الحديث الأخضر – نصائح بيئية من النبي محمد عليه الصلاة والسلام

يعتبر النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، من أهم الذين وصلوا الى قمة النجاح ، إن لم يكن الوحيد الذي وصل، ليس فقط من خلال التعايم الشفهي، وإنما عن طريق تطبيق المبادئ الإسلامية لحماية  البيئة بشكل صارم. وكان اهتمامه بالحفاظ على الطبيعة قد ظهر عبر التاريخ، حيث تمت الإشارة  إلى أن الاستثناء الوحيد الذي  تم فيه قطع الاشجار كان في المدينة، حيث قطعت أشجار النخيل لعرقلة قبيلة يهودية تدعى “بنو النضير”.

trees

علم النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، الناس طريقة  العيش  على القليل من أجل حماية الحياة الحيوانية والنباتية، وعبادة الخالق عن طريق الرأفة في ما خلقه الله ، وأكثر ما يميز تعاليم النبي محمد (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) هو العلاقة بين الممارسات الأخلاقية والآثار الأبدية في الحياة بعد الموت، والتي تمثل حافزا أكبر للمسلمين لرعاية الأرض ومواردها.

ما الذي يجعل القائد ناجحا؟  دعا العديد من قادة العالم والشخصيات الدينية لحماية كوكب الأرض في نضالهم للوصول إلى القمة، ولكن محاولاتهم  فشلت في نهاية المطاف في وضع خطة  طويلة الأمد للحفاظ على البيئة .

 أرغب في أن أشارككم هذه الأقوال النبوية (الأحاديث) التي أعتقد أنها مؤشرات ممتازة لتعكس العقيدة الإسلامية باعتبارها ‘حركة’ بيئية ذات صلة.

مثل المؤمن كمثل النبات الأخضر المعطاء

“مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ كَمَثَلِ شَجَرَةٍ خَضْرَاءَ لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَلَا يَتَحَاتُّ “. رواه ابو هريرة، صحيح بخاري

زراعة الشجر سبب في زيادة  حسنات المسلم

( إِنْ قَامَتْ عَلَى أَحَدِكُمُ الْقِيَامَةُ، وَفِي يَدِهِ فَسِيلَةٌ فَلْيَغْرِسْهَا . (الألباني

جزاء غرس الاشجار

“ما من مسلمٍ يغرسُ غرساً أو يَزْرَعُ زَرْعاً فيأكلُ منه طيرٌ أو إنسانٌ أو بهيمةٌ إلاَّ كان له به صدقة.” – الإمام البخاري.

الحفاظ على الموارد

مر رسول الله (صلى الله علية وسلم )على سعد وهو يتوضأ فقال له : ( لا تسرف في الماء ، فقال : وهل في الماء من إسراف ؟ قال : نعم ، وإن كنت على نهر جار ) . ابن ماجة

صحة البيئة

قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: اتقوا الملاعن الثلاثة: البراز في الموارد، وقارعة الطريق، والظل). رواه محمد بن حسن الالباني

النظافة والطهارة جزءا لا يتجزأ من الإسلام حيث يعتبر من الفروع الرئيسية في العقيدة الإسلامية ، حيث لا تصح الصلاة بدون الطهارة . وبدون المرافق النظيفة تتلوث المدن، وبدون أن يبذل الشخص نفسه جهدا في تطهير نفسه، يصبح من الصعب منع انتشار المكاره الصحية ورمي النفايات.

أهمية تنظيف الطرقات

” إماطة الأذى عن الطريق صدقة “. رواه أبو ذر الغفاري (رضي الله تعالى عنه)

العيش المستدام

عن عبدالله بن عباس قال، قال رسول الله (صلى الله عنة وسلم ) “ما آمن بي من بات شبعان وجاره جائع “. الالباني

ecological-hadith

التقليل من الطعام اليومي

الإفراط في تناول الطعام من الأمور المكروهة في الإسلام. وفي رمضان تحديدا، فقد فرض الصيام من أجل تعلم السيطرة وتعويد النفس على الصبر.

لم يحث النبي محمد – صلى الله عليه وسلم – على  تناول ثلاثة وجبات رئيسية ولا على تناول الوجبات الثقيلة. وشجع عليه الصلاة والسلام على أن يتشارك شخصين في الوجبة مما يطبخ  في المنزل. كما أن اتباع نظام غذائي صحي هو دائما الخيار الأفضل (لحوم أقل ، خضار أكثر). وحثت الشريعة الإسلامية على التوقف عن تناول الطعام بمجرد توقف الإحساس بالجوع.

قال رسول اللَّه-صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم-: (مَا ملأَ آدمِيٌّ وِعَاءً شَرّاً مِنْ بَطنِه، بِحسْبِ ابن آدمَ أُكُلاتٌ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبُهُ، فإِنْ كَانَ لا مَحالَةَ، فَثلُثٌ لطَعَامِهِ، وثُلُثٌ لِشرابِهِ، وَثُلُثٌ لِنَفَسِهِ) .رواه الترمذي وابن ماجة).

استغلال الأشياء التي لا نحتاجها ( من اجل تقليل النفايات )

سأل رجل عائشة- رضي الله عنها – زوجة النبي  هل كان صلى الله عليه وسلم يعمل في بيته شيئا، قالت: نعم كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يخصف نعله ويخيط ثوبه ويعمل في بيته كما يعمل أحدكم في بيته. الالباني

وكانت الفكرة وراء ذلك هي إظهار أن المهام الهينة لم تكن مهينة لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم . إن إعادة استخدام الأشياء وإصلاحها بدلا من شرائها دائما ليست علامة على الفقر، بل هي علامة على القوة. من خلال أداء الواجبات المنزلية، وكما كان النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) يقول أننا يمكن أن نبني شيئا كبيرا  من ‘الأشياء’ الصغيرة، يمكننا التحكم في ما نستهلك وتقليل الحاجة إلى المزيد. 

رعاية الحيوانات

 ((بينما رجل يمشي بطريق اشتد عليه العطش فوجد بئراً فنزل فيها فشرب، ثم خرج فإذا كلب يلهث فوجد بئراً فنزل فيها فشرب، ثم خرج فإذا كلب يلهث يأكل الثَّرى من العطش، فقال الرجل: لقد بلغ هذا الكلبُ من العطش مثل الذي كان بلغ مني ، فنزل البئر فملأ خفه ماء، ثم أمسكه بفيه حتى رَقِي فسقى الكلب، فشكر اللهُ له فغفر له.)) ” .  فقالوا : يا رسول الله ! وإن لنا في البهائم لأجرا ؟ فقال : ” في كل ذات كبد رطبة أجر. الإمام البخاري

أما النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقد قدم للحيوانات كما فعل أبو هريرة (رضي الله تعالى عنه) الذي روى هذا الحديث. كنية أبو هريرة تترجم على أنه ‘أب القطط’، وسبب الكنية أنه كان معروفا بحمل القطط في أكمام  ردائه.
للحيوانات دور كبير في نظام الرعاية البيئية. إن مبادئ الشريعة الإسلامية تجاه حقوق الحيوان تجعل من واجب أي فرد أن يعتني بالحيوانات ، وينقذ الشوارد منها  ويحمي أعشاش الطيور.

الدروس المستفادة

لعل هذا المقال يلهم من يقرؤه لاتباع السنة البيئية. أدعوك عزيزي القارئ إلى تبني حيوان، وإعادة استخدام مياه الوضوء، ولتناول كميات أقل من الطعام…. أدعوك لتكون قائدا.

ترجمه: مشيرة عنيزات

درجة الماجستير في الدراسات الامريكية –الجامعة الاردنية

درجة البكالوريوس في الأدب الانكليزي – جامعة اليرموك

خبرة سبع سنوات في المنظمات غير الربحية والقطاع الخاص في مجالات العلاقات الدولية والعلاقات العامة، الموارد البشرية والترجمة .

حاليا تعمل في الاتحاد العربي للنقابات التابع للاتحاد الدولي  كرئيسة لقسم الترجمة ومساعدة باحث في مشروع الحوار الاجتماعي لدول جنوب المتوسط.

Everything You Need to Know About The World Habitat Day

World Habitat Day is observed every year on the first Monday of October throughout the world. It was established in 1985 by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 40/202 and was first celebrated in 1986 with the theme “Shelter is My Right”.

