Fuertes I, Gómez-Lavín S, Elizalde MP, Urtiaga A. Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in northern Spain municipal solid waste landfill leachates. Chemosphere. 2017;168:399–407.
  15. Post GB, Cohn PD, Cooper KR. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), an emerging drinking water contaminant: A critical review of recent literature. Environ Res. 2012;116:93–117.
  16. US EPA. National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFAS. Federal Register. 2024;89(71):32532–32665.
  17. Grandjean P, Clapp R. Perfluorinated alkyl substances: Emerging insights into health risks. New Solut. 2015;25(2):147–163.
  18. Olsen GW, Burris JM, Ehresman DJ, et al. Half-life of serum elimination of perfluorooctanesulfonate and other fluorochemicals in retired fluorochemical production workers. Environ Health Perspect. 2007;115(9):1298–1305.
  19. Giesy JP, Kannan K. Global distribution of perfluorooctane sulfonate in wildlife. Environ Sci Technol. 2001;35(7):1339–1342.
  20. Powley CR, George SW, Ryan TW, Buck RC. Matrix effect-free analytical methods for determination of perfluorinated carboxylic acids in environmental matrixes. Anal Chem. 2005;77(19):6353–6358.
  21. Xiao F. Emerging poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in the aquatic environment: A review of current literature. Water Res. 2017;124:482–495.
  22. Place BJ, Field JA. Identification of novel fluorochemicals in aqueous film-forming foams used by the US military. Environ Sci Technol. 2012;46(13):7120–7127.
  23. Shoemaker JA, Tettenhorst DR. Method 533: Determination of PFAS in drinking water by isotope dilution LC-MS/MS. US EPA Technical Report. 2020;EPA/600/R-20/006.
  24. Schymanski EL, Singer HP, Longrée P, et al. Strategies to characterize polar organic contamination in wastewater: Exploring the capability of high resolution mass spectrometry. Environ Sci Technol. 2014;48(3):1811–1818.
  25. Houtz EF, Sedlak DL. Oxidative conversion as a means of detecting precursors to perfluoroalkyl acids in urban runoff. Environ Sci Technol. 2012;46(17):9342–9349.
  26. Ross I, McDonough J, Miles J, et al. A review of emerging technologies for remediation of PFASs. Remediation. 2018;28(2):101–126.
  27. Appleman TD, Dickenson ERV, Bellona C, Higgins CP. Nanofiltration and granular activated carbon treatment of PFAS. Water Res. 2013;47(15):5847–5858.
  28. Yu Q, Deng S, Yu G. Selective removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate from aqueous solution using activated carbon. Water Res. 2009;43(4):1150–1158.
  29. Deng S, Yu Q, Huang J, Yu G. Removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate from wastewater by ion exchange resins. Water Res. 2010;44(18):5188–5195.
  30. Zaggia A, Conte L, Falletti L, Fant M, Chiorboli A. Use of strong anion exchange resins for PFAS removal from contaminated drinking water. Water Res. 2016;91:137–146.
  31. Steinle-Darling E, Reinhard M. Nanofiltration for trace organic contaminant removal. Environ Sci Technol. 2008;42(14):5292–5297.
  32. Flores C, Ventura F, Martin-Alonso J. Removal of PFAS by reverse osmosis in water treatment systems. Desalination. 2013;332(1):1–6.
  33. Tow EW, Hartmann RC, Colosi LM, et al. Managing and treating PFAS in membrane concentrates. Environ Sci Water Res Technol. 2021;7(3):473–499.
  34. Vecitis CD, Wang Y, Cheng J, et al. Electrochemical oxidation of PFAS. J Phys Chem A. 2009;113(16):4268–4276.
  35. Trojanowicz M, Bojanowska-Czajka A, Bartosiewicz I, Kulisa K. Advanced oxidation/reduction processes treatment for aqueous PFAS. Chem Eng J. 2018;336:170–199.
  36. Nienhauser AB, Wellenstein C, et al. Electrochemical destruction of PFAS using boron-doped diamond electrodes. Electrochim Acta. 2020;354:136641.
  37. Singh RK, Fernando S, Baygi SF, et al. Breakdown products from plasma-based PFAS decomposition. Environ Sci Technol. 2019;53(5):2731–2738.
  38. Mededovic Thagard S, Holsen TM, et al. Pilot-scale plasma treatment for PFAS destruction in water. Chemosphere. 2021;274:129689.
  39. OECD. Reconciling terminology of the universe of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). OECD Series on Risk Management. 2021;61:1–30.
  40. Cousins IT, Johansson JH, Salter ME, Sha B, Scheringer M. Outside the safe operating space of planetary boundary for novel entities: PFAS implications for water security. Environ Sci Technol. 2022;56(16):11172–11179.

