لماذا يعد التخلي عن تناول اللحوم أمرًا ضروريًا للتخفيف من آثار تغير المناخ

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استهلاك اللحوم هو عنصر أساسي في النظام الغذائي الحديث. في العالم المتقدم، كان استهلاك اللحوم في ارتفاع مستمر منذ عقود. في العالم النامي، يأكل الناس كميات أقل من اللحوم لأنهم لا يستطيعون تحمل تكلفتها الباهظة. إن حجم الاستهلاك العالمي للحوم له آثار بيئية خطيرة ويزيد من حدة تغير المناخ. وهذا يعني أن الإنتاج العالمي للغذاء مسؤول عن ثلث جميع غازات الاحتباس الحراري المنبعثة من النشاط البشري. لذلك، من المنطقي القول بأن العلاقة بين استهلاك اللحوم والآثار السلبية لتغير المناخ مثل الاحتباس الحراري هي شيء يجب استكشافه بعمق حتى نتمكن من فهم كيفية تقليل مخاطر الكوارث البيئية.

how giving up meat can reduce climate change impacts

علاوة على ذلك، يلعب التخلي عن اللحوم دورًا أساسيًا في الحد من آثار تغير المناخ. إن معيار استهلاك اللحوم غير مستدام بيئيًا لأن “الأبقار والأغنام والماعز … لا تزال بحاجة إلى الكثير من الأراضي للرعي” والتي يمكن استخدامها بدلاً من ذلك لزراعة المزيد من الأشجار لامتصاص المستويات العالية من ثاني أكسيد الكربون في الغلاف الجوي، وهو مشروع حاسمة للحد من آثار تغير المناخ. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، إن البصمة الكربونية للحوم البقر والضأن أعلى بثلاث مرات تقريبًا من تلك الموجودة في لحم الخنزير أو الدواجن أو الأسماك المستزرعة لكل 100 جرام من البروتين، و ٢٤ مرة أعلى من البقوليات مثل الفول والعدس. وهذا يرتبط بالتأثير الكارثي لتربية الماشية على البيئة.

تتسبب تربية الماشية في فقدان الموائل الطبيعية حيث يجب تطهير المزيد من الأراضي وإزالة الغابات بينما تستمر انبعاثات الكربون في الزيادة . على المستوى العملي، فإن الحملة لتقليل الاستهلاك العالمي للحوم وإنقاذ الكوكب تعززها حقيقة أن إنتاج لحوم الأبقار يرتبط بفقدان الغطاء الحرجي الاستوائي في غابات الأمازون المطيرة.

لذلك يعتبر التخلي عن اللحوم خطوة مهمة من منظور أخلاقي خاصة بسبب تأثيرات تغير المناخ. يضع نمط الحياة الخالي من اللحوم ضغطًا أقل على البيئة لأنه يقلل بشكل كبير من خطر إزالة الغابات وزيادة انبعاثات الكربون بسبب انخفاض الطلب على إنتاج اللحوم. نتيجة لذلك، أعتقد أن التخلي عن اللحوم أمر بالغ الأهمية لتقليل بصمتك الكربونية والبقاء استباقيًا في التخفيف من آثار تغير المناخ.

سبب آخر يجعل التخلي عن اللحوم مهمًا في الحد من آثار تغير المناخ هو أن اللحوم الحمراء هي مصدر رئيسي لانبعاثات غاز الميثان. الميثان، أحد غازات الدفيئة، يزيد الاحترار بمقدار 23 مرة عن ثاني أكسيد الكربون ويساهم بشكل مباشر في الاحتباس الحراري، وهو أحد التداعيات المهمة لتغير المناخ. ومن النتائج الأخرى لاستهلاك اللحوم روث الماشية المسؤول عن 65 في المائة من انبعاثات أكسيد النيتروز. أكسيد النيتروز، غاز آخر من غازات الدفيئة، يبقى في الغلاف الجوي لمدة 114 سنة. يساهم أكسيد النيتروز في تغير المناخ من خلال بقائه في طبقة الأوزون والتسبب في الاحترار العالمي.

من وجهة نظر المستهلك، أوصي بتقليل استهلاك اللحوم أو اختيار نظام غذائي خالٍ من اللحوم حيث ستنخفض انبعاثات الميثان وأكسيد النيتروز وهذا سيساعد على تقليل المخاطر العالمية للاحترار العالمي وتخفيف آثار تغير المناخ. يمكن دعم رأيي بالأدلة. على سبيل المثال، ثلاثة من أكبر منتجي اللحوم في العالم، JBS و Cargill و Tyson ، انبعثوا ما يقرب من العديد من الغازات المسببة للاحتباس الحراري مثل أكبر شركات النفط ، بما في ذلك Exxon و BP و Shell .

علاوة على ذلك، يعد التخلي عن اللحوم أمرًا حاسمًا في الحد من آثار تغير المناخ حيث ينتهي الأمر بإهدار اللحوم في مواقع دفن النفايات وإطلاق كميات كبيرة من غاز الميثان، أحد غازات الدفيئة. على سبيل المثال، “نهدر ما يقدر بنحو 1.3 مليار طن من الطعام كل عام” ويؤدي إهدار اللحوم إلى زيادة انبعاثات الميثان. بدورها، تؤدي انبعاثات غاز الميثان هذه إلى ارتفاع نسبة غازات الدفيئة في الغلاف الجوي مما يؤدي إلى الاحتباس الحراري وتفاقم آثار تغير المناخ. نظرًا لأن كل من روث الماشية واللحوم المهدرة المترسبة في مواقع دفن النفايات يطلق غاز الميثان في الغلاف الجوي، فإن الخطر على البيئة لا يمكن إنكاره. لذلك، هناك سبب وجيه آخر للتخلي عن اللحوم وهو تقليل تلوث الهواء الناجم عن المستويات العالية من الميثان في الغلاف الجوي.

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تشمل الفوائد البيئية الناتجة عن اتباع نظام غذائي خالٍ من اللحوم تلوثًا أقل للهواء الناجم عن مواقع دفن النفايات. في رأيي، هذا سبب رائع لاختيار نظام غذائي خالٍ من اللحوم. لا يقلل النظام الغذائي الخالي من اللحوم من انبعاثات الميثان فحسب، بل يقلل أيضًا من تلوث الهواء المسؤول عن ملايين الوفيات المبكرة كل عام ويؤجج تغير المناخ. على هذا النحو، لمكافحة حالة الطوارئ المناخية والمساعدة في حماية بيئتنا، نحتاج جميعًا إلى تقليل كمية الطعام الذي نهدره.

في الختام، يعتبر التخلي عن اللحوم أمرًا ضروريًا للحد من الآثار طويلة المدى لتغير المناخ. يرتبط استهلاك اللحوم ارتباطًا وثيقًا بالمشاكل البيئية مثل إزالة الغابات وفقدان الموائل الطبيعية وانبعاث غاز الميثان وأكسيد النيتروز، وكلها تسبب تراكم غازات الدفيئة في الغلاف الجوي وتساهم في ظاهرة الاحتباس الحراري. يرتبط هذا مباشرة بتغير المناخ. لذلك، فإن تقليل تناول اللحوم أو أن تصبح نباتيًا هو الخطوة الأولى لتقليل الآثار الضارة لتغير المناخ.

ترجمة

علياء الشملان. الرياض، المملكة العربية السعودية

علياء الشملان طالبة في الثانوية في الصف العاشر بمدارس التربية الإسلامية. ولدت وترعرعت في الرياض بالمملكة العربية السعودية، حيث تواصل العيش بشغف لعلوم البيئة والحفاظ على البيئة واستعادتها. خارج المدرسة، تتطوع لمساعدة الآخرين على اكتساب المزيد من المعرفة، وكذلك من أجل تطويرها الشخصي، وهي تستمتع بقضاء الوقت في الهواء الطلق، والرسم، وإجراء البحوث العلمية.

