Environmental Education: Key to a Better Future

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Tomorrow’s leaders need to be equipped for tomorrow’s challenges, and we must adequately prepare our children for the future they will inherit. As climate change is being felt across the globe and its long term catastrophic impacts have never been so scientifically clear, environmental education is the key to a better future. In an era where more and more children are disconnected from nature, we should recognize the importance of making a real investment in environmental education and outdoor learning. Studies have shown environmental education engages students in learning, raising test scores, and encouraging youth to pursue career in environmental and natural resources. And not only that: environmental education can help children perform better in social studies, science, language, arts, and mathematics.

environmental-education

Engagement at Different Levels

The secret to environmental education is to act at different levels, engaging the entire school and addressing students, teachers, parents, administrators and all members of the schools community. Eventually, it will link up all the participants within the community. The components of this initiative depend on interaction and participation, with teachers undertaking a guiding role by encouraging students to discover solutions on their own.

At first students should determine and check the extent of their use of natural resources in the school. Through this, they evaluate their efforts in the field of environmental management. 

As a second step, children should set up and run Eco Clubs. Eco Clubs provide an opportunity to students to participate in environmental projects and activities. They also serve as a forum through which the students share environmental problems, along with the school staff, parents and the community surrounding the school, in order to work on finding solutions, and promote a positive environmental behavior. In this component the schools can implement internal and external projects, such as introducing efficient methods of irrigation, lowering the volume of waste, reducing the consumption of electricity and water and trying to reduce air pollution.

The third step focuses on organizing training courses for teachers and releasing educational resources in different themes and curricula, helping them to teach environmental concepts in innovative ways and through various educational materials, such as environmental friendly games. This will help teachers to adapt and to provide students with information about different habitats, biodiversity, climate change and other issues faced at the local level, as well as faced by the planet on a global level.

The final step should be to connect students to environmental causes and issues, and identify solutions through the provision of field trips. Additionally, such trips can be associated with the educational curriculum as they offer direct learning method. This helps boosting the understanding of various concepts by the students, and increasing the chance of using multiple senses such as eyesight, hearing, etc., which helps to raise their capacity to understand what they have learned. The success and engagement of schools to take on the environment field trips is great and extensive and it represents a set full of amazing adventures of exploration and knowledge.

Undoubtedly, the final and greatest outcome is to educate our children on the importance of becoming good environmental citizens.

Challenges in the Middle East

The Middle East region faces difficult natural conditions, and it is clear that steep population growth, poverty and the consequent degradation of natural ecosystems make it a priority when it comes to Environmental awareness and sustainability goals. One of the biggest challenges is certainly the lack of awareness. 

Most countries are blessed with high levels of education, with a large portion of the population pursuing secondary and higher education. Unfortunately however, human development and wealth are not always synonym with high environmental awareness and interest in sustainability issues… Jordan and Lebanon, for example, have their primary focus in tourism, which mostly contributes to their GDPs.

An interesting survey conducted in the Sultanate of Oman revealed that the environmental awareness of the Omani public was related to education level but also to gender and age. Males were found to have a higher level of knowledge about environmental issues than females. Males were also more environmentally concerned and tended to engage in more environmental behaviors than females. Younger and more educated respondents tended to be more knowledgeable and concerned about the environment than older and less educated respondents.

Eco Clubs provide an opportunity to students to participate in environmental projects and activities.

Eco Clubs provide an opportunity to students to participate in environmental projects and activities.

Another challenge that countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar are faced with, is trying to reduce their consumption patterns. Even though awareness levels seem to be higher than in other countries, these nations are notorious for their unsustainable consumption rates. For instance, KSA and the UAE’s water consumption have reached 265 and 550 liters per capita per day respectively, which significantly exceeds the world’s average. 

Participation of Emirati Youth

Educating the UAE youth and preparing them to lead the country’s sustainable future is the first goal in the UAE national environmental awareness strategy and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment encourages the youth to innovate and be part of global environmental efforts.

Recently the UAE has taken a major step including environmental education in all schools: back in November Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, announced that awareness of climate change and how to help save the environment will be taught in classrooms across the country.

Under plans to tweak schools’ curriculum to include learning on sustainability, schoolchildren will also be shown how to take energy-saving measures. These include schoolchildren of all ages, including in private sector schools, learning the importance of turning off lights and air-conditioning when not in use, and how to use less water. Each pupil will also be encouraged to spread the message to their family and friends. One of these initiatives, called Sustainable Schools, is an extension of a program that started in Abu Dhabi in 2009.

As a consequence to all these efforts taken by the government, I observed an increase in the numbers of UAE nationals volunteers participating in our programs: we’ve usually had a majority of Indians and Europeans taking part in our tree planting events or in the anti-pollution awareness drives, but lately large groups of young Emiratis have come forward to participate actively in all our programs and we continue to receive many emails asking to become long term volunteers. This is one of the biggest achievements we could wish for the UAE.

Clean Energy Resources in Jordan

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The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is heavily dependent on oil imports from neighbouring countries to meet its energy requirements. The huge cost associated with energy imports creates a financial burden on the national economy and Jordan had to spend almost 20% of its GDP on the purchase of energy in 2008.

Electricity demand is growing rapidly, and the Jordanian government has been seeking ways to attract foreign investment to fund additional capacity. In 2008, the demand for electricity in Jordan was 2,260 MW, which is expected to rise to 5,770 MW by 2020. Therefore, provision of reliable and clean energy supply will play a vital role in Jordan’s economic growth.

In 2007, the Government unveiled an Energy Master Plan for the development of the energy sector, requiring an investment of more than $3 billion between the year 2007 and 2020. The major target of the Plan is to enhance the contribution of renewable energy in the energy mix to 7 percent by 2015 and upto 10 percent by 2020. Concerted efforts are underway to remove barriers to exploitation of renewable energy, particularly wind, solar and biomass. 

Renewable Energy Scenario

Jordan has been a pioneer in renewable energy promotion in the Middle East with its first wind power pilot project in Al-Ibrahemiya as early as 1988. Systematic monitoring of the technological developments and implementation/execution of demonstration and pilot projects has been the hallmark of Jordan’s foray into clean energy sector. However, renewable energy remains largely untapped due to high cost associated with non-conventional energy resources and relatively cheap availability of oil and natural gas.

