Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Arab Countries

water-energy-foodAddressing water scarcity, both natural and human-induced, in the Arab region is considered one of the major and most critical challenges facing the Arab countries. This challenge is expected to grow with time due to many pressing driving forces, including population growth, food demand, unsettled and politicized shared water resources, climate change, and many others, forcing more countries into more expensive water sources, such as desalination, to augment their limited freshwater supplies. The heavy financial, economic, environmental, as well as social costs and burden to be borne cannot be overemphasized.

Furthermore, the water scarcity challenge in the Arab world is being compounded by its multiple nexuses with the various development sectors, such as water and human health, water and environment, water and food, water and energy, and many other interdependencies, which carry within them many cross-cutting issues of human rights, social, economic, legal, technical, political, and security nature.

It is important to address the various linkages of the water sector with other sectors like energy, food, health, and economic development as a whole and that professionals in all sectors should think and act beyond the boundaries of their own sector, to achieve effective and integrated resources planning and management.

Water-Energy Nexus

Amongst the most important inter-dependencies in the Arab countries is the water-energy nexus, where all the socio-economic development sectors rely on the sustainable provision of these two resources. In addition to their central and strategic importance to the region, these two resources are strongly interrelated and becoming increasingly inextricably linked as the water scarcity in the region increases.

In the water value chain, energy is required in all segments; energy is used in almost every stage of the water cycle: extracting groundwater from aquifers, feeding desalination plants with its raw sea/brackish waters and producing freshwater, pumping, conveying, and distributing freshwater, collecting wastewater and treatment and reuse.  In other words, without energy, mainly in the form of electricity, water availability, delivery systems, and human welfare will not function.

Water-Food Nexus

The water-food linkage represents another important and vital nexus in the Arab countries. Under the current unstable food security situation (fluctuating energy prices, poor harvests, rising demand from a growing population, the use of biofuels and export bans have all increased prices), the ability for the Arab countries to feed their growing population is severely challenged by competition over increasingly limited water resources.

Agriculture is currently challenged by competition among sectors on available water resources. While the majority of water in the Arab region is used inefficiently in the agricultural sector (about 85% with less than 40% efficiency), which is not only crucial for food production but also employs a large labor force of rural population, the contribution of agriculture to GDP is significantly low.

Hence, and using the argument of higher productivity per drop, voices are increasingly advocating for shift of water resources from agriculture to meet pressing demands of the industrial and municipal sectors.  The negative repercussions of that on the agricultural sector and rural population are most evident.

Future Outlook

Based on the current trends in population growth and their associated water, food, and energy demands in the Arab region, water security, energy security and food security are inextricably linked, perhaps more than any other region in the world, and that actions in one area have strong impacts on the others.

Hence, a nexus approach that integrates management and governance across these three sectors can improve these security issues; support the transition to a green economy, which aims, among others, at resources use efficiency and policy coherence.

A proper understanding of the nexus will allow decision-makers to develop appropriate policies, strategies, and investments to explore and exploit synergies, and to identify trade-offs among the development goals related to water, energy and food security. Moreover, a nexus perspective increases the understanding of the interdependencies across these three sectors and influences policies in other areas of concern such as climate change and environment.

The Environmental Impacts of Car Accidents

Car accidents are increasing all over the world. Although many people may not be aware of it, accidents can have a large negative impact on the environment. Car accidents affect people’s health and finances as well as the structure of the roads. Cars have long been known to have an environmental impact as a result of their emissions and the gas they use, which affects the planet negatively.

The recent findings now prove that even in cases of accidents, cars can still negatively impact the planet in different ways whether  directly or indirectly.

1. Gas Leaks

One of the main reasons cars have a negative impact on the environment, in general, is their excessive use of gas and their emissions which pollute the air. When car accidents occur, the risk of gas being spilled is high. This means  that gas is wasted and can in some cases even run the risk of starting a fire.

People who get involved in car accidents in the US, for example, know that the first thing they need to do is consult their lawyer to get useful information. Most of them attempt to get help from a Dui lawyer because probably the greatest threat when driving is driving while intoxicated.

According to a Houston car accident attorney, these are critical cases that need legal intervention as well. Gas leaks that occur during or after a car accident can release harmful chemicals into the air that can be poisonous to a number of living things.

2. Repairs to the Cars

After a car accident, almost all car owners involved would need to seek to fix one thing or another that may have gotten damaged. This would lead to the use of a number of elements that could be harmful to the environment. Repairing cars could see large amounts of steel and fuel being used to fix the vehicle, and that on its own has a great impact on the emissions being released and polluting the planet.