How to Reduce Ecological Footprint Using Traditional Materials on Home Renovation

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Environmental responsibility has become a huge market over the last decade or so. Businesses, homes, products and practices are all being affected by the desire to produce environmentally friendly policy, which is ultimately a good thing for everyone. Not only are we creating better practices to show consumers, competition, and collaborators that we care for the environment, but we are also doing a good deed for our planet. The end goal is a way to shift our actions towards sustainable, or less wasteful lifestyle in every area of life. This is surprisingly evident in how we use materials in home renovations.

Not many of us consider how a home renovation can be impact on an ecological level. Why would we? It does not seem to be as impactful as massive solar farms, windmills, or electric cars. Well, the fact is that the small impact we make in our everyday life adds up. Sometimes we do not consider how those little things we can do add up. Throwing out a recyclable piece of waste, leaving lights on, leaving the tap running, having our car running. We can’t possibly stop every little indiscretion from happening, it’s just part of life. However, some of the things we do in our actions can be managed. This brings me back to my point about home renovations.

When we commit to a home renovation, there is a great deal of waste, products, residue, and other material that we kick up or use. The building materials we use are also impactful in ecological footprint terms (footprint being how much of an impact on the environment an action is). Asbestos, dust, various liquids, runoff, chemicals are all examples of materials or byproducts that can get reabsorbed into the environment and cause problems for water tables, wildlife, plants or any number of natural neighbors we may have.

Before committing to a lengthy or extensive renovation, we should consider issues of cost to our environment and how much we are affecting it, not just how it will affect our budget. Like I said, while some things we can’t control in our daily lives, others we can. Such is the case for home renovations.

With that being said, here are ways to achieve a minimal ecological footprint when using traditional materials for your home renovation:

Designing Your Home

From the beginning, the design of your home is the framework for all the things you do in terms of the renovation. How much material you need, home size, and types of material you will be using (this point I will get to later on in the article). All of these considerations for your home renovation are also considerations you must make when considering your ecological footprint and how you will be trying to achieve a minimal one.

  • First, your home design will play a huge role in achieving a minimal, or reduced, ecological footprint. Consider how natural light can help you reduce the use of traditional lighting. Light bulbs and other sources of light that run on electricity will waste a lot of light in your home and is generally not that great for environmental impact. One traditional material that people do not consider when trying to create a well lit home is their glass windows.
  • Glass windows can create a vast amount of natural light that will illuminate your home without relying on electrical power. This technique reduces your energy consumption, saving you money, and creating a home that feels alive and welcome. An overabundance of lightbulbs, like fluorescent or incandescent, can often feel like our home is flush with artificial lighting. Combining glass windows with polished concrete floors can also create more light as the light bounces off of the glossy finish and creates a natural glow in the room. The specialists over at Carrcrete have come up with a good method for achieving this technique. You can even pick certain levels on how glossy the end results will be. Using windows to allow more light in is a great way to introduce natural light, reducing energy consumption for our ecological footprints, and can even help heat our homes with the amount of sun gets in which reduces our reliance on home heating and energy.
  • Consider how much material you will need beforehand so that you do not end up buying or making too much and having to throw it out afterwards. The amount of excess or wasteful material that goes into a renovation is staggering. Cutting a piece of plywood that is inches long out of a 4 x 4 foot piece seems redundant. Try to reduce this waste by selecting what you need in smaller portions and get it when you need it, rather than too much at a time.

Reusable or Recyclable Materials

Traditional materials do not always have to be wasteful. When you are committing to a home reno, materials like glass, siding, brick, concrete, etc. can all be found in reusable or recyclable forms. Material can be reused to make new ones for your needs when doing a home renovation while lowering your ecological footprint. Reclaimed flooring is a big way to reduce impact.

Flooring makes up a massive chunk of the space in our homes, during a renovation you may be looking at a new wood or concrete floor for an interesting new look and that is smart for these reasons:

  • Reclaimed wood is widely available and can minimize your ecological footprint. Wood flooring is one of the most common desires for those who want to renovate or buy a new home. It is beautiful and it is a solid option. Even if you choose to renovate again you can recycle or reuse wood flooring for something else later on. You can even consider making it into wall siding, cabinets, countertops or any number of options. Wood is also easily recyclable if you do not use it for a new project or reno. Other friends, family or home owners may want to acquire it from you and you would be keeping more materials out of landfills. Recycled or reused wood also has less of a chance of being covered in volatile organic compounds (VOC) which can run off into the water or soil.
  • Concrete is surprisingly very recyclable or reusable, being crafted from a composite material of metals and other material that was reused for environmental reasons. One of the benefits of concrete is that, like I mentioned earlier about the polished floors and light, that the process to that technique is environmentally friendly because it emits no VOC’s, new raw materials are not produced as its water-based, and of course, they reduce lighting needs in the home.
  • Other examples of reusable materials to achieve a minimal ecological footprint are bamboo, cork, sheep’s wool, and recycled wood are all excellent options for other areas of your renovation.

Replacing Older Materials With Smarter Options

While there are areas of your renovation that are not so easily replaceable with reusable materials or recycled materials, you can still make small contributions to your existing materials. Even traditional materials found in every home can be at least managed so that they are using less resources and leaving less of an ecological footprint as their more wasteful counterparts.

Here are some ways you can reduce your carbon footprint with existing traditional materials in your home:

  • Microcement is a good replacement for traditional cement as it is very adaptable for your needs. This product can be used for flooring, walls, older concrete, metal, plastic, and many more. The advantages in using microcement for your home renovation is that it saves cost and waste because it can be applied over existing surfaces quickly and easily, giving new life to surfaces in the home.
  • Change out your light bulbs for more cost effective, and energy saving ones. Examples of lightbulbs that are better options for cost and energy are LED or fluorescent. I know earlier that I said lightbulbs create unnatural light which isn’t ideal, but I also did preface this subsection by stating that some materials in your home can only be managed, and not fully replaced. Incandescent light bulbs use more energy compared to fluorescent and LED, these can easily be replaced for a quick fix. LED lights have a slight edge over incandescent not only for the cost and energy benefits, but also for the fact that they can be placed in tight spots and afford more flexibility to light those tricky spots of a house during your reno.
  • If you are fully committed to a reno and can make it happen, try reposition windows to allow for a better flow of air throughout your home so that you can reduce the need for air conditioning in the house during the summer months. If your reno is not that extensive, there are other solutions to do so. Vinyl stripping windows or using wood frames with double glazed glass will prevent heat loss as well as any loss in A/C if you choose to stick with a traditional A/C unit. Sealing windows is a big reason for a spike in energy use which is bad for minimizing our ecological footprint. This also applies to insulation (wool’s sheep is a good reusable material). You may also consider installing a whole-house fan.

Deconstruct, Not Destroy

While renovating, you should always try to opt for deconstructing any of your own materials that you are going to be getting rid of in or on your home. Demolishing parts of your house will create waste that is unusable for others. By deconstructing the houses parts you can recycle those parts for others use.

If you want to minimize your ecological footprint and reuse traditional materials in your house, you do not have to keep adding more to your house. Using recycled or reused materials for your own renovation project will allow you to take apart your house and give those pieces to someone capable of refurbishing them for others use. This creates a positive feedback loop of responsible waste management.

Even dust particles, asbestos, mold, and mildew can be dispersed into the air when you demolish parts of a house, or the whole thing. This is a health hazard for the environment and other people. Taking apart the house piece by piece saves these health concerns. Run off chemicals are also easier to detect when you dismantle parts of the house during renovation and can be disposed of or contained much easier than if you had just smashed the place to bits. Keep this option in mind when starting, or finishing your renovation.

