Desertification in MENA – Causes and Solutions

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Desertification is a worldwide phenomenon afflicting countries all over the world. The desert is making a comeback in the Middle East, with fertile lands turning into barren wastes. According to UNDP’s 2009 Arab Human Development Report, desertification is threatening around one-fifth of the MENA region. China is experiencing desertification at an alarming rate – as much as 1,300 square miles each year. Sub-Saharan Africa is drying up, as are regions of Turkey that were once rich agricultural lands.

desertification in mena

During the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the world’s leaders adopted the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and agreed on the desertification definition as “Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities”. This definition is now widely regarded to be most authoritative definition of desertification.

Dry areas are home to 2.5 billion people, cover more than 40% of the world’s land surface and have to sustain on less than 8% of the world’s renewable water resources. These areas are further challenged by extreme temperatures, frequent drought, land degradation and desertification. When fragile land in arid regions is overexploited by the demands of an expanding population, it loses its productive capacity. Every year 12 million hectares of land are lost to desertification, and the rate is increasing at an alarming pace.

Desertification in MENA

Most of the territories of the MENA region fall within the boundaries of arid lands. Infact, degradation of drylands, affects some 70 percent of land in the Arab region, according to the Arab Centre for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD). Around 48.6 per cent of the land area in the Mashreq, 28.6 per cent in the Nile Valley and the Horn of Africa, 16.5 per cent in North Africa and 9 per cent in the Arabian Peninsula is endangered on account of desertification. Among MENA countries, the countries facing the greatest dangers are Libya, Egypt and Jordan. In the Arabian Peninsula, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE are the most affected countries.

Environmental stress associated with desertification is a dynamic process with various levels of intensity. The major input factors that act as key drivers for regional environmental change include recurrent drought, land degradation, natural resources depletion, variable population growth, increased temperature, decline in precipitation, scarcity of water for potable consumption and irrigation, progressive soil erosions and salinization etc.

The important repercussions of desertification for the MENA region are poverty, food insecurity, forced displacement, migration and disruption of social and political institutions. Continuing land degradation has severe environmental, economic and social implications that could negatively affect the socio-economic and political stability of the region.

Regional Initiatives

Most of the MENA countries have ratified UNCCD convention, and are revising earlier plans or preparing new national strategies, action plans, and integrated financing strategies to combat desertification. The action plans involve long-term integrated strategies for improved productivity of land coupled with rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of land and water resources, at national as well as community level.

ways to combat desertification

Moreover, the Arab countries have established science institutions, such as Arab Centre for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ASCAD) and International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), which are capable of addressing conservation and development of natural resources in arid lands. The Council of Arab Ministers of Environment has prioritized the issues of drylands with the establishment of a workforce of experts to set frameworks of regional programs of collaborative actions.

The Way Forward

The actual efforts and resources devoted to combating desertification are less than that required to the tackle the growing problem. Mobilization of national and regional inputs is an urgent need of the hour. Active participation of all stakeholders, implementation of modern techniques and more research initiatives are required to mitigate land degradation.

Organized and concerted efforts are required at global, regional and national levels to help populations most affected by desertification. Raising awareness among both local communities and decision-makers is crucial in the fight against desertification. While UNCCD is an agreement between developed and developing countries to ensure global action to combat desertification, it also includes specific national commitments for concrete action.

Most actions dealing with desertification, particularly in the MENA region, are monitoring exercises concerned with evaluating the damage and/ loss attributable to desertification. Despite the fact that most MENA countries have appropriate technologies to combat desertification, there is stark neglect in use of such technologies due to lack of awareness and mismanagement of natural resources, water in particular.

Jatropha-Plantation-Deseart

Jatropha Plantation in Thar Desert (India)

There have been great efforts by regional governments and international organizations to tackle the menace of desertification; however the situation is worsening with each passing year. Combating desertification is an integral part of sustainable development in the MENA region, which can be achieved by ensuring participation of civil society, implementation of modern water management techniques and use of traditional knowledge.

Additionally, decision makers, governments, researchers, and stakeholder should focus on synergies between the three Rio conventions (Climate Change, Biodiversity and UNCCD), and integration on sector levels e.g., water, energy and food security, and explore relationship between development sectors and natural resources. Government agencies, along with non-governmental bodies, can play a pivotal role in developing national and regional programs and implementing field projects.

The Benefits of Green Buildings for the Middle East

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The Middle East region faces a unique set of challenges in terms of sustainable buildings and cities. For example, water shortage is mitigated by costly desalination and we are faced with high water consumption which leads to a higher carbon footprint and ultimately impacts climate change.

Middle Eastern countries are at the top of the list of largest per capita ecological footprints. In 2020, Qatar has the highest per capita level of carbon dioxide emissions, at 37 metric tons per person annually. Kuwait is second with 20.83 tons, followed by Saudi Arabia with 17.97 metric tons. Therefore, integrating energy efficiency is a critical need.

green buildings in middle east

Benefits of Green Buildings for the Middle East

The benefits of green buildings for the Middle East are not only environmental, but also economic and social. Long-term operating costs are lowered via reduced energy consumption, reduced emissions, improved water conservation and management, temperature moderation, and reduced waste. Avoiding scarce natural resources, like water, opting instead to recycle, can cut down building costs by an estimated 10 percent.

With a third of the world’s energy being utilised in construction and building operation, the concept of green buildings is becoming more and more popular worldwide. An interesting development is to build using sustainable steel which can substantially lower the carbon footprint of buildings. General construction work uses excessive amounts of energy, water and raw materials and tends to generate large amounts of waste and potentially harmful atmospheric emissions. As a result, companies are facing demands to build environmentally friendly and eco-efficient buildings, while minimising their actual impact on the environment.

Green buildings do not require complex processes and costly mechanisms. Affordable green technologies include tankers to store and harvest rainwater to cut water consumption, intelligent lighting systems to cut electricity use, natural ventilation and a ground source heat pump that reduces heating and cooling costs. Energy efficiency is another cornerstone of green building. Careful window selection, building envelope air sealing, duct sealing, proper placement of air and vapour barriers, use of clean energy-powered heating/cooling systems all contribute towards an energy efficient building.

Use of renewable energy, such as solar, wind or biomass energy, to meet energy requirements can significantly reduce carbon footprints of such buildings. Other green trends that are currently being advocated include carbon neutral communities, public transport and no-car cities, self-sustaining urban planning, on-site water treatment plants, and cultural sensitivity incorporating traditional design elements.

islamic-architechture

Green Building Trends in the Middle East

The Middle East region has made great progress in the field of green buildings in recent years. Sustainable building design is gaining popularity in the Middle East with designers and construction firms finding the most eco-friendly ways to get buildings made.

Sustainability is now a top priority in the region and countries like Qatar, UAE and Lebanon have come up with their own green building rating system to incorporate socio-economic, environmental and cultural aspects in modern architecture. Qatar’s Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) is one of the world’s most comprehensive green building rating system while Abu Dhabi’s Pearl Rating System (PRS) has carved a niche of its own in global green buildings sector.

United Arab Emirates and Qatar are spearheading the sustainability trend in the region, having the highest share of green buildings in the Middle East and North Africa. There are more than 2,000 green buildings in MENA that have a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation. Of these buildings, 65 per cent (802) are located in the UAE while Qatar is ranked second on the list.