The purpose of World Habitat Day is to reflect on the state of our urban areas and the basic human right regarding provision of adequate shelter to all human beings. World Habitat Day also aims to remind the planners and government officials of the collective responsibility for the habitat of future generations and a day to encourage grassroots action from civil society organizations to advocate for universal decent housing.

slums-housing

More than a billion people worldwide are living in substandard living conditions.

Shelter for All

Each year, World Habitat Day takes on a new theme chosen by the United Nations based on current issues relevant to the Habitat Agenda. The themes of World Habitat Day are selected to bring attention to UN-Habitat’s mandate to promote sustainable development policies that ensure adequate shelter for all.

These themes often promote important subjects such as housing and social services, a safe and healthy living environment, affordable and sustainable transport and energy, promotion, protection and restoration of green urban spaces, safe and clean drinking water and sanitation, healthy air quality, employment generation, improved urban planning, slum upgrading and better waste management. The day is a reminder to everyone to join together as one global network in communicating the message that every one of us deserves the opportunity for a better living and future.

The purpose of World Habitat Day is to pay serious attention towards the need for better shelter all over the world, to share the priority of affordable, adequate and sustainable housing, to bring the positive changes in the systems including policies and attitudes, to reflect on the states and towns and pay attention on the basic human rights for adequate shelter and to increase the awareness worldwide of joint responsibility for the future generation’s shelter.

Global Housing Crisis

We need to understand that with a population of over seven billion, there is an acute global housing crisis, as approximately 1.6 billion people worldwide are living in the substandard housing and slums and almost 100 million people are homeless. The World Habitat Day aims to draw the people attention towards the urgent need of adequate housing especially for the poor people.

coronavirus-slums-developing-countries

Providing and improving housing is a gigantic task and cannot be dealt only by the governmental authorities. It require involvement of all stakeholders including communities, NGOs and experienced developers to optimize urban densities and provide land zoning with efficient services and utilities that are environmental friendly and have minimum carbon footprint. With the shortage of urban space, we need to develop in a sustainable manner to keep room for future growth and accommodate population in coming decades.

In the GCC countries including Bahrain, the concerned authorities are giving due attention to the subject of planning and providing decent housing to citizens and to avoid any social, health and environmental problems.

Let us whole-heartedly support and celebrate the World Habitat Day and organize any activity or event in our own community including an awareness campaign, a fun activity, area cleanliness and get together in parks and public spaces.

Environmental Factors to Consider While Investing in Real Estate

Many people are just concerned about location when it comes to buying real estate. You need to keep in mind that there are a variety of different factors which you need to consider. Only when you take into account these factors, it is easy for you to make the right buying decision. The most ignored element while investing in real estate are environmental factors. When you consider all these factors, it is easy to make the right decision. You cannot ignore these factors in the long term if you plan to become a good and successful real estate investor.

Msheireb-Downtown-Doha

1. Topography

The topography of the area has a significant impact on the development in the area. Improper topography can also lead to flooding and various other problems. Ideally, when you’re investing in real estate, you should invest in one which has flat topography. The rules of the area will change depending on its topography. That is why; this is an environmental factor which you cannot afford to ignore.

2. Air and water quality

People are becoming conscious of the air quality and water quality available in each area. If you ignore this factor, you can end up investing in a property which does not appreciate due to these factors. Our cities are becoming clogged, which leads to poor air and water quality. Both of these are necessary for proper habitation. That is why any problem in the air and water quality can keep the prices deflated for a long time.

The areas with clean air are not only fetching good returns but are also in high demand. Similarly, water access and water quality is another important factor which is being considered by real estate investors. Sure enough, these properties are fetching a premium, but they are worth it. If you cannot afford to buy a property in such an area, you can go through the crowdfunding to get an affordable deal. It will allow you to buy the property in an area which has excellent air and water quality. You can then enjoy the fruits of higher returns and better habitation in the area.

3. Climate

Climate has a significant impact on the habitation of the property. If you invest in an area which has pleasant weather throughout the year, you cannot only rent out that property easily but you can sell it for a premium.

Generally speaking, you should prefer area which has mild or warmer winters so that it is habitable throughout the year. You should look at the population density as well. It should not be overcrowded neither it should be sparsely populated. When the climate is right, you will find that the area meets all of these criteria quite easily. You will not have to work pretty hard to get such an idea. You have to check the climate and after that look at the surrounding areas and the properties which are available for investment.

Also Read: Best Practices for Eco-friendly Property Management

4. Sustainability

The 4th environmental factor which we are speaking about now has become quite crucial in recent times. Sustainability is an essential criterion which investors are looking for while investing in real estate. Sustainability refers to the ability of the property to exist without disturbing the wildlife around. It relates to the skill of the builder to construct a home without impacting the ecosystem which exists in the area.

Millennials and other property buyers are putting a significant emphasis on investing only in sustainable homes. Sustainable homes fetch a premium when you sell them. Moreover, it is easy to gain a decent appreciation when it comes to sustainable homes. It is especially true for homes which are in semi-urban and rural areas. These are often built on land which is part of a natural ecosystem. That is why investors first try to figure out whether the home is sustainable or not.

Sustainability refers to the potential of the home to reduce the carbon footprint. If it is a green home, the consumption of electricity will be significantly lower. The low carbon footprint will again protect the natural ecosystem around the house. Whichever way you look at it, sustainability, protects the natural environment around the house.

Final Thoughts

So, if you want to invest in real estate and choose a property which is environment-friendly and gain a decent appreciation, these are the four factors which you should consider. When you have shortlisted the property based on these four factors, it is easy for you to pick an eco-friendly property. These factors will also help you choose a property which is more stable in terms of appreciation and perfect for investors.

5 Reasons to Teach Children the Importance of Recycling

When you give children everything they want and need, it doesn’t take long for them to think resources are limitless. That the fuel for your car will always be available to take them to sports practice, and that even all those plastic containers they use don’t end up in the rubbish collection then the environment. Without education on finite resources and a suffering planet, children won’t make an effort to be more conscientious with how they live their life on this earth. As early as possible, it’s critical to start teaching children about the importance of recycling and living an eco-friendlier lifestyle. Here’s why there’s no better time to start than now.

1. They Can Make It Something Fun

Recycling doesn’t have to be a drag. Children shouldn’t feel the need to complain and whine about having to separate paper from plastic or trash from tins for rubbish collection. Recycling can be an opportunity to be something fun. Show them the endless possibilities for recycling of household waste like papers.

Let them turn soda bottles into sprinklers, or milk cartons into planters for their new seedlings to thrive. There are many ways in which to make something necessary for the kids to do into something they enjoy. Check out your local recycling business to see if they have any programs for kids.

2. Learn More About the Environment

If you’ve explored all the options for making recycling fun, then why not move onto why it’s so crucial for the environment? According to spark tutoring, buy books for children to understand the environment in a language they can relate to. Create quiz cards to make it a fun game, and show them footage of what happens when you don’t care for the environment.

Depending on the age of your children, you may also like to chat about the health consequences when we don’t make conscientious decisions with our garbage collection. For example, in 2012, 3.7 million people died of air pollution-related health problems. The environment can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

3. Find Out Where Their Rubbish Goes

A way in which to educate children about waste management and recycling is for them to understand where it goes. If you want to be proactive with raising someone who cares for the environment, then make it a valuable experience.

Let them talk to a rubbish collection worker where they can ask questions. Take them to a recycling plant and a rubbish dump. Show them the piles and piles of rubbish that people dump without a second thought.

recycling-saudi-arabia

Every year, over 2.12 billion tons of waste goes into dumping facilities. In truck terms, that’s enough trucks of rubbish to go around the world 24 times. Visual depictions of trash can make your children more thoughtful about what they throw away instead of recycling.

4. Make More Conscious Purchasing Decisions

Ninety-nine percent of what the average person buys ends up ready for rubbish collection in six months. Once your children understand how poorly the environment feels with all that rubbish, they may be more inclined to change their purchasing habits.

Do they need that plastic soda bottle or glass jar, or would water from the tap be better for their bodies and the environment? That plastic gimmick toy looks fun, but will they even be interested in it by the end of the day? Recycling isn’t taking all the fun out of life, but it’s helping children to understand the implications of buying items that end up in bags ready for rubbish collection.