We are always trying to find ways to go green, or at least we like to tell ourselves that we do. The fact of the matter is that sometimes it can be hard to stick to our goals of committing to a better lifestyle, better activities and more conscious effort to develop green habits. Focusing on how we can improve our ecological footprint should be a consideration that we have in mind when involving ourselves in as many aspects of our lives as we can. One such way is in home renovation.

Before you started reading this article I am sure you asked yourself how home renovations can be such a big impact on your ecological footprint. It seems odd, or at least like a question you would not ask yourself day to day. Now after you have read this you should be a master of knowing the ways to minimize your ecological footprint with traditional materials in a home renovation.

Consider how your lighting increases energy consumption in the home and implement design strategies like large glass windows to reduce the need for lightbulbs. Use polished concrete floors to reflect light through the house. Adopt reusable and recyclable material building strategies so you do not waste products like wood, concrete, vinyl and other building materials.

If you cannot replace materials entirely with recycled material, you have options too. Consider changing out incandescent light bulbs with LED or fluorescent ones to cut down on energy consumption, as well as utilizing air flow techniques like sealing windows properly to reduce the loss of cold air, loss of hot air, and running up the energy bill. Remember to deconstruct your home renovation materials so they can be reused for someone else so they do not get stuck with an abundance of waste either.

That’s about it. Hopefully this list of techniques will help your ecological footprint decrease to a level that you feel comfortable with, and your home renovation project is a success with the added bonus of being an environmentally sustainable achievement.

لماذا نحتاج التكنولوجيا لمواجهة التغير المناخي؟

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يعتبر التغير المناخي تحدياً كبيراً، وعلى ما يبدو أن المحاولات الفردية لن تكون كافية لمواجهته، أو لأننا لا نملك الموارد اللازمة لمواجهته، وللعلم فإن كلا هاذين الاحتمالين ليس صحيحاً، لأن هنالك العديد من المحاولات والإجراءات الفردية التي بإمكاننا جميعاً أن نتخذها للمساعدة في مواجهة التغير المناخي، حيث أنه يتوافر تقنيات عديدة القادرة أن تلعب دوراً هاماً على المستويين الاستهلاكي والصناعي، إبتداءاً من الأمور البسيطة مثل استخدام المصابيح الموفرة للطاقة ووصولاُ للعمليات الكبيرة والمعقدة مثل إنشاء محطات للطاقة المتجددة من الرياح على سبيل المثال.

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تدل الدراسات بأن البشر هم سبباً رئيسياً لتغير المناخ. مع الاستهلاك المتزايد لهم للموارد القيمة لوحظت تغيرات مناخية متسارعة نتيجة للنشاطات البشرية منذ قيام الثورة الصناعية، وكذلك يوجد عوامل أخرى تسهم في تغير المناخ، مثل إزالة الغابات (التحطيب) والممارسات الخاطئة لاستخدام الأراضي، والاهم من ذلك كله هو التطور التكنولوجي الذي بلا شك يعد مساهما رئيسيا. وهنا فإن استكشاف حلول مبتكرة – مثل الالتقاط المباشر للهواء– أمراً مهماً للتخفيف من الأنشطة البشرية وتأثيرها على المناخ والعمل كذلك لمستقبل أكثر استدامة بما ان التقنيات الحديثة لن تختفي، لذا فإنه من الأفضل أن نُسخّر جميع الإمكانيات على أكمل وجه للتخفيف من الضرر الذي قمنا نحن بإيجاده على كوكبنا. وبهذا الوضع الذي نمُر به حالياً فإنه يتوجب علينا أن نستغل كل ما هو متاح لمكافحة التغير المناخي لان الوقت لا ولن يسعفنا.

فيما يلي، سنلقي نظرة على بعض الوسائل التكنولوجية التي تساعدنا في مكافحة تغير المناخ:

1. خفض الكربون

من أهم التقنيات حالياً هي تقنية الانبعاثات السلبية، والتي بدورها تهدف إلى إزالة الكربون من الغلاف الجوي لتعويض انبعاثات الكربون التي تنطلق نحوه، وبالتأكيد فإن هنالك طرق عديدة لتقليل كمية الكربون التي نضخها نحن في الغلاف الجوي، مثل التشجير وتصحيح الممارسات الخاطئة لاستخدام الأراضي، لكن وللأسف هذه الحلول تحتاج وقتاً طويلا لا نملكه.

إن تقنية خفض الكربون تمكننا من الوصول إلى حالة صفر صافي عام 2050، أو بحلول 2030 بأحسن الأحوال إذا قمنا بتنفيذها قريبا. في المراحل التجريبية حالياً هنالك الات تعمل على إزالة الكربون من الهواء وتخزينه تحت الأرض، والعمل جارٍ أيضاً على تقنيات أخرى.

2. المنزل الذكي

تحدثنا في مقدمة هذا المقال عن المحاولات الفردية التي بإمكاننا اتخاذها، ومن هذا المحاولات أو الإجراءات الواعدة: استخدام المنزل الذكي، وهي إجراءات بسيطة تستخدم في المنازل مثل منظمات الحرارة، وأنظمة الإنارة، وعدادات المرافق، وأجهزة كشف التسريب لتحسين كفاءة الطاقة في المنازل. وبالتالي فإنه يمكن ربط هذه الأنظمة بأنظمة المدن الذكية لزيادة فعالية توزيع الطاقة، ومتابعة إدارة النفايات وكذلك إدارة حركة المرور والعديد من الإمكانيات، ومع التطور التكنولوجي أو كما يسمى انترنت الأشياء فإنه سيصبح بإمكان تقنيات المنازل والمدن الذكية أن تكون أدوات مهمة وفعالة في مواجهة التغير المناخي.

3. المعلومات والاتصالات

مع تزايد التغير المناخي فان وتيرة الظواهر الجوية القاسية تتزايد أيضاً وهي مكلفة جداً وتؤثر على حياة الكثير من الكائنات. كلما كنا أفضل بالتنبؤ بالظواهر الجوية القاسية وإدارتها وبذلك سننجح بالتعافي. بالإجمال فإن هذا النوع من التقنيات لا يغير مسار التغير المناخي، ولكنه يساعدنا نحن على مواجهة العواقب المترتبة عليه.

ومن الأمثلة على هذه التقنية، أنظمة الأقمار الصناعية التي تستخدم الطاقة الشمسية، وكذلك أنظمة الإنذار المبكر عبر شبكات الهواتف المحمولة. كما أنه يمكن لتكنولوجيا المعلومات أن تستخدم لتتبع التغييرات البيئية، مثل؛ درجة الحرارة ومستوى سطح البحر، للتخفيف من آثارها السلبية على البشر والكائنات الحية.

4. التعلم الآلي والذكاء الاصطناعي

يعد الذكاء الاصطناعي رائداً في التطور التكنولوجي ويعطي وعوداً للعلماء الساعيين لفهم ومعالجة التغير المناخي وآثاره بشكل أفضل. هنالك بحث علمي حديث – أعده علماء في جامعة كورنيل – يناقش عشر طرق بإمكان الذكاء الاصطناعي من خلالها أن يساهم في مكافحة التغير المناخي، تشتمل هذه الطرق على ابتكار مواد منخفضة الكربون، وكيفية زيادة كفاءة النقل، وتوفير الأدوات اللازمة لدعم الجهود الفردية للتقليل من البصمة الكربونية وكذلك تصميم أنظمة كهربائية أكثر كفاءة.