Siemens-Masdar

The number of LEED-registered buildings has increased rapidly across the region, especially in GCC, in the past few years. Some of the notable examples of green buildings in the Middle East are Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, KAUST in Saudi Arabia and Msheireb Downtown Doha in Qatar. Masdar City promises to be a model for green cities all over the world. The King Abdullah University of Science in Saudi Arabia employs many forward-reaching green features while Msheireb Downtown Doha promises to be the world’s largest sustainable community with 100 buildings using an average of a third less energy.

Bottom Line

If Middle Eastern industries embrace ‘green building’ technologies instead of conventional ones, they could significantly help in tackling environment problems in addition to long-term financial returns. Green building systems can serve as catalysts for smartly shaping urbanization, ensuring energy security, combating climate change, and opening new diplomatic and economic opportunities across all the Middle Eastern countries.

Causes and Consequences of CO2-Induced Ocean Acidification

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“The CO2 problem” has traditionally been understood as the fact that excessive CO2 produces global warming. But near the end of the 20th century, scientists started talking about a second CO2 problem, “ocean acidification”. Ocean acidification results from the fact that about 30 percent of our CO2 emissions have been absorbed by the ocean. This absorption keeps down the warming of the atmosphere that would otherwise be produced by these emissions. Ocean acidification involves the ocean’s pH, changes in which make the water become either more alkaline or more acidic.

Tests have shown that “for more than 600,000 years the ocean had a pH of approximately 8.2.” But since the industrial revolution, the ocean’s pH has dropped by 0.1 unit. That may not sound like much, “but pH is a logarithmic scale, so the decline in fact represents a whopping 30 percent increase in acidity.” Moreover, the IPCC has said that if business as usual continues, the pH may drop down to 7.8, which “would correspond to a 150 percent increase in acidity since pre-industrial times.”

CO2 induced ocean acidification

Why is acidification destructive?

When carbon dioxide is combined with water, it produces carbonic acid – which is the ingredient that, besides giving soft drinks their fizz, also eats out limestone caves. Its relevance here is that it does this to animals with chalky skeletons – that is, ones that calcify – “which make up more than a third of the planet’s marine life.”

Elevating the percentage of carbonic acid will make it increasingly difficult for calcifying organisms to make their skeletons – organisms such as plankton, corals, sea butterflies, molluscs, crabs, clams, mussels, oysters, and snails.

Most of us are, of course, especially interested in the ones we like to eat. More important for the cycle of life, however, are two tiny organisms, corals and plankton, which are at the base of the marine food web.

Phytoplankton

There are two basic types of plankton: phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants, and zooplankton, which are microscopic animals. The most basic type is phytoplankton, because they are capable of photosynthesis and are thereby the food for zooplankton (which in turn provide food for bigger animals). Besides providing about half of the biosphere’s oxygen, phytoplankton also account for about half of the total organic matter on Earth, so they provide “the basic currency for everything going on in the ocean.” We do not, of course, feast directly on phytoplankton, but they “ultimately support all of our fishes.”

Therefore, a reduction in the ocean’s phytoplankton is extremely serious: A major study in 2010 has already indicated that there has been an astounding reduction: 40 percent since the 1950s. “A 40 percent decline,” said Worm (one of the study’s coauthors), “would represent a massive change to the global biosphere.” Indeed, he said, he could not think of a biological change that would be bigger. Referring to this 2010 study, Joe Romm said: “Scientists may have found the most devastating impact yet of human-caused global warming.” Explaining the importance of the study, its lead author, Daniel Boyce, said that “a decline of phytoplankton affects everything up the food chain.”

acidification of water bodies

In 2013, additional studies suggested that phytoplankton are very sensitive to warmer water. In one study, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on the normal spring surge of phytoplankton, which provides food for various types of fish when they are producing offspring. In the spring of 2013, the North Atlantic’s water temperatures were “among the warmest on record” and the springtime plankton blooms of northern New England were well below normal, “leading to the lowest levels ever seen for the tiny organisms.”

Corals

Corals form coral reefs, which have been called the “rainforests of the sea,” because they play host to much of the oceans’ life. Already threatened by bleaching, which is caused by global warming, they are now further threatened by global warming’s evil twin. Corals form their skeletons by means of calcium carbonate in the sea water. As the water becomes more acidic, it is harder for the corals to calcify. In the past 30 years, calcification rates of corals on the Great Barrier Reef have declined by 40 percent. “There’s not much debate,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Queensland, “about how [the decline] happens: put more CO2 into the air above and it dissolves into the oceans.“

This decline has not only occurred off Australia. A 2013 study of coral reefs in the Caribbean found that many of them “have either stopped growing or are on the threshold of starting to erode,” due to difficulty in accumulating sufficient calcium carbonate. The amount of new carbonate being added to the reefs was found to be far below historical rates, in some cases 70 percent lower.

And yet the accumulation of carbonate is necessary for the reef to grow vertically, which is essential, given the rising sea level; coral reefs need to be close enough to the surface for sunlight to reach them. The leader of the study said: “Our estimates of current rates of reef growth in the Caribbean are extremely alarming.”

A World without Seafood

Acidification, which threatens both phytoplankton and corals, has speeded up. Professor Timothy Wootten of the University of Chicago reported in 2008 that the pH level was “going down 10 to 20 times faster than the previous models predicted.” The more it goes down, the more difficult it will be for organisms such as corals and phytoplankton to calcify. CO2 in the atmosphere is now at about 400 parts per million. If it reaches roughly 500 ppm, according to Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, “you put calcification out of business in the oceans.”

If and when this occurs, phytoplankton and corals will die, and their death will mean that crabs, clams, oysters, and scallops will disappear. And they are already disappearing, faster every year. In the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, the waters have become so acidic that the once-thriving shellfish industry there is on life support.” In 2014, scallop growers in a location near Vancouver, B.C., reported that 10 million scallops over the past two years had died, with the mortality rate hitting between 95 to 100 percent.

The disappearance of the phytoplankton will also lead to the death of sardines, which are just above them in the food chain. And “the sardine population from California to Canada is vanishing,” resulting in starving sea lion and seal pups, and brown pelicans are showing signs of starvation, not raising any chicks in the past four years. Eventually, the disappearance of phytoplankton and corals will mean that all fish will go, as emphasized by a film subtitled Imagine a World without Fish. “Continued rise in the acidity of the oceans,” the script forewarns, “will cause most of the world’s fisheries to experience a total bottom-up collapse.”

what is ocean acidification

A world without fish and other kinds of seafood is hard to imagine. It would be even harder for the planet’s people to live without seafood: Besides being the world’s largest source of protein, with over 2.6 billion people depending on it as their primary source of protein, the ocean also serves as the primary source of food for 3.5 billion people.

How would we survive if three and a half-billion people can no longer rely upon what has always been their primary source of food? “Global warming is incredibly serious,” said Hoegh-Guldberg, “but ocean acidification could be even more so.”

Conclusion

Nevertheless, although the world’s governments have been warned about acidification for many years, already in 2010 the oceans were “acidifying 10 times faster today than 55 million years ago when a mass extinction of marine species occurred.” CO2-caused climate changes have already made the planet’s food shortage worse. Over the next three decades, climate changes will make it still worse. These shortages will be further exacerbated by the reduction of seafood because of CO2-caused ocean acidification.

Note: This excerpt has been published from Prof. David Griffin’s book Unprecedented: Can Civilization Survive the CO2 Crisis.

