Hydroponic Gardening – 5 Easy Ways to Get Started

Have you ever wondered if you could grow a plant without using any soil? Well, now you can, thanks to an existing system of gardening called Hydroponic Gardening.

Instead of using soil, this system allows you to grow plants and vegetables in a solution of nutrients and water! It doesn’t end there, this method can grow plants much faster, can be used all year round, requires less space, and yields more than conventional gardening.

Some of the easiest and most common plants, herbs, fruits you can grow are lettuce, oregano, tomatoes, and some other kinds. This is great for those who do not have a gardening plot or a yard of their own.

So, if this piqued your interest, then you’re in the right place. Here are 5 easy steps to get started with your hydroponic gardening!

how to get started with hydroponic farming

1. The Wick System

Let’s start with the simplest system (mechanically speaking) indoor hydroponics system – the wick system. It’s the simplest because there’s no need for any electrical components or moving parts at all.

Even though this system isn’t ideal for water-hungry plants like tomatoes or lettuce, as they tend to use nutrients faster than the wicks can supply. However, it works perfectly for herbs, peppers, and microgreens.

Setting Up a Water Reservoir

To begin with, you have to create a reservoir filled with nutrients and water. This reservoir will need to sit right beneath the tray that’s holding your plant and growing medium.

Connect Wicks to the Growing Tray

Next, connect one or two wicks through the hole in the bottom of your tray. The wicks will start soaking up the water from the reservoir and get the water to the wicks that are connected with the growing medium in the tray. If you need to make more holes, use a drill or screwdriver.

Growing Tray

The growing medium, which contains the seedlings, will need to be placed above the water reservoir. It’s best to use a medium that won’t drain water too fast. Instead, it should utilize the capillary action of the wick most productively, such as perlite, soilless mixes, and vermiculite.

Light Fixture

If your growing tray is getting natural light, then you can skip this step. But if it isn’t, then install a light fixture above the tray. For incandescent light bulbs, you’ll need to set them at a distance of 24 inches from the plants.

In the case of LED grow lights and fluorescent lights, since they don’t get as hot, you can place them 6-12 inches from the plants. This can be implemented for all the systems that we’ll be discussing in this article.

2. The Lettuce Raft or Water Culture System

A lettuce raft system, aka a water culture system, is another simple method that’s super easy to set up. Start by placing the plants in a styrofoam platform. Then make sure it floats on top of the reservoir that’s filled with nutrient-rich water.

Unlike the wick system, you’ll have to aerate the water by incorporating a raft system. This system is perfect for growing leaf lettuce, but other plants won’t grow quite as well.

Water Reservoir

Same as the previous two systems, fill the reservoir with nutrients and water. Get yourself an opaque container at least 12 inches deep. Avoid using unclear or translucent containers.

Aerate the Water

The most usual and economical aeration is by using an air stone and a pump. Found in most home aquariums, the air stone can be placed in the water and then connected to an air pump placed outside the reservoir.

The pump will assist in pushing air through the stone, which will then release tiny bubbles into the water to disperse oxygen. Simple and easy, right?

Growing Raft

Cut a floating styrofoam platform to fit inside the reservoir’s top for your expanding raft. After that, you’ll require net pots.

Seedlings with a growing media, such as perlite, mud balls, or coconut fibers, are held in these plastic containers with perforated bottoms. Because the roots need to be in contact with the reservoir water, you’ll need to make holes to insert the net pots.

3. The Ebb and Flow System

The ebb and flow system, sometimes known as the flood and drain system, may appear complicated in design, yet it is extremely adaptable. This technique operates by flooding the growing medium with a water-nutrient solution, which is subsequently drained back into the water reservoir.

Water Reservoir Connected to a Fill and Drain Tube

You’ll need to place the water reservoir directly below the flood tray container filled with nutrients and water. Thankfully, the same water can be used for about a week at a time. Just make sure to add the nutrients every time you change the water.

Next, use a drain or fill tube to connect the water reservoir to the tray. The fill tube connects to a timed submersible pump, which regulates the flow of water back into the food tray.

A submersible pump with a timer allows a lot of control to this system. You also have the power to customize the length and frequency of watering based on your plant’s requirements!

On the other hand, the drain tube uses the power of gravity to pull the water back into the reservoir after flooding it, so that the water can be reused.

Setting Up the Flood Tray

To stand tall, the plant tray must be a deep container. Plant your seedlings in vented planters filled with perlite or other growing material.

Remember to make the seedling pots twice as shallow as the flood tray.

4. Nutrient Film Technique

Our 4th system is called the nutrient film technique, and it works best with fast-growing, shallow-rooted plants like spinach, lettuce, radishes, and herbs.
benefits of hydroponic farming

This system uses a water-nutrient solution that continuously flows in a loop for a reservoir through the help of a growing tray. It’s beneficial for the plant roots that are suspended in the growing tray, which enables the plants to absorb the nutrients from the solution.

This technique reinforces the idea that the ebb and flow system is on a continuous stream that never stops.

Setting Up the Water Reservoir and Aeration

Fill the water reservoir with nutrients and water and place it directly under the flood tray stand. You’ll also need to add an aeration bubbler in the reservoir to help oxygenate the water.

Join the Drain Tube, Fill Tube, and Pump

Then, using a fill and drain tube, attach the reservoir to the tray. The fill tube, which is connected to a submersible pump, will regulate the water flow returning to the flood tray. After flooding, the drain tube will allow gravity to suck the water back into the reservoir, allowing you to reuse the water.

And unlike the ebb and flow system, you won’t be needing a timer, since this system is already constantly pumping the water.

To Set Up the Growing Tray

Finally, instead of a flat tray, utilize tubes or channels to set up the growing tray. Using a tube allows you to put it at an angle that ensures the fertilizer solution reaches the roots directly. You can also use a PVC pipe or a round tub with holes punched in it to accommodate the seedlings or net pots!

5. The Aeroponic System

Finally, for our last system – the aeroponic system. This is another complex hydroponic method that requires the plants to be suspended in air and misted every few minutes with a water and nutrient solution.

This is a particularly effective method and requires sophisticated misters and pumps. If for some reason your equipment or tools malfunctions, then the plant roots can dry out and die rapidly.

Set Up a Water Reservoir with Aeration

Fill a container with nutrient-rich water and place it beneath the growing chamber. Then, to assist oxygenate the water, put an aeration bubbler in the reservoir. This water reservoir can also serve as a catch basin for the solution’s misted droplets.

Connect a Submersible Pump

Next, connect a pump to a sprayer or mister. This will allow the solution in the reservoir to be pumped to the sprayer or mister via tubing from a submersible pump tube in the reservoir.

All you have to do is make sure the sprayer or mister is aimed at the plant’s root in the growing chamber, and that is all!