5. Spread the Word

By teaching kids about recycling, you are sharing knowledge that could end up making a difference. If your children think twice about throwing something away or buying something that won’t be useful, then you may be raising children who care for the environment. They go on to raise children who feel the same way as well.

waste-management-Children

Using environmental issues in student learning shows children the bigger picture

If it’s not your children you’re telling about the importance of recycling, it could be someone else. The more people who know and understand the importance of being selective with rubbish collection, the higher the chance that more people will take their recycling duty seriously.

Conclusion

Schools and educational facilities are providing a foundation for environment-conscious children. They instill the values of recycling all the time. Your kids decorate pine cones, make macaroni frames, and build robots out of cardboard boxes. What you are achieving with them is an extension of that initial groundwork laid out by teachers.

You’re helping them to understand what the environment needs from us. You are enlightening them on the state of the dumping sites, and how much of our rubbish goes to rubbish collection agencies unnecessarily. You are letting them know that recycling can be fun, rather than a chore.

Most importantly, you are letting them know that resources are finite, and we need to do all we can to protect the earth we value so much.

E-waste Recyclers are a Growing Concern to the Economy of the UAE

Amidst the  COP 28 proceedings, the launch of ‘waste to zero’ initiative called our attention to hazardous waste management. As per the data unveiled by the former US Vice President Gore, at COP28’s main plenary hall, UAE’s greenhouse gas emissions rose by 7.5% in 2022 from the previous years.

The waste to zero initiative launched at COP28 will be a joint initiative between The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and Tadweer (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company) aiming towards decarbonisation of waste.

ewaste disposal in UAE

Being the largest emirate of the UAE, Abu Dhabi also has high level of industrial activities –  generating large amounts of industrial wastes inclusive of electronic wastes.  To combat this, Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer) has regulations to recycle e-waste and its new chapter- E-Tadweer, is responsible for overlooking the collection and recycling of e-waste.

E-waste has been of the most rapidly increasing wastes, globally with 50 million tonnes produced in 2018 and the numbers increasing every year. Research says that UAE is one of the top- ranking countries in the production of e-waste.

The government of UAE has introduced many initiatives to combat the generation and disposal of e-waste through secure channels. This is done in partnership and participation of the private sector organizations that collect, recycle and dispose of e-waste on behalf of the government.

According to Mr. Suraj Kumar, the CEO of Clear Earth Recycling, a private organization handling E-waste disposal, UAE has observed a 60% increase in the e-waste generated over the decade and the country has only 30% involvement in the disposal of the same.

Abu Dhabi’s plans to collaborate with international partners to promote the use of the 3Rs- reduce, reuse and recycle is believed to accelerate the achievement of responsible waste solutions, according to Eng. Ali Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and CEO of Tadweer.

Suraj Kumar, an expert in IT and cybersecurity, specialized in vulnerability management and threat assessment had the following comments to add,  “Abu Dhabi has built a complete regional boundary, with even a cross- regional  transport of hazardous waste is not possible. This is to ensure that e-waste will  be recycled within the emirate. Currently the UAE does not have a proper channel of disposal as the e-waste is mostly pushed outside the country as used electronics.”

Sustainable Initiatives

One of the projects in operation by Clean Earth is establishing gadget shredders in various communities to ensure secure data eliminations. This way unusable technologies could be processed, segregated and various metals distracted to be recycled. Enviroserve, another private company serving Dubai and a few areas of Abu Dhabi, has services such as ’Green truck’  providing the same. However, the benefits of these services are limited.

ways to reduce e-waste

“We bring our trucks to their doorsteps- and introduce our shredder machine that is free of charge, where you can shred off the old gadgets without the risk of losing data. However people still hesitate to do it, because they prefer to resell them to be reused again. This is the most dangerous decision that people make, and it is because of a lack of awareness.”

Several reports have pointed out the increase in the second-hand market of electronics, which could substantially look like reusing but this is not always the case. But recent years saw a dramatic shift on how people view the idea of recommerce and second-hand goods, where we now see affordability leading to usage of used devices with major ecommerce and telecom players now selling used devices. But, users are hoarding their old electronics, which lose value every hour they spend locked in a drawer.

“The world is moving towards a change and the quality of the materials used to produce the gadgets have reduced. Previously, the quality of metals was much better, but now they are able to produce the same with the minimal metal conceptions,” adds Kumar.

From recent research conducted on household E-waste generation, it’s been proven that most people are ignorant of the adverse effects of storing old gadgets. When respondents were asked about how often they have recycled their electronic devices, the majority with 68.4% have never recycled their devices.

ewaste-management-UAE

The most advanced momentum regarding e-waste in the GCC can be found in the UAE.

According to Mr. Suraj, “Every household has an old smartphone left in their drawers that they don’t give up on, and the batteries of these old gadgets can cause a blast when left in closed conditions as the wood used in most furniture available in the UAE market are not fireborne.”

Reports prove the government hasn’t figured out better ways for people to hand off this common but dangerous material, risk-free.

Awareness precedes change

Clear Earth Recycling is also involved in awareness initiatives, playing the role of an NGO, educating the public about the advantages of disposing of the old gadgets without risking their data.

There are many organizations carrying out various activities amongst schools and communities to promote and educate e-waste recycling and disposal. They have conducted various e-waste disposal drives to ensure a sustainable futur e amongst responsible citizens. People of different ages contribute to the common vision of a sustainable tomorrow as well as a nature- developed environment.

The Verdict

“Even with the various HSE policies and environmental policies, data security and privacy policies in place, there is a gap in the process, elsewhere in the UAE”. Waste generators are expected to submit their  request of disposal with the details on the amount of waste being generated. “However the internal processes seem to take longer to provide them permissions.” says Mr. Suraj.

With more and more private organizations working with the Government, the e-waste industry is expected to boom only when the regulations are revised as per the opinion of  Suraj Kumar.

“The current regulation available to monitor the waste is the WDA (wholesale distribution authorization) regulations. But there is a need for regulations to find a permanent answer to e waste management. The recycling companies aren’t growing in the country now, due to the trade culture here and the export borders open to send them to developing countries. It needs to change for the recycling culture to grow.” added Suraj.

Reports show that garbage trucks and recycling centers are going up in flames. These are mostly because of the volatile lithium-ion batteries sealed inside the electronics from Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and more. They are dangerous as well as difficult to segregate,  making e-waste less profitable, and contributing to a growing recycling crisis.

With more private organizations in UAE, enlarging their scopes of recycling e-waste, UAE can ensure a journey towards a safer and cleaner environment. With many initiatives to educate young minds about the importance of understanding e-waste, the UAE is expected to see the e-waste sector as a part of the waste to zero movement.

Fracking and the Need for Risk Analysis

Recent events in the Europe and the United States have propelled fracking up the public and political agenda. Is the case for drilling full of holes? Despite apparent economic benefits, fracking has got entangled in a good deal of controversies with some countries outrightly banning or suspending it. Public health concerns, environmental issues, geo-mechanical risks, groundwater contamination, air pollution and waste management are some of the issues are coming under increasing public scrutiny.

environmental consequences of fracking

No Sense of Well-being

The oil and gas industry does not inspire huge public confidence, as attention focuses on major incidents like the Deepwater Horizon blowout, which have cost lives, caused huge environmental damage, and bolstered the arguments of green campaigners. Concerns about engineering methods and well integrity are more serious than any number of dubious YouTube clips showing people setting light to gas from their water taps.

Fracking is often carried out at considerable depth and involves pumping high pressure water into the rock. Deep wells and high pressures place strain on the engineered infrastructure and reduce the margins for error. The average depth of a fracked well in the US is around 2,500 metres, while the Bowland Shale in Lancashire is at a depth of some 4,750 metres. North Sea reserves are typically 3-5km below the seabed, but all are shallow compared with Deepwater Horizon, the deepest oil well in the world, extending more than 10,600 metres down into the rock. The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineers have produced a report on shale gas extraction, which highlights the need for good construction and well integrity.

Water Mess

Engineering challenges are not the only risk to account for in an Environmental Impact Assessment – contamination, water impacts and even radiation need to be considered. The evidence to quantify them may not yet be available in all cases, but the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, especially in a developing industry.

The fracking process requires a huge amount of water, some 2-5 million gallons per well – although this estimate may be somewhat low due to the way data is collected and the fact that some wells are fracked multiple times. An MIT researcher has calculated total water use for US wells in 2011 to be around 135 billion gallons, based on a 5 million gallon average. It’s a lot of water – but represents just 0.3% of US water consumption, rather less than is used by golf courses. Fracking’s additional demands are not trivial: the industry’s impact on aquifers in some Texan counties is starting to foment concerns amongst previously pro-fracking populations.