3. Impact on the Roads

Car accidents can sometimes be so massive and traumatic that they even leave behind damage to the roads. These roads would then need large-scale repairs to fix the damage or to ensure that no accidents of the same nature occur in the same place again.

Those repairs can also have a damaging impact on the environment, as the equipment used to repair the roads uses a lot of fuel and emits a large amount of air pollutants. Not to mention that roads are made of tarmac, which on its own can be damaging for the environment in a number of ways.

Also Read: Could Electric Vehicles Lead to Safer Roads?

Bottom Line

Although many people may not be aware of that fact, car accidents have as much of a negative impact on the environment as cars do themselves on normal occasions with the pollutants that they emit, if not, even more.

When someone is driving a car, they should be concerned and focused on the roads, not only to avoid any risk to their health and safety as well as the safety of others, but also to avoid the risks involved that affect the environment in the unfortunate case of an accident.

Remember to drive safely and consult a legal attorney in case of an accident to get the best advice in such situations and minimize the negative impacts of the accident.

جودة الهواء في الأردن – المخاوف الرئيسية

يعد تلوث الهواء مصدر قلق كبير للسكان في كل أنحاء العالم، لما له من تأثير سلبي مباشر وغير مباشر على صحة الإنسان والحيوان وباقي مكونات البيئة المحيطة، ويزداد القلق من تلوث الهواء مع تعدد المصادر المساهمة بهذا التلوث وتنوعها وانتشارها الواسع. حيث بدأت مشاكل تلوث الهواء في المدن الصناعية ولم يقتصر على المدن الصناعية فحسب ولكنه انتشر ليشمل المدن ذات الكثافة السكانية العالية نظرًا لتعدد وتنوع وشدة الأنشطة البشرية فيها.

وقد أظهرت دراسات قامت بها منظمة ال WHO أن ملوثات الهواء تسبب أمراض القلب والرئتين والأوعية الدموية  وبعض الأمراض الجلدية مثل سرطانات الجلد وذلك بسبب التعرض للأشعة فوق البنفسجية الناتج عن تآكل طبقة الأوزون، ولا يقتصر الأثر السلبي للهواء الملوث على صحة الإنسان فحسب ولكن يتعدى خطره على المناخ ويعد السبب الرئيسي لتغير المناخ عالميًا، كما يؤثر على المحاصيل الزراعية والغابات والتنوع الحيوي سواء للنبات أو للحيوان، وهو السبب وراء هطول المطر الحمضي الذي يسبب تلف في الأنسجة النباتية إذا ما تعرضت له وتلف في الأبنية ويسبب ضرر لكل ما قد يتعرض له، ويسبب أيضًا تلوث للمسطحات المائية المفتوحة إضافة إلى قلة وضوح الرؤية في الأفق.

أما في الأردن فإن الموقف مختلف قليلًا عما يبدو عليه في البلدان المكتظة صناعيًا وسكانيًا؛ نظرًا لكونها بلد غير صناعية، ولكن هذا لا ينفي وجود وتنامي مشكلة تلوث الهواء بسبب وجود مصادر أخرى لهذا التلوث، مثل: الانتشار الكبير والواسع للمركبات والمحركات بأنواعها، كما أن الانتشار الواسع لمكيفات الهواء أثر بشكل كبير على جودة الهواء سلبًا؛ وذلك لأنها ترفع من الرطوبة النسبية ونسبة الغازات الدفيئة بشكل مباشر، حيث أشارت التقارير الصادرة عن وزارة البيئة أن الرطوبة النسبية تزداد بزيادة درجات الحرارة ويعزى ذلك الارتفاع إلى الاستخدام المفرط لمكيفات الهواء نظرًا إلى أن المدن الثلاث (اربد،عمان والزرقاء) التي تتم مراقبة ورصد الهواء فيها خالية من المسطحات المائية لذا فإن فكرة التبخر من أي مصدر مائي مستبعدة.

وبالعودة إلى التقارير اليومية الصادرة من مديرية الرصد والتقييم البيئي في وزارة البيئة الأردنية، نجد أن جميع التقارير تشير إلى ارتفاع نسب ملوثات الهواء في الأماكن التي تشهد نشاط بشري مكثف بالإضافة إلى أن هذه الملوثات تتركز في الأماكن الأكثر انخفاضًا من حولها، مثل: (حديقة اليرموك-العاصمة وأمانة عمان الكبرى) مما يجعلها محصورة بين مرتفعات تحول دون تبدل الهواء فيها مما يسبب تراكم لهذه الملوثات.