بإمكان الذكاء الاصطناعي أن يساعدنا بطرق لا تقدر بثمن في حماية البيئة والحفاظ على الموارد.

sustainability professional in middle east

من أهم مساهماته الأخرى، مساعدته لمختصي المناخ في إنشاء نماذج أفضل للتنبؤ، لتمكينهم من معرفة المزيد عن كيفية تأثير الممارسات البشرية على الكوكب بدقة عالية. ويساعدهم أيضا على معرفة ما هي التغييرات الأكثر فعالية لمواجهة التغير المناخي. لمعرفة المزيد، يرجى الضغط على الرابط:

إنتاج الطاقة

تنتج غازات الاحتباس الحراري بشكل كبير من الوقود الاحفوري الذي نعتمد عليه بشكل كبير، مما يدّعي إحداث نقلة نوعية في انتاج الطاقة واستخدامها إذا أردنا أن نعالج تغير المناخ بفعالية أكبر. بدأت فكرة أو تقنية مزارع الرياح تترسخ، ولكن يوجد الكثير الباقي لاكتشافه وتطبيقه في مجال الطاقة الشمسية وكيفية تخزين الطاقة المتولدة من الالواح الشمسية بكفاءة. من أهم الاكتشافات الأخرى والقابلة للبحث هي استخدام الطاقة النووية التي تمكننا من انتاج طاقة خالية من الكربون، لكننا لمن نصل لهذه المرحلة، ولكن يوجد بعض الشركات التي تستكشف وتبحث بهذا الامر بآمان.

وهناك نوع آخر من التكنولوجيا قيد التطوير لإنتاج الطاقة وهو الشبكة الذكية، والتي ستكون قادرة على توجيه الطاقة بكفاءة ودمج أنظمة الطاقة المتجددة على نطاق أوسع.

إن تغير المناخ يُعدّ من المشاكل الكبيرة، لكن ثمة هنالك أمل يلوح على صورة تقنيات ناشئة وحديثة، وبالرغم من أن مختلف المنظمات العاملة في هذا المجال تتوقع مواعيد مختلفة وحاسمة لمناقشة هذا الامر – تتم المناقشات حالياً لعامي 2030 و2050 – الا ان بعض هذه المنظمات يجابه ويدفع بإيجاد حلولا وإجراءات صارمة باستخدام التكنولوجيا على أكمل وجه. وعلى سبيل المثال لا الحصر فإن صندوق الدفاع البيئي يدعو إلى تخفيض انبعاثات غاز الميثان من النفط والغاز بنسبة 45% بحلول هذا العام 2025، وهو ما يدّعون انه قابل للتحقق بفضل استخدام الرقمنة في هذا المجال. إذاً فإن التكنولوجيا تُعدّ من أقوى الأدوات التي نمتلكها ونُسخرها ونستخدمها لمواجهة هذه الازمة بنجاح.

ترجمة: ماجدة هلسه

أردنية متعددة الإهتمامات، لديها من الخبرة ما يقارب السبعة وعشرون عاماً في مجال المالية والإدارة في المؤسسات المحلية والدولية، وتعمل ماجدة حالياً مع التعاون الدولي الالماني كموظفة مالية. ومع ذلك كله وعلى الصعيد التطوعي، فإن لديها شغفاً كبيراً بالترجمة في كافة المواضيع والمجالات، وقد بُني هذا الشغف بالخبرة الشخصية والعملية على مدى هذه السنين.

Note: The original English version of the article is available at this link.

World Wetlands Day – Protecting Our Wetlands For Our Common Future

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World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2nd February every year. It marks the date of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on 2nd February 1971. World Wetlands Day was celebrated for the first time in 1997. Every year there is a different theme and the theme for World Wetlands Day 2025 is “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”.

wetlands in arab countries

What is a Wetland

A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, natural or artificial, static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salty and include areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters. The unique feature of wetland is its characteristic vegetation and soil conditions. We need to know that more than a billion people make a living from wetlands. Livelihoods from fishing, rice farming, travel, nature-based tourism, and water provision all depend on wetlands. They are vital to us in many other ways.

The Vital Importance of Wetlands

Wetlands play an important role in the processes that keep our landscapes healthy and productive. They support industries such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism by supplying water for crops, stock and people, maintaining water quality, providing habitat for commercial species and having cultural and recreational values. Wetlands host a vast variety of life, protect our coastlines, provides natural defenses against river flooding or storm surges and store carbon dioxide to regulate climate change.

Wetlands cover less than 10% of the earth’s surface, but are the source of almost 25% of the world’s productivity. Wetlands play a major role in the environment, mainly water purification, flood control and shoreline stability in addition to recreation.

Wetlands are home to a wide range of plant and animal life and are called the sponge of the natural world as they absorb much of the pollution we produce. They filter out pollutants and slowly release clean water and oxygen back into the ecosystem. Unfortunately, wetlands are often viewed as wasteland, and more than 64% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900.

azraq wetland in jordan

Why World Wetlands Day Should Be Celebrated?

World Wetlands Day is an annual opportunity to raise public awareness and promote the value of wetlands. To celebrate World Wetlands Day event, variety of programs like seminars, lectures, nature walks, sports, competitions, poster exhibitions, video films screening, slide shows based on the wetland, art and quiz competitions, painting competition, photography exhibition, community cleanup, interviews on radio and television are organized at the area, locality, city and national level at many places.

The event celebration plays a great role in making the healthy wetlands in order to deliver the worth ecosystem service to benefit the common people. The demands of water required for growing crops, energy supply and various needs of the industry are also focused during the World Wetlands Day celebrations. It is mainly celebrated to promote the proper use of wetlands and their resources.

Flamingos at Dohat Arad marine reserve in Bahrain

The Ramsar Convention offers an international structure in order to globally support the conservation and sustainable management of the wetlands. It is celebrated to make aware the public, discuss the value of wetlands, its beneficial aspects as well as to promote its conservation and use for enhancing the overall level of the human health, growth and development.

Wetlands in Bahrain

Bahrain is very keen in the protection of biodiversity and natural heritage and has established Al Areen wildlife reserve in 1976. The principal wetlands in Bahrain are coastal mudflats. The country became a party on the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1996, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1997.

There are six protected natural reserves, the Al Areen park being terrestrial reserve others are marine protected areas namely Ras Sannad in Tubli Bay, Hawar Islands, Mashtan, Dohat Arad and Hayr Bulthama. The protection of the biodiversity is incorporated in Bahrain National Environment Strategy.

Conclusion

We need to appreciate the wetlands and avoid littering and discharging any hazardous effluents into water bodies including pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, soaps and chemicals as it will change the nutrient levels and may kill fish and destroy wetland ecosystem.

Let us spread the message and enhance awareness on wetland conservation and protection. The Ramsar Convention Secretariat has developed a number of downloadable World Wetlands Day materials. These materials can be found on the website. Groups and individuals are encouraged to adapt these materials for their own World Wetlands Day events and activities.

Extreme Weather Events Resulting From Climate Change

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Regardless of where one is on the globe, the effects of climate change are very apparent and extremely threatening to the local inhabitants. These climatic threats are presenting themselves in four main ways, namely extended heat waves, devastating flooding, persistent droughts and extensive wildfires. These are presently the most destructive impacts of climate change, but there are other natural event occurrences. As well as the geo-physical impacts, there are also the accompanying increasing health risks, anxiety and stress issues, fatigue and exhaustion, just to name a few resultant factors.

dust storm in middle east

Right now with the summer in full swing in the northern hemisphere, heatwaves and wildfires are the most prevalent. Not only are temperatures reaching higher levels but they are sustained for longer periods extending heatwaves to new levels, breaking temperature records and length of duration of the heat wave itself.