For the Growing Chamber

To set up the growing chamber, you can follow the same procedure as used in the nutrition film technique. You’ll need to set up channels or tubes to evenly suspend each seedling’s roots.

hydroponic farming

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, we’d like to say that we hope our article on hydroponics for beginners helps you to learn a little more about hydroponic plants and how wonderfully great they are. We hope the 5 systems mentioned here will inspire you to set up your hydroponic garden and grow some nice plants and herbs.

It can look challenging or complex, but the result is worth it. Let us know in the comments if you have your very own hydroponic garden going, and don’t forget to share it with your gardening enthusiast friends. Happy gardening!

Water Woes in Palestine

Water crisis in the West Bank and Gaza is largely overshadowed by the overall political tension between Palestine and Israel. However, the ever-growing water conflict between the two sides is a major impediment to reaching a just and peaceful resolution to the Palestine-Israel conflict, and an essential component for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Ever since the Nakbah (Day of Catastrophe) in 1948, Israel has sought to control the main sources of water, and after the 1967 conflict Israel has managed to control all of the major water sources it shares with Palestine and other neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. These sources include the Jordan River, Yarmouk River and the underground water reservoirs underneath the West Bank.

Let us take a close look at water crisis in the Palestine:

water scarcity in palestine

West Bank

The rampant discrimination in utilization of water resources is evident with Palestinian farms relying on inconsistent rainwater to irrigate their crops, and illegal Israeli settlement farms using state-of-the-art irrigation systems. Despite controlling 100% of the water flowing from the Jordan River, Israel is using 85% of the water from the aquifers within West Bank territory while  Palestinians are receiving a pitiful 15%.

Though theoretically Palestinians could drill more wells to help sustain their crops, they are forbidden to do so without acquiring permits from the Israeli occupation forces. These permits are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain forcing Palestinians to rely on Israeli authorities for access to their own water. This has lead to per capita water consumption in the West Bank to be approximately 73 liters, whereas Israel’s per capita water consumption is approximately 242 liters. In other words, per capita use in Israel is three and a half times higher than in the West Bank.

Responding to reports reflecting the injustice in water resource distribution, the Israeli government states that it has responded to the needs of the Palestinians and has increased the quantity of water provided to them far beyond that specified in the Interim Agreement. However, what it fails to mention is that 60% of the water it provides is sold to the Palestinians at inflated prices, which most civilians cannot afford.

Of the water available from West Bank aquifers, Israel uses 73%, West Bank Palestinians use 17%, and illegal Jewish settlers use 10%. Another shocking fact is that each Israeli consumes as much water as four Palestinians. Under international law it is illegal for Israel to expropriate the water of the Occupied Palestinian Territories for use by its own citizens, and doubly illegal to expropriate it for use by illegal Israeli settlers

Gaza Strip

Since the blockade imposed on Gaza in 2006, it has been dealing with constant raids, bombardment, and attacks from the Israeli occupation forces, hindering any kind of development that might be possible. One of the greatest sectors affected by continuous Israeli aggression is water supply and sanitation.

palestine-water

Water supply and sewage infrastructure are often damaged leaving the area without proper sanitation and without a reliable water source. This has a large effect on Gaza’s only source of water – the coastal aquifer underneath the Mediterranean Sea coast shared by Gaza, Israel and Egypt. Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip has pushed the already ailing water and sewage system to a “crisis point”.

Reports published by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that 95% of this water is unfit for consumption due to the lack of proper sanitation, and that Gaza could become unlivable as early as the year 2016. The good news is that World Bank and Islamic Development Bank have recently approved $6.4 million and $11.14 million respectively for the development of the Gaza’s water and sewage infrastructure to improve extensively damaged sanitation facilities and highly contaminated water supply.

Major Hurdles

Financial assistance from Arab world and international agencies can provide a big boost to improve living conditions in Palestinian areas but do not represent a sustainable solution to the problems at hand. The first problem requiring immediate attention is the unjust distribution in water resource use. To ensure peaceful resolution to the conflict between Palestine and Israel, there must be an equal distribution of water allowing enough water for development and basic human needs of the Palestinians.

Another major hurdle is the Israeli policy of stifling development activities in Palestinian areas. The inhuman blockade of Gaza and construction of the “separation barrier” around the West Bank give Israel full control over the resources entering and exiting Palestinian territories. Much of the land cut off by the West Bank barrier is land with good access to a major aquifer. This greatly restricts any plans for the development and construction of proper sanitation and water storage/extraction facilities that may allow Palestinian cities and villages to communities to flourish.

A recent report by Amnesty International says that on average Palestinian daily water consumption reaches 70 litres a day, compared with 300 litres for the Israelis. Many Palestinians barely get 20 litres a day – the minimum recommended even in humanitarian emergencies. To conclude, the problem at hand is not the lack of water in the region, but the uneven distribution of water resources between Palestine and Israel.

The Menace of Single-Use Plastic Bags

Single-use plastic bags are one of the most objectionable types of litter in urban areas. The sheer volume of plastic waste generated, coupled with energy and material resources required for production, as well as emissions resulting from these processes, paint a grim picture of the environmental havoc created by plastic bags.

These single-use plastic bags are causing extensive negative effects to the environment because of how simply they can be used in one’s daily life. There are candy wrappers, takeout containers, and other packaging that should’ve otherwise been avoided.

plastic-bags-middle-east

Single-use plastic bags are a huge threat to the environment as an estimated 1 trillion such bags are consumed worldwide every year. In the United Arab Emirates alone, nearly 12 billion plastic bags are used annually. This stems from the throw-away culture practiced by so many individuals across the globe.

All these said, learn more about the menace that single-use plastic bags bring to the world today.

Hazards of Single-Use Plastic Bags

Single-use plastic bags are notorious for their interference in natural ecosystems and for causing the death of aquatic organisms, animals, and birds. In 2006, The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimated that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean, and up to 80 percent of marine debris worldwide is plastic, which are responsible for the death of a more than a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals each year from starvation, choking or entanglement.

In fact, there’s a huge floating dump in the Pacific Ocean called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” which is hundreds of miles wide and consists mostly of plastic debris caught in the ocean’s currents. This is a very sad reality, as you can only imagine the destruction that it has caused to aquatic plants and animals in their home.

turtle-plastic-ingestion

Plastic bags are mistakenly ingested by animals, like cows and camels, clogging their intestines, resulting in death by starvation. Many ocean divers and photographers have documented the sad death of animals, like turtles, with their bodies trapped in plastic.