كما سُجلت أيضًا قيم مرتفعة في المدن الصناعية، مثل: (المدينة الصناعية في الزرقاء ومدينة الملك عبالله الثاني الصناعية في سحاب)؛ بسبب تركز النشاط الصناعي في تلك الأماكن وزيادة الانبعاثات فيها، كما أظهرت التقارير أن الضواحي ذات الكثافة السكانية العالية، مثل (طبربور) تشهد ملوثات هوائية أكثر من غيرها بالرغم من كونها منطقة مرتفعة وخالية من الأنشطة الصناعية.

وبالرغم من أن نتائج رصد الغبار الدقيق العالق PM10 وغازاتH2S, NO2, O3, CO, SO2  أقل بكثير من المواصفات الأردنية والتي تطابق المواصفات العالمية لجودة الهواء، إلا أنه لا يمكن لنا إنكار خطرها وذلك بتراكم هذه الملوثات مع مرور الوقت بجسم الانسان كما أن هذه المؤشرات سترتفع إذا ما بقي الحال على ما هو عليه دون اتخاذ إجراءات تحد من مشاكل تلوث الهواء.

landfill-amman

وبعد الإطلاع على كل ما سبق وكمية المخاطر التي تهدد صحة الإنسان والبيئة من حوله، والتي تساهم في التغير المناخي والعديد من الكوارث والمشكلات التي تنتظر الكوكب الوحيد الذي نستطيع العيش عليه، لا بد لنا من اتخاذ إجراءات تحد من هذه الانبعاثات من خلال بعض التوصيات، مثل: الحد من استخدام المصادر المستهلكة للطاقة أو التقليل منها، ونظرا لصعوبة التخلي عن الكثير من الأجهزة والاختراعات لأهميتها في حياة الانسان اليومية فيجب على الشركات المصنعة للأجهزة الالكترونية والمحركات أن تعمل جاهدة لتحسين منتجاتها حتى تكون صديقة للبيئة، ويجب على الحكومات العمل على تحسين خدمات النقل العام حتى يتسنى للشعب أن يستقلها دون أن يضيع وقته وجهده وبذلك يمكنهم الاستغناء عن سياراتهم الخاصة مما يساهم بشكل كبير في التخفيض من هذه الانبعاثات،

والعمل على الحد من استخدام المواد الضارة بالبيئة واستبدالها بأخرى صديقة للبيئة والتشجيع على استهلاك هذه المنتجات من قبل الأفراد والعاملين في القطاعين العام والخاص، كما أنه يجب التنويه على أن قيادة المركبات بتباطؤ مفرط يساهم بزيادة الانبعاثات لذل يجب على السائقين تجنب القيادة بهذا الشكل ويجب التقليل من استخدام مواقد التدفئة الحطبية لأنها تساهم بزيادة المشكلة أولًا عند قطع الأشجار وثانيًا عند حرقها، وأخيرًا يجب على العاملين على إدارة مكبات النفايات إيجاد طرق بديلة لتقليص حجم النفايات غير الحرق وذلك لأن الأبخرة المتصاعدة من حرق المكبات تحمل في جعبتها أكثر الغازات سمية وضرر.

السياحة البيئية: نظرة على الأردن

تشهد السياحة البيئية في الأردن تطوراً متعدد الجوانب يشمل كلاً من الفرص الاقتصادية البحتة المرتبطة بالسياحة ذاتها إضافة إلى المجالات الأوسع التي تشمل التنمية البيئية والمجتمعية كعناصر أساسية في نمو هذا القطاع. واستجابة لرغبة واهتمامات المسافرين (السوّاح) المحليين والإقليميين والدوليين، توفر السياحة البيئية في الأردن منصة مثالية للشركات المستدامة المسؤولة التي تعمل على جذب الاستثمارات الخضراء وتمكين المجتمعات المحلية من خلال تطوير خدمات ومنتجات مميزة ومتخصصة.

الميزة التنافسية

إن ندرة وتفرّد الموارد الطبيعية في دول الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا، بما في ذلك الأردن، أصبحت توفر ميزة تنافسية تفتح أبوابا جديدة للسياحة البيئية وسياحة المغامرة. كما ويشكل الابتكار الاجتماعي والابتكار في المجال البيئي (الأخضر) بعداً آخر يحفّز انطلاق أفكاراً جديدة للأعمال الصغيرة والمتناهية الصغر في الأردن مما يسهم في إيجاد فرص العمل وتوليد الدخل للمجتمعات المحلية، خاصة لفئات الشباب والنساء. وبينما  يبحث المستثمرون التقليديون عادة عن توجهات وفرص في الأسواق الخارجية،  يوفر قطاع السياحة البيئية فرصا استثمارية محلية قيّمة.