الديمقراطية في المشروع الدولي البيئي

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الديمقراطية القيمة والثقافة الإنسانية التي على الرغم من تنازع الرؤى والمفاهيم حول جوهر مضامينها وتوصيفاتها وضرورة وجودها ومدى شمول توافق أنماطها مع تقاليد وقيم المجتمعات الإنسانية على اختلاف ثقافاتها وانتماءاتها العرقية والدينية، وخصوصية أنظمتها الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والسياسية، تبقى المطلب الإنساني الذي صار يؤكد ضرورة وجوده في مواجهة الأزمات والكوارث الإنسانية وزحمة التراجعات في المفاهيم القيمية للعلاقات، وما يسببه ذلك من شرعنة ثقافة الجريمة وإحاطتها بحزام من التقاليد لثقافة التخلف، والتوجه بشكل متسارع لجعل ثقافة الغاب الوسيلة التي تحكم المجتمع البشري.

environment-democracy

تلك الحقيقة نتبينها في الانزلاق المتسارع نحو ثقافة الجريمة المبنية على قشور تاريخ ومبادئ ثقافات وهمية تشبه فقاعة الصابون، لكنها أحدثت جروحاً بائنة المعالم ومؤلمة في مسير التطور الحضاري للشعوب والأمم، وتسببت في تصدع بنية وحدة التنوع الثقافي للمجتمعات. ويشكل ذلك الواقع مقدمات ساهمت في تأسيس قناعات المجتمع الدولي بضرورة تفعيل العمل الدولي المؤسس والموجّه للحرب على ظاهرة جريمة العصر المتواترة مخاطرها على الأمن الإنساني، للتمكّن من بناء المبادئ والقيم التي تعضد مقومات الحق الإنساني بمختلف تجلياته، والتي تؤسّس لبناء منظومة القيم العالمية للديمقراطية كمطلب حضاري للتنمية وتحقيق أهداف الألفية التي تبناها المجتمع الدولي.

القرارات الدولية على اختلاف توجهاتها ومحاورها ومعالجاتها للقضايا الإنسانية، أسّست لنشوء حركة تنويرية ممنهجة الرسائل والوسائل والاتجاهات والأهداف، وساهمت في تحفيز حراك المجتمع الدولي لبناء منظومة المبادئ التي يمكن أن تؤسس لفلسفة الحكمة في إدارة المجتمعات، وتشكل المقوّم الرئيس في مبادرة الجماعة الدولية في إصدار القرار رقم (A/62/7-2007) القاضي باعتماد الخامس عشر من سبتمبر يوماً عالمياً للديمقراطية.

الكاتب البحريني حسن مدن ضمن مداخلته في الندوة التي جرى تنظيمها احتفالاً باليوم العالمي للديمقراطية في «جمعية المنبر الديمقراطي التقدمي»، أشار إلى أن «الديمقراطية قيمة إنسانية مطلقة لا يمكن تجزئتها»، ويمكن القول أن ثوابت الديمقراطية تتجلى في قيمة مبادئ الحق الإنساني بمختلف تجلياتها، ويتجسد جوهرها في مبادئ إعلان الأمم المتحدة بشأن الألفية، وكذلك في المواثيق الدولية في الشأن البيئي، وذلك ما يمكن تبينه في إعلان مؤتمر الأمم المتحدة للبيئة البشرية العام 1972، الذي أكّد في المبدأ (1) على أن «للإنسان حق أساسي في الحرية والمساواة وفي ظروف عيش مناسبة في بيئة تسمح نوعيتها بالحياة في ظل الكرامة وبتحقيق الرفاه، وهو يتحمل مسئولية رسمية تتمثل في حماية البيئة والنهوض بها من أجل الجيل الحاضر والأجيال المقبلة».

media and sustainable development

الحق في توفر المعلومة والتعويض عن الأضرار البيئية مقوّم مهم في منظومة الحقوق البيئية والثقافة الديمقراطية، لذلك حرص المشرّع الدولي على النص عليها في المبدأ (10) من مبادئ وثيقة إعلان «ريو بشأن البيئة والتنمية» (1992) الذي أكّد على أنه «تعالج قضايا البيئة على أفضل وجه بمشاركة جميع المواطنين المعنيين، على المستوى المناسب، وتوفر لكل فرد فرصة مناسبة على الصعيد الوطني للوصول إلى ما في حوزة السلطات العامة من معلومات متعلقة بالبيئة، بما في ذلك المعلومات المتعلقة بالمواد والأنشطة الخطرة في المجتمع، كما تتاح لكل فرد فرصة المشاركة في عمليات صنع القرار. وتقوم الدول بتسيير وتشجيع توعية الجمهور ومشاركته عن طريق إتاحة المعلومات على نطاق واسع. وتكفل فرصة الوصول بفعالية إلى الإجراءات القضائية والإدارية، بما في ذلك التعويض وسبل الإنصاف». ويتوافق مع ذلك ما يجري النص عليه في المبدأ (43) في وثيقة مؤتمر الأمم المتحدة للتنمية المستدامة (ريو+20)، حيث يشير إلى أن المجتمع الدولي يؤكد على أن «المشاركة العامة الواسعة وتوفير فرص الوصول إلى المعلومات والإجراءات القضائية والإدارية أمران أساسيان في تعزيز التنمية المستدامة».

المجتمع الدولي أخذاً في الاعتبار الديمقراطية كمبدأ إنساني، آثر النص عليها بشكل صريح في إعلانات المواثيق الدولية حول الشأن البيئي، للتأكيد على أهمية هذا المبدأ في استراتيجية المشروع الدولي البيئي، وذلك ما يمكن تثبت واقعه في وثيقة مؤتمر القمة العالمي للتنمية المستدامة (جوهانسبرغ 2002)، حيث يجري التأكيد في المبدأ (61) على أن المجتمع الدولي «يسلم بأن الديمقراطية، وسيادة القانون، واحترام حقوق الإنسان وحرياته، وتحقيق السلم والأمن، هي جميعها أمور أساسية لتحقيق التنمية المستدامة بصورة كاملة. وهذه الأهداف، مجتمعةً، هي أهداف مترابطة على نحو لا ينفصم كما أنها تعزّز بعضها بعضاً».

كما يجري التأكيد على ضرورتها في وثيقة «ريو+20» لتجسيد الحق الإنساني للمجتمعات في توفر مقومات الحياة الكريمة وبناء مجتمع العدالة الرشيدة، حيث يجري التأكيد في المبدأ (10) على أن المجتمع الدولي يدرك بأن «الديمقراطية والحكم الرشيد وسيادة القانون، على الصعيدين الوطني والدولي، فضلاً عن إيجاد البيئة المواتية، هي أمور أساسية للتنمية المستدامة، بما في ذلك النمو الاقتصادي المطرد والشامل، والتنمية الاجتماعية وحماية البيئة والقضاء على الفقر والجوع». وتشير في المبدأ ذاته إلى أن الدول تجدّد تأكيد التزامها ببلوغ أهدافها الإنمائية المستدامة، وتؤكّد الحاجة إلى إقامة مؤسسات فعالة وشفافة ومسئولة وديمقراطية على جميع الأصعدة.

Waste Management Perspectives for Oman

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Globalization and modernization has led to increased consumption among the Omani population. Reportedly, the average Omani household throws away one-third of the food it purchases. Conspicuous consumption fuelled by peer pressure and effective advertising brings more goods and products into the home than the family members can actually make use of. And along with the increase in merchandise comes a lot of extra packaging. Product packaging now accounts for the bulk of what is thrown into household rubbish bins.

waste management in oman

The urge to keep pace with what one’s neighbours, relatives and peers acquire means higher rates of consumption: a new mobile phone every year instead of every five to ten years, a new car every three years instead of every twenty to thirty years, and so on. Consumption becomes excessive when we cannot make use of what we obtain. The result is waste. Yet the seeds of positive, environmentally-sustainable, community-based waste management are here in the Omani culture and tradition: they just need to be replanted in the right places and nurtured.