In addition, plastic bags clog urban drainage systems and contribute to flooding, as witnessed in Mumbai, Dhaka, and Manila in recent decades. Moreover, toxic chemicals from single-use bags can enter the food chain when they are ingested by animals and birds.

camel-plastic-wastes

Large numbers of camels in the Middle East die every year due to plastic ingestion

Unfortunately, only a small percentage of these bags are recycled each year, and most float about the landscape and create a tremendous expense in clean-up costs. Several countries, regions, and cities have enacted legislation to ban or severely reduce the use of disposable plastic shopping bags. Plastic bags litter serve as a floating transportation agent that enables alien species to move to new parts of the world, thus threatening biodiversity.

Alternatives to Single-Use Bags

It’s not too late yet. There are still many changes in your lifestyle that you can incorporate to reduce your plastic footprint in the environment. The hazards of single-use plastic bag can be mitigated by raising environmental awareness among communities. Many municipalities in the Gulf region are targeting shopping malls and grocery stores to reduce dependence on single-use plastic bags.

Environmental education at workplaces, schools, and residential areas is a vital tool in the fight against plastic bags. Empowering people to take proactive actions and encouraging them to be a part of the solution can also be helpful in reducing the reliance on single-use plastic bags.

plastic-bag-alternative

Municipalities can make use of the 5Rs of waste management—Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover—to encourage safe disposal of plastic bags, which may be facilitated by mass deployment of plastic bag collection systems and recycling facilities at strategic locations. Some of the alternatives are cloth-based bags, such as jute and cotton, which are biodegradable as well as reusable. For instance, www.calico-bags.com.au/, a supplier in Australia, is a very good source of beautiful, customized calico eco-bags that you can use instead of plastics.

In fact, the range of durable fabric shopping bags is growing each year in Western countries, including those that can be conveniently folded up into a pocket.

From one’s primary years in school, you may have already been taught the basics of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” While it seems very simple, however, it’s actually one of the basic ways to instill this eco-friendly lifestyle in the lives of people. It may seem difficult at first, but once you truly get the hang of it, you’ll realize that there’s no better way of life than an environment-friendly one.

The introduction of ‘plastic bags tax’ can also be a handy weapon in restricting the use of single-use plastic bags in the Middle East. For example, Ireland introduced a plastic bag charge called PlasTax more than a decade ago, which has virtually eliminated plastic bags in the country.

Initiatives in Middle East

The Middle East region has been slow in gearing up to the challenges posed by single-use plastic bags, though governments have been trying to raise public awareness aimed at behavioral change. The Ministry of Environment and Water in UAE launched an initiative called “UAE free of plastic bags” to maintain the health of the natural habitat and enhance the environmental standards of the state.

The Dubai Municipality has also launched an ambitious “No to Plastic Bags” campaign to slash 500 million plastic bags. There are similar but small-scale efforts in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait to encourage clean-up campaigns in seas, deserts and cities.

In Egypt, the Red Sea (Hurghada) is the first plastic bag-free governorate, having introduced a ban which generated employment opportunities for women who have been charged with creating cloth bags in the place of plastic bags.

Final Word

After reading this, you hopefully have more insights about one of the biggest dangers facing the environment: single-use plastics. While it’s bringing bad news to countries all over the world, it also brings with it good news.

When you put in the right attitude and commitment to avoid using single-use plastic in your home, that’s at least one more person moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Think of this positive change as your gift to future generations.

One small change can mean a world of difference for the safety and health of the planet.

Waste Awareness in Qatar: A Survey

Waste awareness in Qatar has gained traction in recent years, but more efforts are required to make the masses aware about the consequences of reckless waste generation and disposal, and how sustainable living practices and recycling can help in making Qatar a truly sustainable nation. Below is the outcome of an interesting survey on waste awareness which was conducted among Qataris and non-Qataris (expatriates).

Plastic is the most common waste generated in a typical household in Qatar. One-third of overall respondents say that of all products, the volume of the plastic waste generated is higher, followed by food waste (19%) and paper (12%). Metal, electronic waste and glass are the least amounts of waste generated in Qatar.

waste awareness in qatar

Overall, half of the surveyed people recycle either at home (11%), work (16%) or both (23%). Another half never recycled. Women are more likely to recycle than men. However, the different is not significant (57% vs 48%). There is a sizeable difference between Qataris and non-Qataris. Non-Qataris are particularly more likely to recycle compared to non-Qataris (51% versus 38%). Women recycle more than men.

A clear majority (71%) of Qatari men do not recycle compared to 58% of Qatari women. Low-income non-Qataris are more likely to recycle than higher-income groups. Younger non-Qataris of age group 25-25 are least likely to recycle (80% reported they do not recycle). This shows that the attitude may not necessarily reflect in behavior.

Public’s response to recycling in Qatar

A vast majority (82%) of public say there are not enough recycling facilities close to their home or office and another one-in-ten say it is too time consuming. Roughly three-fourths (72%) of Qataris claim there are not enough recycling facilities and 13% recycling is time consuming.

There is a prominent generational divide. Young Qatari adults, 17-24, say a little over half say there are not enough recycling facilities, 14% of young adults say recycling takes too much time, and an equal share lack of faith in the facilities.

Whereas the response for other age group is not so divided; 93% of Qataris of age group 36-50 said there were not enough recycling facilities. Majority (90%) of public earning more than QAR 20,000 complain that recycling facilities are insufficient.

Public’s response to factors that can encourage recycling in Qatar

The survey asked public’s opinion about having segregated recycling bins in public places. There was an overwhelmingly positive opinion of having segregated recycling bins. A sizeable minority (45%) of public say it makes recycling easier, 42% say it promotes awareness. Only 13% of public remained skeptical; people do not care and will put everything in one bin and a waste of money.

Both men and women are optimistic about recycling bins in public places. Roughly half of women and 44% of men claim that segregated recycling bins in places makes recycling easier and promotes awareness. A fewer than 10% of men and women are pessimistic about this idea. An overwhelming number (87%) of Qataris strongly support this idea claiming it will help in promoting awareness and facilitating recycling.

Overall, people are willing to take simpler actions to avoid household waste. Eighty percent of public say they would buy exactly what is required (be it food and other products), 10% said avoiding over-packaged goods, and 6% report donate/sell items for reuse.

Only a 3% of public say they would make an effort to get broken appliances and other items repaired before buying new ones. Even the younger people among Qataris and non-Qataris prefer easy option – buying exactly what is required. Income does not influence people to mend their appliances and reuse them.