الأردن – النموذج الأمثل

كان الأردن من أوائل دول الشرق الأوسط التي وظفت القيمة الاجتماعية والاقتصادية لبيئتها المتنوعة والفريدة. فمنذ الستينيات، اتخذ الأردن خطوات جادة لحماية بيئته الطبيعية من خلال إنشاء الجمعية الملكية لحماية الطبيعة والتي أنيط بها إنشاء المناطق المحمية وإدارتها.  في عام 1993، ومن خلال إنشاء نموذج  محمية ضانا للمحيط الحيوي، وضع الأردن السياحة البيئية كعنقود تنموي  رئيسي لدمج التنمية الاقتصادية والاجتماعية ضمن حماية البيئة. واليوم، يوجد في الأردن عشر محميات طبيعية توفر للسائح تجربة استثنائية للتمتع بالطبيعة ومساعدة المجتمعات المحلية.

تشهد السياحة البيئية في الأردن تطوراً متعدد الجوانب

وقد اكتسبت تجربة الأردن في مجال السياحة البيئية اعترافاً عالمياً وغدت نموذجاً ناجحاً للشراكات ما بين الحكومة والمنظمات غير الحكومية والمجتمعات المحلية. وتشير أرقام الجمعية الملكية لحماية الطبيعة إلى أن مشاريع السياحة البيئية قد ولّدت حوالي 1.5 مليون دينار أردني (حوالي 2.1 مليون دولار أمريكي) في عام 2015 من خلال زيارة  175 ألف شخص للمحميات الطبيعية في الأردن، 65 في المائة منهم من الأجانب.

 الآفاق المستقبلية للسياحة البيئية

ولكي تزدهر السياحة البيئية في الأردن وتحقق أهدافها التنموية، فلا بد من توفر مجموعة من العوامل الممكنة، بما في ذلك البنى التحتية المختلفة. حيث يتحتم على الحكومات والقطاع الخاص والمؤسسات الدولية أن تعمل معاً من أجل توفير هذه البنى ومنها:  تطوير الإطار التشريعي والتنظيمي الملائم، تسهيل استخدام الأراضي، توفير أدوات التمويل المناسبة، تنمية القدرات البشرية والمؤسسية المحلية، وتوفير مناخ جاذب للاستثمار، هذا بالإضافة إلى توفير وسائل النقل المريحة وبكلفة معقولة.

كما أن تمكين الابتكار المحلي وتعزيز الريادة المجتمعية في المجتمعات المحلية سيشكل بدوره القيمة المضافة  الحقيقية  للمحافظة على مستقبل السياحة البيئية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا.

ترجمة 

د. بان مساعده

حاصله على الدكتوراه في وقاية النبات من جامعة هانوفر/ المانيا. عملت كباحث رئيسي في المركز الوطني للبحث والارشاد الزراعي في مجال أبحاث الزراعة العضوية والمكافحة الحيوية، وعضوا في لجان مأسسة الزراعة العضوية في الاردن، وفي تدريب المجتمعات المحلية على مفاهيم المكافحة الحيوية والزراعة العضوية، وفي مجال إعداد وتقديم البرامج الزراعية التلفزيونية. في قطاع المؤسسات غير الحكومية عملت كمشرف تطوير برامج تنمية المجتمعات المحلية وإعداد مقترحات المشاريع الاجتماعية – الإقتصادية  في مؤسسة  نهر الاردن.

How to Solar Power a Shed?

Ahh, so you want to solar power a shed? Well, that’s nothing new. A few rules to follow, a few hacks to remember, and you are golden.

Solar panels are now utilized on pergolas, cabins, yachts, and RVs, in addition to roofs and RVs. Sheds are a typical component of many homes and can unquestionably benefit from renewable energy. How many solar panels will be needed to power everything, though?

solar-powered shed

A 50W solar panel can power simple storage sheds, but if the shed is also used as a home office, two 250W solar panels are the absolute least needed. To run the machinery, lights, and other devices, if the shed is used as a power tool workshop, you need at least 4000W–5000W. How much does it translate in terms of cost? To put some perspective here, you need a 5k watt solar system for a 1500 sq. ft. home and it costs about 10,750$ in the United States at an average.

When the solar kit requirements and expectations are laid out, it becomes an easy process to choose the most efficient and effective one.

Depending on the purpose for which you have chosen to transform your 10×10 metal shed, the solar electricity would differ. Add up the things that would need power in your shed, sum up the rough estimate and you’ll have something to work with.

How much solar power do I need for my shed?

This makes me feel like I’m writing down my record notes, which must be handed over first thing tomorrow. Ahh, high school, much simpler times. Although no one is not questioning me about the sustainability of using solar panels, it seems ironic I know more about it now than during my test.

