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The Key Features of Net-Zero Homes

It doesn’t matter where in the world you live, the time has come to realize the importance of building homes that use zero energy. You don’t even have to believe in catastrophic global warming to realize the financial, comfort, and environmental benefits of net-zero homes. But first, you need to have an understanding of net-zero and zero-carbon buildings and their implications for us all, as well as the elements and features that need to be incorporated into a net-zero home. Net-Zero Homes and Energy Efficiency You could say that a net-zero or zero-energy home represents the best in energy efficiency. … Continue reading

Agriculture, Women and Youth – The Jordanian Perspective

The theme “agriculture, women and youth” deals with three main axes in the development of different societies and key pillars in sustainable development, especially in developing and rural countries. In general, it is known that Jordan is an agricultural country with excellence and that its water resources are limited because it is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, which affects agricultural production, and often depends on the import of foodstuffs in a large proportion and in greater defiance of global price fluctuations. However, agriculture provides important employment opportunities, especially in rural and desert areas, and remains a … Continue reading

الزراعة والمرأة والشباب

يتناول موضوع “الزراعة والمرأة والشباب” ثلاث محاور أساسية في تنمية المجتمعات المختلفة  وركائز أساسية في التنمية المستدامة، خاصة في الدول النامية والريفية .وفي لمحة عامة من المعروف أن الاردن بلد زراعي بإمتياز وأن الموارد المائية فيه محدودة كونه يعد من أكثر الدول فقراً بالمياه في العالم، مما يؤثر على الإنتاج الزراعي ، وغالباً يتم الإعتماد على الإستيراد من المواد الغذائية بنسبة كبيرة وبتحدي أكبر لتقلبات الأسعار العالمية. ومع ذلك فإن الزراعة توفر فرص عمل مهمة خاصة في المناطق الريفية والبادية، وتظل  قطاع حيوي لتحقيق الأمن الغذائي المستدام. وتمثل المرأة نسبة كبيرة من القوى العاملة الزراعية  في العديد من البلدان تتراوح … Continue reading

How a Vegan Diet Can Drive Sustainability in the MENA Region

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) faces a stark paradox that becomes clearer every dry season: its population is young and expanding, yet its freshwater supply is disappearing faster than in any other region on Earth. Climate models warn that average summer temperatures could rise by another 4 °C by mid‑century, and renewable freshwater resources have already fallen to one‑tenth of the global average. Meanwhile, supermarket shelves in Cairo, Dubai, and Casablanca still overflow with imported beef, chicken, and dairy—foods that consume thousands of litres of water and depend on millions of tonnes of soy and maize shipped from abroad. This article examines … Continue reading

دليل المبتدئين للطاقة المتجددة

إن الطاقة المتجددة متوفرة في كل مكان حولنا، لكن علينا أن ندرك كيف نستخدمها ونتعامل معها في حياتنا اليومية. جميعنا سمعنا عنها وعن الفوائد المتعددة لاستخدامها من الوقود الاحفوري كالفحم والنفط والغاز الطبيعي إلى طاقة الرياح، والشمس والوقود الحيوي والطاقة الكهرومائية وايضاُ خلايا وقود الهيدروجين. لكن، ماهي الطاقة المتجددة؟ ومن أين تأتي؟ حسناً، نحن نستطيع تسخير واستغلال هذه الطاقة من خلال توربينات الرياح والالواح الشمسية في المنزل او العمل، وأيضاً نستطيع الاستفادة من حقيقة أن الشركات مطالبة بتوليد وتوفير جزء من الكهرباء بإستخدام مصادر الطاقة النظيفة. حتى إن كانت بعض الشركات – إن لم يكن معظمها – لا تقدم برامج … Continue reading

7 Unique Ways the World is Adapting to Limited Resources

Globally speaking, we use 30 percent more of the earth’s non-renewable resources than is sustainable. Unsustainability means using resources at a quicker rate than they can regenerate, therefore limiting their availability for future generations. Resource limitations include deforestation, degraded soil, polluted air and water sources, water table depletion, acidic oceans, and declines in biodiversity. One of the most impactful ways for the consumer goods industry to help the planet is to play a part in adapting to the decreased availability of resources and sustainability. This means redesigning consumer products and production systems to use fewer environmentally harmful or resource-depleting raw … Continue reading

