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Desertification in MENA – Causes and Solutions

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Desertification is a worldwide phenomenon afflicting countries all over the world. The desert is making a comeback in the Middle East, with fertile lands turning into barren wastes. According to UNDP’s 2009 Arab Human Development Report, desertification is threatening around one-fifth of the MENA region. China is experiencing desertification at an alarming rate – as much as 1,300 square miles each year. Sub-Saharan Africa is drying up, as are regions of Turkey that were once rich agricultural lands. During the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the world’s leaders adopted the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and agreed on the desertification definition … Continue reading →

The Benefits of Green Buildings for the Middle East

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The Middle East region faces a unique set of challenges in terms of sustainable buildings and cities. For example, water shortage is mitigated by costly desalination and we are faced with high water consumption which leads to a higher carbon footprint and ultimately impacts climate change. Middle Eastern countries are at the top of the list of largest per capita ecological footprints. In 2020, Qatar has the highest per capita level of carbon dioxide emissions, at 37 metric tons per person annually. Kuwait is second with 20.83 tons, followed by Saudi Arabia with 17.97 metric tons. Therefore, integrating energy efficiency … Continue reading →

Causes and Consequences of CO2-Induced Ocean Acidification

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“The CO2 problem” has traditionally been understood as the fact that excessive CO2 produces global warming. But near the end of the 20th century, scientists started talking about a second CO2 problem, “ocean acidification”. Ocean acidification results from the fact that about 30 percent of our CO2 emissions have been absorbed by the ocean. This absorption keeps down the warming of the atmosphere that would otherwise be produced by these emissions. Ocean acidification involves the ocean’s pH, changes in which make the water become either more alkaline or more acidic. Tests have shown that “for more than 600,000 years the … Continue reading →

الديمقراطية في المشروع الدولي البيئي

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الديمقراطية القيمة والثقافة الإنسانية التي على الرغم من تنازع الرؤى والمفاهيم حول جوهر مضامينها وتوصيفاتها وضرورة وجودها ومدى شمول توافق أنماطها مع تقاليد وقيم المجتمعات الإنسانية على اختلاف ثقافاتها وانتماءاتها العرقية والدينية، وخصوصية أنظمتها الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والسياسية، تبقى المطلب الإنساني الذي صار يؤكد ضرورة وجوده في مواجهة الأزمات والكوارث الإنسانية وزحمة التراجعات في المفاهيم القيمية للعلاقات، وما يسببه ذلك من شرعنة ثقافة الجريمة وإحاطتها بحزام من التقاليد لثقافة التخلف، والتوجه بشكل متسارع لجعل ثقافة الغاب الوسيلة التي تحكم المجتمع البشري. تلك الحقيقة نتبينها في الانزلاق المتسارع نحو ثقافة الجريمة المبنية على قشور تاريخ ومبادئ ثقافات وهمية تشبه فقاعة الصابون، لكنها أحدثت … Continue reading →

Waste Management Perspectives for Oman

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Globalization and modernization has led to increased consumption among the Omani population. Reportedly, the average Omani household throws away one-third of the food it purchases. Conspicuous consumption fuelled by peer pressure and effective advertising brings more goods and products into the home than the family members can actually make use of. And along with the increase in merchandise comes a lot of extra packaging. Product packaging now accounts for the bulk of what is thrown into household rubbish bins. The urge to keep pace with what one’s neighbours, relatives and peers acquire means higher rates of consumption: a new mobile … Continue reading →

المبنى الأخضر في الأردن – نافذة جديدة على البيئة

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في  دول العالم المتقدم , أصبح الحوار الذي ينافس السياسة و القضايا المجتمعية هو البيئة . أصبحت البيئة محط أنظار الجميع الان بعد سنين طوال من السعي وراء التكنولوجيا و التطور و إهمالها بشكل ملحوظ . إن مفهوم البيئة لم يعد مقتصرا على النظافة و توفير المياه فحسب , بل أصبحت الدول و القارات تتنافس في مجال انتاج الطاقة النظيفة ( طاقة الرياح , الشمسية , الطاقة المائية , طاقة الحرارة الأرضية , طاقة المد و الجزر و طاقة الكتل الحرارية ) وذلك بعد الجزم بإمكانيتها في  تأمين طاقة يمكن الإعتماد عليها في شتى الميادين و بشكل رئيسي بدلا من … Continue reading →