Let’s work some numbers based on the type and complexity of a shed. As we all know, solar energy has found multiple domestic applications; so we’ll base our calculations on a variety of uses in a shed.

1. Storage Shed

A 12V 50W solar panel is usually chosen to light up a storage shed. This is considered an ideal power support. This allows for a couple of LED lights. In case, you are looking for something a bit brighter, it would require more juice, in which case, we suggest you go for a 100W solar panel.

If the shed is just going to be utilized for storing random knickknacks, the power consumption would be pretty low. Bare minimum. Our suggestion would be to look through a few solid solar panel kits that come with an adaptor, mounting hardware, and a charge controller. This would leave you set up comfortably.

Appliance Watts
Desktop Computer 100W-250W
Printer / Copier / Scanner 100W-200W
Modem 10W-20W
LED Lights (4 x 10W) 40W
Tablet / Phone Charger 10W
Ceiling Fan 50W-100W
Electric Heater 2000W-3000W
Coffee Machine 600W
Solar Panel Size Required: 3000 to 4000 watts

2. Backyard Office Shed

The average solar power for a shed used as a backyard office is eyeballed at around 3000W to 4000W. The typical tools you’ll need at a home office are displayed in the chart below. And the award for the most energy consumed goes to a heater or a portable fan.

About 4-5 hours of sunlight, two 250W solar panels may generate 3000W. While this is perfect for the summer. The winter season cannot be pulled through with this. Therefore, having a backup is considered wise, especially when you lack a battery bank. Alternatively, it is advised to have a solar on-grid system to avoid outages. Sometimes, even an overcast day might lead to power shortage. At least a couple of 300W solar panels are absolutely necessary for an office shed.

Appliance Watts
Desktop Computer 100W-250W
Printer / Copier / Scanner 100W-200W
Modem 10W-20W
LED Lights (4 x 10W) 40W
Tablet / Phone Charger 10W
Ceiling Fan 50W-100W
Electric Heater 2000W-3000W
Coffee Machine 600W
Solar Panel Size Required: 3000 to 4000 watts

3. Workshop Shed

A workshop shed requires anywhere between 4000W to 5000W. A five-hour spell of sunshine can help accumulate upto 3000W when three 200W solar panels are being used. This is an ideal situation. Therefore, it is better to err on the side of caution.

Gardening Tool Running Watts Starting Watts
12″ 1.5 HP Chain Saw 900W 0W
Weed Cutter 500W 600W
1.3 HP Cultivator 700W 1400W
Hedge Trimmer 450W 600W
Electric Leaf Blower 2500W 0W
Electric Strimmer 300W 500W
Electric Mower 1500W 0W
Solar System Size Required: 4000 watts

Calculating Solar Panels and Energy for PV System

A 250W solar panel has dimensions of 65 x 39 inches and a weight of roughly 40 pounds. You need to determine how many of these can the roof fit? Can the structural support the weight?

The electricity needs and the available room on the shed’s rooftop needs to be balanced more precisely than your high school chemical experiment. If you have the land, a ground-mounted solar system works in your favor. If not, you must make do with what is allowed on the roof. Tough luck, mate.

how to power a shed with solar energy

The overall wattage and the roof’s capacity to hold the weight of the panels need to be weighed before getting the panel kit. The inverter and the battery needs to be bought separately.

How to assemble solar power kit for shed

The number of panels you have and the amount of space on your roof will determine if you need to mount the solar panels to your shed roof. If you just have two or three panels, you can fasten them to the roof with Z-brackets.

Since many DIY solar panel kits come with pre-drilled holes, the remainder of the installation shouldn’t be too difficult. Although you must place the controller where you can reach it, it need not always be in plain sight.

The placing of the inverter matters and needs to be selected cautiously. It must be close to the other solar power system parts but out of the way of any landscaping or trees, shrubs, or other vegetation. If there isn’t enough space for the inverter, which gets hot when it’s functioning, it could be dangerous. The most complex procedure in the entire process is getting the wiring of the solar kit precise. Wires are required to connect the solar panels to the regulator, the controller to the battery, and finally, the battery to the inverter.

Pros and cons of a solar-powered shed

Pros

The majority of resources we now consume are non-renewable. By using solar panels, the energy consumed is from the sun, and hence renewable, making it a sustainable source of energy.

Carbon dioxide production from non-renewable resources is more likely to rise, accelerating the production of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. You contribute to the preservation of our planet’s life every time you utilise solar power for your shed.

To encourage households to utilise solar energy, cities and towns all around the country provide tax incentives, rebates, and other benefits.

