9 Ways to Make an Eco-Friendly Company Culture

By | | , ,
1 Comment

It’s a key time for a lot of businesses right now to capitalize on being more eco-friendly and sustainable in how they do things. People are increasingly concerned about the effects of climate change, and working toward increased sustainability attracts not only customers but also potential talent as well.

Advantages of an eco-friendlier approach to business include reducing your costs, building your reputation for corporate responsibility, and perhaps even qualifying for government subsidies.

Building an eco-friendly company culture should be your starting point because it’s your corporate culture that sets the tone for everything else you do. The following are nine things you can do relatively easily to make your culture more sustainable and environmentally friendly:

How to Make an Eco-Friendly Company Culture

1. Use Eco-Friendly Corporate Gifts

Giving gifts to your clients and employees is a good way to strengthen relationships, build loyalty and show appreciation. If you’re going to give gifts, why not further their value by making them eco-friendly?

This is one of the easiest things you can do that takes virtually no effort to put in place, and it simultaneously makes your culture greener but also improves it overall since you are showing your employees you care.

You can find gifts made from recyclable or renewable materials or go for options that reduce the need for disposable products, like tumblers or steel bottles. For instance, you can also collaborate with suppliers to buy Starbucks gift cards in bulk as an eco-friendly corporate gift. This way, you are providing a thoughtful gift for your clients and employees and supporting a brand that values sustainability.

If you are planning a conference, don’t forget to check our ideas for sustainable conference giveaways.

2. Be Willing to Learn and Educate

There’s a lot to learn when it comes to being more eco-friendly, so set the example and show that your dedication to adding this element to your culture starts at the top. Once you begin to learn, you should also start to educate your employees on what they should know about green initiatives in the workplace.

You’re not lecturing your employees, so keep it light. You want things to be enjoyable and fun for them.

One way to make learning more casual and less of a chore is to host a lunch where someone comes to speak on environmental issues. You could also make it a recurring series, where each speaker talks about something different.

3. Have a Green Team

You want to be strategic in how you implement more eco-friendly practices into your business, and you want to set organizational goals as part of that. In order to set and track goals, you’ll likely need a team in place.

Put together a green team that will help guide your initiatives and also drive your culture on a more sustainable path.

If you can have someone from higher management on the team, that’s a good idea because it’ll show that you’re really dedicated to what you’re saying.

When you achieve a milestone that’s set by the team or the company, make sure you recognize them for their efforts and hard work.

4. Let Employees Choose What Matters to Them

There are going to be certain elements of being more eco-friendly that resonate more than others with employees. The goal isn’t perfection, nor is it for everyone to have the same goals and priorities, so let your employees have some freedom with how they get into this component of your culture.

how to setup a sustainable office

One way to do this is to allow employees time once a month or quarter to work on outside volunteer projects that are important to them. While you might suggest they have a green focus, let employees decide on what that’s going to mean for them.

5. Ask for Suggestions and Feedback

Along with letting employees make some of their own decisions as far as where they put their time and attention, you can also regularly ask for suggestions. Ask your employees once they’re empowered with education where they’d like to see your business go in terms of green initiatives.

You want your employees to feel as if they’re included in your company culture, and they need to be able to contribute and influence it in order to make it their own.

6. Build Momentum with Easy Steps

We’ve touched on this a bit in our tips above, but you want to choose those easy or “low-hanging fruit” initiatives first when you’re pushing for cultural change. Find those projects and things that are going to be the lowest effort to focus on when this is a new goal in your company because then, when goals are met, it’s going to build momentum for your employees to keep it up.

It’s also important to track your goals and everyone’s achievements, especially in a publicly visible way.

Some companies find gamification or friendly competition works well to help not only meet environmental goals but also to strengthen the culture in general.

7. Include Your Commitments in Your Handbook and Onboarding Materials

When you write down values and goals, they’re more likely to actually come to fruition in your culture.

Include your dedication to being greener in all of your employee materials, like your handbook and training materials. You can include it as part of your mission statement and make sure that when you bring new employees on board, they’re met with your philosophy of sustainability from the start.

When you emphasize that you are an eco-friendly company in your onboarding, training, and other employee documents, it shows you’re serious, and it also helps with consistency.

8. Make A Sustainable Office Environment

If your employees are working in the office some or all of the time, make sure it reflects sustainability and green practices. For example, maybe you complete your digital transformation to become an entirely paperless and sustainable office.

You might also encourage your employees to recycle at work, and if you need any work done, such as commercial cleaning or construction, you can find companies that are green certified.

9. Don’t Be Afraid to Make Changes to Your Policies

Finally, if you begin your green initiatives and find that along the way, you need to make changes based on your progress, or the preferences of your employees, don’t be afraid to do so. Building a corporate culture is never complete. It’s something you’re always working on, which tends to be true of developing a more sustainable organization as well.

Sustainability Principles in Traditional Islamic Architecture

By | | , , ,
4 Comments

Islam came with many sustainability and environmental conservation principles, which appeared in all aspects of the Islamic society. This green vision of Islam is also reflected in the city planning and traditional architecture. Infact, Islamic cities were shaped by Islamic beliefs on environmental conservation and sustainability.

The traditional house adopted in Islamic architecture respects the environment in more ways than one: first by minimizing the impact of harsh natural environment conditions such as hot climate, relative humidity and solar radiation intensity, second by maximizing the potential possibilities of these conditions to achieve the thermal comfort of inhabitants and utilizing the benefits of natural energy sources such as sun and wind.

Traditional Islamic architecture relied on basic sustainability principles, which, with some modification and development, can be useful indicators for the contemporary sustainable house design.

Building with Clay or Brick

The materials are very important to protect the building from external conditions, for that selection materials are very sensitive stage due to physical properties concerns: optical reflectivity, thermal conductivity resistivity and transmissions. Also, because it is responsible of heat transfer into and out of the building.

Clay is the best natural building material, since it can provide heat isolation. It also helps to reduce the depletion of vital natural resources and carbon emissions. Clay has been widely used in Islamic world throughout the ages.

As for Brick it is one of the most important building materials used in Islamic architecture, especially in Egypt, Iraq and Morocco (where wood and stone are rare). Brick was used to build bearing walls, beams and domes. Due to providing good thermal isolation for interior spaces, if it was built in a large thickness.

Thermal Comfort

The main concept of designing the traditional Islamic house was the Courtyard, using courtyard as a central point to achieve the principle of introvert, which was the lung of the house.

The great difference between the temperatures between day and night made it acts as a thermal regulator, by creating different pressure areas between the narrow-shaded streets and the courtyard in operation called night flushing.

In general, the courtyard was often centered by a fountain or salsabil in addition to fruit trees. These elements worked together to moisten the dry air and reduce its temperature. Some modifications were done to the courtyard to ensure keeping the flow of air which led adding more architecture element such as: Iwan, takhtabush, maqaad and many others.

Natural Ventilation

Natural ventilation is one of the most important principles of sustainably in a traditional Islamic house, as the air speed increase the rate of heat transfer from the body to environment, it also helps to get rid of moisture, and cool the building.

The malqaf is the most important appliance to catch and enter the wind into a house. It is also considered one of the most important elements of the Islamic buildings. The malqaf defined as: an architecture element that used to ventilate the building.

The malqaf on the other hand creates different pressure zones between inside and outside. The air enters after purifying and moisturized, then been pushed out openings. At night this process is reversed. The malqaf also reduce dust and sand, which been carried by hot dry wind, where it eventually rests at the bottom of the malqaf.

There are several types of malqaf: the most important are the roof malqaf and the well- malqaf which are one-way, following the general winds direction. Then kashtil or wind towers which are multi-directional. Also, there are other simple types of malqaf such as the double wall, and badqash. Finally, there is a special type of malqaf called Badgir, which was developed in the Arabian Gulf, it is a shaft opened from above from the four sides (sometimes on only two), it has two diagonal stripes inside that catch the wind from any direction.