With high population growth rate, increase in industrial and commercial activities, high cost of imported energy fuels and higher GHGs emissions, supply of cheap and clean energy resources has become a challenge for the Government. Consequently, the need for implementing energy efficiency measures and exploring renewable energy technologies has emerged as a national priority.  

Wind energy is feasible mainly in areas overlooking the Jordan Valley and Wadi Araba. Solar energy potential is also high since many parts of the country experience 300 to 320 days of full sunshine throughout the year. Biomass energy potential is also attractive in the form of urban wastes, organic industrial wastes and animal manure. With rapid technological advancements, other sources such as waste-to-energy, hydro power and geothermal energy are also realistic options.

Presently, Jordan has 1MW biogas plant that utilizes methane from biochemical decomposition of organic waste for electricity production. Expansions are underway to increase the total capacity to 5 MW. There are 2 MW wind farms at Hofa and Al‐Ibrahimiyah in the north working successfully. Moreover, there is an area of 1.35 million m2 of installed solar water heaters panels in Jordan, and a 150 KWh of installed photovoltaic power. In addition, there are 25 solar water heaters factories in Jordan which produce 4000 solar water heater annually.

Future plans include three wind parks with a total capacity of 125‐150 MW, and a hybrid Solar Power Plants (CSP) with a capacity of 100‐250 MW. 60% of the wind turbine parts in the wind parks are supposed to be provided by local wind turbine manufacturers. Meanwhile, private consortiums are looking to establish photovoltaic and concentrated solar power plants in the Ma’an area. 

The €10-million ‘Capacity Building in Wind Energy and Concentrated Solar Power’ project, funded by the European Union, will support Jordan's National Energy Research Centre (NERC) to steer and facilitate the implementation of the Jordanian government's Renewable Energy Strategy 2007-2020 by installing a wind testing facility, as well as a pilot Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant.

Investment in Clean Energy

Jordan has tremendous wind, solar and biomass energy potential which can only be realized by large-scale investments. This transition from conventional fuels to renewable energy resources will require capital investments, technology transfer and human resources development, through a package of investments estimated at US $ 1.4 – 2.2 billion. The investment package includes Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) deals for wind energy with a total capacity of 660 MW and solar energy plants of 600 MW. This will be paralleled with the reduction of energy produced from oil from 58% currently to 40% in 2020. The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) is actively seeking support for renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives through continuous cooperation with international partners and donors.

The best prospects for electricity generation in Jordan are as Independent Power Producers (IPPs).  This creates tremendous opportunities for foreign investors interested in investing in electricity generation ventures. Keeping in view the renewed interest in renewable energy, there is a huge potential for international technology companies to enter the Jordan market.  There is very good demand for wind energy equipments, solar power units and waste-to-energy systems which can be capitalized by technology providers and investment groups.

Government Initiatives

The government has also established a new Energy Fund to support the infrastructure development of new renewable energy facilities. In addition the government is seeking to provide tax incentives to remove the barriers for the comprehensive use of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in the Jordanian market. 

The strategy will be supported by a "Renewable Energy Law" which includes regulations and incentives for renewable energy production from investments in areas designated to be utilized to build renewable energy facilities. The law provides investors with a lot of incentives including 100 percent exemption from income tax for 10 years. 

Private companies with renewable energy projects will now be able to negotiate directly with the Energy Ministry as part of a series of changes to the sector. Investments in renewable energy will be quicker as part of sweeping changes included in the recently endorsed Renewable Energy Law.

One of the major components of the legislation allows local and international companies to bypass a competitive bidding process and negotiate with the ministry directly to establish renewable energy projects. Also under the law, the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) will be obligated to purchase any and all electricity produced by renewable energy power plants. The law will also allow citizens with solar power or wind turbines to sell electricity back to their electricity provider. 

Conclusion

There has been significant progress in the implementation of clean energy systems in Jordan, with active support from the government and increasing awareness among the local population. In the recent past, Jordan has witnessed a surge in initiatives to generate power from renewable resources with financial and technical backing from the government, international agencies and foreign donors.  Jordan has the potential to become a regional energy hub characterised by political as well as economic stability.  The already accomplished projects and studies in this field has provided Jordan with scientific and practical experience, qualifying it for entering a new phase of renewable energy development by means of cooperation between local institutions and foreign companies. 

How Loving the Environment Radiate a More Beautiful You?

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Everyone is striving to exhibit beauty on the outside by donning expensive clothing, hairstyles, makeup, jewelry, and anything else that could add an extra touch of elegance. But, did you know that there is a deeper beauty than the external beauty we run after? Radiance is an aspect of beauty that resonates from the inside. It’s not about having a perfect face, body, or image. Radiance is more awe-inspiring than the regular beauty everyone is chasing after. It’s actually the light that shines from our hearts.

So, how can one experience this magnificent form of beauty? Here are a few ways you can love the environment and radiate a more beautiful you.

Be Mindful of Mother Earth

There is overwhelming evidence that being mindful loving the environment can help people reconnect with nature and appreciate every gift that the earth has to offer. Actually, many people suffer deeply without even knowing it. They tend to cover up their suffering by being absorbed in busy lifestyles. The truth is; they are simply alienated from Mother Nature.

The practice of mindfulness enables you to touch Mother Earth within your body and help you heal. So, as the people heal, the earth heals as well. This insight can be practiced by anybody and the overall enlightenment goes a long way in ensuring collective awakening. Everyone should be aware that the earth and its inhabitants are endangered.

Mindfulness boils down to simple everyday life activities like taking a cup of tea. Your life can be totally transformed if you truly devote your attention to it. Enjoy the tea by slowly savoring it. Be fully present in the cup instead of being carried away by life’s sorrows, fears, work, past, or even your future. Be available for life.

True Beauty is Reflected in the Soul

The true beauty of a woman is reflected in the soul. The caring that she seamlessly gives and the passion she shows both emanate from deep within. These are the inner qualities of a woman that make her radiant. Compassion, kindness, love, and decency are just some of the qualities that the soul produces.