Depending on how frequently you use the shed, wiring electricity to it could increase your monthly electric expenses by several hundred dollars. Your energy costs will never go up if you install a solar shed using renewable energy.

Cons

Since the beginning of time, the major issue with solar energy has been the nighttime darkness. This means that during the night and on cloudy days, the solar energy source is susceptible to disruption.

Weather-Dependence. Though, in their defense, solar panels do work during moist and overcast days, it is undeniable that the overall performance is compromised.

Solar panels are expensive. The initial cost of purchasing and installing one can seem overwhelming to several and serves as the number one cause as to why people look for cheaper alternatives. But once completed, it lasts a very long period.

Closing Thoughts

To conclude the article, turning a shed into a workstation or a storage space is entirely up to you. And accordingly, the tuning of the solar shed, its layout, and the solar panel power requirements vary.

You could have just the bare necessities running or a FBI level unit set up, which obviously requires two completely different kinds of solar panel set up.

Depending on your needs, go for a solid, and reliable solar panel kit.

How to Make LinkedIn Your Top Social Media B2B Marketing Platform

A large professional network of contacts — LinkedIn — is undeservedly deprived of the attention of many companies. We are ready to reveal the advantages of this social network for you and prove that competent promotion on LinkedIn is effective.

Here, you can focus on the texts and use free templates to increase the efficiency of your promotion company. Let us discover useful details on how to make this platform your top priority for marketing purposes and get fascinating results.

Marketing strategies on LinkedIn

Why is it reasonable to join LinkedIn?

There are different reasons to join LinkedIn but at least five of them play a key role, namely:

1. The four times higher engagement

The reason for such striking differences in the degree of user engagement is the purpose of the visit. The LinkedIn audience visits the social network to search for extended information about the company and clarify its coordinates and contact details. Therefore, you can get more clicks to the company’s website from LinkedIn.

2. Wide coverage of statuses

LinkedIn’s organic reach algorithms are different from other networks, so the company’s updated status covers about 20% of the target audience.

3. More than half of international companies already have profiles on LinkedIn

According to the world business publication Forbes, about 57% of the leading companies have already registered on this network and are actively promoting via it.

4. Conversions here are higher than on Facebook

According to the online marketing service HubSpot, LinkedIn has a 2% higher conversion rate than Facebook. The reason is the interested target audience.

5. Interception of the audience

There is a tendency to increase the depth of views and user engagement in the professional network LinkedIn. Therefore, without having a company profile there, you lose your audience.

Therefore, you can find and reach exactly the target audience and thus promote your company in a very efficient and convenient way. Moreover, you can expand your team and meet professionals with whom it is worth cooperating. No wonder this platform has become so popular.

Marketing strategies on LinkedIn and their implementation

Now that you are convinced that LinkedIn is a working platform for effective promotion, let us discuss a successful content strategy on this social network:

  • Add links to publications as statistics show that publications with links are more popular than text publications by 45%.
  • Communicate with your followers by asking them questions and pique their interest with visual and video content in your statuses. Photo and video content increases status commenting by almost 100%.
  • The optimal length of the post is 21-25 printed characters in case of focusing on the B2C audience. For a B2B audience, a status with a length of 16-25 printed characters will be more effective.
  • Choose a working time for posting as the main audience of LinkedIn adheres to the office schedule and visits the professional network during working hours. Weekends and holidays are the worst days to post.
  • Post every working day. On average, you will get about 20 posts per month. This tactic gives up to 60% coverage of the target audience. If you have a need to share useful content more than once a day, feel free to do it — it will not negatively affect the statistics.

In addition, you can conduct your promotion on LinkedIn in two ways – passively and actively.

The passive strategy simply involves creating your LinkedIn profile and maintaining it. Users can independently search for a company, find out its news, and establish contact with its employees to establish partnerships.

LinkedIn marketing guide

An active strategy involves more action and time but can bring more results. If you chose it, you can benefit from the following components:

  1. Regularly update the status of the company, share news and successes, announce organized events, and share links to the company blog.
  2. Join professional communities. You can create a name for yourself as an expert in your industry among market players who organize themselves into groups on LinkedIn. Participate in discussions, share information about yourself, and declare yourself as a market leader. However, in no case engage in black PR and not spam.
  3. Always answer questions. Do not ignore uncomfortable topics; always try to give a complete answer. Again, this will help you establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
  4. Register your employees. Mentioning the name of the company and grouping its employees into one group will strengthen the image of the company and show its professionalism in establishing business contacts.
  5. Look for new employees on LinkedIn. Post company vacancies or search for candidates yourself – LinkedIn is a great platform for finding and connecting with professionals in your area.