Building Underground

Utilization the soil potential is one of the principles which sustainable design depends on to benefit from natural resources. The idea of building underground depends on minimizing or determining the effect of external climatic conditions on the interior space, by taking advantage of the thermal storage potential of the mass of soils.

Traditional architecture benefit from soil to reach thermal comfort by including basement in house design, which used to be one or more underground floors. This basement could be belt multi-leveled depending on climatic conditions and functional performance. Basement could be found in the traditional houses in Iraq, which is half basement located at a depth of 1-1.2 m with openings at the central courtyard.

Traditional basements were more common in highlands, such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia, there are also examples of fully built underground houses such as in Mattmatta in Tunisia, and in south areas of Libya. Areas with High water levels in the soil did not use this method such as South of Iraq and the Gulf region.

Mudhif – A traditional reed house made by the Madan people in the swamps of southern Iraq

The effective thermal performance of the basement appeared especially in the afternoons, when the external air temperatures reach its maximum limits. Traditional inhabitants used ground floor and basement in the mornings, and upper floors at evenings.

Natural Lighting

Natural lighting is the most important strategy of sustainable housing, in order to reduce the thermal load and thus providing a comfortable environment, since natural lighting is three times better in improving vision than the industrial lighting equivalent.

The problem is that windows are a major source of heat inside the building, which made traditional Islamic architecture to develop solutions to inter natural light and block direct sunlight. The most important of these are the mashrabiya, which is an architectural element that allows wind to enter and prevents the sun, these usually cover the outside of windows and balconies. Mashrabiya control light, air flow and outside expose. That made mashrabiya a strong privacy element for its narrow cartel, which used to be made of wood cones and sometimes of non-wood materials, such as marble plaster and metal. Mashrabiya first appeared in Egypt then transfer to the other Arab countries.

Conclusion

The traditional Islamic architecture is one of the most successful models in achieving the concepts of green design. It created beautiful harmony and fine balance between form and function. The elements of the Islamic architecture were founded to work side by side, boosting each other’s and complementing different climates as well environmental and socio-economic conditions.

The modern architecture needs to re-explore the principles of Islamic architecture, choose the convenient methods to local environment, absorb the requirements of sustainable development and mix these principles with modern technologies. To conclude, modern technologies can make use of traditional architecture in creating a more sustainable world.

How COVID-19 Has Prompted an Overhaul of Building Cleanliness

By | | ,
Leave a comment

The impact of COVID-19 is being felt in nearly every industry and country around the world. With people experiencing new anxieties about being in public spaces for short or extended periods, businesses have had to adapt to ensure workers, customers, and clients are comfortable.

Below is an assessment of how the pandemic resulted in businesses in all sectors hiring contract cleaning professionals and making other changes to the way they prioritized building cleanliness.

How COVID-19 Improved Building Cleanliness

Thorough Surface Cleaning

The spread of COVID-19 can occur through surfaces, as the virus can survive on surfaces for an extended period. When the pandemic first emerged, globally, in March 2020, the growing wisdom centered around the virus spreading through contact with contaminated surfaces.

Experts told people to wash their hands, use hand sanitizer, avoid touching their mouth or nose after touching a possibly dirty surface or object, and to avoid touching shared surfaces as much as possible.

Such advice stuck with business owners, who wanted to ensure that workers and customers were comfortable being in a shared environment. That meant a great deal of surface cleaning using hydrogen peroxide, disinfectant cleaners, or soap and water mixtures.

Every company took on this challenge in different ways, with some businesses asking their employees to take on a greater load. People who were working on the floor or interacting with customers had to continuously wipe down any surface that another person could frequently touch. Such a process may seem arduous, but the goal was to keep everyone safe.

Larger companies and smaller businesses with greater budgets chose to hire professionals. One of the advantages of hiring a cleaning professional is that a business can delegate such work to the professionals.

Having a single cleaning staff member on site is often enough to ensure periodic cleaning, while a business can also choose to hire one or two cleaners to perform a deep clean once a day.

Hygiene is More Relevant Than Ever

Businesses are not only making an effort to ensure that common spaces receive thorough deep cleaning and periodic spot treatment, but they are also encouraging their employees to take care of their own hygiene.

In the past, a small business such as a local grocery store or a family restaurant may not have put too much thought into employee cleanliness. If an employee did not have the best hygiene, they may not have been told by management to clean up their act.

building cleanliness and covid-19

Now that customers are focusing on any instance where an employee may be doing something to compromise the safety of everyone at the establishment, such as not wearing a mask or sneezing in the vicinity of others, employees must be more vigilant about their actions.

Companies encourage their employees to wear clean clothes, keep their workspaces neat, tidy, and wiped down, and ask that they always wash their hands after they use the bathroom or interact with a customer.

More Client Communication

Businesses hiring cleaning crews to ensure their spaces are tidy and hygienic is not new. Major companies have always hired cleaners to ensure that the office spaces and common areas are clean, while stores, restaurants, and other such establishments also go through routine cleaning.

A significant shift since 2020 is that clients are now more eager to understand how much cleaning the professionals are doing. Clients ask about the cleaning products a cleaning professional is using, along with their technique for wiping down surfaces, vacuuming or mopping floors, and cleaning bathrooms. There is also a greater appreciation for the work that cleaners perform.

Many cleaning contractors have found that they are receiving requests from clients more regularly than before the pandemic. Increased communication also means that cleaners have a chance to discuss any of their concerns with clients, which includes appropriate compensation for their work.

The Emergence of Green Cleaning

The pandemic is not the only change that came about in 2020, with much of the Western world taking a greater assessment of humanity’s impact on the climate. With the climate change conversation more relevant than in the past, green cleaning is emerging as a significant trend.

Businesses are aware that customers care about both cleanliness and preserving the environment, which is why showcasing a company as an “environmentally friendly” business is so appealing.

Cleaners now receive requests from clients who want them to use environmentally-friendly products whenever possible. That means cleaning services must now adapt by learning about sanitizing methods that use organic and natural cleaning supplies.

Building Ventilation Upgrades

A great deal of focus on building cleanliness revolves around sanitizing surfaces, wiping down countertops, and regular vacuuming or mopping of floors. The coronavirus, however, spreads most often through the air. That is why companies are also focusing on the improvement of their building ventilation.

In some instances, creating a cleaner environment for customers involves opening windows to allow air to come in and out. Many restaurants, grocery stores, and other such locations can open up their doors and windows, ensuring a steady breeze of air throughout the day.

Such a change not only improves the way customers may view that business but has a marked impact on the chances of someone contracting COVID-19 when they spend time at that establishment.

Another way that companies are looking to improve their commercial spaces is through improved air conditioning ventilation. Offices and many commercial buildings do not have windows that are operable, which means that ventilation must be done through the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems.

natural ventilation

Many companies are investing their money in improved HVAC systems or newer air filters, which both allow for better filtering of the harmful particles that can cause the spread of coronavirus among people who are working or visiting that establishment.

Will the New Trends Remain?

The question that many cleaning contractors and business owners will be asking is whether the present trends in building cleanliness will continue. As the pandemic eases and people return to normal life, will customers still care about cleanliness in the same way?

Some experts believe the new changes are here to stay, as people have become a lot more aware of how germs can spread in public spaces. Businesses may learn that investing more money in building cleanliness is a trend that will continue for the foreseeable future.

The Vallerani System for Agroforestry on Degraded Lands

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Experience around the world has made it clear that soil pitting is often the most cost effective treatment to facilitate recovery of abandoned, barren land. Pits capture water and provide safe sites for seeds, collect litter, and help to protect and water seedlings.