So, why is there so much emphasis on the outside look? Women are harshly judged on how they look regardless of their age. There is always something that is wrong and needs to be fixed, and many women fall to the unrealistic expectations marketed to them by the world. It’s a continuous cycle of change, and when you manage to change one, you’ll be told there is something else you need to fix to become even more attractive. So, women are often shut off from their true selves and waste their time and energy chasing empty demands.

How Nature Impacts Our Well-being

Research indicates that our environment can improve or worsen our stress levels, which by extension impacts our bodies. Anything you see, hear, or experience at any time is changing not just your mood, but the way your immune, nervous, and endocrine systems work. Stressful situations can cause you to feel sad, anxious, or helpless, which in turn elevate your blood pressure, muscle tension, and heart rate.

A pleasing environment, on the other hand, reverses all that. Humans often find nature pleasing, and that’s why you should spend more time with Mother Nature. Even simple viewing of nature scenes will reduce anger, stress, and fear and enhance a pleasant feeling. Nature has a way of reducing mortality and improving the overall well being.

Caring For The Environment Brings Out Your Inner Beauty

The earth is naturally endowed with beauty. You may not live close to forests or parks, but a mere act of bringing a plant home can create unmatched beauty to your home. By creating beauty in your environment, it reflects on your true beauty that glows from within. Furthermore, Mother Nature brings a whole pack of healing effects. For instance, fragrant jasmine is believed to attract more love and wealth to your home while every plant helps purify the air around your home.

Don’t get overly frustrated when you wake up one morning and don’t feel on top of the game. Once in a while, life will bring its fair share of frustrations and that should stop you from walking out with your head high. Look straight in the mirror and focus on what you truly love. Spending time thinking about the positive gifts of life reinforces the beauty attributes and help them radiate out into the world.

Recommended Reading: The Future of Dermatological Testing

The Role of Water Treatment in Environmental Sustainability

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Water scarcity is one of the largest threats facing humanity today due to constant water shortages being experienced all over the world. Only a small percentage of the world’s water (about 3%) is fit for human consumption with two percent of this amount present in glaciers and ice caps. The United Nations has given water due prominence by making it one of its millennium development goals. Such is the importance of water that governments have started developing new technologies and projects to cushion its effects on the world population. These initiatives include desalination, rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment and water location transfers.

water-pollution

What is water treatment?

It is the process of eliminating harmful contaminants from water so that it can be safe for human and animal consumption. In order to make sure that excellent water is obtained and sanitation quality is observed, the process is divided into several phases. A rudimentary breakdown of the phases is as follows:

Preliminary phase: large filters are used to remove big inorganic solid materials like metal, paper and plastic.

  • Elimination of silt and grit that is abrasive to machinery.
  • Primary sedimentation to remove solid organic material.
  • Sludge phase where microorganisms are used to dissolve organic solids and the resulting biomass is decanted.

Tertiary treatment phase: where chemical (chlorine) is used to remove harmful pathogens. The resulting product is fresh water that is fit for human consumption.

Water treatment helps us achieve environmental sustainability in the following ways:

1. Reduction of Waste

Water treatment reduces the volume of waste that is released into the ecosystem. When wastewater is treated, the quantity of waste that is released into the environment is cut down significantly resulting into overall improvement in the environment’s status. By cutting down environmental pollution, water treatment helps to reduce health hazards that emanate from a polluted environment.

There is reduction of water wastage that is induced by water pollution. Water treatment has a financial benefit in that it trims down the amount of money that is used by a country to rehabilitate a polluted environment.

2. Production of energy

As described above, there is use of microorganisms (bacteria) in the sludge phase to breakdown organic matter and produce a large quantity of biomass. In this process the organic matter is mixed with the bacteria, enclosed in bio-digesters and subjected to medium range temperatures of about 35 degrees C. Biogas is produced during this process. Methane constitutes a high percentage of biogas and can be used for generating energy to power the water treatment complex. If the energy produced is of significant quantities it can be injected into a country’s national electricity grid.

The advantage of this green energy cannot be overstated since it decreases the over reliance on non-renewable sources of energy like petroleum, coal, wood and charcoal. This will reduce the carbon footprint of a country and its expenditure on meeting its energy needs. Case studies in various countries have established that an efficient water treatment plant can produce forty percent of the total energy that is required to run the plant.

Biogas can also be used for domestic cooking fuel, for generation of electricity and heat energy for homes and for powering vehicles.

3. Source of clean water

As mentioned before, the water resources in the world are dwindling at an alarming rate. The available water resources will not be able to sustain the projected population increase in the coming years.

Wastewater treatment will ensure there will be a balance between water supply and demand. Through filtration of harmful contaminants from wastewater and giving out hygienic and safe water, there will be adequate supply for everyone. Homefixplanet.com offers the best solutions for water treatment systems. The lurking fear of harmful water supply, drought and water shortage will be a thing of the past if water is recycled.

4. Production of fertilizer

The biomass that is produced from the sludge phase is decanted and dried: this turns it into organic fertilizer. The current trend in the world is to use less of chemical (inorganic) fertilizer for farming. This is because scientific studies have shown residual presence of these chemicals in harvested crops has long term effects on the consumer.

The other deterrent aspect of chemical fertilizers is eutrophication that results when used fertilizer is leached into water bodies. Eutrophication is the exponential increase in aquatic life (due to leached chemical fertilizer) at levels that cannot be sustained by water ecosystems. Use of organic fertilizers does not result into eutrophication because their level of leaching is negligible due to their slow process of biodegradation and absorption into the soil.

5. Disease prevention

Wastewater contains potentially harmful bacteria that can make consumers of water contract parasitic infections. Parasitic infestation occurs in people of all ages: toddlers and adults. The infection may range from mild to severe and even critical. It may affect your gastrointestinal tract, skin, body organs and blood.

wastewater-treatment-uae

Gastrointestinal tract infection is common in children of all ages and normally involves giardiasis, dysentery, cholera and gastroenteritis which are spread through contaminated water. This infections result into diarrhea. During water treatment, waste water is passed through filters that remove contaminants and destroy lethal microorganisms.

Water treatment therefore plays an essential function in removing pollutants from water (approximately ninety seven percent) that could be awfully harmful if consumed. There are no harmful bacteria that end up in the environment that would otherwise have damaging effects on animals, plants and people. Waste water also contains harmful chemicals which if released to the environment would destroy flora and fauna life forms.