Choose your LinkedIn promotion strategy and share only high-quality and competent content. In this professional network, you will find those you are looking for, whether they are clients or partners.

إعادة تدوير النفايات في المملكة العربية السعودية

مؤخرا بدء الإهتمام بمفهوم “إعادة تدوير النفايات” في المملكة العربية السعودية. حيث تنتج المملكة مايقارب ال 15 مليون طن من النفايات البلدية الصلبة سنويا، و بمعدل 1.4 كيلوغرام لكل شخص! ومن المتوقع أن يتضاعف هذا العدد (مع إزدياد التعداد السكاني في المملكة بنسبة 3.4 ) بحلول العام 2033م إلى 30 مليون طن سنويا!  وجدير بالذكر أن معظم مصادر النفايات هي نفايات بقايا الطعام حيث تشكل حوالي 40 إلى51% و تليها النفايات البلاستيكية 5-17% و النفايات الورقية و الورق المقوى  النفايات من بقايا الزجاج 3-5% و بقايا الخشب 2-8% و بقايا الأقمشة 2-6% و بقايا الحديد2-8% وهذا يعتمد على نوع الأنشطة وكثافتها في المناطق التي شملتها الدراسة.

saudi-arabia-recycling

يعتبر التدوير في بداية مراحله في المملكة العربية السعودية، وحاليا تتركز أعمال التدوير حوال إعادة تدوير المعادن والورق المقوى والذي يشمل 10-15% من مجمل النفايات المجمعة من القطاع غير الرسمي، حيث يقوم عمال النظافة بفرز النفايات القابلة للتدوير من حاويات القمامة الموزعة في المدن، التي تصل ذروة التدوير في بعضها إلى حوالي 30% من مجمل النفايات في بعض المدن. وتتم عمليات فرز وتدوير النفايات في  بعض مجمعات النفايات التي تغطي حوالي 40%  من مجمل العمليات الرسمية و غير الرسمية في قطاع تدوير النفايات.  وتشمل  عمليات التدوير قوارير الزجاج، علب الألمنيوم، علب الحديد و الأوراق و قوارير البلاستيك و الورق المقوى و إطارات السيارات التالفة.

التدوير في المملكة العربية السعودية

تخيل أنه بالإمكان تقليل حوالي 45% ألف كيلو جول من إجمالي الطاقة المستهلكة عند تدويرالزجاج و المعادن من المخلفات البلدية! وهذا يعني أن مقدار الطاقة الموفرة يمكن أن تستخدم لإنتاج مواذ قابلة لإعادة التدوير. وفي بحث مشابه آخرذكر أن الفوائد المجنية فقط من تدوير الزجاج والمعادن و الألمنيوم و الورق المقوى في مدينة مكة المكرمكة، وسيتم توفير  5.6 من انبعاثات غاز الميثلن و 140.1 مليون طن من غاز ثاني أكسيد الكربون. علاوة على ذلك أن حوالي 13 مليون ريال سعودي من الموفورات المالية للإقتصاد الوطني في مدينة مكة المكرمة من عمليات إعادة تدوير الزجاج و المعادن و الالمنيوم والورق المقوى.

آفاق المستقبل

تحتاج عمليات تجميع النفايات حاليا في المملكة العربية السعودية إلى نموذج مستدام ومترابط في عمليات تجميع بقايا النفايات و فصل المواد القابلة لإعادة التدوير. وكبداية يمكن للمملكة إعادة تدوير الالمنيوم و قوارير البولي إيثلين تيرفليت لإعادة التدوير في المدن الكبرى مثل جدة والدمام و الرياض و مكة المكرمة و المدينة المنورة حيث يعتبر هذا خيار إستراتيجي للمملكة في طريقها نحو ترشيد إستهلاك المواد الأولية الثمينة مثل الوقود الأحفوري. إضافة لذلك سيتم الاستفادة القصوى من الموادة القابلة لاعادة التدوير كالورق و الزجاج والمعادن و الألمنيوم وخفض النفايات الملقاة في مكبات النفايات وبالتالي خفض الكلفة البيئية الضارة وتعظيم الفائدة للإقتصاد الوطني. 

ترجمة

إيمان عبدالله أمان مختصة في سياسات وتشريعات الطاقة، باحثة ومهتمة في مواضيع مثل أمن الطاقة وتحديات المناخ، الطاقة المتجددة ، التنمية المستدامة وطريق الى تحقيق اقتصاد خالي من الكربون وسياسات ترشيد استهلاك الطاقة وحفظ البيئة

7 Types Of Sustainable Food Packaging

Most of the food you buy and eat comes in a package. Therefore, packaging is an essential part of the food supply chain. But, a lot of it is made from plastic. Nowadays, people have begun to prioritize making the world greener as they’ve grown more conscious of the necessity of sustainability. This green movement includes making food packaging more environment-friendly through various methods, such as compostable packaging and many other forms listed below.

different types of sustainable food packaging

While some progress is being made in terms of moving away from plastic, the said material is still widely used. There’s a long way to go. Thankfully, there are many environment-friendly packaging options on the market today. Given the increasing pressure from the public to go green, more sustainable packaging options will emerge.