Critical Minerals and the Water–Environment Nexus: Challenges and Pathways for Sustainable Extraction

By | | ,
Leave a comment

The rapid acceleration of the global energy transition has placed critical minerals at the center of economic, technological, and geopolitical transformations. Minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and copper are indispensable for renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, digital infrastructure, and energy storage technologies. International institutions including the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United Nations (UN), and the European Union (EU) increasingly describe these resources as the backbone of decarbonization pathways [1]. However, the expansion of critical mineral extraction raises profound environmental concerns, particularly regarding water consumption, water pollution, ecosystem degradation, and social inequalities. While these materials are essential for achieving climate goals, their extraction paradoxically introduces new sustainability challenges that must be urgently addressed through integrated governance, technological innovation, and circular economy approaches.

sustainable extraction of minerals

The demand for critical minerals has grown exponentially over the last decade, driven primarily by clean energy technologies. According to the IEA, the deployment of renewable energy systems and electrification technologies is expected to multiply mineral demand several times by 2040, particularly for lithium, cobalt, and nickel used in batteries [1]. This surge in demand implies a significant expansion of mining activities worldwide, often in environmentally sensitive and water-scarce regions. Indeed, recent analyses indicate that at least 16% of global critical mineral extraction sites are located in areas experiencing high or extremely high water stress, where competition for water resources is already intense [2]. This spatial overlap between mineral resources and water scarcity constitutes one of the most critical environmental risks associated with the energy transition.

Water plays a central role in nearly all stages of mineral extraction and processing. It is used for ore separation, dust suppression, slurry transport, cooling systems, and chemical processing. Consequently, mining operations can require vast quantities of water, often exceeding local availability. Lithium extraction, particularly from brine deposits in South America’s “lithium triangle” (Chile, Argentina, Bolivia), is emblematic of this issue. The conventional evaporation method involves pumping large volumes of saline groundwater to the surface, where it is left to evaporate in ponds over several months. This process can require up to 500,000 gallons of brine water per ton of lithium produced [2]. Although brine itself is not potable, its extraction disrupts hydrological balances, potentially leading to freshwater depletion, aquifer mixing, and salinization of surrounding ecosystems.

The environmental consequences of such water-intensive practices are particularly severe in arid regions. In Chile’s Salar de Atacama, one of the driest places on Earth, lithium and copper mining operations have been reported to consume more than 65% of the region’s available water resources [2]. This has led to declining groundwater levels, degradation of wetlands, and significant impacts on biodiversity, including endemic species dependent on fragile desert ecosystems. Moreover, indigenous communities relying on limited water resources for agriculture and livestock have experienced reduced water availability and contamination risks. These localized impacts highlight the broader issue of environmental justice associated with critical mineral extraction, where the environmental costs are disproportionately borne by vulnerable populations.

Beyond water depletion, water pollution represents another major environmental concern. Mining processes often generate large volumes of waste containing heavy metals, acids, and toxic chemicals. These contaminants can infiltrate surface water and groundwater systems through tailings leaks, acid mine drainage, and improper waste disposal. For example, cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been associated with significant water contamination, affecting both human health and ecosystems [3]. Similar patterns have been observed in graphite mining regions in China, where chemical processing has led to water quality degradation [2]. These impacts are exacerbated by weak regulatory frameworks and insufficient environmental monitoring in many resource-rich countries.

The United Nations University (UNU) has emphasized the systemic nature of these challenges, warning that the environmental and social costs of critical mineral extraction are often externalized to vulnerable communities, while the benefits accrue globally through clean energy technologies [4]. This asymmetry raises critical questions about the sustainability and equity of current supply chains. The concept of “green extractivism” has emerged to describe this phenomenon, whereby the pursuit of low-carbon technologies reproduces patterns of environmental degradation and social inequality historically associated with fossil fuel extraction.

In response to these challenges, technological innovation is often presented as a potential solution to reduce the environmental footprint of mineral extraction. One promising approach is direct lithium extraction (DLE), which aims to recover lithium from brine without extensive evaporation. Compared to traditional methods, DLE technologies can significantly reduce water consumption, minimize land use, and decrease the risk of contamination. However, these technologies are still in early stages of development and face challenges related to scalability, cost, and environmental trade-offs, including energy use and chemical inputs [5]. Therefore, while technological improvements are necessary, they are not sufficient on their own to address the broader sustainability challenges of the sector.

Policy frameworks and governance mechanisms play a crucial role in mitigating environmental impacts. The IEA highlights water management as a key priority for sustainable mineral supply chains, alongside greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity protection, and community engagement [6]. Effective governance requires robust environmental regulations, transparent reporting, and inclusive decision-making processes that involve local communities and Indigenous peoples. However, many countries hosting critical mineral resources face governance challenges, including limited regulatory capacity, and lack of enforcement. These issues can lead to environmental degradation, human rights violations, and social conflicts.

The European Union has recognized the strategic importance of critical minerals through initiatives such as the Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to secure sustainable and diversified supply chains [7]. Nevertheless, the EU remains heavily dependent on imports from regions with varying environmental and social standards. Recent reports have highlighted the risks associated with this dependency, including supply disruptions and ethical concerns related to mining practices. As a result, the EU is increasingly promoting domestic mining, recycling, and circular economy strategies to reduce reliance on primary extraction and minimize environmental impacts.

a coal mine in the United Kingdom

Circular economy approaches offer significant potential to alleviate pressure on natural resources and reduce water consumption associated with mining. Recycling of batteries, electronic waste, and industrial materials can recover valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, thereby reducing the need for new extraction. Additionally, improving product design, extending product lifetimes, and promoting material efficiency can further decrease demand for virgin resources. However, current recycling rates for many critical minerals remain low due to technical, economic, and logistical challenges [8]. Scaling up recycling infrastructure and developing efficient recovery technologies are therefore essential components of a sustainable mineral strategy.