Seawater Desalination – A Better Choice for MENA

Water scarcity is a major problem in many parts of the world affecting quality of life, the environment, industry, and the economies of developing nations. The MENA region is considered as one of the most water-scarce regions of the world. Large scale water management problems are already apparent in the region. While the MENA region’s population is growing steadily, per capita water availability is expected to fall by more than 40-50% by the year 2050. Also, climate change is likely to affect weather and precipitation patterns, and the consequences of which may force the MENA region to more frequent and severe droughts.

desalination in MENA

Technology trends in desalination industry

Growth in desalination has increased dramatically as countries seek solutions to water scarcity caused by population growth, climate change, pollution and industrial development. In addition, the industry has done much to lower the cost of desalination. Advances in technology have led to increased energy efficiency, and greater economies of scale have also helped lower costs. The majority of new commissioned capacity is seawater desalination.

Existing desalination plants work in one of two ways. Some distil seawater by heating it up to evaporate part of it. They then condense the vapour—a process that requires electricity. The other plants use reverse osmosis. This employs high-pressure pumps to force the water from brine through a membrane that is impermeable to salt. That, too, needs electricity. Even the best reverse osmosis plants require 3.7 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy to produce 1,000 litres of drinking water.

Recent researches indicate that we can produce that much freshwater with less than 1 kWh of electricity, and no other paid-for source of power is needed. This process is fuelled by concentration gradients of salinity between different vessels of brine. These different salinities are brought about by evaporation.

desalination in middle east

The process begins by spraying seawater into a shallow, black-bottomed pond, where it absorbs heat from the atmosphere. The resulting evaporation increases the concentration of salt in the water from its natural level of 3.5% to as much as 20%. Low-pressure pumps are then used to pipe this concentrated seawater, along with three other streams of untreated seawater, into the desalting unit.

Perspectives for MENA

Seawater desalination powered by renewable power offers an attractive opportunity for MENA countries to ensure affordable, sustainable and secure freshwater supply. The MENA region has tremendous wind and solar energy potential which can be effectively utilized in desalination processes. Concentrating solar power (CSP) offers an attractive option to power industrial-scale desalination plants that require both high temperature fluids and electricity.

desalination plant in uae

The renewable energy potential is now starting to be more seriously considered in the MENA region, driven by rapidly increasing energy usage, high insolation rates, a young and empowered workforce, and an increasing awareness of the costs of burning natural resources.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco, have ambitious solar power generation goals as well as evolving policies and regulatory frameworks to support these goals. Demonstration projects are being deployed in some countries, while large scale projects are being deployed in others.

Conclusion

Water demand and supply have become an international issue due to several factors: global warming (droughts are more often in arid areas), low annual rainfall, a rise in population rates during last decades, high living standards, and the expansion of industrial and agricultural activities. Freshwater from rivers and groundwater sources are becoming limited and vast reserves of freshwater are located in deep places where economical and geological issues are the main obstacles.

Therefore, it has turned into a competition to get this vital liquid and to find more feasible and economical sources that can ameliorate the great demand that the world is living nowadays and avoid water restrictions and service interruptions to domestic water supply. And, desalination powered by renewable energy resources seems to be an excellent alternative for getting fresh water and electricity in MENA countries.

4 Tips for Creating An Ecofriendly Home

If you want to make your home greener, there are simple modifications that won’t require much effort at all. Making your home ecofriendly is as simple as changing a light bulb or investing in a dish towel that won’t require you to work very hard, but together they will help to create a complete eco-friendly home remodeling. Below are 4 important guidelines for creating a cozy, eco-friendly home.

1. Save light

It is known to all of you that LEDs are better for the ecosystem as compared to incandescent bulbs, but have you ever thought they can reduce your energy bill and also have a longevity exceeding 10 years. They have only one drawback which is that they produce a cool, blue-based lumination, instead of warm and comfortable lighting incandescent.

 

However, look for LED bulbs which give off a yellow-based lumination to get that comfortable glow. You’ll come across products on the market which allow you to choose between 3 options: soft white, daylight, and warm white.

LED-bulbs

2. Upgrade the windows

In all probabilities, wooden window frames are more eco-friendly, unlike any other material. As compared to the more common options that produce harmful toxic compounds, these wooden window frames are more resilient, insulating, and also less polluting.

Go for double-glazing if possible, while thick curtains that help to conserve more energy will likewise be a good idea.

3. Set up a smart meter

One of the biggest ways in which you use energy happens to be your heating. During the cold season, you often forget to switch off your heating system when not required. This can cause wastage of money and also energy. It will be possible to combat this by installing a smart meter.

lowering-home-temperature

You can program these devices in such a way they only switch on at specific times of the day – for instance, heating up before going home, and switching off at a particular time before you leave your abode. Everybody trying to minimize his carbon footprint and reduce his electricity bills ought to own smart meters.

4. Installing ducted air conditioning

Ducted air conditioning systems will help to control the climate of your home by effectively regulating the airflow, temperature, and air quality. In this way, they will provide your room with superior energy efficiency and you can even set up timers to switch on these devices anytime you want.

preventive-ac-maintenance

However, if your ducted heating and cooling unit started malfunctioning, do not hesitate to call an expert who will be able to fix it for you. But always remember to choose a competent repair company. It might be the fact that you have employed your local technicians in the past and these ducted air conditioning experts had the answer on every occasion, but there is a possibility for you to get cheated once in a while. Do adequate research beforehand to avoid unwanted headaches in the long run.

Parting shot

While implementing these above-mentioned plans for your new eco-friendly abode, do not forget to consider these environmentally-friendly options to safeguard your environment too. For this, you can go online and take the help of the pertinent videos and articles to get a fair idea on this subject. Prove to be a blessing for the surroundings and also prevent your own health from deteriorating.

Prospects of Algae Biofuels in GCC

Algae biofuels have the potential to become a renewable, cost-effective alternative for fossil fuels with reduced impact on the environment. Algae hold tremendous potential to provide a non-food, high-yield, non-arable land use source of renewable fuels like biodiesel, bioethanol, hydrogen etc. Microalgae are considered as a potential oleo-feedstock, as they produce lipids through photosynthesis, i.e. using only CO2, water, sunlight, phosphates, nitrates and other (oligo) elements that can be found in residual waters.

Algae also produce proteins, isoprenoids and polysaccharides. Some strains of algae ferment sugars to produce alcohols, under the right growing conditions. Their biomass can be processed to different sorts of chemicals and polymers (Polysaccharides, enzymes, pigments and minerals), biofuels (e.g. biodiesel, alkanes and alcohols), food and animal feed (PUFA, vitamins, etc.) as well as bioactive compounds (antibiotics, antioxidant and metabolites) through down-processing technology such as transesterification, pyrolysis and continuous catalysis using microspheres.

Microalgae are the fastest growing photosynthesizing organism capable of completing an entire growing cycle every few days. Up to 50% of algae’s weight is comprised of oil, compared with, for example, oil palm which yields just about 20% of its weight in oil. Algae can be grown on non-arable land (including deserts), most of them do not require fresh water, and their nutritional value is high. Extensive R&D efforts are worldwide, especially in North America and Europe, with a high number of start-up companies developing different options for commercializing algae farming.

