Category Archives: Environment

مستقبل المدن الذكية المستدامة: حالات دراسية من نيوم ومدينة مصدر

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ينتشر مصطلح ما نسميه اليوم “المدن الذكية” على نطاق واسع دلالة على ظاهرة المدن التكنو-حضرية، خصوصاً في العقد الثاني من القرن الحادي والعشرين. وقد وصلت العديد من المدن الكبرى إلى مستويات عالية من التحدي لمواكبة التحول العالمي المرتبط بهذا الخصوص، والذي من شأنه أدى الى تطورات جديدة ومتعددة وصولاً لأحدث معايير الحياة الذكية والمستدامة. وبالرغم من ذلك، فإن بعض هذه المدن تجاوزت تلبية التوقعات المطلوبة، بل قامت بإعادة تعريفها، فمثلاً تعد مدينة نيوم ومدينة مصدر في الشرق الأوسط من أكثر المدن الرائدة في هذا المجال الطموح، إذ أنهما تعيدان تشكيل الحياة الحضرية من خلال تصاميم ذكية تهدف إلى الحد من … Continue reading →

VeryNile – Keeping the Nile Alive

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Over the last decade we have become increasingly alarmed at the amount of plastic in our oceans. More than 8 Million tons of it ends up out oceans every year and if we continue to pollute at this rate, there will be more trash than fish by the year 2050. By the way, there are 3.5 Trillion fishes in the ocean now. Where does all this waste come from? After analyzing waste in rivers and surrounding landscape, researchers found that most plastic waste comes from rivers; and 90% of this waste comes from only 10 river systems. One of them, … Continue reading →

Why Airports Should Go Green: Case Study from Bahrain

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Can airports ever be green? This is an overwhelming concept in a carbon-driven, and carbon-intensive industry. The reality is that air travel is often the only realistic option for the movement of both people and cargo in the current lifestyle and demands encompassed with time constraints. This is especially critical for the island nation of Bahrain that is so heavily dependent on air travel in terms of food security. With over 90% of all goods: perishable and manufactured, imported into the nation, this carbon-intensive industry is not going to disappear. Airports themselves, may only contribute 5% to the carbon emissions … Continue reading →

How Minimalism and Sustainability Go Hand in Hand

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A topic that has been gathering momentum as of late. The idea of sustainability is rapidly becoming a popular trend and the reduction in fossil fuel usage is testament to that fact. However, sustainability is not just found in the energy sector. Sustainability has become a trend in all aspects of life. So much so that it has become a lifestyle for some. Minimalism has rapidly become a popular way of life as well, providing great benefits to those living according to it. To start, it is important to define these terms and how they can relate to one another. … Continue reading →

The Importance of an Environmentally-Friendly Hajj

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Despite the spiritual perfection of the rites of the Hajj pilgrimage, there are some deep issues with its practical implementation. In a journey where one is meant to recalibrate one’s consciousness of the one true Creator, it seems paradoxical that such an excursion should lead to environmental harm (or destruction). Why is it then that I walk the street of the Haram (sacred land) and find them littered with boxes of chicken and rice, strewn on the curb in front of beggars who offer to pray for you in exchange of spare change? A Deluge of Waste In 7:31, the … Continue reading →

Recycling and Artwork: An Environmental Approach to Art

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Art and recycling goes hand-in-hand. Eco-artists are, nowadays, transforming old, recycled and reused object into amazing pieces of contemporary art. The trend started gaining prominence in 1980s when museums and galleries in the Western world opened their doors for such innovation and creativity. In recent years, many artists in the Middle East has started expressing their support for recycling and sustainability through artworks where they merge traditional tone with contemporary themes creating attractive installation art that express local cultural heritage in the larger public interests. Artists are expressing their emotions and ideas through a wide range of recyclables glass, beverage … Continue reading →