The process of pumping large quantities of high pressure water, sand and sundry drilling additives produces a lot of waste water, which also contains toxic material brought up from the shales. Common toxins include heavy metals (such as barium, strontium and arsenic) along with a number hydrocarbons and bromides.

Evidence being amassed in the US shows that fracking operations have polluted groundwater and released fluids and gas into drinking water aquifers. As early as 1984, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported a case in West Virginia, which rendered an aquifer unusable. In 2011, the EPA also reported extensive groundwater contamination in Wyoming, and similar events have been recorded in Canada.

In each case, the causes have been identified as faulty well installation, with seepage back into the ground from inadequately engineered waste water storage. There are of course also reports of cases where no contamination has taken place, which may serve as case studies of good practice, but the evidence suggests a degree of inherent risk.

Ill-Treatment

A recent study by the University of Texas at Arlington found elevated levels of arsenic and other heavy metals in groundwater near fracking sites in Texas’ Barnett Shale. Whilst the study is not conclusive, elevated arsenic levels have also been detected by the EPA in domestic well water near a fracking site at Dimock, PA, necessitating additional treatment systems to be installed by householders.

In Pennsylvania, state authorities have responded to EPA concerns by requiring fracking waste water discharges to stop unless properly treated. Some had been discharged to sewage works that were incapable of dealing with the pollutants and therefore affecting river quality. Some US fracking wastewater is not treated: much is re-used and then stored, whether temporarily pending treatment, or long-term in deep wells. Above ground storage in open (and sometimes leaky) lagoons carries the highest risk of land being contaminated, but underground storage also holds risks.

Menace of Radionuclides

There are two sources of radionuclides from fracking: those deliberately injected to trace and profile wells, and those occurring naturally in the shale that are brought to the surface. Around a dozen short half-life isotopes are used in controlled quantities for injection. Their use is of less concern than the naturally occurring radionuclides, such as Radium, Radon, Thorium and Uranium, which have a longer half-life. These materials require careful management to avoid environmental and health impacts.

The EPA has detected higher than permitted levels of these radionuclides in the outfall from wastewater treatment plant, and drilling industry studies have found that dilution in rivers may not be effective, meaning that radionuclides could enter drinking water inlets. Workers and local residents at drilling sites and wastewater treatment plants are exposed to health risks, most obviously cancers of the internal organs and the lungs, where Radon escaping as a gas has the opportunity to evaporate from storage or at the well head.

fracking and its environmental impacts

Fluid Situation

An extensive range of additives may be injected with the sand and water during the drilling and extraction processes in varying dilution and mixtures depending upon the geology of the fracked well. Most are quite widely used in industry, as operators are keen to point out, although they may have toxic characteristics: ammonium persulfate, hydrochloric acid and mineral oil being examples.

These additives constitute around 1% of the fluid, a significant quantity given the large amounts of water and sand being pumped. In the US the makeup of fracking fluids can remain unknown under commercial sensitivity laws, but UK rules include better disclosure on what chemicals are being used, allowing them to be vetted for toxicity and other hazardous properties.

Shaking Shale

Fracking is thought to cause seismic activity, and operations at the Cuadrilla site in the north west of England were suspended after a minor earthquake hit the news last year. A DECC report co-authored with the British Geological Society concluded that “the risk from these earthquakes is low” in terms of structural damage, but I would have concerns about the risk posed to the integrity of the well lining itself.

A recent report in the journal Science concluded that a large earthquake many miles away may trigger a swarm of smaller earthquakes around a drilling site. The resulting destabilisation of the fracked area can later lead to a larger earthquake. Fracking wells might act like seismic lightning rods; but there’s no safe path to earth for an earthquake and they could pose a more serious threat to habitations and structures than previously thought.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a set of ‘golden rules’ for hydraulic fracturing that include examples of best practice in policy and regulation. These controls will be costly to establish and maintain – the IEA estimates that implementing its rules would increase the costs of a well by around 7% – which may harm the business case for unconventional oil and gas. However, without such measures it is doubtful whether even residents of the desolate north will be induced to welcome fracking, whatever its economic benefits.

All You Need to Know About Carbon Monoxide and its Recycling

Carbon Monoxide is a chemical compound made up of 2 elements which are carbon and oxygen. The proportion of each element is equal which means for every 1 part of carbon, it has an equal part of oxygen.

Carbon Monoxide is formed through a lot of processes. One of the most common processes is through the burning of wood or coal or other substances that occur naturally. Vehicles and exhausts also contribute to the creation of this chemical compound through combustion engines, which means every day, there are a lot of people contributing to the creation of carbon monoxide.

However, there are also other means of creating this chemical used by companies for production or by scientists in their laboratories. Carbon Monoxide is a chemical that is odorless, colorless, flammable and toxic. However, a lot of people still used this because of its commercial use.

Uses of Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide, or CO as its abbreviation, is used by chemical companies in the creation of metals, other chemicals and gases for commercial use. Not only that, it can also be used as an agent for reducing metal refining. Some big companies even use these chemicals in meats to maintain its wholesomeness and to help as well in distributing these products to far places. Others even use this substance as meat coloring. Carbon monoxide is also used in some medicines. However, the use of this chemical in food and medicine is very limited since it can cause poisoning.

Dangers of Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide, once inhaled can cause nausea or a headache. Since this chemical is odorless and colorless, some people may sometimes not be aware that they are already inhaling this product. They may attribute their symptoms to other causes.

On the other hand, severe effects of inhalation may lead to vomiting and sometimes even death. That is why a lot of homes already have carbon monoxide detectors to warn them whenever there is too much of this chemical in the air. A little intake of CO is already bad for the health but too much of it can be fatal. Children and people with weak immune systems are the common targets of severe effects of carbon monoxide inhalation.

Houses that live in busy areas like in urban places where there are a lot of big companies nearby have higher chances of having too much carbon monoxide in the air. Big companies usually use combustion in creating their products which produces a lot of CO. Many of these companies have their manufacturing sites in far areas where there are lesser households. But if you live in a place near buildings that produce too much carbon dioxide daily, make sure that you look for ways to control and lessen the amount of CO chemical entering your home,

Careful Handling of Carbon Monoxide

That is also why handling carbon monoxide requires a lot. They cannot easily be stored anywhere as there are special containers that are designed specifically to keep the chemical inside. The container is pressurized to ensure not one carbon monoxide can escape.

Handling CO also requires a lot of training and certification as it is not safe for someone without knowing about the chemical to handle it. Not anyone can simply store this kind of chemical anywhere. The same goes when it comes to transporting this chemical. It needs training and certification along with other legal documents before you can transport carbon monoxide from one place to another.

Carbon monoxide, carbon monoxide, everywhere

Nonetheless, although toxic, there are still a lot of CO in the surroundings. One cannot really escape from this chemical. People will keep on burning woods and coals for commercial use which means there will be more and more of this chemical in the air. Big companies will continue to use these chemicals for their products. And the more carbon monoxide there is, the more dangerous it will be for humankind. That is why instead of trying to reduce this, some people have thought of recycling it and putting it to good use.

Recycling of Carbon Monoxide

Scientists have already thought of ways on how they would be able to recycle carbon monoxide. This is of course through separating the chemical with other substances which may have been added to it. There are equipment and machines invented to separate the chemicals from other chemicals which is the first step in recycling CO.

A great way to reduce our emissions is to use our most powerful energy provider, the sun, to do our many daily living experiences, like cooking with a solar cooker!

Recycled Carbon monoxide can be put to good use. Some of them can be used again for commercial purposes as in metals, medicines, and food while others can be converted into energy. Not a lot of people know that Carbon monoxide, as studies have shown, can be converted back into fuel which can be used as a source of energy. In the meantime, they are researching on converting carbon monooxide into useful energy but studies show that carbon monoxide has better chances of being recycled back into fuel due to its chemical composition.

So far, there are not a lot of successful attempts to this idea but certainly, once this research is successfully done, there will be better ways to recycle carbon monoxide. This will also be very helpful to a lot of people since they will no longer worry too much from inhaling this toxic chemical.