Pitting is relatively easy to do with hand labor and is less noticeable in a restoration project because the pattern can be varied easily, Hand pitting is best done as a communal activity so progress is clearly visible. But it is slow. mechanical pitters are critical to cover large areas.

A wide variety of pitting plows have been developed and used successfully. Australia’s Kimseed Camel Pitter has been available for several decades. It can be pulled by a truck, jeep or camel. The current model of Camel Pitter includes seed metering devices. On our research projects we used a custom built larger disk pitter that had to be pulled by a tractor or large truck. These pits helped speed recovery but for degraded lands even larger pits are desirable.

vallerani plow system

The answer for larger deeper pits is the Delfino plow and the Vallerani system. Significant progress came with the development of the mechanized system of harvesting surface runoff with the “Vallerani System” (named after its Italian inventor). The first experiments in the development of this approach were carried out in 1988 as part of the Integrated Programme for Rehabilitation of the Damergou (FAI-Niger). Since then work has been carried out in many countries.

The Vallerani system makes it possible to bring hard, compacted soil that had been abandoned because it was impossible to work manually back into production. The Delfino plow has a ripper in front of the plowshare to open and loosen the soil down to 60–70 cm. The ripper also helps protect the plowshare. The rip lines create an underground furrow that can help share the water between adjoining micro basins. Ripping the compacted soil enables deep infiltration of rainwater and more extensive root growth. The rainwater, top soil, seeds, and organic materials transported by the wind and run-off accumulate in the micro basins and along the rip line, facilitating recovery. The reversible plowshare allows for efficient tractor operation. The tractor mounted plow can typically treat 1.5-3 hectares per hour.

These soil pits make a difference. Experiments have found 2 to 4 times more water available for crops, pastures, and plants with improved survival and growth and recovery of biodiversity. In areas with excessive bare soil with no seed sources it is desirable to add seeds to the basins. These can be nitrogen fixing multipurpose tree or shrub species like ratam and olives (in the Mideast), honey mesquite (in SW North America), and neem (in Mali). Planting appropriate seedlings in the pits can create more rapidly established islands of fertility. The VS allows for direct seeding whose germination and growth is possible thanks to the water collected in the micro-basins and the improvement in soil physical characteristics. Images of the recovery possible with the VS are striking.

vallerani system recovery

The larger tractors and Delfino plows will require maintenance and technical support. Each tractor (200 hp) might cost US$50-200,000 and the Delfino plow from Nardi might cost another $40,000. Hommes et Terre offers the Vallerani treatment as a service rather than selling the plow/system in Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Gambia and Benin. Overall treatment costs might be on the order of US$100 hectare plus the cost of seeds and/or seedlings. Adding organic material, compost, or mulch can also be helpful but adds to the cost. This made a difference in our studies of soil pitting.

Hommes et Terre is a Belgian-African company with a social mission to restore degraded land, ensuring that communities have sustainable access to productive land. Their economic model is to develop profitable and sustainable agroforestry systems in an equitable collaboration with local communities. Hommes et Terre develops their own projects through the Project Forests Villages (PFV) program. This innovative program is based on intensive, equitable and sustainable collaboration with villages. Hommes et Terre enters into 25 year relationships with village partners.

Further reading

Ali, A., T. Oweis, A. Abdul Aal, M. Mudabbar, K. Zubaidi, and A. Bruggeman. 2006. The Vallerani Water Harvesting System. ICARDA Caravan No. 23, December. pp 13-15.

Bainbridge, D. A. 2024. Initiating recovery of degraded dry lands with soil pitting. SW Chapter Conference, Tucson. September. 6 pages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctsR7GeKy-w

Bainbridge, D. A. 1993. Soil pitting: a technique to improve arid land revegetation. Soil Ecology and Restoration Group, San Diego State University. Bulletin #1. San Diego, CA 7 p. https://www.academia.edu/3796575/1993_Soil_pitting_for_land_restoration

Conedera, M., N. Bomio-Pacciorini, P. Bomio-Pacciorini, L. Sciacca, S. Grandi, A. Boureima, and A. M. Vettraino. 2010. Reconstitution des écosystèmes dégradés sahéliens. XX: Bois et Forêts des Tropiques. 304(2): 61-71. http://bft.cirad.fr/cd/BFT_304_61-71.pdf

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2015. Global guidelines for the restoration of degraded forests and landscapes in drylands: building resilience and benefiting livelihoods. Forestry Paper No. 175. Rome: FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/a-i5036e.pdf

Gammoh, I. A. and T. Y. Oweis. 2011. Performance and adaptation of the Vallerani Mechanized Water Harvesting System in degraded Badia rangelands. Journal of Environmental Science Computer Science and Engineering & Technology. October. 5:1370-1380.

Gammoh, I. A. and T. Y. Oweis. 2011. Contour laser guiding for the mechanized “Vallerani” Micro-catchment Water Harvesting Systems. Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering. 5 (2011) 1309-1316.

ICARDA. nd. Recovering the Degraded Soils of the Badia in Jordan. https://www.icarda.org/research/innovations/recovering-degraded-soils-badia-jordan.

Tamura, M., T. Y. Oweis, V. Nangia and S. Strohmeier. 2021. Managing scarce water resources in the drylands of West Asia and North Africa: Review of Joint Research between ICARDA and Japanese Researchers. Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly JARQ 55 (SI), 511-519.  https://www.jircas.go.jp

Whitesides, A. and K. Clingen .2023. Vallerani Micro Water Harvesting Department of Landscape Architecture Course. Climate by Design, Fall. (https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/course/climate-by-design-fall-2023/)

How to Conserve Water in Your Garden

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Water scarcity is not just a nationwide problem. It can be a very real threat on the domestic scene as well. Our home is our kingdom, our domain where many persons spend much time and energy working in the garden and caring for the lawns to produce beautiful blooms, fragrant scents, herbal delights and a bountiful supply of vegetables. But water shortages are becoming a real threat at the domestic scene,  as well as nationally and regionally across the globe.

tips to save water in your backyard

After having invested in plants, fruit trees, fragrant bushes and numerous bulbs, we want the delight of a full bloom, productive vegetable patch and luscious fruit. But to achieve all this, we need water. Summer time is more than fun in the sun. It is a time of water restrictions and now increasing water use charges right when we need the water the most. One solution that is easily adopted is to harvest the rainwater. Simply collect rainwater runoff. Even just placing all your buckets and empty plant pots out in the open will collect rainwater.

Some plants need more water while others are much more tolerant of dry conditions. But the bottom line is that all plants need water. When the plant is deprived of essential water, the plant cells will suffer stress and start to structurally collapse. There will be slower plant growth and even non-reversable root damage. Even after a period of stress due to water shortage, the plant may  experience less vigorous growth and could be more susceptible to pests and disease.

Tips to Save Water in the Garden

Therefore, a good gardener needs many different ways to save water in the garden. Here are just some ways you can manage to save water and nurture your garden at the same time.

First and foremost, keep an eye out for leaky taps and hose fixtures. This may mean you need to replace aging hoses and fixtures. Next important move is to cover the ground. When the sun is high in the sky and the soil is bare, moisture is readily drawn out of the soil. On a really hot day, a square meter of bare soil can lose two litres of water to the air. So action is required to prevent this significant water loss. Select ground covering plants that will also help restrict weed access is one approach. Or cover the soil  with organic mulch to help retain the moisture level in the ground.

Another obvious solution is to erect windbreaks. Wind can really dry out soil so you need to minimise the wind effect. Trees and shrubs do this naturally but it takes time for these plants to mature in size and strength to be effective. Be weary of solid wall structures as they block the wind yes, but redirect the wind also. Solid wall structures may create more turbulent air passage ways.  As trees and shrubs mature, their root structure strengthens and penetrates deep down underground. Trees especially, will extract deeper water.