Prospects of Algae Biofuels in GCC

The demand for fossil fuels is growing continuously all around the world and the GCC countries are not an exception. GCC’s domestic consumption of energy is increasing at an astonishing rate, e.g. Saudi Arabia’s consumption of oil and gas rose by about 5.9 percent over the past five years while electricity demand is witnessing annual growth rate of 8 percent. Although GCC countries are world’s leading producers of fossil fuels, several cleantech initiatives have been launched in last few years which shows the commitment of GCC countries in exploiting renewable sources of energy.

Algae biofuels present a good opportunity for Middle East countries to offset the environmental impact of the oil and gas industry. The region is geographically ideal for mass production of algae because of the following reasons:

  • Presence of large tracts of non-arable lands (deserts) and extensive coastline.
  • Presence of numerous oil refineries and power plants (as points of CO2 capture) and desalination plants (for salt reuse).
  • Extremely favorable climatic conditions (highest annual solar irradiance).
  • Presence of a large number of sewage and wastewater treatment plants.
  • Existence of highly lipid productive microalgae species in coastal waters.

An algae photobioreactor at a power plant in Germany

These factors makes it imperative on GCC countries to develop a robust Research, Development and Market Deployment plan for a comprehensive microalgal biomass-based biorefinery approach for bio-product synthesis. An integrated and gradual appreciation of technical, economic, social and environmental issues should be considered for a successful implementation of the microalgae-based oleo-feedstock (MBOFs) industry in the region.

What Football Clubs Can Do To Be More Eco-Friendly

It’s common knowledge in the modern-day that our environment is in serious trouble. Everyone in every corner of the globe needs to make a conscious effort to live a greener and more eco-friendly life. You may be thinking since it’s such common knowledge, why doesn’t everyone do it? You think it would be that simple, but unfortunately, it is not.

But what can football clubs do? After all, they are a major part of a lot of communities. They host dozens of people on a weekly basis and can be one of the stand out parts of a community. The most popular sport in the world has influences on millions of lives every day. It’s such an important thing to people, which is why we see so many football movies in the modern-day.

A football club becoming more eco-friendly is a massively beneficial thing. By investing in playground funding, clubs can provide a safe, green environment for kids to enjoy, while also making a positive impact on the environment. Not only will the effects of what they are doing have massive advantages, but it will also prove to be influential for members of the club and younger players. But what can football clubs do to be more eco-friendly? Here is our easy guide to an eco-friendly football club:

how to make football club eco friendly

1. Use Renewable Energy

First off, football clubs should look into using renewable energy. They tend to require a lot of energy to function efficiently. Floodlights and dressing room requirements alone are enough to be extremely demanding of energy. Although clubs could probably cut down on their energy usage in some places, it is probably more beneficial to change the source.

The likes of solar panels, wind energy or battery storage are all more eco-friendly ways to power a football club. This renewable energy is far more beneficial to the environment. Not to mention it could save the club some money also. They will be able to sell the surplus of energy that their power source generates. This will allow them to reduce the overall cost of powering the club.

solar-lights-parking-lot

2. Cut Down on Waste

Waste is a massive problem when it comes to maintaining the health of our environment. There are methods football clubs can use to cut down on waste and help reduce this negative element.

The club can look to have more recycling facilities as well as encouraging club members to be more aware when throwing away items. Just by making club players more aware of their waste could make a huge difference.

plastic bottle recycling

Plastic bottles accumulates on land but culminates its journey in water bodies.

3. Electric Car Facilities

A football club that can help encourage its players to go green is truly on way to become a carbon-neutral football club. What better way to do so than to encourage the use of electric cars? It will set a great example for people around the club and area to have the likes of electric car charging ports on hand in the football club. It will also be great for spectators if there are electric car facilities available to them on match days.

electric car

4. Shop Local

Football clubs should try to source their produce locally. Taking away massive shipping distances is a great way to reduce your club’s carbon footprint and make it a truly eco football club. Try to buy your food and drink supplies locally. This means the products have less distance to travel. It may also lead to clubs having better quality produce.

التعليم البيئي والتربية البيئية

على العكس من الأنماط التقليدية للتعليم، يعتبر التعليم البيئي (التربية البيئية) عملية تعليمية شمولية تمتد مدى الحياة, وهي عملية موجهة نحو خلق أفراد مسؤولين لإستكشاف وتحديد القضايا والمشاكل البيئية القائمة والمشاركة في حلها وإتخاذ إجراءات فعالة لتحسين أوضاع البيئة, والعمل على الحيلولة دون حدوث مشكلات بيئية جديدة. ونتيجة لذلك، فإنه يمكن للأفراد تطوير وعي أعمق وفهم أوسع للقضايا البيئية, بل ويمكن لهم إكتساب مهارات فعالة تساعدهم على إتخاذ قرارات واعية ومسؤولة وغير منحازة تؤول إلى حل التحديات البيئية.

لا يعتبر التعليم البيئي عملية إستشارات بيئية, ولكنه حقل متنوع يرتكز على العملية التعليمية والتي يجب أن تبقى محايدة من خلال تعليم الأفراد التفكير النقدي وتمكينهم وتعزيز مهاراتهم على إتخاذ القرار وقدرتهم على حل المشكلات بإتباع النهج التشاركي, ومن الجدير بالذكر أن المبادئ التوجيهية للتعليم البيئي تشمل الوعي والمعرفة والسلوكيات والمهارات والتشارك.

يمكن للتعليم البيئي أن يأخذ شكلاً رسمياً  كما في المدارس والكليات والجامعات، كما يمكن تطبيقه عن طريق قنوات التعلم غيرالرسمية من خلال المنظمات غيرالحكومية، والشركات، ووسائل الإعلام، والمتاحف الطبيعية, والحدائق النباتية، ومراكز مراقبة الطيور, ومراكز التجديف والغوص. إلى جانب ذلك، فإنه يمكن تطبيق التعليم البيئي من خلال برامج التعليم غير النظامي الذي يدمج التعليم مع العمل مثل التعليم التجريبي والتعليم في الهواء الطلق، وورش العمل، وبرامج التوعية وتثقيف المجتمع.