Tips for Households

In the meantime, since regular households cannot recycle carbon monoxide, it is best for them to avoid this harmful element. Household owners can get a carbon monoxide detector which will tell you when there is too much CO in your place and when it is already dangerous for your health. With this at home, you will be more comfortable knowing that there will be something to alarm you when you are already inhaling too much carbon monoxide.

Recycled carbon monoxide can be put to multiple uses

If you think that there is already too much CO in your house, one of the best ways to remove carbon monoxide from your homes is through opening the windows and doors widely so that air can freely come and go. Also having a lot of plants will be of great help since plans take most of these chemicals.

Conclusion

Carbon monoxide has been very helpful in the commercial field since it can be used in so many products. However, it also has its downside for the human health. That is why people should be more careful in creating this product and in inhaling them. Too much of this will be bad for anyone. This is why ways on how to recycle carbon monoxide is already created by scientists to help reduce its negative effects.

4 Popular Types of Reusable Fabric Shopping Bags

Reusable fabric shopping bags are an eco-friendly, practical, and affordable alternative to disposable bags. Using reusable fabric shopping bags helps the environment by reducing pollution and conserving energy. Plus, switching to reusable shopping bags can save you money in the long run.

Up to 1 million birds, turtles, and many other sea animals die annually from taking in plastic bags. Animals can confuse floating bags with sea life to eat, such as plankton and jellyfish. Once they eat it, the plastic chokes up their digestive system. The animals typically starve to death. Other animals may drown after they are entangled in plastic bags. Thus, we should move to reusable fabric or paper bags.

There is a wide range of reusable fabric bags available in the market, including natural fiber bags like cotton and canvas, jute, hemp. There are also petroleum-based fabric bags, like nylon and polyester, known as PET.

1. Cotton and Canvas Bags

Cotton and canvas tote bags are the most common type of bags. This is made with natural-fibers like traditional cotton, organic cotton, or recycled cotton bags.

Though traditional cotton is made from a renewable crop source, it requires chemicals and pesticides. Is also consumes, high quantity of water. However, organic cotton is grown without pesticides, which is helpful in reducing the negative environmental impact of cotton production.

Cotton is made from a decomposable or natural plant fiber. Thus, after a sufficiently long and helpful life, it can get dismiss without many bad footprints on the earth. It also has the sources of getting renovated.

Plus, Canvas Shopping Bags are Strong and durable with soft fabric. You can wash it in the machine with cold water.

2. Jute Bags

Jute is natural plant fiber that can make strong threads. Jute bags are made with these threads, hence they are very strong. Jute pants grow in high rainfall areas and require little to no pesticides.

Jute has natural renewable resources. Jute too is a compostable plant fiber, thus, after a long helpful time, it can get disclose without any negative impact on the environment.

Jute can make great Reusable Grocery BagsYou can go shopping with a jute bag in your hand. Plus, green is a new style. It will make you look very caring about the environment. Switching to reusable bamboo straws from Ecoy can also a go long way in reducing plastic pollution.

3. Hemp bags

Hemp is a natural fiber that is several times stronger than cotton. Mostly, hemp is used for textiles and industrial applications. The hemp harvest can grow in poor soils. Moreover, it does not need much water and grows well without any fertilizers.

Hemp bags are extremely strong and durable. You can wash and dry hemp bags in machines. Plus, hemp blend with other material to make designer bags.

Hemp bags are not exactly cheap, yet it will prove cost effective for you. You can use your hemp bags for years and never throw them away. When they get dirty, it is simple to wash them and keep on using them.

4. Recycled PET Bags

Recycled PET bag looks and feels like a fabric but is made of plastic. PET fabric is recycled from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles and containers. Recycled PET bags are durable and eco-friendly. It creates a market for post-consumer recycled materials.

By using recycled PET materials you are reducing wastes. Also, it conserves a non-renewable resource. You can have it in customized designs. It is also used for promotion, advertisement, shopping, and gifting.

Over to You

On a life-cycle basis, stronger, heavier bags will have a greater environmental impact. Then it does not matter from which material it is made. This is because heavier bags use more resources, and as a result, have a more significant environmental impact.

The Environmentalist’s Guide to Responsible Credit Card Use and Debt Management

Credit cards are a powerful financial tool with several advantages when it comes to managing money. There may, however, be a temptation to overspend. And besides damaging your financial health, the resulting spiralling debt can severely limit your ability to make eco-friendly choices. This is why responsible credit card use and debt management are crucial.

How to use your credit card responsibly

Table of Contents

Credit Cards and the Debt Trap Risk

Credit cards allow you to spread the cost of big purchases and offer perks such as cashback rewards and fraud protection. The introduction of eco-friendly credit cards gives consumers a more ethical way to buy goods while the card provider makes donations to green causes.

But whatever type of credit card you have, there’s a risk of falling into a debt trap if you overuse it.

If you can’t pay back what you borrow, the debt can spiral out of control, and with high interest rates and default penalties you could end up owing a lot more than you borrowed.

If you’re concerned about environmental issues such as pollution, climate change, and deforestation and you find yourself with too much credit card debt, it becomes harder or impossible to make key eco-friendly choices.

As you struggle to pay off the debt it’s unlikely you’ll have enough money to invest in green energy solutions such as solar panels or heat pumps, for example, which reduce energy bills as well as reduce your carbon footprint.

Credit Card Debt and Low Credit Scores

Besides limiting eco-friendly choices, credit card debt is also likely to lower your credit score. This happens because your card provider reports your outstanding balances and payment activity to credit reference agencies.

In fact, how much debt you owe on your credit card is a major factor that affects your credit score. If you max out your credit card by using the entire credit limit, you could see your credit score drop significantly. With a low credit score, you may have to pay higher interest rates on any other credit cards or loans you take out. On the other hand, responsible use of your credit card can improve your credit score.

How to Use Your Credit Card Responsibly and Build Your Credit Score

Responsible credit card use is one of the most effective ways to build your credit history and improve your credit score. Increasing your creditworthiness in this way opens up a range of affordable borrowing options in the future. Strategic use of a credit card includes keeping your balance low and making payments on time.

Here are the key steps in responsible credit card use.

Understand Your Credit Card Terms and Conditions

Credit card terms and conditions are often full of jargon that can be difficult to understand.

You need to know what the following mean.

  • Annual fee. Some credit card providers charge an annual fee. This is usually charged to your card every year on the anniversary of your account opening.
  • Annual percentage rate (APR). This is the yearly rate of interest you pay on your card’s outstanding balance. You can determine your card’s monthly interest rate by dividing the APR by 12.
  • Introductory APR. Many credit card issuers offer an introductory zero percent APR. While this lasts, you won’t have to pay interest charges on purchases or balance transfers.
  • Balance transfer fee. This is the amount a new credit card provider charges when you transfer your debt from another account.
  • Credit limit. Your credit limit is the maximum amount you can spend with your credit card.
  • Late payment fees. Card issuers can impose fees if you don’t make payments on time.

Pay Your Credit Card Bill Promptly

Making late payments on your credit card bill can result in fees or penalty APRs and damage your credit score. Make sure you pay at least the minimum by the due date each month. Ideally, pay off the entire balance each month, which will avoid interest charges. Consider setting up automatic payments so you never miss a payment.

Have a Credit Card Budget

It’s easy to overspend and indulge in impulse purchases when you have a credit card. You can avoid this temptation by having a budget in place to ensure you’re spending only what you can afford. This will keep your card balances low enough to pay off each month.

Set Up Account Alerts

Having email or text alerts on your credit card account helps you track your spending, avoid late payments, and identify fraud. Alert options may include:

  • Payment due date reminders.
  • Approaching credit limit notification.
  • Updates on your credit card balance.

climate finance in jordan

How to Manage Credit Card Debt

There are various strategies you can use to pay off credit card debt, especially if you have multiple accounts. These approaches include the debt snowball process and the debt avalanche method. You could also get a balance transfer credit card or a debt consolidation loan.

Debt Snowball Process

The debt snowball approach is an accelerated payoff strategy that’s ideal if you have more than one credit card and struggle to stay motivated.

It entails making the minimum payment on all your credit cards and putting more money towards your debt each month, starting with the card that has the lowest balance. Once you’ve paid off that card, add that amount to the minimum payment on the card with the next-lowest balance.

Debt Avalanche Method

With the debt avalanche method, you focus first on balances with the highest interest rates. If the card with the highest APR also has a high balance, it can take a long time to pay off the first credit card. But it can also save you money by eliminating the most expensive debts first.