The increased temperatures are first a major threat to actual human lives as we are not accustomed to the sustained higher temperatures. But the infrastructures in our urban environments are also stretched beyond their design capacity. For example, surface roading materials and train track construction are not designed for these elevated temperatures. Consequently, various transportation modes can be brought to a halt.

With elevated temperatures, there is the subsequent inadequate supply of potable (drinkable) water. Irrigation and watering needs would exceed the water storage capacities. Yet plant materials and animals need the cooling effects of water to sustain them also in extreme situations. The drier the vegetation, the more volatile the trees and other vegetation, and leaf litter becomes the spontaneous combustion that is a formidable reality.

Wildfires can be triggered by natural combustion and infrastructures reaching the limit of their capacity resulting in short circuits and random energy currents that ignite extremely dried vegetative materials.  Winds are more unpredictable and variable in flow direction, driving forest fires faster and further.

There are four significant areas where environmental changes are modifying and intensifying weather events.

1. Hotter, longer heatwaves

A small increment in the temperature pattern results in a significant shift in the nature and character of heatwaves.  This present summer, the temperatures in the U.K. surpassed 40C for the first time. The unusual characteristic of the heatwaves, is not just the increase in the temperature but also the length of the heat wave is becoming longer.

Another weather phenomena is coming under the radar also. It’s the occurrence of a ‘heat dome’ where hot air is being pushed down and held in a location  which then begins to experience a sustained high pressure system. This will also intensify the heatwave. And because the heat dome is holding warmer air in-situ, the heatwave will persist longer, and have more severe impacts over the region.

2. More persistent and harsher droughts prevail over seasons

Just as the heatwaves become more persistent and last longer, droughts are also increasing in severity across the globe. As the rains are less, the ground dries out to a greater degree, and results in failed crops. Not only is the food production cycle interrupted severely, the consequences are extended over seasons and years.

extreme weather events

At the same time, ground water dries up and natural water supplies become non-existent. If there is subsurface water table, it tends to be lowered and eventually dries up totally also. And the cycle continues, The ground surface temperatures steadily get hotter, the warm air above the ground gets hotter, and the intensity of the atmospheric heat is enhanced giving rise to further extended heatwaves.

3. Forest fires turn into wildfires across endless expanses

As the rise in atmospheric temperatures continue to creep higher, all moisture is drawn out of the vegetation and the ground soil. Eventually, it reaches a state of tinder-dry conditions, ideal for igniting and fueling natural wildfires. The fires are able to traverse the land mass at great speed as there is nothing impeding the advances of these self-igniting fires.

Human error and mishaps also trigger the starting of fires, but once established, nature is able to fuel and sustain these wildfires. The warmer air temperatures and consequent drying out of the vegetation and soils, triggers the wildfires earlier in the summer season.

Another new phenomena that has come on the stage of extreme weather events as a result of the higher atmospheric temperatures and prolonged heatwaves. These are the weather systems referred to as “pyrocumulonimbus” clouds.  These clouds are able to generate excessive lightning which in turn, can ignite more forest fires. These weather systems are uncontrollable and unmanageable, driven by the escalating thermals and persistent heatwaves.

wildfire-destruction

4. More extreme rainfall events resulting in more flooding

Warm air holds more moisture, and hotter air holds even more moisture. This moisture collects excessive amounts of water vapour as “atmospheric rivers”. This phenomena began to appear in the scientific literature in the late 1990’2. Such massive moisture systems are just waiting to drop copious water. This is no longer happening in just flood plain areas known for periodic flooding,  but in atypical flood regions. Long term rainfall records are being exceeded month after month by highly variable rain systems.

Nature is highly variable, but coupled with climate change and the escalating temperature rises, gives rise to very extreme and new types of weather systems. These combinations with all the variability is a perfect mix for destruction and mayhem across the globe. The question is, can humankind halt these climate change patterns.

Is the expertise and technology available to ameliorate the extreme weather systems that are crashing across the regions of the globe?

Time is not in our favour.

تلوّث المياه في العراق: أزمة خفية تحت سطح النهر

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في بلدٍ وُلِدَ على ضفاف دجلة والفرات، تبدو مفارقة تلوّث المياه مأساة مزدوجة: مائيّة وهُويّاتية. فالعراق الذي علّم البشرية نظم الري والزراعة، أصبح اليوم يواجه واحدة من أخطر أزمات تلوث المياه في الشرق الأوسط، حيث تختلط ملوحة شط العرب بنفايات المستشفيات، وتتقاطع قنوات الري مع مجاري الصرف الصحي، في مشهد يعكس عمق الخلل البيئي والسياسي والإداري.

a polluter river in iraq

أولًا: مصادر التلوث المائي في العراق

رغم أن الصورة العامة تشير إلى “شح المياه”، إلا أن نوعية المياه تمثل تهديدًا أكبر، وأكثر خفاءً.

مياه الصرف الصحي غير المعالجة

  1. أكثر من 70% من مياه الصرف الصحي في العراق تُصرّف مباشرة في الأنهار دون معالجة، وفق تقارير وزارة البيئة.
  2. في بعض المحافظات مثل البصرة، تُقدّر الكمية اليومية المطروحة في شط العرب بأكثر من 300 ألف متر مكعب من المياه الملوثة.

التلوث الصناعي: السموم الثقيلة بلا حسيب

  1. بعض المصانع، خاصة في نينوى والأنبار، تطلق معادن ثقيلة مثل الزئبق والرصاص والكروم إلى المجاري المائية.
  2. هذه المواد لا تتحلل طبيعيًا، وتؤدي إلى تراكم بيولوجي خطير في الكائنات الحية، مما يهدد صحة الإنسان والنظام البيئي.

التلوث الزراعي: السم القاتل الصامت

  1. الاستخدام المكثف للأسمدة الكيمياوية والمبيدات، خاصة في المناطق الزراعية على ضفتي دجلة والفرات، أدى إلى زيادة تركيز النترات والفوسفات في المياه.
  2. هذا التلوث يُحفّز ظاهرة الإثراء الغذائي (Eutrophication) التي تؤدي إلى نفوق الأسماك، وتغيّر لون ورائحة الماء.

 ثانيًا: كيف أصبح شط العرب مالحًا وسامًا؟

شط العرب، المصبّ التاريخي للحياة العراقية، يواجه اليوم زحفًا ملحيًا مدمرًا بسبب:

  1. انخفاض مناسيب دجلة والفرات، ما أتاح لمياه الخليج المالحة التوغل عكس التيار.
  2. غياب السدود التحويلية وندرة محطات المعالجة.
  3. تصريف مياه البزل والمجاري والصناعات النفطية مباشرة في النهر.

ثالثًا: التغير المناخي يفاقم المشكلة

قلة من الناس يعرفون أن ارتفاع درجات الحرارة في العراق يضاعف ملوحة المياه. كيف؟

  1. كل درجة حرارة إضافية تُسرّع تبخر المياه السطحية، وتزيد تركيز الأملاح والملوثات.
  2. الجفاف يقلل من تدفق الأنهار، مما يقلل من قدرة النهر على “تخفيف” الملوثات.
  3. التغير المناخي يؤثر على الدورة الهيدرولوجية في العراق، ويزيد من فترات الجفاف، ويقلل الأمطار، مما يضعف تغذية المياه الجوفية ويزيد الضغط على المصادر السطحية.