6. Clean environment for recreation

Wastewater treatment ensures people will be able to enjoy water sports without having to worry about water pollution. Water from treatment plants can also be supplied to areas experiencing drought. Thus water treatment is an eco-friendly process that helps in reducing water wastage by recycling water that would otherwise have been deemed to be unsanitary and end up being disposed.

Final Words

The process of water treatment has many benefits and that makes it viable in the long and short-term answer to the water crisis bedeviling the world today which keeps on multiplying simultaneously with increase in world population.

Mathematical models project the world population to increase up to nine billion people in the next few years. This is bound to increase the volume of waste water that will be produced, making water treatment a critical aspect of environmental conservation and sustainability. Expanding wastewater treatment sector will produce large quantities of fresh water and help bring down the level of water scarcity.

Recommended Reading: 8 Careers That Can Help the World

Eco-friendly Tips to Buy an AC

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Many homeowners are now aware of the importance of conserving the environment and how they can contribute towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. They realize that through saving energy, they can not only save some money, but they can also play a part in making the world a better place. One appliance that definitely consumes a high amount of energy in most homes is the air conditioning unit. That is why it is so important that you look for the most eco-friendly brand when making your purchase. Fortunately, these brands are not too hard to find.

In order to find an eco-friendly AC unit, you need to be aware of the most important features to look out for. It’s not just about going to the store and asking to be given one. Once you know what you want, finding it will be very easy. Here are some eco-friendly tips to help you buy an AC:

hvac-air-filter

1. Choose the appropriate size

Size is very important when choosing an AC. If it is too small, it will end up overworking your system and increase your energy bill as a result. At the same time, such a unit will not be capable of balancing the air being cooled by its condenser with the hot air it releases. You can have a technician look at your house and recommend the proper size for you.

2. Find a unit that has two-stage compressors

Compressors consume the most energy in AC units. The work of compressors is to push out hot vapors in order for the refrigerant to cool down. If your AC has two-stage compressors, it will be compressing less on a cool day and more on hot days. This will save you a significant amount of energy.

3. Go for highest energy efficiency ratings

The ENERGY STAR® or SEER ratings are hugely significant in a wide variety of appliances. Any AC unit that has these types of certifications or ratings will use much less energy than one that doesn’t. In fact, the amount of energy saved can go up to 50%. At the same time, the unit is likely to have a thermostat that you can use to set the system’s temperature.

environmental impact of air conditioner

4. Install a programmable thermostat

This is one of the cheapest ways to make your AC eco-friendly. When you have a programmable thermostat, you will be able to program it to turn it off when you are not at home and on when you are just about to come back.

5. Regular maintenance

Having your AC inspected and serviced by a professional contractor is crucial if you want it to remain energy-efficient. Service entails checking for leaks and also ensuring the air flow is good. If there is a need for a new AC filter, the professional will make the recommendation.

Conclusion

Air conditioning provides us with some comfort on extremely hot days, especially during the summer. However, they can also be the source of considerable environmental harm. The best way we can prevent this is by investing in eco-friendly AC. These five tips should help you in this regard.

Carta: Creating Art-from-Trash in Jordan

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Carta, a novel paper recycling initiative in Jordan, was launched when Najwan Al Masri noticed the increasing amount of paper wastes being generated at her home (especially when her son started to write and draw) and she thought “Why not to upcycle waste papers into beautiful Art and Crafts”. The thought developed to an idea which then grew into a project with careful research and study about how to make something unique and useful. Carta is trying to give paper recycling a new dimension of creativity, innovation and passion. EcoMENA talks to Najwan Al Masri, the Founder of Carta, to know more about her innovative art-from-trash venture:

art from trash

EcoMENA: What are the main aims and objectives of your initiative?

Najwan Al Masri: The main aim of Carta is to create beautiful paper waste-based art pieces that are environmentally friendly, touching the values and interest of our communities, and building a meaningful relationship with those around us. Recycling paper is an elegant civilized treat to Earth and it can be mixed with Art to create something that decorate our life in the real sense of the word.

EcoMENA: What motivated you to launch Carta and what drives you to continue?

Najwan Al Masri: As any woman who would like to be an effective part of the community especially that I have a great passion for art, and what I noticed (through teaching my son how to paint and do simple crafts for his school) about the amount of papers we throw every day; I decided to start something that represent what I love and believe.

The amount of support and appreciation that I daily receive with each piece I make drives me to continue and dream big.

EcoMENA: What kind of impact Carta has made on the society?

Najwan Al Masri: Carta has helped in increasing the awareness about paper recycling in our community, and we now have many partners supplying us waste papers to use in our works. I really appreciate the huge amount of support received from the community and I hope that my message of art, peace and love will spread all over the world. You may visit our Facebook page for more information about Carta.

EcoMENA: What are the skills or values required to run a social enterprise like yours?

Najwan Al Masri: I believe a social entrepreneur should have creativity, patience, good communication skills, cultural understanding and the ability to learn, develop, and to accept criticism.

A beautiful handicraft made from waste papers

EcoMENA: What are the major hurdles in establishing a successful social enterprise in MENA countries?

Najwan Al Masri: It is crucial to get the acceptance of the community for new ideas and concepts, especially when providing a product/service that compete with the imported products.

EcoMENA: How has been the progress until now and where do you foresee your organization in the coming 5 years?

Najwan Al Masri: The progress is exceeding our expectations as our small community is growing every day. We expect to have our own shop that will exhibit many products representing our idea of art-from-trash and recycling papers (and other waste materials). In addition, we also hope to have our own space to hold capacity-building sessions and training courses on art, crafts, and recycling.

EcoMENA: Do you have any advice for young entrepreneurs in MENA?

Najwan Al Masri: Believe in yourself and your abilities, focus on the value of your work rather than profit, and think of ideas that can make your country as well as the world a better place to live.

Water Crisis in Egypt and Degeneration of the Nile

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Egypt is struggling to cope with water shortages and food production. It is expected that Egypt’s per capita annual water supply will drop from 600 cubic meters today to 500 cubic meters by 2025, which is the UN threshold for absolute water scarcity. Egypt has only 20 cubic meters per person of internal renewable freshwater resources, and as a result the country relies heavily on the Nile for its main source of water.