Why should anyone be interested in the issue of household waste in Oman? We can start by observing a few important facts—some positive and some negative—about Oman’s relationship with environmental and sustainability issues. As early as 1974, the governmental office of the Advisor on Environmental Affairs was established in Oman. Later on, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs took its place.[i] Environmental protection, sustainable development, and with that, waste management, are stated priorities for the Omani government.[ii]

Yet Oman has a long way to go when it comes to waste management. More than 350 registered landfills and dumpsites are active around the country, in addition to which, illegal and unmonitored dumpsites are often started by residents of underserved areas.[iii] Currently, the Omani population country-wide produces approximately 700 grams of solid waste per person, and in the Muscat area, the average per person is nearly one kilogramme.[iv] Furthermore, the amount generated per person is projected to increase year by year for the next ten years.[v] According to a study in 2012 by Sultan Qaboos University’s Department of Natural Resource Economics, the average Omani family wastes one-third of its food. That is, approximately seventy riyals worth of food per month is thrown out, not eaten.[vi]

Three important statistics to keep in mind as we discuss the waste management situation in Oman: First, immigrants (migrant workers, expatriates, etc.) account for over thirty percent of the total population in Oman, so we cannot say that this is solely an “Omani” issue. It is an issue that affects all residents in Oman: Omanis and non-Omanis alike. Second, sixty percent of Oman’s population live in cities and large towns. Third, household consumption (i.e., purchases by household members to meet their everyday needs and maintain their current standard of living) accounts for 35.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).[vii] Compare Oman’s proportion to that of the United States, where household consumption as a percentage of GDP is almost double, at 70 percent.[viii]

Recycling Efforts in Oman

Recycling efforts in Oman have until now been scattered and not coordinated. So far, all recycling programmes have been initiated by private entities such as schools, businesses, charitable organizations and non-profit environmental groups.[ix] Most recycling programmes have been only temporary, such as the Dar al Atta’a initiative to collect and recycle used clothing in 2013,[x] or very limited in geographical extent, such as the paper and plastic recycling efforts of local schools in the Muscat area. Lacking ongoing funding and logistical support from the government sector, many of these initiatives were unable to gain traction and eventually had to shut down.[xi]

The four Rs (reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle) of waste management have not yet entered the everyday discourse of Oman, but does this mean that they are not part of everyday life in Oman? We think the people of Oman can help us to answer this question. For this purpose, a pilot study was designed, a questionnaire was prepared, and in a series of interviews with individual Omanis we recorded their responses.

solid waste in oman

Recycling rate in Oman is still very low

The Pilot Survey

The questionnaire covered household consumption habits, food waste and other household waste, and awareness of the four Rs, with particular attention to recycling. The main focus of the survey was on food waste. Of the 21 questions, fifteen were multiple-choice, with write-in options for any needed explanation. There were six open-ended questions, inviting respondents to give their opinion or share something of their experiences and knowledge of the topic.

In the tradition of an anthropological study, the survey was specifically designed to be presented orally as a series of questions to individual respondents in a face-to-face interview setting. The questions were written in English but presented in Arabic to most of the respondents. Conversely, responses were given orally in Arabic and recorded in writing either in Arabic and then translated, or directly translated into English as they were written down.

The respondents were all adult Omani nationals, ranging in age from their early twenties to their late fifties. All respondents reside in Muscat, but the majority were originally from other provinces and maintained a strong connection with their home village or town. The respondents represented various occupations such as: university student, homemaker, bank clerk, teacher, taxi driver and police officer. The interviews were carried out in March and April 2016.

The major outcomes of the pilot survey are described in the second part of the article which is available at this link.

References

[i] Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs. n.d. ‘About the Ministry.’ MECA website.

[iii] Zafar, S. 2015. ‘Solid Waste Management in Oman.’ EcoMena Knowledge Bank. 27 January, 2015 http://www.ecomena.org/solid-waste-oman/ (accessed 20/02/16)

[iv] Palanivel, T.M. and H. Sulaiman. 2014. ‘Generation and Composition of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.’ ICESD 2014. APCBEE Procedia 10(2014): 96–102 (accessed 20/02/16)

[vi] ‘Average Omani family wastes one-third of food.’ Gulf News. 23 June 2012 (accessed 28/02/16) http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/oman/average-omani-family-wastes-one-third-of-food-1.1039366

[vii] Central Intelligence Agency. 2016. The World Factbook. ‘Oman’.

[ix] Environment Society of Oman. n.d. ‘Project Recycling’. http://www.eso.org.om/index/pdf/ESO_Project_Recycling_En.pdf (accessed 10/04/16)

How to Claim Car Insurance After an Accident

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When you hold a comprehensive car insurance policy, you may make a claim after you have had an accident. How to claim car insurance is not a puzzle, but does involve some groundwork on your part. The process may get complicated if you file a hit and run accident claim.

How to Get Insurance Benefits

You can undergo a car insurance claim process if your car insurance plan covers costs that result due to your car being involved in an accident. If you want to get the benefits that a car insurance policy offers you, you must make a claim with your insurer immediately following the accident.

Car Insurance Claim Process

If the insurance company discovers that your claim is authentic, they will process the claim, paying for any damages to your car and to you. Making a claim involves a standard procedure, no matter which insurer you hold an insurance plan with.

Also Read: International Road Safety Report

The Car Insurance Claim Process

There are specific steps you need to follow to make a claim with your insurance company after an accident has taken place. The general steps in the insurance claim process are detailed below:

  1. Inform your insurance company immediately after the car accident has occurred. You can do this via the insurer’s website or customer service number.
  2. At the nearest police station, you must file an FIR.
  3. Make sure that you note down the details of the car, the driver, and the names of witnesses contained in the FIR.
  4. You can then file an insurance claim with your car insurance company.
  5. The car insurance company will send a surveyor to assess the damage.
  6. Get your car repaired.
  7. Along with the documents required, including the FIR, you may file the claim online.
  8. After a brief verification process, your claim will be processed.

How to claim car insurance does not involve any complicated processes. However, if you have opted for a cashless claim process, your car insurance company will settle claims directly with the garage or repair shop where you have got your car fixed. For a reimbursement claim process, you will have to submit original bills and receipts to get costs reimbursed by your insurance company.

For instance, if your insurer delays, disputes fault, or pressures you to accept a quick payout, drivers in Tulsa can benefit from speaking with a car accident attorney for a free consultation to understand Oklahoma’s at-fault and comparative negligence rules, evaluate the true value of your losses, and coordinate the claim with any potential injury lawsuit. An early legal review can help you avoid missteps, preserve evidence, and decide whether to negotiate, arbitrate, or litigate.

Documentation Required for a Claim Process

During the auto insurance claim process, your insurance company requires that you submit specific documentation when you make your claim. Apart from filling up a particular claim form, the following documents must be provided to your insurer:

  • Your car insurance policy
  • In case a third party is the cause of damage to your car or you, you need to file a First Information Report or FIR at the closest police station, and submit this document with your claim.
  • Your claim form, duly filled and signed.
  • Your car details, including registration certificate
  • A copy of your driving license
  • A detailed estimation of your repair work, or bills and receipts
  • In case of any physical injuries, you need to present medical documents and bills
  • All original documents in case of any other expenses

Car Insurance Claims Made Easy

If you love driving and want to purchase a car, you must have the best coverage to protect your vehicle. The car insurance claim process is made easier, and you can file a claim conveniently online. Insurance companies have your back when it comes to car insurance.

