Category Archives: Environment

Leveraging Microbial Biodiversity for Environmental Protection

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Microbial biodiversity, is a cornerstone of life on our planet. Microbes, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, protozoa and fungi, play critical roles in maintaining ecosystem health, driving biogeochemical cycles, acting as natural recyclers and supporting human life. Recently, the intersection of microbial biodiversity and environmental management has opened new avenues for addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and pollution. By harnessing the unique competences of microorganisms, biologists are developing innovative solutions that are both sustainable and efficient. Environmental Applications of Microbial Biodiversity Microbes are a treasure trove of genetic and metabolic diversity. Microorganisms, the first organisms on … Continue reading →

Energy Management for Businesses in the Middle East

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Middle East has been witnessing a rapid increase in energy consumption due to high degree of industrialization, high standards of living and exponential increase in population. Infact, the level of primary energy consumption in the Middle East is among the highest worldwide.  These factors have made businesses in Middle East to realize that effective energy management is not only good for the businesses but also an essential requirement. In recent years, many businesses in the Middle East have come up with dynamic strategies to achieve immediate reduction in energy consumption. This trend towards effective energy management is expected to continue … Continue reading →

Re-thinking Sustainable Innovation: A New Development Discourse

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The climate change presents a challenge to science and policy makers to articulate a new discourse for  sustainable development. Although, the Middle East, the cradle of civilization, was  a fertile land, it was transformed by modern technology and new models of development into a vulnerable ecosystem. The Paradox The paradox is that we are witnessing high levels of poverty despite a growth in global GDP. Also, our natural capital is being degraded at an alarming rate. This is evident when we look at global indicators; i.e., the planet has lost half its mangrove in the last century, and about 70% … Continue reading →

The Harmful Impacts of Tire-Burning Kilns

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Decorative arts such as woodworking, weaving as well as ceramics and other pottery have a long and honored tradition.  In fact, some of the earliest examples of pottery originated from the Middle East from the time of 6500 BC. In order to meet the ceramic industry’s high energy demand, much of the developing world, MENA in particular, is resorting to cheaper alternatives such as fueling kilns by burning tires and other harmful materials. Though modern technology has led to clean and efficient kiln usage in the developed world, these options come with a high price tag when referring to industrial … Continue reading →

5 bonnes résolutions à adopter pour l’environnement en 2025

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À l’arrivée de la nouvelle année, les bonnes résolutions ne servent pas qu’à la croissance personnelle. Il s’agit aussi de l’occasion idéale pour réfléchir aux gestes qui contribuent à une planète plus saine. Faire des choix durables, ce n’est pas forcément changer sa vie du tout au tout : vous pouvez commencer par des petits ajustements qui ont du sens. Voici cinq bonnes résolutions faciles à tenir qui feront la différence pour 2025 : engagez-vous pour l’environnement sans déranger votre quotidien ! 1. Repensez les déchets : réutilisation, recyclage Prêt à changer vos habitudes ? La bonne nouvelle, c’est qu’il suffit de … Continue reading →

رمضان والبيئة… تجربة الشارقة نموذجاً

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البيئة من القضايا المهمة في المناشط الرمضانية وتشكل محوراً رئيساً في الأنشطة المجتمعية والمؤسسية، وتكون في مقدمة أولويات الحوار الاجتماعي في المجالس الرمضانية والندوات الفكرية التي يجري تنظيمها ضمن الأنشطة في شهر رمضان، ويجسد ذلك التوجه الفهم المؤسس في تشخيص البعد الاستراتيجي للقضايا البيئية في واقع الحياة المعيشية وفي منظومة الخطط الاقتصادية والتنموية، وتؤكد موقعها المحوري في الاهتمام المجتمعي. ويدلل الحوار الرمضاني البيئي أيضاً على مستوى الوعي المتصاعد بضرورة تفعيل جهود العمل الموجه لعملية التحديث المتواتر للاستراتيجيات البيئية التي تواكب المتطلبات العصرية في العلاقة مع النظم البيئية ومنهجيات العمل المؤسس لصون توازنها الطبيعي، والعمل أيضاً في تبني الخطط التنموية الرشيدة … Continue reading →

Overharvesting in Skin Care: Is Your Favorite Ingredient Driving Extinction?

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Natural skin care has been having a moment as consumers venture away from synthetic, processed and potentially harmful chemicals in commonplace products. From serums to masks, clean beauty is supposed to be safer for your face, body and the planet — but is it? Just because such skin care uses raw, Earth-derived ingredients like sandalwood and argan oils doesn’t mean it’s always sustainable or healthy. 4 Natural Skin Care Ingredients to Avoid Not all natural skin care ingredients are created equal. Although they might be safer for your skin, several ingredients are not safe for the planet. In fact, there … Continue reading →

The Menace of Plastic Water Bottles

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It is common to see people greatly misuse plastic water bottles considering it free, taking a bottle, sipping it half and throwing it away. These used and partially consumed water bottles are then collected and thrown away in municipal garbage bins from where  it is collected and transported to landfills and waste dumps. These water bottles thus have a high carbon footprint and represent enormous wastage of precious water source and misuse of our other fragile resources. In many cases, these water bottles are being littered around the commercial and religious places. Plastic water bottles are a common feature in … Continue reading →

How Environment, Stress, and Loneliness Intersect

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The factors that play a part in the status of our wellbeing are more vast and complex than many of us realize. So often, when we think about what it means to take care of our health or to be healthy, we think of behaviors like physical activity. While it’s true that these factors matter, and while movement and other standard health practices can promote mental health as well as physical health, they don’t always tell the full story or do the whole job when it comes to taking care of ourselves. How might the environment, stress, and loneliness impact … Continue reading →

How Does The Environment Impact Memory and How to Protect Your Memory?

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Many of us know that the environment we are in can affect our health. Factors like access to clean drinking water, air quality, and whether or not we live in a food desert or a safe place to spend time outdoors influence our well-being in many capacities that relate to both the body and the mind. According to health.gov, 12 million people who either inhabit or attend work in an unhealthy environment die due to this fact on an annual basis. Poor heart health, breathing problems, and mental health symptoms affiliated with certain conditions are higher risks for those living … Continue reading →

What is a Fire Tornado?

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Now you might be hearing about fire tornados with the more frequent wildfires firing up across the parts of the globe. You will be familiar with the wind tornados. These fire tornados are similar in that they a whirling wind but induced by the heat of a raging fire. These fire tornados can also transport smoke and ash, and even flames of fire up though the atmosphere. Just as (wind) tornados have a variety of names  such as twister and wind devil, fire tornados have a comparable range of names including fire devil, fire whirl, fire swirl and fire twister. … Continue reading →

النفايات البحرية

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بدأت قضية النفايات البحرية في وقتنا الحالي بإكتساب بعض الإهتمام بعد أن كانت قضية مهملة لفترة طويلة من الزمن. تتكون النفايات البحرية من خليط متنوع من المواد ذات المصادر المختلفة وعليه فإن استخدام طريقة واحدة للتعامل معها لا يوفر حلول فعالة لهذه القضية.من أبرز الأمثلة للمخلفات البحرية الأكثر شيوعاً: معدات الصيد سواء المتروكة أو المراد التخلص منها أو الضائعة من أصحابها، ومواد التعبئة والتغليف البلاستيكية (من زجاجات واغطية واكياس تسوق… الخ) بالإضافة لمواد التصنيع الأولية للبلاستك. إن تقيم الجدوى الاقتصادية للتعامل مع هذه القضية من خلال جمع هذه المواد من البحار للتخلص منها، مقارنة بكلفة منع إلقاء المخلفات في المقام … Continue reading →