Water stewardship is another critical dimension of sustainable mining. Companies are increasingly adopting water management practices aimed at reducing consumption, improving efficiency, and minimizing environmental impacts. These include water recycling and reuse, desalination, dry processing techniques, and the use of alternative water sources. Some mining companies have set ambitious targets to reduce water use and improve water quality, reflecting growing awareness of water-related risks [6]. However, voluntary initiatives alone are insufficient, and stronger regulatory frameworks are needed to ensure accountability and compliance.

Furthermore, the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into investment and supply chain decisions is gaining momentum. Investors, consumers, and policymakers are increasingly demanding transparency and sustainability in mineral sourcing. Initiatives such as the Global Battery Alliance’s “Battery Passport” aim to track the environmental and social impacts of battery production, including water use and emissions [9]. Such tools can enhance traceability, improve accountability, and support more sustainable consumption patterns.

Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain. The projected growth in mineral demand implies that even with improved efficiency and recycling, mining activities will continue to expand in the coming decades. This raises concerns about cumulative environmental impacts, including land degradation, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity. Climate change further exacerbates these challenges by altering precipitation patterns, increasing drought frequency, and intensifying water stress in many regions [4]. Therefore, a holistic and integrated approach is required to balance the benefits of critical minerals with their environmental and social costs.

Conclusion

Critical minerals are indispensable for the global transition to a low-carbon economy, yet their extraction poses significant environmental challenges, particularly in terms of water consumption and pollution. The concentration of mining activities in water-stressed regions, combined with the water-intensive nature of extraction processes, creates substantial risks for ecosystems and communities.

Addressing these challenges requires a combination of technological innovation, robust governance, circular economy strategies, and enhanced water stewardship. International cooperation and multi-stakeholder engagement are also essential to ensure that the transition to clean energy is both environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. Ultimately, achieving a truly sustainable energy transition will depend not only on the deployment of clean technologies but also on the responsible and ethical management of the resources that enable them.

References

[1] International Energy Agency (IEA), The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, IEA, Paris, 2021.
https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions

[2] World Resources Institute (WRI), More Critical Minerals Mining Could Strain Water Supplies in Stressed Regions, 2024.
https://www.wri.org/insights/critical-minerals-mining-water-impacts

[3] United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Mineral Resource Governance in the 21st Century: Gearing Extractive Industries Towards Sustainable Development, UNEP, Nairobi, 2020.
https://www.unep.org/resources/report/mineral-resource-governance-21st-century

[4] United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Global Water Security Issues Series: Water, Critical Minerals and the Energy Transition, 2022.
https://inweh.unu.edu

[5] Flexer, V., Baspineiro, C.F., Galli, C.I., Lithium recovery from brines: A vital raw material for green energies with a potential environmental impact, Science of the Total Environment 639 (2018) 1188–1204.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.223

[6] International Energy Agency (IEA), Sustainable and Responsible Critical Mineral Supply Chains, IEA, Paris, 2023.
https://www.iea.org/reports/sustainable-and-responsible-critical-mineral-supply-chains

[7] European Commission, Critical Raw Materials Act, COM(2023) 160 final, Brussels, 2023.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu

[8] European Commission, Study on the EU’s List of Critical Raw Materials – Final Report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020.
https://op.europa.eu

[9] Global Battery Alliance, The Battery Passport: Giving an Identity to Batteries, World Economic Forum, 2022.
https://www.weforum.org

Starvation in Poor Countries – A Pandemic Deadlier than Covid-19

By | | , ,
1 Comment

The world has been propelled on a fast track journey of dealing with Covid-19 across the developed world where the pandemic has created chaos and mayhem of astounding proportions. The faint light that gave hope was the fact that this was happening in the developed regions of the globe where people do have access to health services, adequate housing, well stocked warehouses, communications networks, financial assets and funds (even if diminishing under economic stress), and so forth.

The Onslaught on Vulnerable Masses

Let us be real, just as Covid-19 is real. The virus seeks out human beings regardless of their social status or financial assets. Humans means everyone. Now Covid-19 is smashing through the neighbourhoods of the poor, villagers, slums, refugee camps and migrant camps. These are all people that if they are luckily, have a subsistence life style. This lifestyle functions on a daily basis of hand-to-mouth. We work, we eat. We cannot social distance, there is no physical space for that. We cannot wash our hands all day, we have to walk to fetch our water or there is a limited supply of water in our community, and that is not clean. We quarantine, we die before Covid-19 gets to us.

Pandemics are desperate situations, but Covid-19 only kills a small percentage, Starvation is our pandemic and it threatens every man, woman and child on the Earth. We are all destined to die.

coronavirus-pandemic-africa

In the developed world, the infection rates are declining, and the severe lockdowns that were imposed are slowly being eased. This is good. It is positive for the developed world. But for us, on the other side of the globe, the backside of the world, the Covid-19 is only making its way through our neigbourhoods and villages. The death toll due to starvation will far exceed that of the Covid-related deaths in the developed nations.