Water scarcity has become so severe that it has been recorded that certain areas in the country could go days without water, with pressure sometimes returning only for a few hours a week. The country can no longer delay action and must act now.

Degeneration of Nile

Agriculture

Agriculture contributes roughly 15% of Egypt’s GDP, and employs 32% of Egypt’s workforce with rice being the biggest produce in the country. Rice is an important part of an Egyptian family’s diet. However, the cultivation of rice is very water intensive. On average about 3000 liters of water is used to produce 1 kilo of rice. This number can vary depending on climate, soil type and water management practices.

The government has restricted cultivation of rice to an area of 1 million acres (farmers were previously able to use most of the Nile Delta for cultivation) in specified areas of the Nile Delta. The government has even resorted to taking drastic measures as spreading incendiary compounds on rice fields cultivated outside the area allocated by the government. This has caused outrage and demonstrations by farmers who insist that the area allocated is not enough for them to be able to make ends meet. This type of tension caused by the lack of water was one of the catalysts of the Arab Spring in 2011/2012.

To alleviate population tension and unrest the government has been trying to increase water supply by exploring with reusing treated agricultural and municipal wastewater for agriculture. However implementation of such initiatives is not being applied fast enough to cope with the rising demand.

Government must enforce new irrigation methods in the country (Egyptian farmers still rely heavily on flood and canal irrigation in the Nile Delta) as well as smart agricultural practices such as using less water intensive crops. Resorting less water intensive water crops could drastically cut water used in agriculture and help increase water supply.

Pollution of the Nile

The Nile has been a lifeline for Egypt at least since the time of the pharaohs. Yet, despite the world’s largest river’s importance to the country, its water is being polluted by various sources, and pollution levels increasing exponentially in recent years.

The degeneration of the Nile is an issue that is regularly underestimated in Egypt. With so many people relying on the Nile for drinking, agricultural, and municipal use, the quality of that water should be of most importance. The waters are mainly being polluted by municipal and industrial waste, with many recorded incidents of leakage of wastewater, the dumping of dead animal carcasses, and the release of chemical and hazardous industrial waste into the Nile River.

Pollution of Nile

Industrial pollution is wrecking havoc in Nile

Industrial waste has led to the presence of metals (especially heavy metals) in the water which pose a significant risk not only on human health, but also on animal health and agricultural production. Fish die in large numbers from poisoning because of the high levels of ammonia and lead. Agricultural production quality and quantity has been affected by using untreated water for irrigation as the bacteria and the metals in the water affect the growth of the plant produce, especially in the Nile Delta where pollution is highest.

Of course the pollution of Nile is a complex problem that has been continuing for more than 30 years and the government is trying to implement stricter rules on the quality and type of waste/wastewater dumped into the river to reduce the pollution of the Nile. However, swift and decisive action must be taken towards cleaning the Nile, such as treating the wastewater prior to disposal, and placing stricter restrictions on industries to dispose of their waste safely and responsibly. This issue cannot be ignored any further as the continual increase in population will cause an increase in demand on Egypt’s dwindling water resources. Every drop of water counts.

The Blue Nile Dam

Another challenge at hand is tackling the issue of Ethiopia building a dam and hydroelectric plant upstream that may cut into Egypt’s share of the Nile. For some time a major concern for Egypt was Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in the Blue Nile watershed, which is a main source of water for the Nile River.

Construction of the Renaissance Dam started in December 2010, and has the capacity to store 74 to 79 billion cubic meters of water and generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity for Ethiopia a year. This creates major concern for Egypt, who is worried that this damn would decrease the amount of water it receives (55.5 billion cubic meters) from the Nile River. Egypt is concerned that during dry months, not enough water will be released from the GERD thus decreasing the water received downstream. This will greatly hinder Egypt’s attempts to alleviate the water shortages during those months.

Earlier this year, Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan assigned two French companies to prepare a report on the impact of the dam on the three countries. This report will clarify the affects the Dam will have on downstream countries. The results of this report are yet to be released.

Conclusion

In case of business-as-usual scenario, Egypt runs the risk of becoming an absolute water scarce country in less than a decade. Therefore Egypt has a battle on its hands to ensure adequate conditions for its population. Like many other water scarce countries around the world, it needs to mitigate water scarcity by implementing smart water conservation techniques, adopting water saving technologies, and control water pollution.

With climate conditions expected to get drier and heat waves expected to become more frequent in the MENA region, Egypt cannot afford to neglect its water conservation policies and must act immediately to meet the population’s water demand.

Sources of Information

https://www.ecomena.org/egypt-water/

http://planetearthherald.com/egypt-faces-water-crisis-the-end-of-the-nile-as-we-knew-it/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/04/egypt-water-crisis-intensifies-scarcity

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/30/Egypt-must-preserve-its-lifeline-by-tackling-the-water-crisis-now.html

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/14/470358/Egypt-water-crisis-street-protests-Dakahlia-North-Sinai

https://phys.org/news/2016-04-egypt-avert-crisis-driven-demand.html

https://tcf.org/content/report/egyptian-national-security-told-nile/

https://ecesr.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ECESR-Water-Polllution-En.pdf

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-studies/water-pollution-in-egypt.php

http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/ericeproduction/III.1_Water_usage_in_rice.htm

https://phys.org/news/2010-11-rice-production-withers-egypt.html

https://www.juancole.com/2016/06/conflict-ethiopias-renaissance.html

6 Easy Ideas to Teach Sustainable Living to Your Kids

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Talking about the environment with children is one of the best things we can do to encourage ‘green’ habits for a sustainable world. Developing the habit of thinking about the impact of their actions on the earth is as important as learning about other aspects of faith and growing spiritually – they are interlinked.

To make sustainable living a way of life, we can make small daily changes. Here are a few ideas to teach sustainable living to your kids:

1. Getting serious about waste

Consider the waste your household generates – what can you buy less of? Is there a way to avoid extra packaging? Can you reuse items from friends or family instead of buying new?

ideas for sustainable living

2. Recycling

Get children involved in creating waste management systems in the house to keep paper and cardboard recycling separate from plastics, metals and glass. Check out your local waste disposal and recycling website for guidelines. Discuss these with your children to understand the full range of recycling services on offer locally.