يجب على المربي البيئي تقديم التعليم البيئي بطريقة فريدة من نوعها حيث يقتضي الأمر أن لا يعتمد على العلم فحسب، بل يجب أن يهتم بالجوانب التاريخية والسياسية والثقافية تزامناً مع البعد الإنساني والعوامل الإجتماعية والإقتصادية,كما يستلزم أن يستند أيضاً إلى تطوير المعارف المتعلقة بالنظم البيئية الإجتماعية. يرتكز عمل المربين البيئين المؤهلين على العمل الميداني وتطبيق البرامج عملياً، كما يشمل عملهم التعاون مع المجتمعات المحلية وإستخدام إستراتيجيات لربط الوعي البيئي وبناء المهارات والأداء المسؤول, فمن خلال التعليم البيئي يمكن للمواطنين إختبار مختلف جوانب القضايا البيئية لإتخاذ قرارات مستنيرة وفعالة ومسؤولة وغير منحازة ومبنية على أساس علمي, حيث يوفر التعليم البيئي فرصاً للأطفال لبناء مهاراتهم بما في ذلك مهارات حل المشاكل والبحث والإستقصاء.

التعليم البيئي في الإسلام

يعتبر الإسلام طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلم, كما ينظم الإسلام العلاقة بين البشر والطبيعة حيث أنه يدعو إلى حمايتها من خلال عملية تربوية شاملة, إذ تعزز التعاليم الإسلامية الحساسية والشعور بالمسؤولية تجاه الحفاظ على العناصر البيئية المختلفة, كما يُعلم الإسلام أتباعه الحفاظ على نظافة الشوارع، والرفق بالحيوان والكائنات الحية الأخرى, فضلاً عن ذلك, تحض التشريعات الإسلامية على زراعة الأرض والإستفادة منها وعلى الحفاظ على مكونات البيئة في الوقت الذي تحظر تلوث المياه وقطع الأشجار. كما تعتبر تعاليم الإسلام تعاليماً صارمة لمنع التدهور البيئي الناجم عن التنمية الصناعية والتوسع العمراني والفقر إلى ما دون ذلك. إن كل ما ذكر هو أمثلة على تعليمات الإسلام للحفاظ على مكونات الطبيعة وهي تعاليم ريادية في الوقت الذي لم تكن تعاني البيئة آنذاك الضغوطات التي تعاني منها في الوقت الحاضر.

أنماط التعليم البيئي في الأردن

بالرغم من إهتمام الأردن في التعليم البيئي، إلا أن جهود التعليم البيئي الوطني لا تزال مركزة إلى حد كبير على البرامج التي تنظمها المنظمات غير الحكومية, إذ تلعب البرامج التي تطبقها منظمات المجتمع المدني دوراً أساسياً في تعزيز التغيير الثقافي لحماية الطبيعة, فعلى سبيل المثال، أصبحت الجمعية الملكية لحماية البيئة البحرية من المنظمات الوطنية غير الحكومية الرائدة في التعليم البيئي وهي المنظمة التي تمثل الأردن في المؤسسة العالمية للتعليم البيئي(FEE), حيث تنفذ الجمعية حالياً ثلاثة برامج والتي تتضمن: العنونة البيئية الدولية-المفتاح الأخضر، العلم الأزرق والمدارس البيئية. أما الجمعية الملكية لحماية الطبيعة فهي منظمة غير حكومية أخرى تعمل على تصميم وتطبيق برامج التعليم البيئي لتحسين الفهم الشعبي العام وتعزيز الوعي الحقيقي بالقضايا البيئية وأهميتها, ولقد أطلقت الجمعية عدداً من برامج التوعية المتخصصة التي تستهدف المجتمعات المحلية التي تعيش حول المحميات الطبيعية، لحث هذه المجتمعات على المشاركة والإنخراط في جهود حماية الطبيعة في المناطق المحيطة بهم .

يمكن للمواطنين المثقفين بيئياً  أن يلعبوا دوراً فعالاً في الحد من تأثير المشاكل البيئية عن طريق تبني سلوكيات خضراء, مثل شراء المنتجات الخضراء وإستخدام البدائل الطبيعية للمبيدات الحشرية. ومع ذلك، فإنه وعلى المدى البعيد, سيكون من الصعب الحفاظ على نجاح البرامج البيئية المعتمدة من قبل المنظمات غيرالحكومية ليستفيد منها الأجيال القادمة دون تشريعات تضمن إستمرارية التعليم البيئي.

آفاق مستقبلية لمحو الأمية البيئية في الأردن

يعتبر نظام التعليم الأردني نظاماً مركزياً حيث أنه لا يتم التشاور مع المعلمين حول المناهج الدراسية, كما تتميز المناهج الدراسية الأردنية بأنها أحادية التخصصات، مما يؤدي إلى صعوبة تطبيق التعلم متعدد التخصصات. وعلى الرغم من دمج المواضيع البيئية في المناهج مؤخراً، إلا أن هذا الدمج لا يزال مجزءاً, لذلك, فإن أمام الأردن طريقاً طويلاً لتقطعه قبل أن يمكن لها أن تنفذ إستراتيجية وطنية شاملة للتعليم البيئي في نظامها التعليمي.

يحتاج الأردن إلى تبني برنامج تعليم بيئي شامل يتبني مبادئ التنمية المستدامة، ويقدم الأفكار الخضراء التي تنظر للتعامل مع القضايا البيئية على أنها هدف مركزي لتقديم مختلف الحلول للمشاكل البيئية المختلفة. لذا, يتحتم على وزارة التربية والتعليم دمج المعرفة التقليدية التي تركها لنا الأجداد بشكل فعال مع القيادة البيئية نظراً للإرتباط بين الإثنين،كما أنه من المهم العمل على تمكين الشباب والتأثيرعلى سلوكيات الجمهور الأردني نحو الهدف المنشود ألا وهو المشاركة في تحسين الواقع الصعب للمشاكل البيئية في البلاد. ولا يمكن إستثناء العلماء والباحثين من هذه العلمية التعليمية, حيث ينبغي للمجتمع العلمي المشاركة في الجهود الوطنية وتبني عملية إتصال فعالة من شأنها أن تنقل أبحاثهم العلمية إلى لغة سهلة ومفهومة للعامة والمنظمات المسؤولة عن التعليم حتى يتمكن المجتمع من الإستفادة منها وتطبيقها.

بالإضافة إلى كل ما ذكر، فإن ينبغي للأردن أن يعتمد نهجاً شاملاً لتبني المدارس البيئية عديمة الإنبعاثات في جميع أنحاء البلاد، حيث يجب أن تعتمد سياسة التدريس المدرسي على تطوير الأخلاق البيئية في المجتمع المدرسي ككل, ودمجه مع تعزيز ربط الطلبة بالطبيعة المحلية والتي تعتبر جزءاً من الهوية الوطنية والإرث الوطني, كذلك يجب أن تكون هذه المدارس مدارساً بيئيةً مكتفيةً ذاتياً من حيث الإعتماد المطلق على الطاقة المتجددة، في حين يستوجب الإعتماد على الطاقة الجوفية الحرارية لغايات التكييف والتدفئة, أما تصميم البناء فيجب أن يكون أخضراً من حيث تبني البناء بالطين وإستخدام المواد الطبيعية المحلية، وعلاوة على ذلك، فإن مياه الأمطار التي جمعت من الحصاد المائي ستستخدم لري حديقة المدرسة والتنظيف وإستخدامات أخرى, هذا عدا عن تطبيق برنامج متكامل للتقليل من النفايات وإعادة تدويرها. هذا نموذجٌ مبسط لمدرسة بيئية يحمل في ثناياه مستقبلاً مشرقاً لطلبة رياديين سيحصلون على التعليم الأخضر رفيع الثقافة والذي يعتبر في نهاية المطاف لبنة الأساس لمستقبل مستدام زاهر.