This is not belittling the staggering death tolls of the nations with advanced technology, medical services, infrastructure and even charitable organizations that are feeding their poorer people. But our numbers will be catastrophic because we cannot eat.

The Danger for Africa

Let us discuss the African continent – Sub-Saharan nations, in broad terms. Trying to implement social distancing so as to flatten the curve of the infection rate are not viable options. Population densities are too great and living conditions are too poor. The healthcare systems are so limited and deficient that such an outbreak of Covid-19 will cripple services over night. There is not just a shortage of medical equipment but also medically trained healthcare workers.

What kind of shortage, in 2013, it was ascertained that there were 14 healthcare workers per 1000 people in Europe while in Sub-Saharan African nations there were only 2.2 healthcare workers. As for equipment, developed nations did not have adequate supply of ventilators. The developing nations have far less. It is reported that Nigeria has less than 500 ventilators for a nation over 206 million people.  The Central African Republic (CAR) has three ventilators for a population of under 5 million people. That is a ventilator per 400,000 Nigerians and 1 per 1.6 million people in CAR. The governments of these African nations do not have the financial operation capacity of the developed nations to take action of pandemic proportions. In addition, the weak leadership and corrupt authoritarianism have also weakened the nations.

covid19-africa

Every Sub-Saharan nation is resilient.  Nigeria and other west African nations have been well tested with the Ebola virus. But this time the threats looming over the continent are deadly hunger and deadly infection. These two threats will also weaken the social structure further with potential civil unrest and violent protests. These threats are not short term but could be prolonged for much longer time frame of years.

The Rough Road Ahead

Future productivity of these nations could be significantly affected in terms of labour and capital. Job losses could be even more precarious in the future especially with nearly 50 percent of the population being under the age of 30 years. The social structure of society could be weakened further with increases in domestic violence, increases in earlier pregnancies and marriages, and with even less access to education for the younger generations.

The economic prospects could also be very dim with nations unable to meet corporate and sovereign debts because of very substantial foreign investments on the past decades. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have acted on request, and secured suspended debt payments by the poorest of developing nations. Nations such as China have offered medical donations.

The economic measures that need to be extended by the developed nations to help undergirth these developing nations is critical for a global survival scheme. Without private and public support from the developed nations, these nations could spiral downwards very easily. This will require major changes in the mindset of the commercial – economic sectors to devise viable solutions or options that can be made available to developing nations.

Bottom Line

This current pandemic is a crisis of global proportions with the potential to totally devastate sectors of the developing world. It will require a concerted, cooperative approach, with a new, holistic vision towards the whole international community so as to avoid a massive humanitarian tragedy. It is already a crisis across the globe, and every nation is striving to salvage the level of social and economic attainment that existed pre-Covid-19. If the whole globe cannot restabilize, the developed world will also suffer from a significant kickback from the less developed nations if they fail to restabilize.

It sounds a message of doom and gloom, but human beings are very resourceful, creative and innovative. Everyone just needs to focus their mind on global unity.

How to Make Sustainable Commercial Choices and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

The importance of reducing a company’s carbon footprint has increased as environmental sustainability has gained popularity. The total emissions, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) units, produced by a company’s operations, directly and indirectly, are referred to as the carbon footprint.

It has been demonstrated that carbon pricing does not impede economic growth but instead sends a loud and clear message to firms, industries, and consumers to switch to greener energy sources. This conclusion is based on data from 70 national and subnational governments that have previously implemented carbon pricing.

reasons for global warming

Establish Carbon Reduction Goals

A crucial first step in reducing your company’s carbon footprint is to set carbon reduction targets. The appropriate approach may be used to achieve net zero carbon emissions, despite it seeming like a high objective. Carbon targets are measurable objectives that focus an organisation’s efforts on going green. Understanding the procedures for creating and achieving these goals is the first step in developing any long-term plan to reduce carbon emissions. To do this, you must gather a lot of information on the sources of your CO2 emissions and how they affect internal and external operations.

Companies may position themselves for success with an open strategy by dividing their intended goals into more manageable, attainable objectives.

Less energy consumption, please

According to research, energy usage frequently accounts for a significant portion of a company’s carbon footprint during commercial activities. Therefore, cutting back on energy use is a great way to decrease the environmental effect of your business.

Purchasing ENERGY STAR-certified energy-efficient equipment, programming thermostats to run only during business hours, unplugging electronics at the end of each day, and relying on natural lighting are a few ways to decrease energy consumption. These simple yet effective actions might drastically reduce carbon emissions while saving you money. Increasing energy efficiency doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Energy efficiency identification, monitoring, and optimisation across large-scale operations may be facilitated by software tools like Brightly StreamTM or Energy ManagerTM while prioritising activities that result in further cost savings and a minimal carbon footprint. Learn more about commercial gas here!