رابعًا: تأثير التلوث على صحة الإنسان

  1. شهدت البصرة في صيف 2018 أكبر موجة تسمم جماعي في تاريخ العراق الحديث، حيث أصيب أكثر من 100 ألف شخص بسبب تلوث المياه.
  2. الأمراض الأكثر شيوعًا المرتبطة بتلوث المياه تشمل: الكوليرا، الإسهال المزمن، التهاب الكبد الفيروسي، التسمم بالمعادن الثقيلة.
  3. المشكلة لا تقتصر على المناطق الجنوبية. في بغداد مثلًا، ما زالت بعض الأحياء تسحب المياه من مصادر ملوثة بشكل مباشر أو غير مباشر.

water-pollution

خامسًا: تأثيرات بيئية مهملة

  1. تدهور النظام البيئي في الأهوار، خاصة في هور الحمار وهور الحويزة، نتيجة تدفق المياه الملوثة، أدى إلى هجرة جماعية للطيور والأسماك، واختفاء بعض الأنواع المحلية.
  2. ملوحة التربة تتفاقم بسبب الري بمياه ملوثة، ما يسبب تراجع الإنتاج الزراعي في وسط وجنوب العراق.
  3. تحوّلت بعض القنوات الزراعية إلى برك آسنة حاضنة للبكتيريا والطفيليات، مما يخلق بيئة خصبة للأوبئة.

سادسًا: معلومات نادرة لا يعرفها الكثير

  1. توجد شبكات صرف صحي قديمة ومهترئة في بعض مدن الجنوب، ما يؤدي إلى تسرّب مياه المجاري إلى شبكات الشرب عند انقطاع الضخ أو انخفاض الضغط.
  2. هناك أدلة غير منشورة على أن نسبة النيترات في مياه الشرب في بعض المناطق تتجاوز المعايير الدولية بـ5 أضعاف، مما يشكل خطرًا خاصًا على الأطفال والحوامل.
  3. بعض المزارعين في نينوى والأنبار يضطرون لاستخدام مياه الأنهار الملوثة لري محاصيلهم، مما يؤدي إلى نقل التلوث إلى المنتجات الزراعية نفسها.

سابعًا: ما الحل؟ نحو مستقبل مائي نظيف

  1. ثورة في البنية التحتية
  • بناء محطات معالجة متقدمة للمياه الرمادية والسوداء في كل محافظة.
  • تحديث شبكات المياه والصرف، ومنع التوصيلات العشوائية التي تسبب التلوث المتبادل.
  1. تشريعات حازمة
  • فرض غرامات على المصانع التي تطرح نفاياتها دون معالجة.
  • مراقبة الاستخدام الزراعي للمبيدات والأسمدة، وتشجيع التحول إلى الزراعة العضوية.
  1. استثمار في تقنيات المعالجة اللامركزية
  • استخدام أنظمة معالجة مائية صغيرة (Decentralized Units) في المناطق الريفية والنائية.
  • دعم مشاريع إعادة استخدام المياه الرمادية في الري والتشجير الحضري.
  1. توعية وتعبئة مجتمعية
  • يجب تحويل المياه من “مورد” إلى “قضية وجود”.
  • دعم مبادرات رصد مجتمعي للتلوث، وإشراك المدارس والجامعات في حملات المراقبة والتبليغ. 

وفي ختام هذا المقال المتواضع ودتت التوضيح

ان تلوث المياه في العراق لم يعد مجرد ملف بيئي، بل هو قضية أمن قومي وصحة عامة وكرامة إنسانية. السكوت عن التلوث هو مشاركة ضمنية في الجريمة. والمعالجة تبدأ بإعلان الطوارئ، ووضع المياه على رأس أولويات الدولة، والانفتاح على خبرات الداخل والخارج، وخلق شراكات بين المواطن والخبير وصانع القرار. العراق لا يحتاج فقط إلى “مشاريع ماء”، بل إلى رؤية مائية ذكية، عادلة، وعاجلة

A Beginner’s Guide to Composting

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Composting occurs when biodegradable waste is piled together in a pit or a compost bin. The temperature of the organic waste increases due to the microbial activity of the piled material. The composting temperature often reaches 65 degrees to 75 degrees Celsius within a few days and then declines slowly. This high temperature hastens the elimination of pathogens in the waste stream and facilitates the composting process.

Compost_Schematic

The Composting Process

The composting process is a complex interaction between the waste and the microorganisms within the waste. The microorganisms that carry out this process fall into three groups: bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes. Actinomycetes are a form of fungi-like bacteria that break down organic matter.

The first stage of the biological activity is the consumption of easily available sugars by bacteria, which causes a fast rise in temperature. The second stage involves bacteria and actinomycetes that cause cellulose breakdown. The last stage is concerned with the breakdown of the tougher lignins by fungi.

Central solutions are exemplified by low-cost composting, as discussed here by GardenDIY, without forced aeration, and technologically more advanced systems with forced aeration and temperature feedback. Central composting plants are capable of handling more than 100,000 tons of biodegradable waste per year, but typically the plant size is about 10,000 to 30,000 tons per year.

Biodegradable wastes must be separated prior to composting. Only food waste, garden waste, wood chips, and to some extent paper are suitable for producing good-quality compost.

composting-food-waste

Composting Methods

The methodology of composting can be categorized into three major segments – anaerobic composting, aerobic composting, and vermicomposting.

In anaerobic composting, the organic matter is decomposed in the absence of air. Organic matter may be collected in pits and covered with a thick layer of soil and left undisturbed six to eight months. The compost so formed may not be completely converted and may include aggregated masses.

Aerobic composting is the process by which organic wastes are converted into compost or manure in presence of air and can be of different types. The most common is the Heap Method, where organic matter needs to be divided into three different types and to be placed in a heap one over the other, covered by a thin layer of soil or dry leaves. This heap needs to be mixed every week, and it takes about three weeks for conversion to take place.

The process is same in the Pit Method, but carried out specially constructed pits. Mixing has to be done every 15 days, and there is no fixed time in which the compost may be ready.

Berkley Method uses a labor-intensive technique and has precise requirements of the material to be composted. Easily biodegradable materials, such as grass, vegetable matter, etc., are mixed with animal matter in the ratio of 2:1. Compost is usually ready in 15 days.

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting involves use of earthworms as natural and versatile bioreactors for the process of conversion. It is carried out in specially designed pits where earthworm culture also needs to be done. Vermicomposting is a precision-based option and requires overseeing of work by an expert. It is also a more expensive option (O&M costs especially are high).

However, unlike the above two options, it is a completely odorless process making it a preferred solution in residential areas. It also has an extremely high rate of conversion, so quality of the end product is very high with rich macro and micronutrients. The end product also has the advantage that it can be dried and stored safely for a longer period of time.

Composting_Vancouver

Composting Facility in Vancouver

Composting Equipment

The composting plants consist of some or all of the following technical units: bag openers, magnetic and/or ballistic separators, screeners (sieves), shredders, mixing and homogenization equipment, turning equipment, irrigation systems, aeration systems, draining systems, bio-filters, scrubbers, control systems, and steering systems.

Detecting AI-Generated Text Helps Maintain Trust in Environmental Media

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In a world increasingly shaped by digital content, environmental communication plays a crucial role in spreading awareness and encouraging action. From articles on climate change to tips for sustainable living, the information we consume must be reliable and human‑centered. As media outlets deepen their coverage of environmental issues trust depends heavily on knowing information is genuine. Employing a chatgpt detector during content review can help organizations confirm that reports are written by people not machines preserving credibility and authority.

A person using a AI content detector tool

Why AI Detection Matters in Environmental Journalism

Accurate information is essential for environmental topics. Decisions around pollution control, climate policy, and biodiversity preservation hinge on trustworthy content. When readers encounter articles that lack genuine expertise, credibility is undermined, and public trust can erode.

AI‑generated content can be efficient but also risk oversimplifying or misrepresenting complex ecological issues. For organizations committed to integrity in their environmental messaging, AI detection tools offer a way to ensure their materials remain authentic and credible.