Balance Transfer Credit Card

Balance transfer credit cards offer an introductory zero annual percentage rate for a set period of time, during which you can pay off your debt interest free. If you have multiple balances, consolidating them with a balance transfer can also simplify monthly payments.

Debt Consolidation Loan

You can use a debt consolidation loan to pay off your credit card debt. Debt consolidation rolls several debts into a single monthly repayment, often with a lower rate of interest. This can reduce the total debt and you may be able to pay it off faster.

Summary

Responsible credit card use avoids getting into debt traps and compromising your financial health. And managing credit card debt effectively minimises interest charges.

Both of these strategies can help improve your credit status. They can also give you more spending power to invest in your future, including environmentally friendly choices.

مسقبل الطاقة المتجددة في دول الخليج العربي

تتجه الأنظار حاليآ إلى مشاريع الطاقة المتجددة في أنحاء العالم, و ذلك نظرآ لأهميتها في تقليل الإنبعاثات الغازية الضارة بالبيئة. إنطلاقآ من ذلك, تسعى دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي جاهدة في الإستثمار والتطوير في هذا المجال. فمن المؤكد أن هذا التوجه سيحد بشكل رئيسي من إرتفاع نسب الإستهلاك المحلي للطاقة من جهة, و لضمان الإستقرار الإقتصادي و الذي سيدفع بعجلة التطور في قطاع الطاقة النظيفة ودعمها بالتقنية اللازمة و الأبحاث المبتكرة من جهة أخرى. فمن المتوقع أن تشهد منطقة الخليج من مدينة أبوظبي إلى مدينة الرياض مشاريع ذات جودة عالية في تنويع مصادر الطاقة بشكل عام.

renewable-energy-middle-east

لمحة عن المشاريع الحالية

تبوأت مشاريع الطاقة المتجددة صدارة أجندة سياسات دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي, كجزء لا يتجزأ من خطط التنمية المستدامة المستقبلية في المنطقة.و التي ستشهد أكبر نمو في هذا المجال عالميآ, حيث سجلت تطبيقات الطاقة الشمسية حيزآ كبيرآ من هذا الإهتمام, أكبر مثال حي على ذلك هو مدينة مصدر في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. تعتبر مصدر مشروع ريادي ساطع في عالم الطاقة الشمسية من حيث السعة, التقنية و الطاقة الإنتاجية. و تعد بذلك منارآ لتطبيق نهج التنمية المستدامة عبر قنوات عدة مثل: التعليم, الإستثمار في مشاريع البحث و التطوير, و أيضآ في تسويق مثل هذه المبادرات الرامية إلى تطوير تقنيات في هذا القطاع الحيوي. بالطبع خلقت مصدر بيئة تحفيزية لإنشاء مبادرات من شأنها تصميم قطاع إقتصادي متكامل قائم على الطاقة المتجددة, مما يؤهلها للتصدي بفعالية للتحديات البيئية الحالية.

بعد تطلع دول الخليج الجدي في تبني مشاريع الطاقة النظيفة, و بالرغم من وجود مشاريع منفذة مسبقآ في هذا القطاع إلى أن نسب الإستهلاك المحلي في المنطقة تسجل نموآ مقلقآ أعلى من السابق. أحد الأسباب المرجحة في هذا التزايد هو خفض أسعار الوقود المحلي الذي ينشئ إعتماد كلي في هذه الدول على نهج صناعة حرق الوقود, الباعثة للغازات الدفيئة. لذلك تعكف المملكة العربية السعودية حاليآ على إحتضان مشاريع في الطاقة الشمسية قدرت بأحد المشاريع الواعدة من حيث الطاقة الإستيعابية والإنتاجية. ومن المتوقع أن تساهم هذه المشاريع في تغطية إحتياج ما يقارب ثلث الإستهلاك المحلي في قطاع الكهرباء بحلول عام 2032. هناك أيضآ بلدان أخرى مقبلة على تجارب في الطاقة البديلة مماثلة للتجربة السعودية. في الإمارات العربية المتحدة ( وفي الهند أيضآ)  توجد جهود سارية من الحكومة على قدم وساق لتوحيد الجهود نحو بناء سوق قائم على بدائل لحرق الوقود و يساهم في إكتفاء محلي من الطاقة المتجددة.

تصعيد وتيرة مشاريع الطاقة المتجددة

نتيجة لإدراك دول التعاون الخليجي حجم المخاوف البيئية, و عكفها على تنفيذ مبادرات في الطاقة المتجددة, فمن الجدير بالذكر أنه لا يوجد أي ضير من الإستثمار في إيرادات النفط لتحقيق أهداف أسمى, طالما هناك سياسات و قوانين تنظيمية حازمة في بنائها. و في عدم ورود أي رؤية مستقبلية واضحة لمشاركة القطاع الخاص والمستثمرين في صناعة الطاقة المتجددة, يعزى ذلك إلى ضعف أو غياب إستراتيجية منهجية تدعم إستثمارات من جهات غير حكومية. فبذلك ستحد جهود تقليل إنبعاثات الغازات الدفيئة,و ستواجه دول الخليج نموآ بطيئآ لإستدامة بيئية في المنطقة.

فمن أجل ضمان مستقبل الطاقة المتجددة في المنطقة, هناك عدة مبادرات يجب تقديمها و التي من شانها بناء مشاريع ناجحة في هذا المجال, و تشمل:

  • تمكين سياسات لوضع شبكة متكاملة تغطي جميع الثغرات بين قدرات الطاقة المتجددة و بين الخدمات المقدمة, الحوافز الداعمة, سلاسة عمل المرافق و أخيرآ ملائمة المساحة المستخدمة, الماء و البيئة المحيطة.
  • وضع أحكام و نهج تنظيمية متعلقة بالوفاء للحد الأدنى من إتفاقية شراء الطاقة المتجددة,أسس واضحة لتسعير مختلف وسائل التقنية, أحكام للمتاجرة في الطاقة المتجددة, جدولة تشغيل المنشأة و أخيرآ فصل و إخلاء الطاقة.
  • بناء سوق مساعد لضمان مواجهة التحديات الناجمة من إنقطاع سريان الطاقة إما في الطاقة الشمسية أو الرياح, و أيضآ ضمان قياس و معيار الطاقة, رموز الإتصال, الحماية…..الخ

فلبناء إحتياج و خلق سوق متعطش للطاقة المتجددة يجب نشأ تعاون مشترك بين ذوي المصلحة, و الذي من شأنه مواجهة جميع العقبات المرتبطة في تنفيذ مشاريع الطاقة المتجددة, سواء من ناحية السياسات المتبعة, التقنيات المستخدمة و المنهجيات المدروسة على نطاق واسع. إن غياب إطار أو هيكل في إستراتيجية مشاريع الطاقة المتجددة قد يجعلها تواجه عقبات في التسعير, الوصل الداخلي, وأ يضآ في إتزان خلايا الطاقة. أكبر مثال يمكن ذكره هو مشروع “ديزيرتيك”,و الذي يمكن وصفه بأهم المشاريع طموحآ في قطاع الطاقة المتجددة. يرتكز هذا المشروع على إنتاج كم هائل من الطاقة الشمسية و طاقة الرياح في مناطق الشرق الأوسط و شمال أفريقيا, و نقلها إلى بعض أجزاء من أوروبا. بالطبع يحتاج هذا المشروع إلى سلاسة في خطوات التنفيذ بين الدول المشاركة و ذلك لضمان توسيع القدرات الإنتاجية و نجاح المشروع.

الخاتمة

من الصعب تجاهل فوائد مشاريع الطاقة المتجددة و التي تنعكس إيجابيآ سواء كان محلي أو عالمي على المجتمع, الإقتصاد و أيضآ على البيئة. وجود سياسات واضحة ضروري جدآ لتبني خطط في الطاقة النظيفة, تتضمن طاقة إستيعابية محدودة تنطوي في فحواها أهداف مميزة. في دول الخليج العربي ذات المجتمعات واسعة النطاق, يعد عدم إستخدام الطاقة بكفاءة في أعلى درجاته مقارنة بالمجتمعات الأخرى. الدعوات إلى تغيير النهج السلوكي الحالي في تواصل, أملآ في تغيير إيجابي شاسع نحو الإستدامة المنشودة في منطقة الخليج.