Control business travel

Reviewing your company’s travel rules is one of the finest ways to lessen the carbon footprint of your enterprise. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 27% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 came from transportation. Regulating business travel is a straightforward yet efficient solution to lessen this impact, suitable for your company’s operations and bottom line. It must be essential to your greenhouse gas plan for lowering carbon emissions.

biorefinery basics

Etihad Airways flight from Seattle to Abu Dhabi in January 2012 was the first in the Middle East to be powered by sustainable biofuel.

As a business owner, you have a unique opportunity and duty to make changes that lessen your organisation’s carbon footprint and save the environment. You may drastically lower your company’s carbon footprint by restricting how frequently personnel travel by air and by road for work-related reasons. When it is practical, switching from flying to trains, buses, and other forms of public transportation can have a significant environmental impact due to their reduced emissions.

When commuting together, companies might encourage their staff to carpool. This lowers each employee’s emissions somewhat. Companies can also take other steps to become more energy-efficient, like switching to hybrid or electric company cars (even one electric car in your fleet can make a difference), letting workers work from home, using public transportation or ride-sharing services for business trips, and encouraging employees to bike or carpool to work. Here, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the primary goal, but doing so without sacrificing productivity and efficiency in business.

Use viable suppliers

Rethinking your supply chain is one efficient way to lower your business’s carbon footprint. Choosing sustainable suppliers for finished goods or raw materials in your supply chain is as crucial as taking internal steps to make your workplace more environmentally friendly. Working with unsustainable suppliers increases emissions, and many companies unintentionally support these behaviours by continuing to do so. Even when the firm does not directly create Scope 3 emissions, the company is nonetheless indirectly liable for them since they are produced by any organisation that is part of its value chain.

supply chain and sustainability

To escape this obligation, you can directly request information about your suppliers’ carbon emissions or look for businesses that have earned the ISO 14001 certification, which attests to their dedication to tracking and reducing their environmental effects. You can help your business and the environment by utilising sustainable suppliers and reducing your carbon footprint.

Offsets for carbon

Businesses may effectively supplement their carbon reduction efforts and fight climate change by engaging in carbon offsetting. Companies purchase these offsets as credits to make up for their carbon emissions. Businesses may offset emissions and reduce their carbon footprint by funding authorised projects like reforestation or renewable energy.

To have a long-lasting impact, carbon offsetting should be used in conjunction with other proactive strategies for decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. It should not be the only component of a whole sustainability plan.

Limit your waste

Businesses need to remove waste wherever they can to lower their carbon impact. An essential component of global trash production is made up of commercial waste. Business owners must determine how to reduce product waste in their daily operations. Sustainable packaging, avoiding single-use plastics, converting paper documents to digital records, and placing recycling bins throughout the workplace are a few alternatives. Reusing items and packaging, recycling as much material as feasible, and rethinking product design to reduce needless materials should all be the focus of a company’s waste reduction plan.

Businesses can also look for alternate methods or supplies that use less energy and are less damaging to the environment. They should reduce their paper usage and use wiser purchasing practices to avoid overconsumption. Companies may lower their trash production, lower expenses, and enhance environmental performance by applying these measures.

In Conclusion

To make sustainable commercial choices and reduce your business carbon footprint, there are several steps you can take. First, establish carbon reduction goals and collect data to identify the source of your CO2 emissions. Then, focus on reducing energy consumption by using energy-efficient equipment, setting thermostats to operate only during working hours, and relying on natural illumination. Review your company’s travel rules and consider options like carpooling, using public transportation or ride-sharing services for business trips, and switching to hybrid or electric cars.

Choose sustainable suppliers in your supply chain and consider engaging in carbon offsetting. Finally, limit waste by using sustainable packaging, avoiding single-use plastics, converting paper documents to digital records, and recycling as much material as possible. By taking these steps, you can positively impact the environment while also improving your business’s bottom line.

Future of Urban Transportation in Saudi Arabia

By | | ,
4 Comments

Transportation sector has played a prominent role in the socio-economic development of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, there are a wide range of current and future issues which should be tackled to ensure sustainable development in the country. More than 75% of the total population of Saudi Arabia lives in urban areas. Given the worldwide trends and statistics on urban population growth, many have regarded the 21st century as the urban century, understanding the prominence and importance urban areas have played and will continue to play in the future.

Therefore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must focus its attention in the re-planning and re-designing of existing cities in order to absorb the pressure of increasing urban populations, in a manner that will improve environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. In re-fitting urban areas of Saudi Arabia for expected expansion, the future of urban transportation will be a much needed but thoroughly thought-out strategy to ensure the cities’ lifelines are able to cope with the needs and demands of the increasing urban population.

transportation-saudi-arabia

Prevalent Scenario

Accordingly to a 2014 article published in The Peninsula Times, Saudi Arabia had 15.9 million licensed cars at the end of 2012. The article also mentioned that an analysis by Al-Eqtisadiah (a Saudi newspaper) estimated that the number of cars was expected to increase to 18 million in 2014. Therefore if we were to do a ‘rough’ calculation using the projected number of cars for 2014 and the total population of persons in 2013, then for approximately every two persons there is one licensed car.