How AI Detection Technology Works

AI detection tools analyze linguistic patterns, statistical features, and structural markers that distinguish machine‑generated text from human writing. By scrutinizing sentence structure, redundancy, and predictability, these tools can flag text that likely originated from a generative model.

Though not infallible, the best detectors are trained on large datasets of both AI and human content. They use machine learning algorithms to assess the probability that a text is machine‑generated, offering editors and authors valuable insights into its authenticity.

Benefits for Environmental Platforms and Creators

1. Upholding Editorial Standards

Editors can vet articles to confirm whether they reflect genuine human insight rather than automated content, safeguarding their platform’s reputation.

2. Preserving Educational Integrity

When blogs, reports, or resources on sustainability are accurately authored, they better support public understanding and trust.

3. Promoting Ethical Content Creation

Creators committed to transparency can disclose use of AI tools where appropriate, reinforcing accountability.

4. Strengthening Reader Confidence

Knowing content is human‑driven encourages readers to engage, share, and act on the message more decisively.

Addressing the Challenges and Limitations

While detection tools are increasingly sophisticated, they face an ongoing challenge: as AI models grow more advanced, they better imitate human writing. This dynamic creates an arms race between generation and detection technologies.

Another challenge is potential false positives, where a human‑written text is mistakenly flagged as AI. To avoid unfair outcomes, it’s important to calibrate detection tools carefully and examine results in context.

environment essay

Moving Toward Transparency and Best Practices

Environmental media platforms can take proactive steps to preserve trust:

  • Set clear guidelines on use and disclosure of AI‑assisted content.
  • Use detection tools as a standard part of the editorial workflow.
  • Provide context if AI is used, such as stating that a section was drafted and then revised by a human editor.
  • Train authors and staff on both the strengths and risks of AI tools.

These strategies support a culture where technology enhances communication without compromising authenticity.

The Future of Integrity in Environmental Media

As technology evolves, AI detection tools are likely to become integrated into content management systems, learning portals, and publishing platforms. This will streamline authenticity checks and support a higher standard of transparency across industries.

In environmental discourse, where credibility and trust are essential, AI detection is a practical way to maintain integrity. It helps ensure that content remains rooted in human experience, verified information, and purpose-driven communication.

Final Thoughts

Environmental wisdom thrives on authenticity. While AI offers exciting tools for productivity, the stories we tell, and the actions we encourage, must remain grounded in genuine human insight and expertise. By embracing AI detection tools, environmental media platforms can uphold that high standard. In doing so, they support informed action and long-term trust from readers who care deeply about our planet.

The Key Features of a Green Building

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A green building incorporates environmental considerations into every stage of the building construction and focuses on the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases. The key process difference between green and conventional buildings is the concept of integration, whereby a multi-disciplinary team of building professionals work together from the pre-design phase through post-occupancy to optimize the building for environmental sustainability, performance, and cost saving.

green building features

Green buildings offer widespread benefits to a number of building industry stakeholders, including building occupants and society as a whole. Green buildings typically incorporate superior air quality, abundant natural light, access to views and noise control which benefits building occupants, making these building better places to work or live. The major considerations taken into account are the lot design and development efficiency, energy and water efficiency, resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality and the building’s overall impact on the environment.

An integral characteristic of a green building is its stress on protecting existing ecologies, and improving ecologies that may have been damaged in the past. Green buildings are usually constructed on environmentally-sensitive lands or previously developed property, with measures taken to restore plant life. Green buildings also utilize fewer materials, through efficient design and elimination of unnecessary finish materials. In addition, green building operations promote material as well as water recycling in their operation and also provide returns for those investing in real estate.

Energy efficiency is one of the most important factors in almost all green building programs. Careful window selection, building envelope air sealing, duct sealing, proper placement of air and vapour barriers, use of clean energy-powered heating/cooling systems contribute towards an energy efficient building. Use of renewable energy, such as solar, wind or biomass energy, to meet energy requirements can significantly reduce carbon footprints of such buildings.

Features of a Green Building

Green homes lay stress on water conservation by implementing more efficient water delivery and recycling system, both of which are integral features of a property that is eco-friendly. Minimization of water use is another characteristic feature of a green building which helps in reducing the detrimental effects of water use and its effects on local ecologies, such as aquatic life.

An increase in respiratory ailments and allergies and the use of chemicals that can give off gas from materials have greatly contributed to sensitive awareness of the air we breathe inside our homes. The green building also focuses on reducing respiratory ailments and allergies by improving the quality of in-house air by controlling the contamination source, diluting the source, and capturing the source through filtration.

Green Building Rating Systems

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) and Green Globes are popular green building assessment and rating systems used around the world. Sustainability is now a top priority in MENA region and countries like Qatar, UAE and Lebanon have come up with their own green building rating system to incorporate socio-economic, environmental and cultural aspects in modern architecture. Qatar’s Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) is billed as the world’s most comprehensive green building rating system while Abu Dhabi’s Pearl Rating System (PRS) has carved a niche of its own in global green buildings sector.

Green Buildings in the Middle East

The Middle East region has been witnessing rapid developments in the green buildings industry, primarily driven by concerns related to environmental degradation, fossil fuel depletion and energy inefficiency. Buildings in the Middle East consume more energy than those in other parts of the world mainly on account of extremely hot weather and rampant use of glass exteriors.

green building in UAE

Countries in the region are increasingly promoting energy efficiency as a means to ensure energy security which has become a boon for the green buildings industry. The number of LEED-registered buildings has increased rapidly across the region, especially in GCC, in the past few years. Some of the notable examples of green buildings in the Middle East are Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, KAUST in Saudi Arabia and Msheireb Downtown Doha in Qatar.

Conclusion

To sum up, green buildings not only contribute towards a sustainable construction and environment preservation but it also brings lots of benefits and advantages to building owners and users. Lower development costs, lower operating costs, increased comforts, healthier indoor environment quality, and enhanced durability and less maintenance costs are hallmarks of a typical green building.

Why Do You Need Eco-friendly Cleaning Services?

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We’ve settled into a lot of different amenities over the years. From cars to washing machines to even the mighty toaster. Of course, just because we’ve built something doesn’t mean we’ve given up on trying to improve it in just about any way, shape, or form we can muster up. One of the newest ways to improve something that exists is to make it more friendly for the environment. One of the newest industries to get hit by the green wave would be the housekeeping industry.

What’s to gain from eco-friendly cleaning services? Lucky for you, I got to the bottom of it all:

1. Prevent The Creation Of Superbugs

All of these harsh chemicals that promise to kill 99.9% of germs sound great once you realize that all that’s left is what’s resistant to said chemicals and they now have their pick of the litter as far as resources in that area. These harsh antimicrobial products don’t offer any significant health benefits, while I personally consider the fact that they create an environment perfect for breeding superbugs to be the opposite of their intended effect.

2. Good Price To Value Ratio

Most of the industrial chemicals that are used for deep cleaning the house are quite expensive. By using eco-friendly cleaning products, Wimbledon cleaning services are able to provide their customers with affordable high-quality cleaning services that are safe for their health and easy on their pocket!

3. Better Air Quality

As nice as it is to have a house that looks livable, there isn’t much good in getting your home cleaned if it makes it unlivable thanks to all of the noxious fumes now circling in the air. Dry heat makes air already difficult to tolerate, any nasty extras come out twice as strong in that kind of climate. Often, people such as those interested in maid service Austin, have a desire to keep their air as crisp as possible to help beat the heat. No fumes, no worries, no hassle! Natural cleaning chemicals don’t have this effect which makes them great for those who suffer from allergies and regular breathing problems.