Waste Management Implications of 3D Printing

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The rapid deployment of 3D printing is one of the most exciting developments since the appearance of the smart phone. This is technology with some serious potential to change how and where goods are manufactured, transforming supply chains. The New Scientist has gone so far as to herald 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, as ushering in a second industrial revolution. But is anyone thinking about how what this new development means for the waste sector? Whilst the technology is already being put to some dubious uses, the ability to manufacture pretty much anything wherever and whenever it’s needed is certainly appealing. Interest isn’t … Continue reading →

The Spiritual Benefits of Ramadan Fasting

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Our environment is more than trees, water, land, and air. It is a sense of peace, an understanding of our place in our society. It sustains our satisfaction in life and our interest in caring for the life around us. Recognizing the sustaining forces that make up our environment sometimes requires a time of deep introspection. Few practices in the human repertoire can guide us to deep introspection like the profound practice of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. For one full month in every year, fasting is required for Muslims all over the world. The day-long fasting process in … Continue reading →

An Introduction to Materials Recovery Facility

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A Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is a building to receive, sort, process and store recyclable materials to be shipped and marketed to end-users. A materials recovery facility accepts materials, whether source separated or mixed, and separates, processes and stores them for later use as raw materials for remanufacturing and reprocessing. The main function of the MRF is to maximize the quantity of recyclables processed, while producing materials that will generate the highest possible revenues in the market. MRFs can also function to process wastes into a feedstock for biological conversion or into a fuel source for the production of energy. … Continue reading →

خمس إجراءات صديقة للبيئة لتعزيز ثقافة الشركة المستدامة

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ازداد الوعي لدى الناس بتأثير الاحتباس الحراري، وهم يسعون بجهدٍ عالٍ لإيجاد وسائل للحفاظ على البيئة، حتى أن الشركات في مختلف القطاعات تساهم بدور كبير في هذا التوجه من خلال تبني ممارسات وإجراءات صديقة للبيئة. إن لم تقم شركتك حتى الان بتبني أي إجراء أو استراتيجية لتصبح صديقة للبيئة، فإن الوقت قد حان للقيام بهذه الخطوة. هنالك العديد من المنافع التي يمكنك ان تحصل عليها كشركة بما فيه ما يلي: سيكون لك دور في إنقاذ البيئة. تحسين صورة الشركة والعلامة التجارية الخاصة بك لأن العملاء/الزبائن يدعمون دائماً الشركات التي تقف وراء قضية نبيلة. استقطاب الموظفين الملائمين لأنهم أيضاً يهتمون باختيار … Continue reading →

How Cleanliness is Next to Greenliness

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There are usually many objectives of cleaning a home or office and the things in it. One of them is to achieve a certain level comfort and freshness while the other is to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the space around. However, when it comes to choosing the right cleaning products and technologies, it is important and beneficial to go the eco-friendly way. Many manufacturers, in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint, are striving to come up with cleaning products that are made from environmentally-friendly ingredients. Such products are not only safer or less toxic to use, but also … Continue reading →

شهر رمضان والتحول نحو الأستدامة

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شهر رمضان محطة للتزود بالوقود ومساحة لتغيير نمط الأستهلاك والعيش ببساطة على هذا الكوكب.  أن سبب الأزمة البيئية وأزمة الماء والطاقة والغذاء هو فشل الإنسان في مُهمة الخلافة وادراك دوره الحضاري كشاهد ومستخلف. التحول نحو الأستدامة يتطلب تغيير أنماط الأنتاج والأستهلاك للتصدي للفقر والتغير المناخي وهذا يستلزم التحول الكلي في نمط التنمية والعيش و تسخير المعرفة المحلية و الإبتكار والقيم والأخلاق وتطير  نماذج محلية للتنمية الطيبة  من خلال الحراك الأخضر أو الجهاد، و الإبتكار الأخضر أو الاجتهاد، و أسلوب الحياة الأخضر أو الزُهد كما هو موضح أدناه. الحراك الأخضر يعني النضال ضد الإختلالات و الظلم و الفساد التي تُخِل بالحياة … Continue reading →