الضرر البيئي الناتج عن الصناعة

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ان العالم حولنا يتأثر بكل ما نفعله، من استهلاكنا للطعام، الى الكهرباء التي نستعملها. ولكن الواقع لم يكن دائما على هذا الحال. الثورة الصناعية غيرت طرق الانتاج والأكل والطاقة وكذالك الصحة والتكنولوجيا الصناعية. الثورة الصناعية بدأت الثورة الصناعية في منتصف القرن السابع عشر (م)، عندما كانت اعداد سكان العالم قد شارفت على العودة الى مستوياتها الطبيعية التي كانت قد تأثرت بالوفيات الناجمة عن الطاعون الاسود الذي قضى على 75 مليون انسان سنة 1300م. وبسببها ارتفعت اعداد سكان الارض الى المليار في سنة 1800، ومن ثم الى ضعف ذلك في سنة 1926. في بداية القرن الواحد والعشرين كانت اعداد السكان قد … Continue reading →

The Benefits of Owning a Hybrid Vehicle

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Hybrid vehicles are not new; however, their popularity has increased over time. Even though hybrid cars may seem hard to produce, the exact opposite is true. Hybrids are just cars with both gasoline or diesel engine and a battery-powered electric motor. A hybrid vehicle, such as the Toyota Prius and the 2022 Toyota Corolla, conserves fuel and emits less CO2 emissions. The purpose of two engines is to reduce fuel consumption and, therefore, to save energy. How Hybrid Cars Work Any vehicle with two separate power sources can be classified as a hybrid car. Due to the high expense of … Continue reading →

Solar-Powered Schools: A Bright Investment for Education and the Environment

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Renewable energy has become vastly ingrained in the global energy mix as the world turns to cleaner, more reliable sources for powering homes and businesses. Solar energy, in particular, has been at the forefront of the renewable revolution, with photovoltaic (PV) rooftop panels and subsequent technologies found everywhere, from where you live and work to where you go to school. Schools across the country have quickly realized the importance of adopting solar power to reduce their carbon footprints, save money and provide optimal learning opportunities for their students. Here’s why investing in solar-powered schools makes sense for enhancing education and … Continue reading →

Evolution: From Philosophical Ideas to Modern Evolutionary Synthesis

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From the dawn of civilization, biology has evolved gradually, beginning with philosophical views in early ages, passing through periods of medieval substantial milestones, and ending in the scientific revolution of the modern era. Thanks to this progression, we have reached the modern experimental science, which has expanded the horizons of human knowledge and reached unprecedented innovations in various fields. Experimental science aims to understand and explain natural phenomena in a systematic and reliable approach, enabling the making of scientific predictions that can be tested experimentally. Experimental science is a systematic process that relies on observation, measuring, quantitative analyzing and experimentation … Continue reading →

Carbon Capture and Storage: Prospects in the GCC

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GCC countries are burgeoning economies which are highly dependent on hydrocarbons to fuel their needs for economic growth. GCC nations are fully aware of the mounting consequences of increasing levels of CO­2 on the environment, mainly attributed to soaring energy demand of domestic and industrial sector. Regional countries are undertaking concrete steps and measures to reduce their carbon footprint through the introduction of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. Among other options, Carbon Capture and Storage, popularly known as CCS, can be an attractive proposition for GCC nations. What is CCS Carbon capture and storage (or carbon capture and sequestration) … Continue reading →

سوسة النخيل الاحمر : التهديد الحقيقي لشجر النخيل في الشرق الاوسط

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التهديد الحقيقي في الوقت الحاضر لشجر المخيل هو بسبب سوسة النخيل . هذا المخلوق موطنه اساسا من جنوب اسيا , ولكنه نشر اجنحته عبر العالم . تستطيع ان تدمر هذة السوسة بساتين النخيل , او زيت النخيل او جوز الهند , خلال ال30 سنة الاخيرة استطاعت هذة السوسة و التي احيانا يطلق عليها سوسة التمر من اختراق 60 دولة وقد وصلت الى الشرق الاوسط , شمال افريقيا , وجنوب اوروبا عبر الكاريبي . طوارئ في الشرق الاوسط  بدات هذة السوسة في الظهور في السعودية و الامارات في منتصف الثمانينات , اليوم مزارع شجر النخيل في جنوب غرب السعودية اصبحت مصابه … Continue reading →