Selecting ideal plants for the area is most important. If you are in hotter, more arid zones, select more drought tolerant plants. Likewise, if you are in a wetter, moister zone, chose plants that appreciate these conditions. This means know the needs of your plants. Plant similar water demanding plants together will also make it easier for you to water the garden on demand.

introduction to greenhouse gardening

The soil may need organic compost to be added so as to increase the soil water holding capacity. One can either buy compost or make your own compost. At the same time, one needs to aim for a good soaking or wetting of the soil rather than a daily sprinkling which is rather ineffective. Also, it is best to water early in the morning before the sun comes up and evaporates all one’s efforts. Evenings is also fine as long as it is not too humid and encourages mould.

Perhaps you are keen to invest in an irrigation system. This is good if well designed with trickle irrigation hosing laid on the ground close to the plant root areas rather than an aerial sprinkler system. Finally, use the water to care for your plants and use a broom to sweep the walkways and patios. Water is too precious to be hosing down these areas.

efficient irrigation methods

Spray irrigation has higher efficiency than traditional methods.

There really are lots of options and things to consider before watering your garden. But a keen gardener knows their plants and the plants’ water needs. And with some careful planning you can conserve water while using it effectively to water all at the same time.

Home Automation Technologies for Building a Smart Home

By | | , ,
1 Comment

Before homeowners knew how connected smart homes would start working successfully, the prototypes shown seemed complicated and far-fetched. Thankfully, building a futuristic smart home in the modern day isn’t as overwhelming or intimidating as it seemed in the yesteryears.

It is important that you pick and choose features that match your needs and your budget. This, therefore, means that you do not have to view the project as an all-or-nothing situation. Here is a rundown of some of the most futuristic solutions you could implement in your dream home today.

1. Voice-Controlled Smart Speaker

All smart speakers are powered by smart assistants and they come with a dedicated app, which serves as some kind of a hub. Through the app, you can register and easily access other smart home devices. This allows you to control all smart home devices using voice commands via the controlled smart speaker as opposed to visiting or using individual apps.

Not all voice controlled smart speakers are the same and some only allow the integration of certain services. For instance, Apple’s HomePod works only with Siri. Alexa powers the Echo speakers by Amazon. The Echo devices come in all shapes and sizes, thereby making them some of the most versatile. Google also sells a bunch of Home products, which are powered by the Google Assistant. Other audio gadget manufacturers have started integrating voice assistants in their products as well, like Samsung soundbars for Smart TV that are capable of taking voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant.

2. Smart home security systems

Sure, the aforementioned smart plugs and lights can be used to switch on and off appliances to give potential intruders the illusion that someone is home or you can invest in cameras and locks. Smart doorbells, on the other hand, let you check who is walking to your doorstep, even when you’re far away from home.

The system uses a dedicated security camera and an inbuilt app calling feature, which relies on one-way video and two-way audio. Travis from WiredSmart says smart security cameras are some of the key items that should be installed in Australian homes.

If you are interested in knowing sustainable home security systems, read this article.

3. Smart Plugs Make Everything Smarter

A smart plug is simply an adapter that is capable of turning your basic home electronics into smarter devices. These plugs incorporate WiFi and allow you to control any of your home devices remotely via an app.

However, to get the most from smart plugs, some of the appliances must be dumb. For example, a coffee maker needs to have a power switch that allows you to leave it on in order to allow the smart plug to manage its power.

Futuristic Smart Home

4. Smart Lighting

With smart bulbs, you enjoy the ability to secure your home, provide dimming abilities to any basic light switch, save energy, and saves you the trouble of using an inconveniently located light switch. You can achieve all this by replacing standard bulbs with smart bulb options.

Final Words

Home automation technologies are expected to integrate into more aspects of our daily lives. The voice control feature incorporated in phones is now available in smart home speakers. The smart home technologies provide a major breakthrough advancement that can now be enjoyed in modern, smarter homes. With the advancements in technology, homeowners can look forward to smarter solutions for even easier home automation.

Reviewer’s Blog: How to Become Popular on Social Networks?

By | | ,
Leave a comment

To create a promising blog on the site, it is important to be interested in, and ideally love the topic you are writing about. This is the point of view of Ty Christensen, head of marketing at Clearlink, an expert in content creation and blogger. Read on to learn how to create a blog on a topic that was not close to you and / or of little interest, about the important tips and recommendations of this expert in the field of blogging.

interesting blog

How to make the uninteresting interesting?

There may not be universal solutions, but three examples that I will give below will definitely help you turn a not very interesting or relevant topic into an interesting one.

Start with questions

The first effective way to make a topic more interesting for yourself is to ask questions. They are very effective because:

  1. They suggest a clear goal and direct the main efforts. As soon as there is a question posed, you begin to look for answers. As a result, the search for information turns into an opportunity for learning and self-development. This process is exciting and brings satisfaction.
  2. Closely associated with the target audience – those readers who are looking for answers to this and similar questions. That is why the ability to ask the right questions and then give comprehensive answers is so important for a blogger.

These factors make blogging more efficient and easier, while helping its authors create meaningful, high-quality content that can attract the target audience.

Together with the right goal and due effort, a question can become a powerful tool for expanding horizons. It can inspire new ideas, give motivation in situations where other means have ceased to help.

By asking questions, the author can consider any topic, even one that is far from close to him, thereby generating ideas for creating and maintaining a successful blog. Let’s look at the blog of Wild Earth, a company specializing in outdoor excursions, survival skills training, etc. Initially, most of us, including you – the reader, do not know much about this topic and are not very interested in it.

But by asking the right questions, any blogger can interest themselves first, and then the readers. Even if you don’t know anything about the required topic, you should start with simple and clear questions that begin with the words:

  • who and what;
  • why or how;
  • which;
  • when;
  • where.

What questions can be for the mentioned topic about nature? Here are some options:

  • who started the “green” movement, which is conventionally called “how nature helps us”?
  • what is the positive effect of a person being in nature for a short and long time;
  • where is it better to go to get the proper experience of interacting with nature?
  • where is it worth visiting to experience more sensations?
  • why does a modern person need unity with nature?
  • how does wild nature help a person in terms of psychology?

When you already have a small list of questions, you can work further. Try to find 1 or 2 of them that are really interesting to you.

Having one important question, a blogger can always create several others on its basis. And all these are potential topics for publications. The more new key questions that interest you appear, the easier it is for the author to solve the task.

how to write like a pro

Use all available tools for research

The basis for creating interest is asking questions. They help to explore the issues that fascinate not only the author, but also a wide audience. What happens next? What the question implies – searching for answers. And even if you have not yet asked good questions, you can search for them using the same scheme as the answers themselves.

A successful blog and its maintenance consists of 60% research work. Given this, the bulk of the time spent on blogging should be devoted to research, namely reading. The author’s task is to study the issue independently, so that the reader does not have to do it himself. Subsequently, the information obtained during the research must be presented in a concise, accessible and easily perceived form.

Where to look for the right answers to the questions posed and those that you have not yet found and asked yourself? You can use resources such as Google Alerts and Blog Search, Topsy, Quora, and other similar services with detailed information.

Let’s say your topic is cleaning – cleaning in residential apartments. One of the first questions that seems interesting is: How safe are the usual cleaning products for health? To find the answer, you can go to Quora or another knowledge exchange service, find the “Cleaning” section there (there is one).

The very first visit to the Quora will prompt several ideas at once, as well as new questions that can subsequently become blog posts. Of course, there may not be comprehensive information on individual topics on Quora or similar services. Perhaps changing the search keyword will help – instead of cleaning – detergents or germs. If this does not give results, then it is worth moving to those resources that offer more information on the topic.