المبنى الأخضر في الأردن – نافذة جديدة على البيئة

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في  دول العالم المتقدم , أصبح الحوار الذي ينافس السياسة و القضايا المجتمعية هو البيئة . أصبحت البيئة محط أنظار الجميع الان بعد سنين طوال من السعي وراء التكنولوجيا و التطور و إهمالها بشكل ملحوظ . إن مفهوم البيئة لم يعد مقتصرا على النظافة و توفير المياه فحسب , بل أصبحت الدول و القارات تتنافس في مجال انتاج الطاقة النظيفة ( طاقة الرياح , الشمسية , الطاقة المائية , طاقة الحرارة الأرضية , طاقة المد و الجزر و طاقة الكتل الحرارية ) وذلك بعد الجزم بإمكانيتها في  تأمين طاقة يمكن الإعتماد عليها في شتى الميادين و بشكل رئيسي بدلا من الطاقة النفطية التي تعتبر طاقة قابلة للنفاذ السريع .

ecofriendly buildings

في بداية الأمر انحصر تطبيق المشاريع الخاصة في مجال توليد الطاقة النظيفة و اعتماد مبدأ ” المباني الخضراء ”  في الدول المتقدمة فقط , كأوروبا و أمريكا الشمالية حيث الإمكانيات و المساحة الواسعة و تقبلهم لهذه الفكرة بشكل سريع , نظرا للوعي و الثقافة الجيدة في تلك المنطقة  .

ما هو المبنى الأخضر

المبني الأخضر هو المبنى الذي يراعي الاعتبارات البيئية في كل مرحلة من مراحل البناء، وهي التصميم، التنفيذ، التشغيل والصيانة، والاعتبارات الرئيسية التي تراعي تصميم الفراغات وكفاءة الطاقة والمياه، وكفاءة استخدام الموارد، وجودة البيئة الداخلية للمبنى، وأثر المبنى ككل على البيئة.الفرق الرئيسي بين المباني الخضراء والمباني التقليدية هو مفهوم التكامل، حيث يقوم فريق متعدد التخصصات من المتخصصين في البناء بالعمل معا منذ مرحلة ما قبل التصميم إلى مرحلة ما بعد السكن لتحسين خواص الإستدامة البيئية للمبنى وتحسين الأداء والتوفير في التكاليف.

الأبنية الخضراء في الأردن

بالحديث عن مفهوم المبنى الأخضر  في الأردن , فإن انتشاره لم يكن ذو رواج كبير و لكنه بدأ يلقى اهتماما منذ الاربع سنين الماضية . وفكرة أن تقنع المواطن و المؤسسات الحكومية و الخاصة بفوائد المبنى الأخضر كانت من المستحيلات في بداية الأمر .

مفهوم المبنى الأخضر يحتاج للدعم كي يشعر الجميع بأهميته حيث أنه سيقدم فوائداً مالية و بيئية للأفراد الأردنيين , و منها :

الفوائد الإقتصادية

البناء الأخضر سوف  يحفز صناعة حديثة في الأردن لمواد وتكنولوجيات  جديدة تلزم في عمليات  البناء. مما قد يوفر فرص عمل جديدة و يحسن هذه الصناعة في الأردن لما لها من أهمية في المستقبل . من المرجح ارتفاع أسعار النفط مستقبلا . فبالتالي ستساعد الابنية الخضراء  على الحد من استهلاكه و تقليص التكاليف المتعلقة بالكهرباء و الوقود .

الفوائد البيئية

ترتيب المملكة هو الحادي عشر من حيث أفقر البلدان في مصادر المياه لذلك فإن فائدة وجود مبان  خضراء سيوفر الكثير من ناحية المياه و شحها العام . المورد الشمسي في المملكة ضخم  حيث انها تتمتع ب333 يوما شمسياً أي ما يعادل 8 ساعات مشمسة في اليوم الواحد من السنة, و بالتالي فإن أنظمة التسخين الشمسية التي تستعمل في المباني الخضراء ستكون ناجحة و فعالة  .رفع كفاءة استخدام الطاقة في المباني من خلال اختيار مواد وأساليب العزل الأنسب .

كيف نعزز فكرة البناء الأخضر في الأردن ؟

تعزيز الوعي حول بناء مجتمع أخضر و أهميته للفرد و المجتمع .

فرض قوانين رسمية تعنى بأمور البناء الخاصة للمباني الخضراء .

تطوير القدرات و الإمكانيات التي من شأنها دعم مشاريع المباني الخضراء في الأردن , أي المساعدة في توفير المواد الخام و المساحات و ما إلى ذلك من السبل التي تعزز تمكين فكرة المبنى الأخضر بسهولة في الأردن .

التحديات التي تواجه الأبنية الخضراء في الأردن

هناك العديد من مهندسي البناء و المعماريين في الأردن ليس لديهم خبرة و معلومات كافية حول كيفية بناء و تصميم أبنية خضراء .

المواطنون قد لا يقتنعون بأن البناء الأخضر قد يساهم في توفير المياه و الكهرباء فلن يغامروا ببنائه .

المواطنون قد لا يفضلون التصاميم المحصورة للأبنية الخضراء من ناحية ترتيب الغرف و الاماكن .

في الأردن ليس هناك صناعة قوية لمواد البناء الخاصة بالمباني الخضراء , وفي حال الحاجة لها يتم استيرادها لكن بأسعار باهظة جدا .

وضع الأردن البيئي الان

الأردن حاله كحال أي دولة تقع في منطقة الشرق الأوسط , ما زال موضوع الإهتمام بقضايا البيئة بالنسبة لمجتمعه أمر رفاهي لا يسمن و لا يغني من جوع , لكن مع تقارب العوالم و اتساع دائرة التواصل , تحركت مجموعات بيئية عدة قاموا بتطوير  انفسهم من هواة و متطوعين غير منظمين إلى منظمات و جمعيات و مجالس بيئية تسعى جادة لتطوير الوضع في الأردن . اصبح هناك جمعيات و منظمات تعنى بالبيئة الاردنية و بشكل جدي , و هناك مشاريع تقام على ارض الواقع كمشروع الخلايا الشمسية و مشاريع توفير المياه في شتى مناطق المملكة و لكن بتفاعل بطيء من المجتمع المحلي .

Green_Building

*في 11/اكتوبر/2009 تم إعلان أول جمعية مهنية غير ربحية غير حكومية تعنى و بشكل متخصص بمفهوم الأبنية الخضراء في الأردن وهي المجلس الأردني للأبنية الخضراء Jordan GBC  , و يضم المجلس مجموعة من المهندسين و الباحثين المهتمين بمجال البيئة المستدامة و الطاقة المتجددة و ترسيخ و تطبيق فكرة المبنى الأخضر بشكل جدي في الأردن , كما  تضم بعضويتها شركات وخبراء من مختلف الأعمال والتخصصات المرتبطة بتصميم المباني وتزويدها وإنشاءها في الأردن .