4. Sustainability

Most natural products are beginning to come in biodegradable or at least highly recyclable containers to further hammer in the full eco-friendliness of that product. It doesn’t get more eco-friendly than starting from the dirt and ending in the dirt, now does it? Another great thing about many natural cleaners is that they can be shipped highly concentrated and then diluted as needed, further reducing the amount of materials that had to be used.

Also Read: Eco-friendly Ways to Wash Your Car

If you have a penchant for keeping the planet as healthy as you possibly can, then it is a no-brainer that you should consider looking for an eco-friendly cleaning service as opposed to your regular harsh chemical style cleaner. Also try to invest in a maid service software.

If you’re lucky, you’ll manage to reduce your carbon footprint, your allergy medication bills, and your cleaning bill too. We’re becoming more and more aware of the fact that we have a limited amount of resources available to us and a surplus of people who need said resources; the eco-friendly movement is merely a natural continuation of our desire to get the most out of what we have now.

Microsoft 70-347 Exam: Preparation Tips and Tricks

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Microsoft 70-347 is now retired, but passing this test led to the MCSA certification. Achieving this credential proves that you have the knowledge to install and manage Cloud-hosted applications with Office 365, including Skype, Exchange, and SharePoint for Business. The 70-347 exam demands your thorough preparation. Otherwise, attaining even the passing score can be very difficult. AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies Exam provides the candidates with useful preparation tips for passing this test.

Why should you take the Microsoft 70-347 exam?

There are so many good reasons why studying for the Microsoft 70-347 exam is worth one’s effort and time. Besides being one of the tests that qualify an individual for the MCSA certificate, passing this exam also makes an individual stand out from peers. This means more job opportunities in bigger companies, possible salary increment, promotion, and respect from colleagues.

The Microsoft MCSA certifications are recognized worldwide and are highly valued in the IT industry. Passing the 70-347 exam gave a chance to apply for jobs in the companies beyond the borders of your country and continent. It is always important to develop your skills with Office 365. As more businesses realize the potential of the Microsoft’s Cloud-based productivity set, adoption of Office 365 has been continuing at a very fast rate.

Preparation options for the Microsoft 70-347 exam

As mentioned earlier, Microsoft 70-347 required thorough preparation. Although it is now retired, preparation tips can be useful for any other Microsoft exam. Working smart and hard is the only way to pass such certification tests. The following exam preparation tips will help you prepare adequately for this test and pass IT with flying numbers at your first attempt. Check them out!

1. Create a study plan

If you have opted for self-studying, you must have a study plan to guide you through. Preparing for a comprehensive IT certification test such as Microsoft 70-347 requires planning and hard work. You can only plan your study by having a blueprint. You cannot read through the entire syllabus in just a day or a week. You need to know the syllabus and create a study plan on how you are going to cover every topic.

2. Plan ahead of time

Planning ahead means distributing the study loads throughout the entire preparation period, distributing the exam topics throughout study days, making short notes, availing reference books, and reviewing whatever you have covered to ensure that there is no knowledge gap.

3. Focus on your goals

Before you start preparing for the Microsoft 70-347 exam, you should first of all outline your goals. When you know them, you will know what you are working towards, and you will be able to achieve your study goals in a systematic way. Thus, be sure to know your goals clearly and stick to them.

4. Simplify whatever you read

Great exam preparation materials are written in the simplest language to understand. However, you can still make it even easier for your understanding by simplifying whatever you have read and learnt. This will make your revision more effective.

5. Test your understanding

Look for exam questions for every topic and try answering them to see how good you have understood the topic. When you take practice questions, you will be able to tell whether you have really understood it. You should test yourself at the end of every theme before moving on to the next one. Only proceed to the next topic when you can correctly answer all the exam questions on the current topic.

6. Take a training course

Training is the most effective way of preparing for the Microsoft 70-347 exam, especially for those who are not good at studying on their own. When you take a training course, you will be studying in an environment that is conducive for studying. This will enhance your learning and help you focus fully on the outcome, thereby increasing your chances of passing the test. There are several training options to choose from.

For instance, you can opt for classroom-based learning, e-learning, or online training, depending on your preference, schedule and budget. When you take a course, you will learn all the concepts from the qualified and professional instructors.

7. Take practice tests

You need to benchmark your knowledge before taking any exam. Practice tests are an excellent way to do that. When you take them, you will be able to identify your weak areas and how good you have mastered the study material. Practice tests are also an excellent way of assessing your readiness. They are good for simulating actual world testing conditions, and you will know exactly what you should expect in the real exam. This builds your confidence.

8. Prepare with exam dumps

Most likely, you are a very busy person and you might not have the time for instructor-led training or the time to read exam guides, books, or use various exam resources. If that is the case, then braindumps are your perfect alternative. With Microsoft 70-347 exam dumps, you don’t need other preparation resources to prepare for this certification test. The questions you find in dumps are almost the same as the ones you’ll find in the actual exam. They are formatted and compiled in an official and professional manner to cater fully for the candidate’s learning techniques. When you practice with brain dumps, you will adopt to the real testing environment.

Conclusion

Preparing for the Microsoft 70-347 exam doesn’t have to be as difficult as it might sound. All you need to do is to put the above preparation tips into practice, and you will pass this certification test without a struggle.

How Extreme Weather Events Are Impacting Iraq

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The people of Iraq, particularly in and around Baghdad, are being overwhelmed with the current weather conditions. Since April 20222, the region has been impacted by at least 8 massive dust storms turning everything in the path of the storms orange. The dust storms are visible in satellite imagery as the systems are so intense.

extreme weather events in iraq

Such a high frequency of sandstorms enhances the desertification as the rainfall patterns have also diminished over recent years. Not only is the natural environment threatened beyond normal levels, but such dust storms create havoc on human health, especially respiratory disease and complications associated with respiration. Over 2,000 persons were hospitalized in the mid-May dust storm.

Now in the peak of the summer months, the threat to people’s health and  local environment has shifted to the aggressive and very persistent heatwaves across the Middle East region, as well as across other regions of the globe.

The extraordinary temperatures are hovering around the 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in excess of 120 degrees are persisting for up to six days in such places as Jahra, Kuwait. Other locations such as Dammam in Saudi Arabia and Ahvaz in Iran are recording 122 degrees Fahrenheit. These triple digit temperatures are moving towards the peak summer norms.

These heatwave occurrences are coinciding with the Indian monsoon season which typically occurs from June to September. These monsoon rains have historically contributed on average, 70% of India’s total annual rainfall. This is rainwater that replenishes groundwater, natural and man-made reservoirs, and spill into the waterways. These water resources are needed for crop irrigation and for the generation of hydropower.

This annual cycle of monsoon rains starts with the land mass across the subcontinent of India and the Middle East region. The surface land heating up creates a low pressure zone. This drop in pressure brings in winds from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal to form the rain cloud systems.

Northern Africa has similar intensification of the temperature but not breaking the 100-degree level. But city temperatures are able to soar to cross the 100-degree mark. There is no way to cool down and stay cooled. So people’s health and lives are threatened by heat stroke, heat cramps and exhaustion. If the body temperature cannot be controlled and regulated to an acceptable lower body eat, these conditions can lead to death.

impact of sand and dust storm

The only real defense is to have access to drinking water, healthy foods and air conditioning. One needs to reduce intake of caffeine, alcohol and sugar-laden foods. Easy access to devise shaded areas are effective throughout the 24h – diurnal cycle as temperatures do not drop very much in the night hours also. Clothing needs to be light coloured, light fabric, loose and not fitting. All the while protecting oneself from excess dust inhalation and possible COVID transmission.

Environmental conditions, weather systems and ongoing human health conditions add to the daily challenges of life across the globe. Nowhere seems to be exempt from the challenges of extreme weather events and climate change occurrences.