So, searching for “cleaning” on Quora gave a lot of food for thought, which in turn gave several ideas for new publications. Among them – in fact, an entire subsection of the blog – “Life hacks for cleaning.” Here you can write, for example, about using orange juice to clean the insides of the dishwasher, and this method works no worse than expensive products.

Then we move on to other resources. Initially, the primary goal for a blogger is the high quality of the posted content, which is extremely important for beginners and only developing resources. Make sure that the number of additional topics (questions) is sufficient to interest a new audience. So, you can write about:

  • using natural, organic components for cleaning instead of “chemicals”;
  • a list of chemicals that are recommended to be avoided;
  • the harm of certain cleaning products for children, allergy sufferers, pregnant women, the elderly, etc.

If these questions are interesting to you, then it would not hurt to answer them for the potential reader.

A lot here depends on the blogger’s natural curiosity, his ability to find the master key to certain questions that interest him. I quickly get new questions:

  1. How many elements of the periodic table are in the cleaning products you use?
  2. What components in cleaning products should alert young parents?
  3. What do you really know about cleaning products: facts and myths?
  4. How to keep your home clean if there are allergy sufferers in the family?

If you would like to get answers to these questions, then it’s only a matter of the main thing – to create high-quality and useful content for readers. Any of these questions is a potential blank for publication in a block on this topic. It is not difficult to study the described problems, since there is plenty of information on the network, and the questions asked are essentially very simple. Looked through several web resources, received information for answers and you can fill the blog.

The Challenges of Public Health and Environmental Stability

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

The environment and the climate are all part of our daily life. We live and interact with the environment and the climate also influences our lives by moderating and impacting our environment. Regardless of which continent one focuses one, the concerns are similar across the globe.

Many, many people across the globe live off the land. A large portion of the global population is totally dependent on agriculture and livestock farming. We call this subsistence farming. Regardless of nomenclature, these lives are hinged to and dependent on farming in an environment that is rapidly changing as the temperatures rise and the climate patterns keep changing. Their struggles are compounding.

environmental degradation

Rains are less frequent, less reliable or overwhelming inundating. The seasons are tending to be hotter, the soils more parched, the production levels of the land are wanning. There may even be more families dependent on securing food from the same land area. Yet the land is producing less in terms of food crops. Much of the land is under greater environmental stress and strain resulting in poor nutrient value of the soils resulting is lower crop yield. While malaria is still rampant and locust swarms are of biblical proportions, rising temperatures, lowering rainfall, all play their part in reducing the people’s capacity to provide for their families, and for the local and global market from these exhausted soils.

It is widespread knowledge that people across the globe are facing greater threats to public health, livelihood, sustainability from the lands due to climate change and environmental degradation. Climate change is not just an environmental threat that impacts the people, but it is also a public health threat that is also increasing in severity each year.

For example, increasing temperature means that local climates are warming up,  and there are seasonal shifts with longer lasting seasons. This means that mosquitoes can now survive in places were previously it was not feasible. This warming climate extends the breeding season and the period of biting activity of the mosquitoes. It is not just nature that is embracing longer warmer and wetter seasons conducive for disease transmission, but disease such as Zika and Dengue fever,  are moving more aggressively into urban areas.

mosquito-control-measures

As climate changes, the issues that threaten the populace include extreme weather events such a rain bombs, and more frequent and more severe mudslides and flooding. This follows with reduced security in food supplies and access to drinkable water. These factors all give rise to human triggers for catastrophes such as political conflict, human trafficking, within and cross border wars, followed by internally displaced people and refugees fleeing across borders, as well as regulated people movement and migration in formal channels.

The usual listing of health-related concerns impacted by climate variability include water-borne disease, malnutrition, heat-related illnesses, air pollution and vector-borne diseases. The issues are the same, but the level of severity is compounded each year. Deadly water-borne diseases such as cholera and hepatitis are very familiar.  But as the water sources warm and the air temperatures also increase, there is a significant increase in the pathogens that cause these deadly diseases, where diarrhoea is one of the most common causes of death in children.

Climate change is impacting the level of food production such that there are greater food shortages leading to greater malnutrition and starvation. Less water availability means it is more difficult to grow and produce healthy food. The food quality is diminishing. On the other hand, excess water due to flooding may lead to greater pest and fungal disease which damages the crops also.

Rising temperatures results in heat waves of greater intensity and duration, as well as increased frequency. This leads to heat related illnesses such as heat stress and heat stroke. This targets both the very young and the elderly sectors of any population.

Next is the air pollution. The levels of pollutants are exacerbated by natural fires, burning of crop stubble and clearing of lands of rainforests, or simply dense vegetation for next season’s farming. The burning processes enhances the increase in air temperature leading to further climate change. Many of the fumes are carcinogenic and detrimental to the health of persons with chronic health conditions.

climate-change-public-health

As the climate patterns change with increasing temperature, higher humidity levels, greater areas exposed to stagnate pools of undrinkable water, diseases are readily transmitted, survive for longer, infect greater numbers of the local populations, and transmit more diseases.

Chain reactions escalate across the biosphere at all levels within the population and natural ecosystems. These collective scenarios threaten the resilience of the local communities. And in term, impact the scant or fragile health systems especially in poorer regions of the globe. People’s basic needs already are not being meet and are now being threatened by increased pressures on the natural environment. The situation is increasing in severity as now there are both the long-standing physical health concerns which are being intensified, and new unravelling environmental health issues and concerns that need to be managed or compensated for.

This growing instability in basic survival capacity raises the need for decisive action across the globe, concern for the most vulnerable communities, and an urgent need for mitigation to reduce environmental emissions and environmental footprints if we wish to ensure the survival of all people on the planet. This requires not just more reports on Climate Change and Sustainability Development Goals, but real action on the ground.

media and sustainable development

It all sounds good to reduce carbon footprint, reduce waste, embrace clean energy solutions, manage people movement efficiently. We have bandied these terms for decades now. It is time for real implementation with community-driven models, decentralised and locally empowered solutions that use local resources to solve local problems on community scale. The local people need to be involved in the local solutions to ensure the future of local communities within the natural local environs. These solutions need to address both the future of the local communities, the health of the environment, and especially the future health of the global communities.

Unveiling the Art of Alignment: Understanding the Role of Chiropractors

By | |
Leave a comment

In the pursuit of holistic health and well-being, individuals often seek various avenues to optimize their physical and mental states. One such avenue, gaining increasing recognition and popularity, is chiropractic care.

At its core, chiropractic care focuses on the alignment of the spine and its impact on overall health. In this article, we delve into the intricate world of chiropractic care, exploring its history, principles, and the pivotal role it plays in promoting wellness.

chiropractic care

What is Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care is a healthcare discipline centered around the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine. Chiropractors, practitioners of chiropractic care, employ hands-on techniques to adjust the spine and other joints, aiming to restore proper alignment and alleviate associated symptoms.

The spine serves as the central pillar of the human body, providing structural support and facilitating crucial neurological functions. Optimal alignment of the spine is essential for the smooth functioning of the nervous system, which coordinates communication between the brain and the rest of the body.

Misalignments, or subluxations, in the spine can disrupt this communication network, leading to a myriad of health issues. Thus, maintaining proper spinal alignment is paramount for overall health and well-being.

Principles of Chiropractic Care

At the heart of chiropractic care lies the fundamental concept of spinal alignment. The spine, comprised of a series of vertebrae, serves as the primary channel through which the nervous system transmits vital information between the brain and the body.

Optimal spinal alignment ensures unimpeded communication within the nervous system, facilitating the body’s innate ability to heal and function optimally.

When the spine becomes misaligned, either due to trauma, poor posture, or repetitive stress, it can exert pressure on nearby nerves, resulting in interference or dysfunction within the nervous system.