 و بصدد العمل على مشاريع توسيع هذه الفكرة , كان نشاط الجمعية واضحا فقد  وقع المجلس الاردني للأبنية الخضراء ومشروع الوكالة الأمريكية للإنماء الدولي اتفاقية منحة تنفيذ برنامج يهدف الى رفع كفاءة استخدام الطاقة من خلال تشجيع مالكي ومطوري الأبنية الجديدة على إدخال تطبيقات عملية وأساسية عند التصميم والتنفيذ. أما الخطوة الأقوى في تطوير هذا المفهوم كانت في نهاية عام 2013 حيث انضم المجلس الأعلى للابنية الخضراء إلى التحالف العالمي الجديد للمدارس الخضراء، ليصبح عضوا مؤسسا  في الائتلاف، والتي تعمل على توجيه المدارس والمجتمعات المحلية إلى تغيير جذري في طريقة تربية الطلاب على المفاهيم والمبادئ الخضراء.

كما قام هذا المجلس بالتنسيق مع وزارة التربية و التعليم الاردنية بعقد دورات تثقيفية و توعوية حول مفهوم المدارس الخضراء .ربما تعتبر خطوات الأردن نحو تطوير بيئي ملحوظ  بطيئة و منهكة , و لو تحدثنا بشكل خاص عن مفهوم ” المبنى الأخضر ” فإن الأمر قد يزداد صعوبة و تحديات , لكن بما ان هناك جمعيات و مؤسسات و أفراد يسعون لتطوير الوضع البيئي فهناك نافذة جديدة سوف تفتح للأجيال القادمة تطل على مستقبل أردني جديد  مخضرّ .

الضرر البيئي الناتج عن الصناعة

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ان العالم حولنا يتأثر بكل ما نفعله، من استهلاكنا للطعام، الى الكهرباء التي نستعملها. ولكن الواقع لم يكن دائما على هذا الحال. الثورة الصناعية غيرت طرق الانتاج والأكل والطاقة وكذالك الصحة والتكنولوجيا الصناعية.

الثورة الصناعية

بدأت الثورة الصناعية في منتصف القرن السابع عشر (م)، عندما كانت اعداد سكان العالم قد شارفت على العودة الى مستوياتها الطبيعية التي كانت قد تأثرت بالوفيات الناجمة عن الطاعون الاسود الذي قضى على 75 مليون انسان سنة 1300م. وبسببها ارتفعت اعداد سكان الارض الى المليار في سنة 1800، ومن ثم الى ضعف ذلك في سنة 1926. في بداية القرن الواحد والعشرين كانت اعداد السكان قد قاربت الست مليارات.

indigenous-communities-deforestation

وكان العامل الاساسي في تغير الموازين في عالم الطاقة هو استعمال الفحم، الذي غيّر طريقة تعاطي الانسان مع الصناعة وتوليد الطاقة. مع العلم ان الانسان كان قد استعمل الفحم منذ القرن الثالث عشر (م)، ولكن استعماله في الحركة الصناعية لم يكن حتى سنة 1800م.

تأثير الثورة الصناعية

ان التأثيرات الاساسية الناتجة عن الصناعة تأتي على أربعة اشكال، وهي تأثيرات على: الهواء، المياه، التربة، والمساحات الطبيعية.

المشكلة الاكبر هي تلوث الهواء الناتج عن الانبعاثات الغازية من عملية حرق المواد البترولية. ان منظمة الامم المتحدة لحماية البيئة تنظم انبعاثات أكثر من 80 مادة سامة موجودة في العمليات الصناعية، منها الأسبيستوس، الديوكسن، الرصاص، والكروميوم. بالرغم من هذه النتظيمات، تبقى المصانع من أسوء مصادر التلوث الهوائي في العالم.

ويأتي أيضا الذكر على تلوث المياه خصوصا في المناطق التي يوجد فيها معامل بجانب مصادر المياه الطبيعية. ملوثات المياه تأتي على عدة أشكال: الملوثات الصلبة، السائلة، والغازية. هذه الملوثات بالإضافة أيضاً الى تلك التي تتسرب الى الارض من مكبات النفايات، لديها القدرة على تلويث المياه المحلية؛ كما حصل في نهر النيل على سبيل المثال.

ومن المؤثرات السلبية للصناعة ايضا تلوث التربة. من أكثر ملوثات التربة إنتشاراً هو الرصاص وغيره من المعادن الثقيلة والملوثات الكيميائية التي ينتهي بها المطاف في المحاصيل الزراعية.

وأخيرا، قد أدت الصناعة الى تدمير دراماتيكي للمساحات الطبيعية. فالغابات تُقطَع لتصنيع الاخشاب، وتُدمَر الثروات الطبيعية  لخَلق الطرقات والتنقيب عن المعادن والصخور. ان تدمير هذه المساحات يُأذي الحياة الطبيعية ويُأُدي الى انقراض الحيوانات والنباتات التي لا يمكنها التأقلم مع هذا التدمير أو الهرب منه.

الحل

ماذا أمكننا أن نفعل بعد أن فهمنا تأثير الثورة الصناعية على العالم الطبيعي؟ هنالك طريقتان يمكن للمصانع والقائمين على القانون استعمالهما للتخفيف من التأثيرات السلبية الناتجة عن العمليات الصناعية.

water-pollution

أولا، يمكن للمصانع ان تخفف اعتمادها على المواد المسببة للتلوث. على سبيل المثال، ازالة الرصاص من البنزين في عام 1970 ادى الى تدني مستوى الاعتماد على الرصاص وبالتالي تدني مستوى المعادن الثقيلة التي تتسرب الى البيئة.

الطريقة الثانية تعتمد على معالجة النفايات الصناعية وازالة المواد السامة منها لكي يصبح التخلص منها أكثر أماناً. هذه الطريقة قد لا تكون سهلة، اذ انها تقتَضِي على المصانع اتباع الاجرائات الازمة لمعالجة نفاياتها، ولكنها تساهم في المحافظة على الثروات الطبيعية من خلال تخفيف تلوث التربة، والهواء، والمياه.

ليس للثورة الصناعية تأثير كبير على مفهومنا للعالم فحسب، بل وعلى تأثيرنا على كوكب الارض الذي هو بيتنا. نحن اليوم نعي المشكلة ويقع على عاتقنا ان نصلحها لكي نتمكن من النمو والتغير من غير أن ندمر عالمنا.

ترجمه: مرشد شوك

كاتب ومهندس مدني متخصص في الطاقة البديلة والمستدامة. حاز على شهادة الماجستير في الطاقة من المملكة المتحدة بعد أن انهى دراسته في الهندسة المدنية والعلوم البيئية في لبنان. من اهتماماته التصميم المستدام وكفائة الطاقة في المباني. للمزيد عن مرشد الرجاء زيارة صفحته: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murshed-shawk

4 Factors On How You Can Select The Best Health Insurance

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Having health insurance coverage is non-negotiable in a post-Covid world. The rising cost of healthcare is a reality that we can’t ignore anymore and health coverage is essentially a safeguard to ensure that we have access to the best of medical care at all times, no matter the cost.

The best health insurance policies are designed to offer you more than basic health coverage and give you access to much more in terms of overall benefits at an affordable premium.

In this article, we will look at a few pointers that should help you select the best health coverage and also help you understand why it’s crucial to get insured if you haven’t already.

How You Can Select Best Health Insurance

1. Check Premium Vs Benefits

No matter which health insurance you opt for, you will need to pay premiums to keep the policy active. A lower premium doesn’t make a policy good or bad; it’s the benefits you get for that premium is that you should watch out for.