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

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

So if you are planning and building a retaining wall for your property, here’s your best guide to king post walls – and their best uses and benefits.

uses and benefits of king post walls

What is a King Post Wall

A king post wall is a wall comprised of in-fill panels and king posts, and many construction specialists and builders make use of them whenever they have to work with hard ground. These walls are cost-effective at retaining earth or soil, and you can also use them on a temporary or permanent basis.

If you cannot work with sheet piles because the ground is too hard, you can drill the ground and insert posts at pre-determined spots or centres. You can then in-fill them horizontally using a system of panels lined together. Your system for panel lining can be made of pre-cast concrete, architectural pre-cast, steel sheet piling, timber, or cladding.

Pre-cast concrete is easy to customise as you can have it made to suit the precise size you want, whilst architectural pre-cast often has a formed and sleek finish that can also meet your requirements. Steel sheet piling is lighter than pre-cast concrete panels, and you can extract them and reuse them. Timber is another option, and you can choose either recycled wood or new wood. You can also select cladding, where you can clad the panels with various products made from brick, stone, or even coloured glass or plastic.

The Uses of King Post Walls

As mentioned, king post walls are beneficial for earth or soil retention, although you can also use them for other purposes and applications. More often than not, however, king post walls are the best option for retaining walls if the ground is too difficult to manage, especially if you are dealing with rock. In terms of uses, you can use king post walls for embankments, basements or cellars, and flood defence.

The Benefits of King Post Walls

King post walls have some premium benefits, and one of these is the fact that they are fast to install. They are also cost-effective, as stated, and they are highly versatile. King post walls are often the best option for challenging ground. Another benefit of king post walls is that they are vibrationless and silent. It is easy for anyone to construct them even in tight boundaries where you have to set them upright against other structures.

You can use king post walls as bearing piles, particularly for support for superstructures made of steel frame, eliminating the need to build on-site pile caps. Another advantage of the king post wall is that you can construct it from lower-level platforms, and this allows you to save on the cost of building different platform levels for the construction of adjacent piled wall systems.

أفضل خمس طرق لتخفيف البصمة البلاستيكية

عندما نقرأ التقاريرالاخيرة التي تتحدث عن الكم الهائل من النفايات البلاستيكية العائمة في محيطاتنا، والأنهار والبحيرات، فإننا ندرك تماماً بانه قد حان الوقت أن نبدأ في إيجاد حلول لهذه المشكلة. كلنا نعلم بأن إعادة التدوير أمر جيد، لكن لأسباب كثيرة، ليس الحل الأمثل لتلوث العالم بالبلاستيك. يجب علينا جميعا أن نتعلم كيفية تقليل كمية النفايات البلاستيكية التي نقوم نحن بإنتاجها في المقام الأول. إليك طرقي المفضلة الخمسة لتقليل البصمة البلاستيكية الشخصية:

plastic bags

استخدم حقيبة/ كيس التسوق الخاص بك

يتم استخدام المليارات من أكياس التسوق البلاستيكية في جميع أنحاء العالم كل عام. حيث توفرها المحال التجارية مجانا لزبائنها، إلا أن تكلفتها البيئية عالية. فان القليل من هذه الاكياس يعاد تدويرها والكثير منها ينتهي في البحار حيث  ان قنديل البحر والسلاحف والحيوانات البحرية الأخرى تعتقدها طعاما فتقوم بابتلاعها. نستطيع المساعدة بتقليل عدد الأكياس البلاستيكية المستخدمة من خلال استخدام الأكياس أو الحقائب الممكن إعادة استعمالها وأخذها معك إلى محلات السوبر ماركت ورفض استخدام الاكياس البلاستيكية التقليدية.

لست مضطراُ لشراء أكياس/ حقائب جديدة، استخدم الحقائب التي لديك بالفعل: حقائب الظهر، المحافظ ، السلال على الدراجة الخاصة بك. أيضا فإنه بإمكانك إعادة استخدام الأكياس البلاستيكية التي لديك بالفعل، قم بغسلها إذا لزم الأمر. وإذا كنت بحاجة لشراء حقائب جديدة، فقم بشراء أكياس مصنوعة من القطن وتجنب أكياس البوليبروبلين التي تبدو وكأنها نسيج حيث أنها في الواقع مصنوعة من البلاستيك، وهي ليست قابلة للغسل ووتتلف بسرعة.

وبمجرد الحصول على بعض الحقائب، فإنه من السهل أن تجعلها عادةً بإحضارها معك للتسوق كخطوة تالية. ضع بعض هذه الأكياس في أماكن يسهل الوصول اليها وقريبة من محفظتك أو مفاتيحك أوحتى علقها في مقابض الدراجة الخاصة بك. ضع قليلا منها في أماكن حفظ القفازات، فانك مع الممارسة، سوف تصبح معتاداً على استخدامها!

لا تشتري المياه المعبأة

إن زجاجات المياه البلاستيكية هي من أكثر المواد وجوداً وتكاثراُ في القمامة الموجودة في المسطحات المائية. قد يكون من الصعب ان تتوفر مياه الشرب في غالب مناطق الشرق الاوسط وهذا يعتبر تحدياً وللأسفمن الصعب ضمان أن تكون مياه الصنابير نظيفة! لذلك استثمر في فلاتر المياه وقم بتركيبها  في منزلك بأكمله  أو على الاقل استخدم الفلترعلى صنبورالمياه في المطبخ. ابحث في السوق عن هذه الفلاتر واختر ما يناسبك حيث ان هنالك العديد منها وتلبي جميع الرغبات. بعد ذلك، قم باستخدام زجاجة ماء قابلة لإعادة الاستخدام حيث يمكنك تعبئتها قبل مغادرة المنزل. إذا تمكنت من العثور على الفولاذ المقاوم للصدأ stainless steel  فهو الافضل، اشتر واحدة لكل فرد من أفراد عائلتك.

إذا كان يجب عليك شراء المياه المعبأة في زجاجات، فابحث عن شركة توفر العبوات الكبيرة القابلة للإعادة وإعادة التعبئة.