This disruption in communication can manifest as pain, stiffness, numbness, tingling, or other symptoms, depending on the affected nerves and their associated functions. Prolonged misalignments may contribute to chronic health issues and diminish overall quality of life.

Techniques Used by Chiropractors

Chiropractors employ a variety of techniques to address spinal misalignments and promote optimal alignment. These techniques are tailored to the unique needs of each individual and may vary based on factors such as the nature of the misalignment, the patient’s medical history, and their preferences.

1. Spinal Manipulation

Also known as spinal adjustment, this technique involves applying controlled force to specific vertebrae to realign them and improve joint function. It often results in an audible “pop” or “crack,” which is caused by the release of trapped gas bubbles within the joint.

2. Flexion-Distraction

This gentle, hands-on technique is commonly used to treat conditions such as herniated discs and spinal stenosis. It involves a specialized table that allows the chiropractor to apply gentle stretching motions to the spine, decompressing the affected discs and relieving pressure on nerves.

3. Instrument-Assisted Adjustments

Some chiropracors use specialized instruments, such as the activator or the impulse adjusting instrument, to deliver precise and targeted adjustments to the spine and other joints. These instruments deliver quick, low-force impulses to specific areas, making them suitable for patients who prefer a gentler approach.

4. Soft Tissue Therapy

In addition to spinal adjustments, chiropractors may incorporate soft tissue techniques such as massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy to address muscle tension, inflammation, and scar tissue formation. These techniques help improve flexibility, circulation, and overall tissue health.

The primary goal of chiropractic adjustment techniques is to restore proper alignment and function to the spine and other joints of the body.

By correcting misalignments and reducing joint dysfunction, chiropractors aim to alleviate symptoms such as pain, stiffness, muscle tension, and nerve irritation.

Restoring alignment can improve overall spinal biomechanics, enhance nervous system function, and promote the body’s natural healing processes.

Conditions Treated by Chiropractors

Chiropractors are trained to assess and treat a wide range of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, addressing not only the symptoms but also the underlying causes.

  • Back Pain: Chiropractic care is perhaps most widely known for its effectiveness in treating back pain, including conditions such as sciatica, herniated discs, and muscle strains.
  • Neck Pain: Chiropractors can also provide relief for neck pain and stiffness caused by poor posture, whiplash injuries, or degenerative conditions like cervical spondylosis.
  • Headaches and Migraines: Many individuals find relief from chronic headaches and migraines through chiropractic adjustments, which can help alleviate tension in the neck and upper back.
  • Joint Pain: Chiropractic care can address joint pain and stiffness associated with conditions like arthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis, improving mobility and function.

One of the key principles of chiropractic care is its holistic approach to health, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of the body’s systems and the importance of addressing underlying imbalances and dysfunctions.

Rather than merely masking symptoms with medication or invasive procedures, chiropractors seek to identify and correct the root causes of health issues, allowing the body to heal naturally and function optimally.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care offers a multitude of potential benefits for overall health and wellness, extending beyond the treatment of specific ailments. Here, we discuss some of the key advantages of chiropractic care, supported by research and testimonials from patients and healthcare professionals.

  • Pain Relief: Chiropractic adjustments can provide effective relief from acute and chronic pain, allowing individuals to experience improved mobility, flexibility, and comfort in their daily lives.
  • Improved Functionality: By restoring proper alignment and function to the spine and nervous system, chiropractic care can enhance overall physical and neurological function, promoting better posture, coordination, and balance.
  • Enhanced Well-being: Many individuals report feeling more energized, relaxed, and mentally clear following chiropractic adjustments, attributing these improvements to the restoration of balance within the body.

Safety Considerations

While chiropractic care is generally considered safe and well-tolerated, it is essential for patients to be aware of potential risks and considerations associated with treatment.

  • Risk of Injury: While rare, there is a potential risk of injury associated with chiropractic adjustments, particularly if performed incorrectly or inappropriately. However, the risk of serious adverse events is extremely low, especially when treatment is provided by a qualified and experienced chiropractor.
  • Pre-existing Conditions: Individuals with certain pre-existing medical conditions, such as osteoporosis, spinal cord compression, or vascular abnormalities, may require special considerations or modifications to chiropractic treatment to minimize risk and ensure safety.

Chiropractors undergo extensive education and training to obtain licensure and practice legally in their respective jurisdictions. This typically includes a doctoral-level degree from an accredited chiropractic college, followed by clinical experience and ongoing continuing education to maintain competency and proficiency in their field. By choosing a licensed and reputable chiropractor, patients can feel confident in the quality and safety of the care they receive.

Chiropractic care stands as a holistic approach to health and wellness, emphasizing the vital role of spinal alignment in promoting overall well-being. By restoring balance to the body and addressing underlying issues, chiropractors empower individuals to embark on a journey towards optimal health, vitality, and vitality.

الذكاء الاصطناعي وإدارة الموارد المائية في الأردن: تعزيز التشاركية من أجل الاستدامة

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

تعد الأردن واحدة من أكثر الدول التي تعاني من شح المياه فى العالم، يعزى ذلك إلى موقعها الجغرافي وندرة الموارد الطبيعية والنمو السكاني, ومما زاد المشكلة سوءا موجات اللجوء والتغير المناخي, بالإضافة إلى معدلات الفاقد العالية حيث تهدر كميات كبيرة من المياه نتيجة التسريبات والتلوث .لذلك فإنه يتحتم مواجهة التحديات الكبيرة والمتزايدة التي تتعلق بتوفيرالمياه للسكان والقطاعات الحيوية المختلفة, بأساليب مختلفة منها ما يتعلق بتحسين إدارة الموارد المائية والتي يجب أن تعتمد على الاستراتيجيات المستدامة والتكنولوجيا الحديثة ومنها الذكاء الصناعي (AI).

use of AI in water management

دور الذكاء الصناعي في إدارة المياه

يعرف الذكاء الاصطناعي بأنه فرع من علوم الحاسوب والذي يهدف إلى تطوير أنظمة قادرة على محاكاة القدرات الذهنية البشرية مثل التعلم  والتفكير والاستنتاج. يمكن للذكاء الاصطناعي تحليل البيانات واتخاذ قرارات بناءً على هذا التحليل والتفاعل مع البشر بطرق ذكية, كما يمكنه أن يلعب دوراٌ مهماٌ في تحسين كفاءة استهلاك الموارد المائية عبر عدة طرق:

  1. المحاكاة والنماذج التنبؤية: وهي من الأدوات الفعالة التي يمكن استخدامها للتنبؤ بالطلب على المياه وتحديد المناطق الأكثرعرضة للجفاف. فباستخدام تقنيات الذكاء الصناعي، يمكن تحليل البيانات المناخية المختلفة لتوقع الاحتياجات المائية المستقبلية وتخطيط استراتيجيات تخزين المياه بصورة أفضل.توفر هذه النماذج قدرة على التعامل مع التعقيدات المتعددة لمشاكل المياه من خلال السيناريوهات المستقبلية واتخاذ قرارات تعتمد على البيانات.
  2. أتمتة شبكات المياه وتقليل الفاقد: فمن خلال تركيب أجهزة استشعار ذكية وبرمجيات تحليل البيانات، يمكن رصد حالات الفاقد في الشبكة بشكل سريع وتحديد الموقع بدقة. هذه الأتمتة تساعد في تقليل الخسائر المائية وتوجيه عمليات الصيانة بشكل أكثر كفاءة.
  3. مراقبة الموارد وتقييم الاستهلاك: حيث يمكن تحليل البيانات المجمعة من المستشعرات والمحطات المائية لقياس نسبة ضخ المياه و دراسة سلوك المستهلكين لتقييم أداء الموارد وتوجيه استخدامها بشكل أمثل. يساعد هذا النهج في تخصيص المياه بشكل عادل وأكثر كفاءة بين القطاعات المختلفة.
  4. الذكاء الاصطناعي التوليدي (Generative AI): وهو مفهوم حديث نسبيًا يمكن أن يلعب دورًا هامًا في تحليل البيانات غير المنظمة والمتعلقة بإدارة المياه. فمن خلال تحليل كميات هائلة من البيانات، يمكن له ابتكار حلول جديدة لمشاكل توزيع المياه وتقليل الفاقد. فمثلاٌ يمكن للذكاء الاصطناعي التوليدي قياس معدل الضخ وفحص سلوك المستهلك، وإنشاء نماذج لتقليل المياه بناء على ذلك .