ترجمة: منيرة عبدالقادر,مؤسسة نقاء لحلول الإستدامة في المملكة العربية السعودية.

منيرة ناشطة بيئية و مدوَّنة في مواضيع متعلقة بالتنمية المستدامة و بتغيرات المناخ. وهي الممثل السعودي في حركة الشباب العربي لأجل المناخ, تهدف هذه الحركة على نشر التوعية بالوضع المناخي الحالي, و لنشر ثقافة الإستدامة البيئة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط و شمال أفريقيا. منيرة أيضآ مشارك متابع للمفاوضات الدولية ضمن إتفاقية الأمم المتحدة الإطارية لتغير المناخ.

تأثير التغير المناخي على الصحة الإنجابية

تعد التغيرات المناخية من الأخطار الكبرى التي تهدد متطلبات صحة الإنسان الأساسية, ولكن يعتبر الأطفال والإناث وكبار السن خاصة في البلدان الفقيرة الأسرع تأثراً بالمخاطر الصحية الناجمة عن تغيّر المناخ والأطول تعرضاً إلى عواقبه الصحية.

حسب تقديرات WHO, فأن تغير المناخ سيتسبب في حوالي 250000 حالة وفاة سنويًا بسبب سوء التغذية والأمراض بين عامي 2030-2050, حيث باتت تأثيرات التغير المناخي على الصحة معروفة ومثبتة, وذلك من خلال تدهور متطلبات الصحة من جودة الهواء والماء والأمن الغذائي والمأوى. حيث أدى الإحترار العالمي إلى زيادة الأمراض والوفيات الناجمة عن الأمراض القلبية والتنفسية والتحسس بسبب ارتفاع درجات الحرارة وتلوث الهواء, وارتفاع نسبة الإضطرابات النفسية والأمراض السارية بسبب الهجرة البيئية وتدمير الخدمات الصحية الضرورية الناتجة عن إرتفاع مستوى سطح البحر, كما يؤدي التغير المناخي  إلى انتشار الأمراض المُعدية, فلقد أبدت كثيرٌ من الأمراض الفتاكة حساسية شديدة تجاه تغيّر درجات الحرارة مما يؤدي إلى إنتشارها, وذلك بسبب نقص المياه وتدهور نوعيّتها وتغير الرطوبة وبسبب الفارق الموسمي في درجة الحرارة,هذا وتتضمن الأمراض المتأثرة بالمناخ أشد الأمراض فتاكاً في العالم ومنها: الملاريا والبلهارسيا والإلتهابات البكتيرية والطفيلية المختلفة. كما يؤدي التغير المناخي إلى زيادة ظهور أمراض حيوانية جديدة معدية للبشرمنها: فيروس النيل الغربي وطاعون الأحصنة.

reproductive-health

التغيير المناخي والصحة الإنجابية لدى اٌناث

تندرج الموضوعات المتعلقة بالخصوبة وصحة الأم وطفلها ضمن مصطلح الخصوبة والصحة الإنجابية (FRH). بات من المعروف أن تأثير التغير المناخي يشمل جوانب الحياة المختلفة بما في ذلك الصحة الإنجابية, ويتباين هذا التأثير بين الإناث والذكور, حيث تتعرض الإناث وأطفالهن لمخاطر أكبر وآثار أشد للتغير المناخي, فبالإضافة إلى ما ذكر آنفاُ من تأثيراته على الصحة, فإن الدراسات القليلة المتوفرة والتي ربطت بين التغير المناخي وآثاره على FRH  أظهرت ما يلي:

  1. تأثير ارتفاع درجات الحرارة على FRH و الذي يتضمن

التأثير المباشر على صحة الأم وجنينها حيث أدى ارتفاع درجات الحرارة إلى الولادات المبكرة والإجهاض كما أثرعلى وزن المولود عند الولادة.

انخفاض عدد المواليد: بينت الدراسة التي أجريت في الولايات المتحدة أن تغير المناخ الذي تسبب بزيادة في عدد الأيام الحارة, ولّد إنخفاضاً في معدلات المواليد في الولايات المتحدة, ذلك لأن الجو الحار يضر بالصحة الإنجابية من خلال التدخل في عمليات الحيض عند الإناث, وإضعاف الحيوانات المنوية والحد من مستويات هرمون التستوستيرون في الذكور. ووجد الباحثون أنه عن كل يوم ارتفعت فيه درجة الحرارة فوق 27 سْ في الفترة (1931-2010)، تراجعت نسبة المواليد بمعدل 0.4% بعد تسعة أشهر من مرور ذلك اليوم أي بما يعادل قرابة 1165 طفلاً, أما على المدى البعيد فهذا يعني تراجعاً في عدد المواليد في الولايات المتحدة بمعدل مئة ألف طفل سنوياً.

  1. الكوارث الطبيعية  يؤدي تغير المناخ إلى الكوارث الطبيعية والتي بدورها تؤثرعلى توقيت الحيض  -وبالتالي على الخصوبة- بعدة طرق, منها:

التأثيرعلى المحاصيل وعلى توافرها وبالتالي على التغذية, وسيتم مناقشة هذا البند في مقالة أخرى.

ازدياد تركيز الملوثات بسبب ازدياد الأحداث الجوية المتطرفة مثل: الأعاصير والانهيارات الثلجية, وبالتالي زيادة انبعاث المواد السامة في البيئة (مخطط 1). فمثلاً, تؤدي الأعاصير إلى زيادة هطول الأمطار الملوثة بمواد كيميائية ضارة منها إثير ثنائي الفينيل متعدد البروم(PBDEs) والذي يؤدي إلى تأخر الطمث عند الفتيات اللواتي تعرضن له وهن أجنة في أرحام أمهاتهن, كما تؤدي الأعاصير إلى إعادة إطلاق رواسب التربة مثل ثنائي الفينيل متعدد الكلور(PCB) والذي أيضاً يسبب تأخر الحيض.

يعتبر إعصار كاترينا مثالاً حياً على تسبب الظواهر المناخية المتطرفة باطلاق السموم للبيئة, حيث أدى هذا الإعصار إلى فيضانات كارثية في نيو أورلينز عام 2005, والتي تسببت في حدوث ما لا يقل عن خمسة انسكابات نفطية وتعطل مياه الصرف الصحي على مستوى المدينة وقضايا أخرى تخص النفايات, مما أدى إلى إطلاق السموم الضارة في البيئة, حيث عثرعلى المواد الكيميائية المسببة لاضطرابات الغدد الصماء (EDCs)  في المياه السطحية والتي أثرت بدورها سلباً على الحيض, وبالتالي زيادة مشاكل العظام وأمراض القلب والأوعية الدموية وأمراض الصحة العقلية والحالات المتعلقة بالخصوبة لدى الإناث.

reproductive-health-climate-change

  1. تلوث الهواء : يكمن تأثير تلوث الهواء على الخصوبة كما يلي:

التسبب في انخفاض وزن المولود عند الولادة (LBW) والولادة المبكرة (PTB) وزيادة مضاعفات الحمل الشائعة مثل تسمم الحمل وسكري الحمل والتي يمكن أن تؤثر سلبًا على صحة الرضيع.

التأثير على نمو الجهاز العصبي عند المواليد الجدد والتسبب بالتوحد وأمراض القلب وذلك بسبب تلوث الهواء بالأوزون.

تمكين العنصر الأنثوي

يلعب تحقيق الحقوق الإنجابية للنساء لمواجهة آثار التغير المناخي دوراً جوهرياً في بناء القدرة على التخفيف من والتأقلم مع آثار التحديات المتصلة بالتغير المناخي. الجهود العالمية التي تقودها الأمم المتحدة لمكافحة تغير المناخ ومن ضمنها اتفاقية باريس والتي وقع عليها ما يقارب 200 بلد, تضمنت التزاماً “بحق الصحة”, كما يبرز الإتفاق التزامها بالمساواة بين الجنسين وتمكين المرأة, ولهذا السبب  تم دعوة الموقعين على اتفاق باريس إلى الإعتراف بأهمية تمكين الإناث من خلال ضمان حصولهن على خدمات FRH، والدور الرئيسي الذي يلعبه هذا في الاستراتيجيات الوطنية لتغير المناخ.[1] يعتبر التمكين من خلال التعليم أمراً أساسياً لأن الفتيات المتعلمات من المرجح أن ينشئن عدداً أقل لكن أكثر صحة من الأطفال، كما أنهن أفضل من ناحية الجاهزية للتعامل مع الصدمات البيئية مثل آثار التغير المناخي وغيرها.