3. Water conservation

Share some visual prompts online to show your children what 1 gallon of water looks like to help them understand this fact: the average person uses 80–100 gallons of water a day. Practise water conservation by not leaving the tap running whilst washing up, brushing their teeth, or making wudu.

islam-water-conservation

Save water by using the shower instead of filling a bath and using a watering can instead of a hosepipe. Even better, use a water barrel to collect rain to feed outdoor plants.

4. Get growing

Gardening is a great way to nurture the skill of caring for our environment and taking responsibility. Balcony and windowsill pots are ideal ways to grow plants any time of the year. Research seasonal vegetables if you have an outdoor garden to use. It will also help children understand the time and effort that goes into growing vegetables to reduce food waste in the home.

gardening by children

In the garden, making bird baths, bird feeders and insect hotels are wonderful activities to help the survival of minibeasts and birds.

5. Food

Buy local seasonal fruits and vegetables with minimal packaging. Freeze fruit and vegetables that may be in excess. Get children used to checking food stocks in cupboards and the fridge before grocery shopping to make sure older items are used up before fresh food is stored. Make a family recipe book to collect favourite recipes that use up fresh produce.

Leftover food scraps and peel can be put in a composting bin and not in general waste. There are many child-friendly instructions on how to make a compost box in the garden for general food waste.

food waste management

6. Plastic patrol!

Explain to your children what the problem with plastic is: it does not degrade and can cause harm to plants and animals that come into contact with it.

Children can help to spot the alternatives to plastic when you’re out shopping, such as cups and bottles made of bamboo; wooden hairbrushes; and metal or ceramic food containers.

Note: This is an excerpt from Suma Din’s latest ‘The Gift of the World’ published by Beacon Books.  The article has been reproduced with the kind permission of Beacon Books.

You can purchase the book directly from this link

What Does The Quran Say About The Natural Environment

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For a Muslim, caring for the environment is a part of faith. There are many verses (known as ‘ayahs’) about the natural environment. The Quran describes plants, animals, the elements of rain and wind as resources for use by people and animals. Some features of the natural environment, such as water, are mentioned several times as proof of God’s existence and power.

What Quran Say About Environment

 

The Holy Quran asks the reader to ‘think, ponder and reflect’ on the natural signs in the world and contemplate their purpose. Read on to know more about the Quran and natural environment:

On Rainwater Cycle

‘It is He who sends the winds as heralds of good news before His Mercy. We send down pure water from the sky, so that We can revive a dead land with it, and We give it as a drink to many animals and people We have created.’ (Quran, 25:48–49)

‘And We have sent down blessed rain from the sky and made grow thereby gardens and grain from the harvest.’ (Quran, 50:9)

quran and the natural environment

The Variety of Crops

‘And it is He who sends down rain from the sky. With it we produce the shoots of each plant, then bring greenery from it, and from that We bring out grains in layers.’ ‘And from the date palms come clusters – of its emerging fruit hanging low. And [We produce] gardens of grapevines and olives and pomegranates, similar yet varied. Look at [each of] its fruit when it yields and [at] its ripening.

agriculture-palestine

 

Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.’ (Quran, 6:99)

‘Eat and drink but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people.’ (Quran, 7:30)

‘Let man consider the food he eats! We pour down abundant water and cause the soil to split open. We make grain grow, and vines and fresh vegetation, olive trees, date palms, luscious gardens, fruits and fodder, all for you and your livestock to enjoy.’ (Quran, 80: 32–34)

On Animal Life

‘And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you. We have not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.’ (Quran, 6:38)

wildlife-jordan

Mountains

‘And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you, and [made] rivers and roads, that you may be guided.’ (Quran, 16:15)

 

Note: This is an excerpt from Suma Din’s latest book ‘The Gift of the World’ published by Beacon Books (UK).  The article has been reproduced with the kind permission of Beacon Books.

 

You can purchase the book directly from this link

إدارة النفايات في المغرب

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تعد إدارة النفايات الصلبة واحدة من المشكلات البيئية الرئيسية التي تهدد المملكة  المغربية. إذ تنتج هذه الأخيرة أكثر من 5 ملايين طن من النفايات الصلبة بمعدل نمو توليد النفايات السنوي وصل إلى 3 في المئة. و يعاني التخلص السليم من النفايات الصلبة البلدية في المغرب من أوجه قصور رئيسية  تتمثل في عدم وجود البنية التحتية المناسبة والتمويل المناسب في المناطق خارج المدن الرئيسية.

وقد أبان تقرير البنك الدولي،  على أنه في عام 2008، قبل الإصلاح الأخير  “لم يتم  جمع إلا 70 من المئة فقط من النفايات الصلبة البلدية في المدن وأن فقط  أقل من 10 من المئة من النفايات التي تم جمعها هي التي يجري التخلص منها بطريقة مقبولة بيئيا اجتماعيا. هذا مع وجود حوالي 300 مكب نفايات عشوائي، وحوالي 3500 جامع للنفايات، يشكل الأطفال 10 في المئة منهم ،  يعيشون داخل وحول هذه المكبات المفتوحة “.

خطر حرق النفايات

إنه لمن المألوف أن نرى حرق النفايات  كوسيلة للتخلص من النفايات الصلبة في المغرب. حاليا، يتم التخلص من النفايات البلدية  بطريقة هوجاء وغير مستدامة و التي لها آثار كبيرة على الصحة العامة والبيئة. فعدم وجود البنية التحتية لإدارة النفايات يؤدي إلى حرقها كشكل من أشكال التخلص من النفايات غير المكلفة. وللأسف، فإن الآثار الصحية الرئيسية لحرق النفايات هي، يا إما غير معروفة على نطاق واسع أومستهان بها بشكل صارخ  من طرف الغالبية العظمى من السكان في المغرب.