إيجابيات استخدام الذكاء الصناعي في إدارة المياه

  1. زيادة كفاءة إدارة شبكات المياه وتقليل الفاقد: وذلك من خلال الكشف المبكر عن الفاقد وتحسين تقنيات الري حيث يمكن استخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي في تصميم أنظمة ري ذكية تقوم بتحليل احتياجات المحاصيل من المياه وتوزيعها بشكل يتناسب مع ظروف التربة والطقس، مما يساهم في تقليل الهدر.
  2. التنبؤ المستقبلي وإدارة الأزمات: تطوير النماذج التنبؤية للاستعداد المستقبلي لتوقع الطلب على المياه في مختلف القطاعات (الزراعة، الصناعة، الاستخدام المنزلي), وبالتالي مساعدة صانعي القرار في التخطيط الاستباقي ووضع استراتيجيات للتعامل مع ندرة المياه وتقييم المخاطر وتوقع الأزمات المتعلقة بالمياه، مثل نقص المياه بسبب الجفاف.
  3. تسهيل التشاركية بين القطاعات المختلفة عبر إنشاء منصات رقمية ومنصات تحليل بيانات مشتركة بين القطاعات، مما يتيح الوصول إلى المعلومات الحيوية حول استخدام الموارد المائية وتقليل الهدر.
  4. الاستخدام الأمثل للموارد وذلك بفضل تحليل البيانات بشكل معمق،كما يمكن تحقيق تخصيص أكثر دقة للموارد المائية وتوجيهها نحو المناطق والقطاعات الأكثر احتياجًا.
  5. تحليل البيانات البيئية:استخدام تقنيات التعلم الآلي لتحليل البيانات البيئية، مثل جودة المياه ومؤشرات الصحة البيئية، مما يساعد في اتخاذ قرارات مستندة إلى بيانات دقيقة.

سلبيات استخدام الذكاء الصناعي في إدارة المياه

  1. التكاليف العالية: لا سيما فيما يتعلق بالبنية التحتية التي تحتاج إلى تحديثات لتتماشى مع التكنولوجيا الحديثة.
  2. الاعتماد على البيانات: يعتمد الذكاء الصناعي على كميات هائلة من البيانات الدقيقة والصحيحة ليحقق أهدافه بكفاءة. إذا كانت البيانات المجمعة غير دقيقة أو محدودة، فإن النتائج والنماذج التنبؤية قد تكون مضللة، وستؤدي إلى استنتاجات خاطئة تتسبب في سوء توزيع الموارد أو اتخاذ قرارات غير صائبة.
  3. قضايا الخصوصية والمخاوف أخلاقية: قد تثير مسألة جمع البيانات المتعلقة باستخدام الموارد المائية تساؤلات حول كيفية استخدامها وتخزينها، لا سيما إذا كان يتم مراقبة استهلاك المياه على مستوى الأفراد.
  4. الحاجة إلى موارد بشرية ماهرة: يتطلب تطبيق حلول الذكاء الصناعي وجود كوادر متخصصة ومؤهلة للتعامل مع هذه التقنيات.
artificial-intelligence-environment-protection

Artificial Intelligence can provide invaluable assistance in environment protection and resource conservation

التوصيات

يمثل استخدام الذكاء الصناعي في إدارة المياه في الأردن خطوة هامة نحو تحسين كفاءة استخدام الموارد المائية المحدودة وتقليل الفاقد,وتعزيز القدرات في مواجهة تحديات المياه المستقبلية، وعليه فيمكن الخروج بالتوصيات التالية:

  1. تعزيز التعاون بين القطاعات وتبادل المعرفة والخبرات: وذلك بتعزيز التشاركية بين الحكومات والقطاع الخاص والمجتمع المدني، مما يسهم في تحقيق مشاريع مستدامة تعود بالنفع على المجتمعات وتعزيز قدرتها على مواجهة الأزمات المناخية وتحقيق الأمن المائي والغذائي.
  2. الاهتمام بدور الإنسان كعنصر أساسي في تحقيق التنمية المستدامة, حيث أنه لا يمكن معالجة التحديات المائية بفعالية دون التركيز على مركزية دور الإنسان, وعليه فإنه يتوجب تمكين واشراك المجتمع ليكون جزءًا من عملية صنع القرار المتعلقة بإدارة الموارد، مع التركيز على الحقوق والواجبات مما يسهم في تعزيز الشعور بالمسؤولية ويزيد من فعالية الحلول المقترحة. مع الأخذ بعين الاعتبار أن هذا الانتقال يتطلب نشر الوعي اللازم لفهم القضايا البيئية والموارد الطبيعية, وخلق فرص العمل وتطوير المهارات الفنية والإدارية للمجتمعات مما يتيح لها الاستخدام الفعال للموارد واستقلالية إدارة المشاريع.كل ما ذكر يسهم في بناء مجتمع مستدام يتسم بالعدالة والتمكين. وهذا ما أكده سمو الأمير حسن بن طلال خلال توجيهاته في  مؤتمر “الذكاء الصناعي: حلقة الوصل في منظومة المياه والطاقة والغذاء والبيئة” الذي عقد في تشرين الأول من عام 2024  في العاصمة الأردنية عمّان.
  3. التوعية والتدريب: تنظيم ورش عمل وبرامج تدريبية بلغة مبسطة ومفهومة لكوادر قطاع المياه الفنية والإدارية حول كيفية استخدام تقنيات الذكاء الاصطناعي بفعالية .
  4. تطبيق نماذج عملية مصغرة ليتسنى للمجتمع مراقبة جدوى وفوائد الذكاء الاصطناعي كخطوة لاقناعهم للانتقال لتبني استخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي.
  5. تطوير الأطر القانونية والتنظيمية: وضع أطر قانونية تدعم استخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي في إدارة المياه، مع التركيز على حماية البيانات والخصوصية, كما يجب وضع سياسات وتشريعات واضحة تحدد كيفية جمع البيانات وتخزينها ومشاركتها بين الجهات المختلفة، مع الحرص على حماية حقوق الأفراد والمجتمعات ولضمان استخدام هذه البيانات بصورة أخلاقية.
  6. تقييم الأثر والمراجعة المستمرة لاستخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي في إدارة المياه، وتحديث الاستراتيجيات بناءً على النتائج والبيانات الجديدة, والتعامل مع الذكاء الاصطناعي بحذر لضمان دقة البيانات المستخدمة في التحليلات والنماذج التنبؤية.
  7. إنشاء مركز بيانات مركزي لاستخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي لتحسين إدارة الموارد وكفاءة الري والحوكمة.
  8. تحديث البنية التحتية لمختلف القطاعات لتسهيل الانتقال الى تطبيق استخدام الذكاء الصناعي في ادارة المياه.

How IoT is Making a Deep Impact on Sustainable Development

By | | , ,
6 Comments

The Internet of Things (IoT) is currently trending with its ever expanding eco-system of digital sensors, appliances and wearable smart devices. Like other sectors, the role of IoT in sustainable development and environment protection will be crucial in the coming years.