Solid Waste Management in Iraq

Iraq is one of the most populous Arab countries with population exceeding 32 million. Rapid economic growth, high population growth, increasing individual income and sectarian conflicts have led to worsening solid waste management problem in the country. Iraq is estimated to produce 31,000 tons of solid waste every day with per capita waste generation exceeding 1.4 kg per day. Baghdad alone produces more than 1.5 million tons of solid wastes each year. Rapid increase in waste generation production is putting tremendous strain on Iraqi waste handling infrastructure which have heavily damaged after decades of conflict and mismanagement. In the absence … Continue reading

Trigeneration Systems: Working Principle and Benefits

Trigeneration refers to the simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heating and cooling from the combustion of a biomass fuel or a solar heat collector. Conventional coal or nuclear-powered power stations convert only about 33% of their input heat to electricity. The remaining 67% emerges from the turbines as low-grade waste heat with no significant local uses so it is usually rejected to the environment. What is Trigeneration In a trigeneration system, the supply of high-temperature heat first drives a gas or steam turbine powered generator and the resulting low-temperature waste heat is then used for water or space heating. Such systems can attain higher … Continue reading

دور الشركات الناشئة في التعافي المستدام في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا

أوشكت العديد من الشركات على الانهيار بسبب جائحة كورونا. في عالم ريادة الأعمال، تجد العديد من الشركات الناشئة والتي لا تمتلك شبكة أمان اجتماعي نفسها فجأة معتمدة كليًا على مدخراتها. وحيث يركز العالم الآن على مرحلة التعافي من آثار الجائحة، يدرك أصحاب الأعمال أهمية بناء نماذج عمل وهياكل أكثر مرونة ومنعة لمواجهة أزمات مشابهة ولتجنب أي صدمات اقتصادية. التكيف مع الواقع الجديد تسعى الشركات الناشئة الخضراء إلى تطوير حلول مبتكرة تهدف إلى استغلال النفايات أو إعادة استخدامها، وتقليل تكاليف التصنيع، وتخفيف الضغط على نظامنا البيئي الطبيعي وموارده. علمتنا جائحة كورونا كذلك أهمية الاستعانة بسلاسل الامداد المحلية أينما كان ذلك ممكنًا، … Continue reading

The Retreat of the Tigris River and Its Impact on Biodiversity in Northern Iraq

The Tigris River, one of Mesopotamia’s twin lifelines, plays a vital ecological and socioeconomic role in northern Iraq. However, over the past two decades, it has undergone significant hydrological decline. This retreat, driven by a combination of climate change, upstream damming, and poor water governance, has caused a cascading effect on ecosystems and livelihoods, particularly in the northern provinces of Iraq such as Nineveh, Dohuk, and parts of Erbil. The drop in water levels in the Tigris River has: Severely impacted agricultural lands, especially in riparian zones that once depended on natural flooding cycles for soil fertility Diminished fish populations … Continue reading

Introduction to Vertical Axis Wind Machines

Wind energy is growing more economical and reliable. Vertical axis machines can help meet smaller, local needs for communities with limited resources.  These include pumping water, grinding grain, powering  workshops and in some cases, generating electricity. Learn about the two main types of vertical axis wind machines in this article: The lift type (eggbeater, helical and h-rotor) The Darrieus vertical axis wind turbines often has two or three thin, curved blades, depending on the model. These turn at higher speeds suitable for generating electricity but require much greater skill in design and engineering. The h-type is simply vertical blades. The … Continue reading

Historic Vertical Axis Wind Machines: Lessons for Sustainable Energy

Most people are familiar with horizontal axis wind machines. These include the charming Dutch and Danish water pumping machines, the smaller sail windmills of Portugal, Greece and other areas, the iconic multi-blade water pumpers of the American west (millions sold), and the ever larger and more expensive three-blade wind turbines being used around the world to generate electricity. Hundreds of different wind machine designs have been proposed, built and tested and innovation continues to this day. The vertical axis wind machines are less well known. These had been invented and refined hundreds of years before the horizontal axis machines. Two … Continue reading