For urban areas, a ‘rough’ calculation using the 2010 urban population figure and the ‘roughly’ calculated ratio of one licensed car to approximately every two persons, means that if at present, over 22.9 million people live in the urban cities, then there is a high probability that there are over 11.4 million licensed cars in the urban areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The reality that such figures exist in the Kingdom for licensed cars in urban areas, solidifies the importance of reviewing present modes of urban transport. Such modes of urban transport must be seen as energy efficient, compact, aesthetically pleasing, safe, reliable and environmentally-sustainable. A key area in applying such type of urban transport is through the urban public transportation system. This can be done through the implementation of urban mass transit systems, for example, bus and extensive rapid railway systems. Such systems will encourage the city inhabitants to forego personal vehicles for public transport.

Fortunately, the Kingdom is well on their way in this regard, having an already functioning public bus and railway system. These two public systems are governed under two separate organizations, Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company, and Saudi Railways. Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company has an inter-city and inner-city bus system, while Saudi Railways is responsible for passenger railway transport in the Kingdom. The railway organization has many projects in the pipelines and is working on implementing their Master Plan, which speaks of the creation of a railway for urban transportation, Urban Transit.

Future Outlook

Even though the Kingdom is in the process of planning to implement extensions of those transport systems on a larger scale for urban areas, that type of infrastructure will take a number of years to complete. In the interim, simpler alternative modes of public transport, which can bring about positive changes to the country’s urban transportation sector, can be installed and implemented. One such alternative is a bike –share system. Although it is seen as child’s play, bikes have traditionally been used for transport.

However, with a bit of innovation and creativity, bike-shares having smart and green technology have popped up all over the world, in many of the mega-cities with huge success. In the case of Saudi Arabia, new city developments and economic zones can easily incorporate such a system into their plans and designs. The bike-share concept can also be incorporated on university campuses and other large-scale development centres throughout the Kingdom.

There are numerous advantages to a bike-share, such as improved health, air quality, urban environment and urban aesthetics. The Kingdom can successfully create its own version of a fashionably green urban bike-share system but it will require support from all stakeholders, especially the city dwellers.

Aside from the current usage of the public transport system, a lot more can be done to promote and encourage modes of public transport, as well as other initiatives to ‘nudge’ the urban population to reduce the number of personal cars in cities. One such initiative could be, ‘Use Public Transport Day’ or ‘Car-pool Day’.

Another approach to ‘nudging’ urban residents to reduce the need for cars, can be through the installation of pedestrian zones or pathways, where the entire roadway of a certain part of the city is free of cars, allowing for a better flow of pedestrian traffic. These along with many more examples, can be found in case studies on cities like Mexico City, Copenhagen, Malmo, Curitiba and Vancouver.

Conclusion

Prioritising and revitalising urban transport in Saudi Arabia is indeed a requirement as the urban population increases. It is encouraging to see Saudi Arabia taking strides to increase modes of urban transport for cities. However, the Kingdom needs to implement short and medium term strategies that will get the urban population to begin transitioning from conventional modes to environmentally-sustainable modes of transport. The needs of future urban populations are what should be considered by traffic and transportation planners, not future projections of the number of cars.

We must begin to think of the future needs of the population, in particular the urban population, for more proactive solutions to emerge in the transportation sector in Saudi Arabia, especially in big cities like Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.

Why Solar Energy is the Best Option For Your Home

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Light from the sun can produce energy that powers an entire home. Solar panels use the most powerful but free energy source in nature. Solar energy is a renewable source. It reduces the carbon footprint of your home. Your electricity bills can greatly reduce after installing solar panels. There can be complete riddance from them if solar energy is the sole electricity source.

guide to home solar system

Once that investment is made, you can save a lot on regular expenditures. However, is this the best solution for your home?

Let’s find out if it is the best option for your home among rising electricity prices.

Costs of a Solar Panel?

If you are an environmentally-conscious person, changing your electricity source to solar power is one of the changes you can immediately bring.

It not only reduces cost but can also bring down the carbon footprint while increasing home values. Hence, you can get money when you sell extra power back to the grid.

The installation and maintenance costs are still high enough to reconsider solar power for many. Consider the costs and how much energy it produces after installing it throughout the house.  Compare it with what you would pay for electricity bills for the same amount of energy.

Calculate how many years it would take for the investment costs to pay itself in the saved costs of the electricity. Then decide if the investment is worth it.

Navigate Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

Before you install Smart Solar Energy in Newberg, Oregon, navigate the amount of energy you can save. Carry out a home energy audit to know where you are losing energy and how you can make the use more efficient. For instance, switch your lighting with energy-efficient LED bulbs.

You should also analyze the usage of electronics and appliances. Either replace them with highly efficient products or reduce their usage.

Note the energy use spent on heating and cooling your house. You will also need a significant amount of solar energy to meet that energy usage.

Weatherize your home and use cooling and heating appliances efficiently instead.

Benefits of Solar Panel

Working towards a green home by installing solar panels is not only beneficial to the owner but also for the environment.

A solar-powered home will reduce its carbon footprint. Besides that, it will also eliminate harmful emissions from the house. The market value of your home increases by installing solar panels. In fact, you can also earn money by selling the excess energy the solar panels produce.

Tips for Using Solar Power Effectively

Solar panels have a long lifespan working efficiently, up to 25 years. It is a long-term investment that will be covered in a few years. You also get green, clean energy throughout your home. You will no longer have to worry about power cuts or load shedding.