Environmental degradation is occurring all over the world. Land degradation, deforestation and desertification pose a growing threat to food security and water availability. Widespread loss of biological diversity is undermining the productive capacity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This reduces access to essential environmental goods and services, including vital ecological processes such as water purification, nutrient cycling, control of pollution and soil erosion. Environmental degradation exacerbates the frequency and impact of droughts, floods, forest fires and other natural hazards.

Let us explore how IoT is making a positive impact on sustainable development across different sectors.

sustainable=development-goals

1. Water Management

IoT enables understanding of changes in water quality of a particular reservoir. The connection of different sensors and monitoring systems help in providing the water level and flood warnings as well as foresee other disasters such as earthquakes and potential landslides in prone areas, assisting the civilians and authorities to take drastic action on such issues.

2. Agriculture

Smart and adaptive irrigation and agriculture systems in which the soil water content and nutrients are continuously tracked and appropriate actions are taken on the reported deficiency or damage are also gaining huge popularity among the farming communities.

3. Wildlife

IoT also allow real time detection of animals. In case of any disease outbreaks, it will be useful for control, survey and prevention of such scenarios.  For this, the livestock would be fitted with special chips (RFID) and readers would for placed in the designated monitoring spots.

Applications like eBird helps the scientists in keeping tracks of birds as well as their habits and migration patterns. Systems that triggers alert on uncontrolled deforestation and potential wildfires can also help the respective authorities to protect and maintain the forests and its inhabitants.

4. Marine Organisms

Overfishing and over- exploitation of aquatic diversity is endangering high-value species like salmon and cod. ThisFish, an internet tracking network in association with local bodies help to trace back the fish to the fisherman who caught it and the location through GPS readings and toll data. In this way bad fishing behaviors can be detected and stopped.

FishPal provides reports on the type and quantity of fishes caught on a daily and monthly that can be checked by the fisheries department and also informs suspicious fishing activities.

5. Buildings

Those who dismissed smart home technology as unrealistic playthings for lazy youngsters are increasingly finding it hard to resist the charms of IoT-powered smart home devices. These devices will become hugely popular in the coming years as they become highly intuitive and innovative, extending to not just home automation comfort but also home security and the safety of your family. That is the kind of home sustainability that will keep the power consumption in check and make optimal use of renewable energy.

Even smart workplaces with Green Design are contributing highly towards energy conservation. With maximum use of daylight, rainwater capture, smart cooling and ventilation systems, solar power etc ensure maximum efficiency in power use and full utilization to renewable sources.

6. Waste Management

One of the major issues faced in the urban areas is the inefficient waste management. Improper disposal of waste can cause various health hazards and affect the surrounding air and water. The machine-to-machine or machine-to-man (M2M) systems can be established for a much intelligent division and disposal of waste. The trash cans or the dumpsters can have built-in sensors to measure the amount of trash. Once the trash is full, the signal transceiver sends a message to the central command centre via internet or satellite with the GPS location and the IP address.

Use of such Industrial IoT solutions and devices for waste management helps in determining the best time to collect the wastes and figuring out better routes for the collection trucks handling the potential waste build up scenario in cities.

IoT-based waste management systems are getting traction worldwide

Such smart waste management systems can also help in identifying the different types of waste, such as domestic or commercial, and dividing them based on their degrading ability and processes. This would help in proper disposal for all kind of waste causing less environmental issues and keep track of the ever-growing issue of e-waste management.

7. Wastewater

SeWatch, a wastewater and sewerage wireless monitoring system provides a system-wide reporting solution for combined sewer overflow and sanitary sewer overflow discharge or overflow. Water level sensors for sewer system manholes relay information to an application running on a PC or server which alerts on computer screen or via SMS about manhole overflow and spill-over.

A Shining Example

China has come up with a “Sensing China” strategy. It is an environmental protection and overall industrial pollution control system featuring real-time data perception, resource concentration and sharing, system integration as well as effective supervision and decision-making that established to improve the environment and prevent environmental accidents.

The specific tasks include intelligent sensors and automatic monitoring devices, wireless monitoring for pollution treatment, water quality data monitoring, air monitoring system, and regional ecological monitoring.

Conclusion

Connected devices promise to be the major drivers of change within the coming few years. With higher demands for this technology from both public and private sector for better energy distribution, accurate business forecasts, the fruits of Green IT had an answer to many of the community resource management challenges faced by the region, the overall production gains is expected to shoot up.

Of course, new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, will emerge making IoT more intuitive and user friendly, but largely, manufacturers will have to work harder at securing their connected devices as the risk to data will also increase. Amid all of these trends and predictions, the future ahead is definitely a promising one and certainly worth looking forward to.

Top 5 Kitchen Decorating Trends and Ideas of 2024

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

 

There are plenty of on-trend styles and cutting-edge appliances to choose from, thanks to the emergence of fantastic new kitchen companies and the presentation of fresh design concepts and ingenious twists on existing appliance designs in kitchen showrooms around the nation. Following is a glance at the latest kitchen trends to help you plan your next kitchen overhaul.

kitchen design 2024

1. Glazed Tile Backsplash

Kitchen backsplash tiles are nothing new, but there will be a trend away from matt finishes and towards a more glossy appearance going forward. It is unnecessary to utilise a rich shade to get the desired effect. An easy-to-clean glazed tile will also reflect the light throughout the room, producing excellent effects regardless of the colour used to create the tile.

A plan is enhanced by the texture and artisan character of these unusual Moroccan glazed clay tiles, which have an uneven surface and a range of colour tones and are handcrafted. Choosing glazed white tiles will give your bathroom a more subdued appearance while still making the most of the available natural light. Zelliges will also continue to be a popular option.

2. Infuse Antique Items

Introducing some antique or vintage furniture into a kitchen has the instant impact of creating a warm, lived-in home feel, which is precisely what future kitchen trends are all about dispelling any thoughts of a show house. When it comes to creating a classic style, farmhouse kitchen furniture, such as a scrubbed kitchen table or dresser, is an easy option.

Antique furniture, which are timeless, constructed to endure, and frequently affordable to purchase at vintage fairs, will breathe life into a new room and provide character. Designed joinery, such as a huge larder cabinet and open shelves, are combined with a butler’s sink, Delft tiles, period-style lighting, and antique furniture to produce a timeless look entirely in line with the house’s architectural character.

3. Glass Partitions

As a result of years of tearing down walls to construct enormous open-plan areas, we’ve now learned to realise the advantages of being able to lock the door and escape the constant background music of the whole home, especially in the summer. An open glass barrier may divide areas without sacrificing light or the sensation of being part of a group. It also benefits aiding in the containment of odours in the kitchen environment.

The use of glass walls helps define space and provide a sense of room without being completely open plan. In situations where a complete glass wall is not possible due to the current kitchen arrangement, a smaller glazed panel may add architectural interest to the area while also serving as a background for a piece of furniture, according to the designer.

4. Metal Extractor Hoods

While they are often seen as a necessary evil in the United Kingdom, the American attitude to extractor hoods has traditionally been more celebratory, with custom-made designs in distinctive finishes making powerful and defining statements in kitchens all across the country for generations.

kitchen decoration ideas

This kitchen style seems to be taking off in a significant manner as well, particularly in the form of eye-catching metal surfaces.

5. Single Open Shelf

Because there is so much going on in kitchens, the possibility of visual overload is constantly there. Those seeking a more restrained design will need to concentrate on colours, which should be kept basic, and consider leaving blank wall space on the walls.

When dealing with open kitchen storage, it is critical to have a well-curated display, as is always the case. Some designers use a single open shelf for artwork rather than kitchenalia to boost the room’s overall appearance.