يشكل حرق النفايت مصدر قلق صحي خاص بسبب كمية الديوكسينات الكبيرة التي تنتج أثناء عملية الحرق. إذ يعد الديوكسين من الملوّثات البيئية شديدة السمية التي يتم تحريرها عند حرق النفايات المنزلية. أكثر الديوكسينات التي يتم إصدارها في الهواء أثناء عملية الحرق ينتهي بها المطاف إلى الترسب على أوراق النباتات الخضراء. وبالتالي دخولها في السلسلة الغذائية عبر أكلها من قبل  الحيوانات الحلوبة مثل الأبقار والأغنام والماعز مما ينتج عنه تخزين الديوكسينات وتراكمها في الأنسجة الدهنية لهاته الحيونات. و بمجرد حدوث ذلك، يصبح  من الصعب تجنب الديوكسينات  ويكون الإنسان ، في المقام الأول، الأكثر عرضة لخطر الديوكسينات من خلال تناوله اللحوم ومنتجات الألبان الأخرى، وخاصة تلك التي تحتوي على نسبة عالية من الدهون.

وعلاوة على ذلك، فإن هذا النوع من الحرق في الهواء الطلق يتسبب أيضا في تلوث الجسيمات. ويقصد بهذه الأخيرة، الجسيمات المجهرية التي ينتهي بها المطاف إلى الترسب في الرئتين وبالتالي تسببها في عدد  كبيرمن المشاكل الصحية للإنسان، مثل الربو والتهاب الشعب الهوائية. و للأسف، يعتبر الأطفال وكبار السن الذين يتعرضون للديوكسينات هم المهددون الأكثر بتلك الأمراض. عدا هذا، ينتج عن هذا الحرق مواد مسرطنة ضارة أخرى مثل الهيدروكربونات العطرية متعددة الحلقات، ثنائي الفينيل متعدد الكلور (PCB)، والمركبات العضوية المتطايرة، وسداسي كلورو البنزين .و من المعروف أن هذه  الملوّثات  تسبب مشاكل صحية عدة تتراوح بين تهيج الجلد إلى تلف الكبد والكلى وحتى في بعض الحالات الأكثر خطورة فقد تم ربطها بالسرطان.

و غالبا ما يحتوي الرماد، نفسه الناتج عن حرق النفايات، على الزئبق والرصاص والكروم والزرنيخ. “بإمكانية امتصاص و ومراكمة خضروات الحديقة  لهذه المعادن،  قد يشكل تناولها خطرا على الصحة. يمكن أيضا للأطفال الذين يلعبون في الساحة أو الحديقة أن يبتلعون، عن دون قصد، التربة التي تحتوي على هذه المعادن. أيضا، يمكن أن يجرف المطر الرماد إلى المياه الجوفية والمياه السطحية، و بذلك تتلوث مياه الشرب والغذاء. “هذا دون التطرق إلى فئة جامعي النفايات الذين يعرضون صحتهم مباشرة للخطر بفرزهم نفايات البلدية.

الجانب الإيجابي

إلا نه هناك خبر سار بخصوص مستقبل إدارة النفايات الصلبة في المغرب و الذي يتمثل في كون البنك الدولي قد خصص 271300000 دولار للحكومة المغربية من أجل وضع خطة إدارة النفايات البلدية . وتشمل تفاصيل الخطة استعادة حوالي 80 موقع دفن النفايات، وتحسين خدمات جمع النفايات، وزيادة إعادة التدوير بنسبة 20٪، وهذا كله بحلول عام 2020. في حين يتوقع  أن يصنع هذا الإصلاح المعجزات لسكان المناطق الحضرية فإن المرء يأمل أن تشمل فوائد هذا الإصلاح  فقط حوالي 43٪ من سكان المغرب الذين يعيشون في المناطق الريفية، مثل أولئك الذين يعيشون في قريتي.

ومما يعد من البديهيات، أنه وبالرغم من توجه المغرب نحو نظام إدارة ، أكثرصداقة للبيئة  وأكثر أمانا، للنفايات الصلبة، فإن عددا كبيرا من سكانه، بمن فيهم الأطفال وكبار السن، سيغفل عنهم هذا الإصلاح. و حتى يتم بذل المزيد من الجهد، بما في ذلك مبادرات التمويل وزيادة في التعليم، سيظل هؤلاء الناس عرضة لظروف معيشية حرجة بسبب التمويل غير المناسب، و وضعية البنية التحتية والتعليم.

ترجمة

هند سلامة، حاصلة على شهادة الدكتوراة تخصص الكيمياءـ البيئة من كلية العلوم عين الشق جامعة الحسن الثاني ـ المغرب، عملت كمديرة مشاريع في عدة مؤسسات و أعمل حاليا كمستشارة مستقلة في مجال البيئة و التنمية المستدامة و مترجمة  ، هذا عدا عن مساهماتي في البرنامج التطوعي للأمم المتحدة  UNVو متطوعة أيضا مع EcoMENA

5 Ways Using Marbles At Home Help Improve Our Environment

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It is always important to consider the impact on the environment anytime you want something done in your home. Having this type of concern can make you use an eco-friendly approach to various things like energy you want to be in your house. Marble is an amazing material and has grown to become really popular among homeowners for use in their homes.

The reason why most people have grown to like marble is that it provides layers of elegance and aesthetics, but another great thing about the product is that it helps to conserve the environment. Let’s take a look at the ways how marbles can help improve our environment.

1. Marbles are Natural

Marble is environmental-friendly since it is a natural stone and this benefits the environment in so many ways. Because it is in the natural form, marble doesn’t require any power of energy to produce and therefore doesn’t cause any pollution and saves on energy. What’s more, marble has thermal mass which helps to insulate your home naturally, which saves energy since you won’t be required to heat or cool your home.

2. Marbles Don’t Require Manufacturing

Marble doesn’t require any machines to be created but requires people to harvest it, thereby eliminating the need to run machines that emit gases and pollute the environment. Because of this more people get jobs of harvesting the material and this creates job opportunities in the society.

Employment is created from the fact that marble can be quite heavy to carry from its original position and therefore many people are required to do the job. This greatly benefits the environment by eliminating the use of machines which would’ve otherwise caused pollution and helps people who were unemployed to find jobs.