What Affects The Efficiency of Solar Panels?

If your solar panels are not working properly, external factors can affect their efficiency.

Suitability of Roof

Solar panels install on the roof, so it is essential to understand whether your roof can bear the weight of the panels. Wooden and slate roofs will be too brittle to handle up to 280 kg weight of the panels.

You need to consider the space alongside the weight. The panels need around 30 cm of space. Therefore, the roof should be spacious enough to hold it.

A 4kW solar system contains 16 panels which occupy up to 29-meter square space. Is your roof suitable for providing as much space?

Maintaining the Panels

Solar panels do not require as much maintenance. However, you would want them to work for 25 to 30 years without trouble.

solar panel maintenance

This is why you must routinely call a certified service provider or installer to check the solar panels. On your own end, you can ensure there is no dust, leaves, or branches blocking them.

Location and Angle

Solar panels need sunlight exposure from 9 am to 3 pm. Is the system placed in the most appropriate location where it receives maximum sunlight?

South facing direction is the most suitable for the solar panels ensuring they get maximum sunlight. After all, the angle and orientation of the roof affect the exposure to sunlight.

Solar Panel Size

Calculate the size of solar panels required by considering the size of the roof and your home’s energy requirements. The greater size of the panel corresponds to more electricity generation.

You can also choose efficient solar panels. For instance, monocrystalline panels are more efficient than polycrystalline systems. In that case, fewer solar panels generate more energy, and you will not need many.

Final Takeaway

Installing solar panels in your home is entirely your choice. You should first consider your budget and energy needs and then decide to install these panels. However, know that in the long term, it is an energy-efficient system that will improve the environment for future generations.

Recycling of Aluminium Cans

By | | ,
3 Comments

Aluminium is a soft, durable and lightweight metal, made from Bauxite ore, which is mined from the earth. Bauxite is converted into alumina, a fine white powder, which is then smelted at over 700°C to become aluminium, which is one of the versatile products universally being used by consumers in a number of applications. The process is expensive and uses huge resources, including energy and fuel. Making cans out of aluminium for storing soft drinks and juices is one of the commonly used phenomenons as it takes five tonnes of Bauxite to make just one tonne of aluminium cans.

aluminium-cans-recycling

Many of the food and drink products we buy are packaged in cans made from either aluminium or steel and both of these materials can be easily recycled after we have finished with them to make either new cans or other allied suitable products.

Aluminium cans are very common in our daily life and is often consumed as  drink containers and later thrown as garbage in bins or being littered on streets and open plots. The good thing is that these cans provide source of food and income to many poor people who resort to collect them from the bins and open areas and sell it to the middle recycling shops in exchange of money. This practice is certainly restricting huge quantities of cans going to municipal landfill sites saving valuable space and is prompting informal recyclable material collection.

In the recycling process, special attention is often given to can ends, as they are typically made from a slightly different alloy than the main body of the can. These ends are designed to be durable and easy to open, and they play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the product during storage and transport. Efficient separation and recycling of can ends help ensure the overall quality of the recycled aluminum.

The aluminium can is the world’s most recycled packaging container. We need to understand that all aluminium cans are 100% recyclable. It can take up to 500 years for aluminium cans to decompose. Aluminium does not degrade during the recycling process, which means it can be repeatedly recycled many a times. Recycling aluminium saves millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases, energy, electricity and fuel for its transportation. Making aluminium cans from recycled materials requires less than 5% of the energy used to make new aluminium cans from Bauxite.

The recycling of aluminium generally produces significant cost savings over the production of new aluminium even when the cost of collection, separation and recycling are taken into account. Over the long term, even larger national savings are made when the reduction in the capital costs associated with landfills, mines and international shipping of raw aluminium are considered.

It is our environmental and social duty to separate aluminium cans from other domestic waste and either give to recyclers or separately discard it at bins, so that it can be easily collected by poor iterants. Before disposal, ensure that the aluminium cans are empty and not soiled and damaged. The collected cans in the Middle East are then taken to a local recycling facility where they are crushed, compacted, baled and later transported and exported to other countries for recycling, where they are milled and remade into new products.

An important fact is that recycling an aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours. If we throw away two aluminium cans, we waste more energy than is used daily by each of the billion human beings in the developing world.

We need to conserve our environmental resources and practice environmental friendly habits including aluminium can segregation and recycling. Brazil, recycles more than 98% of its aluminium can production, ranking first in the world followed by Japan with 83% recovery rate. Let us strive to make Middle East a recycling heaven and protecting our resources from any kind of pollution.

World Environment Day 2016: Focus on Illegal Wildlife Trade

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

world-environment-day-2016World Environment Day, also known as WED, is commemorated annually on 5th June and is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness on the environment and promotes suitable actions. WED’s agenda is to empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development, promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues, advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

The theme of World Environment Day 2016 is “Fight against the Illegal Trade in Wildlife” or Zero Tolerance for Illegal Wildlife Trade, which refers to the commerce of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It involves the trade of living or dead animals, skins, bones/ meat, or other products.