The best health insurance policy will offer you additional benefits like access to both futuristic medical procedures as well as traditional alternative medicine.

Along with that, you should also check if your policy offers you any additional addons like a reduced waiting period, coverage for pre-existing diseases, etc. Always buy the policy with the highest benefits not the one with the lowest premium.

2. Network of Hospitals

Pay close attention to the hospitals the insurance company has ties with, and choose an insurer who has the best hospitals on the list.

Also, do check if the best nearby hospitals are included within the insurer’s hospital network as in the event of an emergency, it’s important to get the best medical care within the shortest period.

The network of hospitals on an insurer’s list is of vital significance, so make sure that you are paying close attention.

3. List of Inclusions

Your insurance policy won’t cover everything; however, it’s best to choose one that does offer extensive coverage such as donor charges, cost of consumables, domiciliary treatment, Ayush treatment, robotic surgery, coverage for pre-existing diseases, etc.

The list of inclusions varies across different insurance service providers; therefore, ideally, you should go through the policy document carefully to see if what you need is covered or not.

4. Addons

Addons are additional benefits that an insurance policy offers such as a lump sum payout in case of a critical disease or condition. Critical diseases generally take a longer time to resolve and require multiple procedures, medicines, and diagnostics, etc. followed by periods of rest that can keep you out of work for an extended period.

What Is A Healthcare Reimbursement Plan

The lumpsum amount paid out by the insurance company can help you meet the day-to-day expenses of your household and take care of the additional expenses incurred on the treatment so that you don’t have to dig into your finances.

Similarly, there might be other additional add-ons offered by your insurer at an additional cost; however, for that cost, the benefits that are on offer are much greater. So, it’s best to opt-in for the ones that you think are most beneficial for you, after all, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and being prepared for any kind of uncertainty is a smart move. Also, take ample precautions and background checks to avoid any healthcare fraud.

If you are looking for comprehensive health insurance coverage, Medicare Nationwide has a few of the best health insurance plans with unmatched benefits like access to the best medical institutes in the country; coverage for robotic surgeries and alternative medicine; daily cash allowance; completely cashless hospitalization process with 30 days of pre-hospitalization and 60 days of post-hospitalization coverage including medicines, doctor’s fee, and diagnostic charges.

Don’t delay getting a health insurance plan as the sooner you begin the lower the premium and the greater the coverage would be.

Therefore, it’s always advisable to enroll early on in life so that you are covered and prepared for any uncertainties that life might throw your way. It’s the only way to ensure the well-being of your family’s health as well as your financial health.

So, get insured today!

The Essentials for Every Pathology Lab You Must Know

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Pathology is a specialized area of medicine that is concerned with the origins and causes of disease. If you are considering opening up a pathology lab, you will need the right equipment. Without high-quality medical machinery, you risk getting inaccurate and unreliable results.

Error-ridden results can be detrimental in a pathology lab. It could lead to the wrong diagnosis and, therefore, the wrong treatments being administered.

Of course, you’ll also need a great team of staff, but that’s a subject for another article! Here, we’re going to the key pieces of equipment that you’ll need for your pathology lab.

essential equipment for pathology lab

1. Freezers

When you’ve got multiple samples to process and analyze, you’ll need somewhere to store them.

Any pathologist will know that controlling the temperature of samples is essential to maintaining their quality. That’s why you’ll need at least one large controlled rate freezer.

Most freezers have pre-set temperatures, which ensures you can store your samples at the optimal temperature. This will maintain cell culture viability so you can get accurate, reliable results.

2. Microscopes

If there’s one piece of equipment that every pathology lab needs, it’s a microscope. In fact, most labs will need several microscopes to check multiple samples at once.

Microscopes are necessary to enlarge tiny cell or tissue samples so that you can analyze them in more detail. You’ll be able to spot any abnormalities in tissue cell structure or the presence of bacteria in a blood sample.

Without microscopes, it would be almost impossible to detect some diseases and illnesses. Make sure to invest in at least two or three microscopes that can magnify to a high level.

3. Centrifuges

If you need to separate the various components of blood in a sample, a centrifuge is exactly what you’ll be using. It’s a sophisticated piece of machinery that separates your sample according to density, making it possible for you to analyze a small section of the cells and tissues.

There are different types of centrifugal machines that you can get. The best one for your pathology lab will depend on your specific needs.

4. Incubators and Water Baths

Just like you have got your freezers to keep your cell and tissue samples cool, you will also need something to keep them warm.

Incubators and water baths are used to heat your samples to the optimal temperatures for cell health and growth. They can also be used to heat flammable chemicals prior to using them.

Your incubators are essential to maintain or speed up the growth of your samples. If your cell cultures aren’t kept at the perfect temperature, you risk the cells dying or the sample being unusable and ending up in the medical waste bin.

Incubators and water baths can be set to a specific temperature and humidity to provide the environmental conditions for your sample to grow. Often, growing a cell sample is necessary for its testing and analysis.

Both incubators and water baths come in varying sizes and styles. Make sure to find an option that is large enough to meet the demands of your pathology lab.

The Benefits of Owning a Hybrid Vehicle

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Hybrid vehicles are not new; however, their popularity has increased over time. Even though hybrid cars may seem hard to produce, the exact opposite is true.

Hybrids are just cars with both gasoline or diesel engine and a battery-powered electric motor.

A hybrid vehicle, such as the Toyota Prius and the 2022 Toyota Corolla, conserves fuel and emits less CO2 emissions. The purpose of two engines is to reduce fuel consumption and, therefore, to save energy.

Benefits of Buying a Hybrid Vehicle

How Hybrid Cars Work

Any vehicle with two separate power sources can be classified as a hybrid car. Due to the high expense of combining the two, hybrid cars use petrol and electric engines.

There are three main classes of hybrid cars: series, parallel, and series-parallel. Each class uses power and petrol in a slightly different way.

The best hybrids are sometimes termed series-parallel hybrids since a computer system continually analyses the car and switches across driving modes as needed. They are, however, the most expensive than other hybrid varieties.

A plug-in hybrid may be any of the three categories of hybrids (PHEV). Initially debuted in 2010, PHEVs significantly increase the electric driving range by enabling the battery to be recharged by plugging it into an outlet, equivalent to an all-electric car.

What Are The Benefits Of A Hybrid Car?

1. Environmentally Friendly

One of the best things about a hybrid car compared to a petrol-powered vehicle is that it runs cleaner and gets better gas mileage, making it better for the environment.

A hybrid car has two engines—a gasoline engine and an electric motor—that work together to save fuel and energy.

2. Reduced Reliance on Fossil Fuels

A hybrid car is much better for the environment. They don’t eliminate the need for oil and gas, but they use less of them because the internal combustion engine doesn’t run as much. It would be easier to save more fossil fuels if more people drove hybrid cars.

3. Regenerative Braking System

When you hit the brakes in a hybrid car, it helps charge the battery. An internal mechanism kicks in when the energy is released and uses it to charge the battery. This means you don’t have to stop and wait for the battery to charge.

4. Hybrid Cars Are Made of Lighter Parts

This means that they use less power to run, and it also saves a lot of energy because the engine is smaller and lighter.

PHEV

5. Higher Resale Value

With the price of gasoline going up, more and more people are buying hybrid cars. As a result, these green cars are now selling for more than the average price when they are resold.

So, if you’re not happy with your car, you can always sell it to someone who wants one for a higher price.