التوصيات

مع اتساع دائرة الجدل حول تغير المناخ خاصة بعد فشل مؤتمر مدريد الأخير، فإن من الضروري تضمين العنصر النسائي في قلب الحوار. حتى الآن، تميل خطط التخفيف والتكيف إلى تجاهل النوع الاجتماعي, لذلك فإن الخطوة الأولى للتخفيف والتأقلم مع التغير المناخي هي تعزيز المساواة الحقيقية بين الجنسين وتمكين المرأة عن طريق إتاحة مشاركتها الكاملة والفعالة في مبادرات التصدي لتغير المناخ. وفي هذا السياق، فإن تحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة يعتبر أمراً حاسماً لمساعدة المجتمعات المحلية التي تضررت بشدة على أن تصبح أكثر قدرة على التكيف مع التغيرات التي أحدثتها الأزمات البيئية.

 يمكن اختصار التوصيات بما يلي :

  1. تأسيس نهج شامل لـ FRH من خلال مضاعفة جهود تمكين المجتمعات من الإستجابة للتحديات التي يفرضها التغير المناخي.
  2. دمج استراتيجيات التغير المناخي مع المساواة بين الجنسين.
  3. زيادة الوعي العام بتغير المناخ وتأثيراته على FRH  وذلك من خلال إشراك وسائل الإعلام.4.    إجراء بحوث شاملة حول تغير المناخ و FRH خاصة بين الفئات المهمشة مع التركيز على الاختلاف في قدرات التعامل مع استراتيجيات التكيف والتخفيف.5.    زيادة التعاون البحثي الإقليمي والعالمي لزيادة فرص تبادل المعرفة في هذا المجال.إجراء مراجعة شاملة للسياسات والبرامج بغاية تعزيز الجهود الرامية إلى إدراج FRH في سياسات التخفيف من آثار تغير المناخ والتكيف معه .

Animal Welfare: Guiding Principles in Islam

Survival and sustainability of animals are key principles in Islam. We are not their creator, only their caretakers, and have no right to engage in practices that will bring about their extinction or even their suffering. Animals have God-given roles to play on the earth and we are not entitled to stop or hinder them, except in the case of defending ourselves or our property from danger. We are not entitled to destroy the environments in which animals live, as this also impacts their ability to survive.

Animals, humans, and plants all live together in an interrelated ecosystem, dependent on one another for care and survival. Humans and plants provide food for animals. Animals in turn provide food for humans and fertilizer for plants. Animals also provide commercial products for humans, such as wool, hair, fur, leather, tallow, meat, eggs, milk, cream, butter, cheese, and honey. Some animals provide protection, transportation or assist with farm labor. Others merely provide companionship. And in all of them we delight in their beauty and charming behaviors.

Guiding Principles

Through verses in the Quran and recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, God’s peace and blessings be upon him, we can learn the guiding principles of animal care according to Islam.

“Do you not see that God has subjected to your use All things in the heavens and on earth And has made His bounties Flow to you in exceeding measure, Seen and unseen?” [Quran 31:20]

“And the earth, He has assigned it to all living creatures” – Quran 55:10

All living creatures have an equal right to Earth. Islam views animals as highly valued creations of God. They are living beings with rights and responsibilities similar to those of humans. Animals play critical roles in the development of human society and Islam teaches that they are created specifically in our service.

We are obligated to care for and protect all living creatures as a sign of gratitude for the blessings God provides us through them. God created animals as communities — or societies — exactly like humans, and declares in the Quran:

“There is not an animal that lives on the Earth, Nor a being that flies on its wings,
But forms part of communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, And they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end.” [Quran 6:38]

“Show mercy to those on earth, and He who is in heaven will show mercy unto you.” Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

The Prophet Muhammad gave his followers many commands and prohibitions regarding animals. He warned them that anyone causing an animal to die of starvation or thirst will be “punished by God in the fire of hell,” and he instructs animal owners to provide mercifully for their well-being. He says, “Show mercy to those on earth, and He who is in heaven will show mercy unto you.” Referring to the wretched, thirsty dogs in their community, his followers asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of God, is there a reward in doing good for these animals?” He replied, “There is a reward in doing good to every living thing.”

Guidelines for Animal Care

On the basis of statements by the Prophet Muhammad, recorded more than 1400 years ago, animals have rights which mankind must extend to them. To treat our animals humanely, we must:

  • Provide the specific foods they naturally prefer;
  • Provide fresh water continuously;
  • Provide comfortable safe lodgings that protect them from weather and predators;
  • Separate them from the aggressive behaviors of each other;
  • Bring males and females together during mating seasons;
  • Never harvest them for food faster than their ability to breed new generations;
  • Never overburden them beyond their natural abilities; and
  • Never neglect them or cease caring for them at any time, but especially in sickness or old age.

Wonderful Examples

One time, passing by a camel that was so malnourished that its back was almost reaching its stomach, the Prophet of Islam said to those nearby, “Fear Allah in these beasts who cannot speak!”

“There shall be no unfair loss nor the causing of such loss” — Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

The Prophet Muhammad once forbade his followers from setting fire to an anthill. He related to them that an earlier prophet of God was once bitten by an ant and ordered the burning of the whole ant colony. However, God rebuked this prophet by means of a revelation in which God said, “Because an ant stung you, you have destroyed a whole nation that celebrates God’s glory.” Perhaps this is why God reveals this same message clearly in the Holy Quran:

“Seest thou not that it is Allah whose praise all beings in the heavens
and on earth do celebrate, and the birds with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise, and Allah knows well all that they do.” [Quran 24:41]

A man once gathered some baby birds from their nest and the Prophet ordered him to return them to their mother, saying that the man had hurt the feelings of the mother bird by taking her babies. He likewise forbade anyone from needlessly and wrongfully cutting down trees which provide shelter to humans or animals, especially in the desert. It is clear from this that mankind is prohibited from destroying the habitats of God’ creatures.

War is another form of destruction, or corruption, in the land. The Holy Quran teaches that God hates any form of corruption, especially noting the crimes of destroying plants and killing captured livestock:

“And when he turns away, he hastens through the land to cause corruption therein and to destroy the crops and cattle And God loves not corruption.” [Quran 2:205]

In another hadith, the Prophet Muhammad taught his followers, “No human being kills (even) a sparrow without right, except that God will ask him about it on the Day of Judgment.” His followers then asked him, “O Prophet of God! What is its right?” He said: “Its right is that you slaughter it and eat it, not that you decapitate it and throw it away!”

Stewards of the Earth

Caring properly for the animals of the earth is a duty God assigned to humankind, as “khalifah” or stewards of the earth. The following is a story illustrating the proper care of our animals according to Islam. Recorded in The Essential Rumi, this lesson is related by Mawlana Jalal Al Din Muhammad Rumi, the famous and beloved 13th-century Sufi teacher and poet:

“A Sufi had been travelling and after he stopped at an Inn for the night, and had meditated for a while, he told the servant who took care of the animals to be sure that he mixed a lot of barley with the straw that was to be his donkey’s supper. ‘And please make sure you wet the (uncooked) barley with warm water. He’s an old donkey and has trouble chewing.’

“Then the Sufi asked, ‘Did you remove his saddle gently and put salve on the sore he has? Did you currycomb his back — he loves that.’ The instructions continued and the servant became annoyed. He ended the conversation with the claim that he had taken care of thousands of animals, with no complaints, and that everyone who stayed at the Inn was ‘treated as family.’

“The Sufi went to sleep but had terrible nightmares about his donkey being attacked by wild beasts and falling, helplessly, into a ditch. And although the details of the dream were wrong, what it conveyed of danger to the donkey was true. His donkey was being totally neglected, without care, food or water all night long. The caretaker had spent the whole night carousing with his friends.

“The moral of this story: Do the careful, donkey-tending work yourself. Don’t trust that to anyone else.

“The nightmares of the Sufi testified to his doubts about the animal’s well-being, but he was tired and it was late, so he slept. When your compassion and concern extends to another creature, do not trust its care to those who do not have the same concerns.” – Jalal Al Din Rumi, The Essential Rumi

“A good deed done to an animal is like a good deed done to a human being, While an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as cruelty to a human being.” — Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)