Wildlife trade is perhaps the most immediate threat to animals in many parts of the world. The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth US$50-150 billion/ year. The global illegal fisheries catch is valued at US$10-23.5 billion/year and illegal logging, including processing, at US$30-100 billion/ year. Illegal wildlife trade is now an emerging issue. Today more elephants are being slaughtered than at any time in the past 20 years. Around 25,000 elephants were killed only in 2013 to supply the illegal ivory trade. For the rhinoceros between 2007 and 2013, the poaching increased by 7000% in South Africa.

Wildlife trade is a serious conservation problem. The world is dealing with an unprecedented hike in illegal wildlife trade, threatening to overturn decades of conservation gains. While, the legal wildlife trade is regulated by the United Nations’ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which currently has 170 member countries. Illegal wildlife trade is attracted by high profits and low risks associated with weak governance, corruption, absence of legislations, weak monitoring and lax penalties. International cooperation and mutual legal assistance among countries can help prevent, combat and eradicate such trafficking.

Wildlife trade is a serious conservation problem worldwide

Wildlife trade is a serious conservation problem worldwide

One of the most powerful tools for addressing illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade is awareness and education persuading consumers to make informed choices. Campaigns to change the public opinion are powerful tools for reducing this demand. This includes the people buying the end product as well as shop-keepers, suppliers and manufacturers.

The key to success in the fight against illegal wildlife trade is collaboration among countries and international agencies. Efficient control of transboundary movements of wildlife products requires good information exchange and cooperation, involving importing, exporting and transit countries. Mechanisms need to be enhanced to facilitate rapid exchanges of information between enforcement agencies. We need to understand the damage this illicit business is doing to the environment, economies, communities and security.

There is a need to change habits and behaviour so that demand for wildlife products decrease. World Environment Day 2016 encourages the celebration for all those species which are under threat and taking suitable local and national actions by all stake holders to help in protecting and safeguarding them for future generations. Urgent action is required which can collectively save the illegal wildlife trade. Let us become better stewards of our planet. Our decisions today will shape the world our children and grandchildren will live in.

What are the Popular Sources of Biofuels

By | |
1 Comment

As the world seeks more and more ways to create eco-friendly energy sources, biofuels seem to be the only answer. Over the last few years, biofuels have been praised as being the best alternative to our fossil fuel crazy world. This is because they do not pollute the environment as much as the current fuel sources. Further, they are much cheaper.

biofuel-resources

Biofuels are produced from the following major sources.

Used cooking oil

This is one of the most popular sources of biofuels. Why?

Cooking oil is much easier to find. This is because it is used in a large number of households and other commercial entities that serve food. As such, biofuel companies can get into arrangements on how to collect the cooking oil.

Once it is delivered to the factory, the cooking oil then goes through a chemical process that cleans it and removes all impurities from it. It then goes through further processing until is suitable to be used as a fuel in vehicles and plant machinery.

Used cooking oil, as an environmentally friendly products is also used to produce other environmentally friendly products such as soap and even animal feed.

Corn

Another source of biofuels is corn. Corn is planted in large scale and set aside for the production of fuel. Once harvested and processed, corn produces ethanol.

This corn-ethanol is a popular fuel alternative and one derived from planted crops. Thus, making it the definition of biofuels. As a biofuel, it is clean and has little negative impact on the environment.

However, production of biofuel from corn has been met with a lot of controversy. This is because, the corn used to produce ethanol for fuel, is corn that could have been used as food by someone else. This means that, using corn for biofuel production may lead to large number of populations going without food.

Sugarcane

Sugarcane is a popular source of ethanol. Many sugarcane plantations and factories around the world, in addition to the production of sugar also produce ethanol. For a country like Brazil, one of the largest sugar producers in the world, biofuel ethanol produced from sugarcane is also highly popular in the country.

With the large production of ethanol from sugarcane, Brazil has managed to become an energy independent country. Due to this successful experiment in the country, sugarcane is considered as one of the leading sources of biofuel.

Canola

This is a crop that grows largely in Canada. It produces highly popular cooking oil known as canola oil. Canola oil as a food is popular for its low levels of cholesterol and thus considered among the healthy oils to use in cooking.

Besides cooking, canola is also a popular source of biofuel. It is easily and cheaply converted into a fuel. As a fuel, it has little emissions, thus it is friendly to the environment. It burns more efficiently than common fossil fuels used every day.

Challenges facing the production of biofuels

Availability of land

Biofuels are produced from sources that must be planted in fertile arable land that is also used for food production. As such, many food producers may be unwilling to use the land they use for food production for biofuel production lest they go hungry.

Made from food sources

Another challenge faced by biofuel production is that it is made from food. Corn which is a popular food product for both human and animals is also a popular source of biofuel.

This in turn leads to an increase in food prices as supply reduces due to the use of corn in the production of biofuels.

Conclusion

There are several sources of biofuel. These sources, as the term bio suggests, are also food products. With some chemical manipulation, they will produce high quality ethanol that is an efficient and clean burning fuel.

Used cooking oil is one of the alternative sources of biofuel that is not also a food source. It produces high-quality biofuels that save the environment from the impact of fossil fuels.