6. All-Electric Drive

Hybrid cars can be driven with just electric power. This happens when the car is moving slowly, when the engine is idling at a stoplight, or when the engine is first turned on.

Usually, the internal combustion engine doesn’t start working until it’s moving faster, which is where it works best. This helps the car use less gas overall.

7. Automatic Stop/Start

When a hybrid car is stopped, the engine turns off by itself, and when the accelerator is pressed, the engine turns back on. PHEVs can go faster and for longer distances than traditional hybrid vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cell cars use less energy because they only give off water vapour and warm air.

8. Financial Benefits

Many tax credits and other incentives help make hybrid cars more affordable. Because they pay less in taxes each year and don’t have to pay congestion fees, they spend less on fuel.

Is an HEV or PHEV Better?

Hybrids that don’t break the bank go with PHEVs. It feels like an all-electric car but has a gas engine as a backup for longer trips and no “range anxiety.”

Are Hybrids Worth the Investment?

If significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions is crucial, then yes. Hybrids are often more inexpensive than pure electric vehicles and frequently more responsive than their gasoline-only counterparts.

Do Plug-in Hybrids Have the Ability to Charge While Driving?

They do self-charge because the petrol engine charges the battery pack while braking energy is gathered and stored as electricity.

Some PHEVs can also fully charge the battery while driving. Additionally, you may select to operate in a petrol/electric hybrid mode and preserve the charged battery for later use.

Conclusion

Choosing whether or not to purchase a hybrid vehicle requires more than a desire to be environmentally conscious. You must consider the local resources that may assist you in repairing and preserving the vehicle.

Solar-Powered Schools: A Bright Investment for Education and the Environment

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Renewable energy has become vastly ingrained in the global energy mix as the world turns to cleaner, more reliable sources for powering homes and businesses. Solar energy, in particular, has been at the forefront of the renewable revolution, with photovoltaic (PV) rooftop panels and subsequent technologies found everywhere, from where you live and work to where you go to school.

Schools across the country have quickly realized the importance of adopting solar power to reduce their carbon footprints, save money and provide optimal learning opportunities for their students. Here’s why investing in solar-powered schools makes sense for enhancing education and the environment.

solar schools

Solar-Powered Schools on the Rise

How many schools are there in your district? You’ll probably see one or more drawing electricity from PV panels in the near future if they aren’t already powered by solar.

According to a study by the nonprofit organization Generation180, one in nine students attend a K-12 school using solar energy. Within the last decade, U.S. solar-powered schools have quadrupled, with 800 schools installing PV systems during the 2022-2023 school year. Because of this renewable energy wave, Generation180 has determined the nation’s K-12 schools avert 1.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.

Federal grants, programs and incentives have driven the adoption of solar power in the education sector. For instance, the government has helped offset the initial cost of solar arrays, enabling schools to install PV panels cheaply or at no cost. With continued support, more schools will have a chance to tap into a more sustainable energy infrastructure.

The Benefits of Solar-Powered Schools

Schools often bear the brunt of fiscal challenges, from budget cuts to reduced state funding. As a result, K-12 facilities may have difficulty maintaining campuses and struggle to provide equitable learning opportunities and student support. Here are four reasons solar power is a bright investment for schools in your area.

1. Cost Savings

U.S. schools spend over $6 billion on energy each year, more than on essential educational resources and curriculum materials. In the digital age, electronics usage in the classroom accounts for a large portion of these expenditures.

Solar power encourages lower electricity consumption, enabling schools to allocate savings toward more important things. For instance, they may invest in new ventilation systems, increase teacher salaries for greater retention, and be able to keep popular or necessary programs.

For example, Arizona’s Tuscon Unified School District hopes to save $43 million over two decades through renewable energy adoption. Meanwhile, the Batesville School District in Arkansas used its solar power savings to give its teachers $9,000-per-year raises.

2. Reliable Power

You likely know what it feels like to lose power during a major storm or grid failure. Now, imagine how disruptive outages can be to education. Solar-powered schools needn’t worry about such interruptions, as renewable energy decreases their reliance on the grid, delivering a more consistent electricity supply.

When coupled with battery storage, schools can store excess solar when they can no longer rely on sunlight. For instance, evening parent-teacher conferences or school sporting events could be powered by stored solar energy.

3. Lower Environmental Impact

The U.S. Energy Information Administration says K-12 and postsecondary schools emit approximately 72 million metric tons of CO2 in energy consumption annually, equal to 18 coal-fired power plants. Of course, this doesn’t include emissions from school transportation services.

Solar-powered schools help lower the education sector’s environmental impact by utilizing clean, renewable energy from the sun. In turn, schools can reduce their use of fossil fuels and, ultimately, greenhouse gas generation.

Some school districts are electrifying their bus fleets, too. In October 2024, New York City equipped 12 school buses with rooftop PV panels to replace diesel models at First Student’s Malta Street depot in Brooklyn. Parked buses using vehicle-to-grid technology will also reserve excess energy to sell to the district utilities whenever needed.

4. Educational Opportunities

Schools with solar power provide unique learning opportunities for students, giving them hands-on experience in understanding critical environmental issues and renewable energy innovations.

This science-forward curriculum encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills in addressing real-world issues, preparing students for a future of successful innovation and sustainability.

Schools Paving the Way to Solar Power Adoption

Many U.S. schools have already integrated solar power as a primary power source. Their decision to invest in renewables has rewarded them with the ability to provide better for their students, staff and campuses. Here are three schools paving the way to a solar-powered tomorrow.

Discover Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia

Discovery Elementary School opened in 2015, serving 650 pre-kindergarten to fifth-grade students. It was one of the East Coast’s first Zero Energy schools, functioning at 66% lower power use intensity than the district average.

The school hopes to achieve net-zero energy efficiency with its 1,700 PV rooftop panels, generating about 500 kilowatts of on-site clean power. The school district will then reinvest the savings from energy reduction for various educational purposes.

Richardsville Elementary School in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Bowling Green’s Richardsville Elementary School was the first net-zero public school nationwide. Richardsville’s PV system generates 10% more energy than is needed for operations. The school sells the excess power to its local utility company and uses the savings for educational needs.

King Open/Cambridge Street Upper School in Cambridge, Massachusetts

The King Open/Cambridge Street Upper School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design v4 Platinum school in Massachusetts. Thanks to its 3,600 rooftop solar panels, it consumes 43% less power than other schools in the state and 70% less than the average U.S. school.

solar powered school

How Can You Help Fund Solar-Power Investments in Education?

You play a critical role in ensuring K-12 schools in your district gain access to clean, reliable and cost-effective energy. The initiative starts by raising the issue at board meetings, researching government grants and incentives for solar power projects, and submitting applications on behalf of the schools.

Because of the importance and benefits of solar-powered education, you may also be able to attain funding in the following ways:

  • Ask local businesses, nonprofit organizations and community groups to donate money for PV panel installations.
  • Raise money through crowdfunding campaigns, seeking donations from passionate parents, alums and community members.
  • Ask larger corporations for sponsorships — many are eager to support renewable energy projects to meet environmental, social and governance goals.
  • Host fundraising activities and events, such as auctions and walkathons.

These initiatives are straightforward but by no means ineffective. Your efforts can make a significant difference in implementing solar energy and sustainability in schools in your area.

An Investment in Solar is an Investment in Education

Solar-powered schools deliver much more than energy savings. They enable students to receive the best, uninterrupted and progressive education possible while divesting money appropriately into superior teachers and resources. Be a part of the change by bringing these eco-friendly options to your district.