قل لا للقشة

نعم، هذه القشة البلاستيكية الصغيرة التي نحصل عليها مع مشروباتنا تشكل مشكلة كبيرة، أخبر النادل أنك لست بحاجة إلى قشة لمشروبك المفضل عندما تقوم بطلب في مطعم ما، أما اذا كنت لاتستطيع أن تشرب من دونها، فقم بشراء القشة التي يعاد استخدامها، وهذه متوفرة على الإنترنت بأشكال وأنواع مختلفة كالفولاذ المقاوم للصدأ والزجاج والورق.

استخدم أدواتك الخاصة بك

عندما تقوم بطلب وجبات الطعام الجاهزة قم بإحضار أدواتك (أوعيتك) المعاد استخدامها واطلب من المطعم أن يضع طعامك في تلك بدلاً من البلاستيك أو البوليسترين. فكر في الاستثمار بمجموعة من الأدوات القابلة لإعادة الاستخدام إذا كنت تطلب الكثير من الوجبات الجاهزة، ويمكنك أيضًا رفض الأدوات البلاستيكية التي يمكن التخلص منها وسيكون أسهل ان تحمل الادوات الخشبية مثل الشوك والسكاكين والملاعق في حقيبتك أو حقيبة الظهر.

واذا قمت بطلب القهوة لتأخذها بطريقك فأحضر الكوب او التيرمس الخاص بك  حيث انا نعتقد بأن الكؤوس التي تستخدمها المقاهي ورقاً ولكنها بالفعل تكون مبطنة بالبلاستيك وغطاءها ايضاً بلاستيكياً. تجنب البلاستيك عن طريق إحضار الكوب الخاص بك!

اشتر بالجملة 

تنتج معظم نفاياتنا البلاستيكية من المطبخ بالاجمال والسبب الرئيس في ذلك هو التعبئة والتغليف البلاستيكي للأغذية. بامكاننا تجنب الكثير من هذا البلاستيك عن طريق التسوق من أماكن بيع الجملة، حيث تعتبر هذه الأماكن وسيلة لبيع البضائع بالوزن، حيث يتم تخزين المنتج في حاويات كبيرة ويمكن للعملاء وزن وشراء أي كمية يرغبون فيها: بالعادة يعطى العميل أكياسا بلاستيكية لتعبئتها ويقوم العميل بملئها، أما أنت فقم بإحضار الكيس الخاص بك، قم بوزنه فارغا ثم املئه بما تريد وقم بوزنه مرة أخرى حتى تحصل على وزن البضاعة فقط.

وللعلم فان المنتجات والبضائع التي تباع بكميات كبيرة أقل تكلفة من تلك المعبأة بالبلاستيك. قم باستخدام الحاويات الزجاجية للأرز والمكسرات والدقيق والبقوليات وغيرها!

ابحث عن محال قريبة منك وتأكد من انهم يبيعون بالجملة وأنك تستطيع استخدام الكيس/ الحقيبة الخاصة بك. على الأرجح ستجد هذه الخيارات متاحة في محلات السوبرماركت الصغيرة أكثر من المحال الكبيرة.

ترجمه – ماجدة هلسة

أردنية متعددة الاهتمامات، لديها من الخبرة ما يقارب العشرون عاماً في مجالي المالية والإدارة في المؤسسات المحلية والدوليةوتعملماجدة حالياً مع الوكالة الألمانية للتعاون الدولي كموظفةٍ ماليةٍ في برنامج البيئة و المناخ في الأردن، والذي يعمل لصالح وزارة البيئة في الأردن. ومع ذلك كله وعلى الصعيد التطوعي، فإن لديها شغفاً كبيراً بالترجمة في كافة المواضيع والمجالات، وقد بُني هذا الشغف بالخبرة الشخصية والعملية على مر السنين.

Green Building Rating System in Jordan

Building consume 21% of the primary energy and 43% of the electricity generated in Jordan, according to a recent report by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Efforts started in 2009 to develop a rating system for buildings that will reduce the energy and water demand and provide an efficient and healthier environment.

Jordan has several LEED registered buildings since 2009. One of them is LEED Silver and two are LEED Gold, and around 20 more building are registered online and are in the process of applying for LEED. The energy crisis started in Jordan in 2008 after the sharp increase in energy prices. Subsequently the attention to the energy consumption in building increased, and the building officials started implementing the local building codes related to energy. About twenty seven National Building Codes in Jordan are directly related to building envelop, natural ventilation, natural lighting, mechanical and electrical systems.

The Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MoPWH) has the Jordan National Building Council (JNBC) division which is responsible for the development of the Building Codes in Jordan. The Jordan Green Building Guide (JGBG) technical committee was established in 2009 to develop the Green Building Rating System in Jordan with the help of specialist in the public and private sectors under the leadership of the technical arm at the Construction and Sustainable Building Center (CSBC) at the Royal Scientific Society. International references from leading sustainability rating systems were used as references such as LEED and BREEAM, with emphasis on the local conditions in Jordan pertaining to energy and water scarcity.

The JGBG was issued in 2013, and it became available to everyone to use. An incentive program for the adoption of green buildings in Jordan based on the JGBG rating system was approved in 2015 and it was launched on the 3rd of September 2015.  And the first building under the JGBG requirements is under development.

Owners and developers that adopt the JGBG rating system will be entitled to an increase in the Floor Area Ration (FAR). The JGBG has four levels;

  • Level A (25% increase in FAR allowed)
  • Level B (20% increase in FAR allowed)
  • Level C (15% increase in FAR allowed)
  • Level D (10% increase in FAR allowed)

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), Green Building Unit, is in charge of managing the registered buildings under the JGBG. After the Owner or Developer registers the green building with the CSBC for the implementation of the JGBG at certain level, the Issued for Construction drawings are forwarded to the GAM. GAM has developed a one stop shop to process the registered buildings under JGBG and it follows up with the different entities like the Civil Defense Department, Jordan Engineers Association, and others until the building permit is issued. Periodic visits and reviews are done by the CSBC throughout the project until the team achieves the requirements of the JGBG. Subsequently the certificate of compliance is issued for the new green building.

The Jordan Thermal Insulation Code, Jordan Energy Efficient Building Codes and the Jordan Green Building Guide are all working towards improving the energy use in buildings. The table below shows the development of requirements in the thermal transmittance (U-value) for walls in buildings. The Thermal Insulation code and the Energy Saving Building Code calls for the mandatory requirements of U-value = 0.57 W/m2.K for walls and U-value = 1.60 W/m2.K for the overall U-value for walls with all openings. The Jordan Green Building Guide will give one point for the buildings with walls U-value below 0.50 W/m2.K and two points for buildings with walls U-value = 0.40-0.50 W/m2.K