3. Marble Can Be Recycled

The good thing about marble, since it is a natural stone it can easily be recycled later on if you want to change the flooring, counters, or other marble aspects in the house. There won’t be any need to dispose old material, instead all you have to do is call a marble company like marble.com to remove the old pieces of marble and re-use them anywhere else. These old marble pieces can be used to make tiles and anything else which can come out from the pieces.

This ability of marble to be able to be recycled makes it even more environment-friendly and efficient for use. Whereas it pays to recycle a naturally occurring item that has zero effects to our environment, instead of having to replace it with other not so environmentally friendly items.

4. Marble is Durable

Durability is a key factor when considering building your home and marble can really come in handy for you in this case. Since marble is natural stone it has a durable quality and when you construct your home with it, your home is able to withstand wind, snow, rain, heat, and even fire.

Also, when you use marble to build interior structures like the kitchen counter top among others, it is hard for them to get burned, scratched, or even stained. The durability makes marble environmental-friendly since you don’t have to keep extracting the material in case of damages, as marble is strong enough to withstand damages and can also be recycled.

5. Marble is Affordable

The affordability of marble is great for the environment in that many people can afford to use it, thereby avoiding other manufactured items that will affect the environment as they are being processed. Marble is a natural stone and therefore doesn’t require the use of machine for extraction. This greatly helps you save on cost yet still preserves the environment.

benefits of marble

 

Another thing which we mentioned earlier that also helps to make marble much affordable is that it doesn’t get damaged easily, and old pieces of marble can be recycled and used to make something else.

Final Thoughts

Marble provides great benefits to the environment and not only that, but is also safe and efficient to use for your home. Therefore, the next time you think of building a house, changing any interior part of your home, or replacing something in your home, consider using marble to help conserve the environment.

Every person shares a responsibility to care for this environment for the sake of a peaceful coexistence with nature, as well as for our future generations. Apart from marble being very practical in your home, it is also aesthetically strong and highlighting the beauty of your home in a natural way.

10 Greenest Ways of Traveling

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From plastic waste to carbon emissions, travel isn’t the most environmentally friendly activity. However, the benefits of venturing far from home to experience other cultures are priceless. Many millennials see travel as necessary. Fortunately, there are ways you can make your trips more eco-friendly!

1. BYOE (Bring Your Own Everything)

Coffee cups, water bottles, utensils, take-out containers, napkins, and so much more can be brought in your personal item and used throughout your trip. By replacing single-use items with reusable ones, you drastically cut down on the waste you produce while traveling. Also, be sure to bring a reusable grocery bag with you if you plan to hit the markets.

plastic bag alternative

 

2. Travel to Eco-Friendly Locations

Some countries are more environmentally-friendly than others. Traveling to eco-friendly destinations like Spain helps you spare the planet while experiencing another culture. The country’s natural beauty is living proof of its people’s dedication to green living. You can take in the beauty of Spain while being green at your holiday home at https://www.interhome.co.uk/spain/mallorca/. Countries like India, Pakistan, and Moldova don’t rank as high on the eco-friendly scale.

3. Take the Train

When you are traveling from country to country, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint by taking a train instead of an airplane. Europe has an efficient railway system that makes intercontinental travel a breeze. Why fly from country to country when you can experience the countryside on a relaxing train ride? You will see more of the area and help the planet!

ecofriendly mode of travel

4. Eat and Drink Local

Importing and shipping foods make a huge carbon footprint on our planet. When you are traveling, you can reduce your environmental impact by chowing down on local delights. Coastal areas offer fresh-caught fish; other areas boast fresh produce. If you want to taste some local dishes, opt for local restaurants rather than big chains.

Let’s take Danville city in Georgia, for example. While tourists may opt for familiar places to eat, we recommend checking out the local diner called Me’s Burgers and Brews; it’s easily one of the best restaurants in Danville. It’s a family-owned joint that serves gourmet burgers and craft beer, and they source local products from Melrose Bison Farm and the Windmill Farm Bake Shop. This means they provide fresh ingredients while lessening the waste from packaging and logistics as well. So no matter where you go, be sure to fill up on foods that are native to the region.

food-waste-ramadan

5. Take Direct Routes When Flying

Here is your excuse to avoid layovers. You can’t avoid flying, but you can cut your greenhouse gas emissions significantly by only taking flights that go directly to your destination. Planes emit the most harmful gas and use the most fuel when they are taking off, so you make your trips a little more eco-friendly when you reduce the number of takeoffs. Also, fly with budget airlines. They usually fill more seats per flight than their expensive counterparts, saving the environment and your wallet.

6. Take the Bus

Taking an Uber everywhere isn’t the most efficient way to get around. One of the best ways to get around locally is to use public transportation. Taking the bus or subway is a great way to meet the locals and get from place to place. The metro produces 76% fewer gas emissions than cars. Some cities even use electric buses that reduce smog and cut back on natural gas usage.

7. Don’t Go Off the Beaten Path

When you are hiking, don’t stray from the marked trails that are designated for hikers. Leaving the trail is risky, and you might accidentally stomp on fragile plants or animal homes. Avoid unfortunate encounters with powerful animals and keep the wildlife around you safe by only hiking on the set path.

ecofriendly-hiking

8. Take Tours That Give Back

Plan your tours with organizations that contribute to the community in some way. Local tours often donate part of their proceeds to great causes. If you can take a few tours that teach you about the local environment while helping it out, that’s a win-win. When you take tours, be sure to ask about the size of the tour group. Small groups harm the environment less than large ones, and tours with fewer people give you a more intimate experience and a chance to ask questions.

9. Go Electric

If you need to rent a car for your trip, consider renting an electric-powered car. It usually does more harm than good to replace your car at home with an electric one if it is still in good condition, but why not spare the environment some stress by driving an ecofriendly car on your vacation?

electric-car

10. Treat Your Holiday Home Like a Home

You wouldn’t wash a towel after one use or leave the lights on when you leave your home; could you imagine the laundry and the electric bill? When you are traveling, it’s important to maintain your at-home eco-friendly practices. Always hang your towels back up so that housekeeping doesn’t wash them, turn off lights when you leave a room, and don’t spend an eternity in the shower!

Whether you reduce your environmental impact by bringing your own food containers or cutting out layovers, anything you do helps. Together, we can significantly reduce the environmental footprint we make when traveling while still being able to experience the big, wonderful world.