That said, here’s a list of the types of sustainable food packaging manufacturers can use today:

1. Glass

Glass is ubiquitous and is utilized for a wide range of purposes. It’s also recyclable and reusable. Therefore, glass can be a good alternative to plastic for food packaging.

For example, when you buy a glass jar, you may keep it for a long time without worrying about it rusting or contaminating your food. All you need to do is ensure it’s cleaned regularly. Glass water bottles are also an excellent substitute for the usual plastic ones.

However, the biggest issue with glass jars is that glass lids aren’t leak-proof. Therefore, you want to look for glass containers with bamboo lids. Nonetheless, unless the glass cracks, it’ll probably survive for a long time. Once you’re done using it, you may easily recycle it. Therefore, glass is good for the environment.

2. Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)

In addition to being often used in adhesives, PVA is also widely utilized in emulsion polymerization, film, and packaging production.

PVA is ideal for film production because it has excellent tensile strength. PVA resins also exhibit great adhesive and bonding properties. The magnitude of hydrolysis influences the film’s water sensitivity. With more hydrolysis, water resistance rises.

If you’re looking for a sustainable packaging material for your products, you can look for reliable PVA suppliers near you and choose the most suitable one for your business.

3. Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is an extremely long-lasting material. It’s also rust-free and heat-resistant, which makes it ideal for food storage.

There are several stainless steel packaging types to choose from. For example, you may buy stainless steel lunch boxes, which usually include silicone seals or lids to prevent leaks. Stainless steel is also used to produce lids for glass jars, which are used at home for storing items, such as sugar and flour.

Consider purchasing stainless steel storage containers from reputable manufacturers. Although this material is generally robust, purchasing a container from a random brand or manufacturer may not be a good idea.

4. Bamboo

Bamboo is another biodegradable packaging material that’s strong and resistant to high temperatures. This material may be seen in food packaging lids, breadboxes, and serving bowls.

On the one hand, the downside of using packaging made from bamboo is its lack of durability. The toughness of bamboo and other plant fibers isn’t comparable to that of glass or steel.

5. Rice Husk

This is one of the least-known sustainable packaging alternatives. When most people think of rice, they don’t think of eco-friendly packaging. Yet, rice husk is an excellent material in this regard. It’s a byproduct of rice farming, which makes it quite inexpensive. Rice husk is known to be bio-absorbent, which means it can absorb contaminants from its immediate surroundings.

6. Gelatin Film

Because of its affordability, gelatin is quickly becoming one of the most preferred sustainable packaging materials. It’s a sturdy film-forming substance, making it excellent for food packaging. Furthermore, gelatin is said to contain antimicrobial cellulose, which aids in the prevention of pathogen growth. This reduces the spread of food-borne infections. These properties make gelatin a safer option than plastic.

recycled paper

7. Paper Or Cardboard

This is one of the most used materials for packaging food. Paper boxes are both biodegradable and inexpensive. Food won’t be affected since paper boxes don’t contain harmful substances. They’re also lightweight, making them easy to transport. These features make paper boxes a packaging material of choice for most food suppliers.

You may have observed that most fast-food packaging is composed of paper boxes. They utilize this material because they’re inexpensive and recyclable. They’re also commonly used in shipping and logistics for this reason. If you want to know which shipping method is the best for you, check out this article.

However, one disadvantage to using paper or cardboard boxes are that they’re easier to damage than other materials.

Conclusion

Players in the food supply chain are under pressure to utilize green packaging. Given the mounting evidence against the usage of plastic, this is a positive development. Fortunately, there are several green packaging solutions. All the alternatives mentioned above have their pros and cons. However, for the benefit of the environment, all food manufacturers and suppliers globally should consider embracing these green packaging options.

Such types of eco-friendly food packaging materials will increase in number and become less expensive as technology develops. Perhaps, in the future, people will abandon plastic completely.

الارادة والتعليم سر الانجازات الاقتصادية

education-arabiaإقتصادياً؛ ينظر الكثير إلى مياه البحر من زاوية التكاليف الباهضة لمشاريع تحليتها، هذه النظرة تجعل من مياه البحر عقدة بدلاً من كونها حلا لبعض الحاجات الإقتصادية والمشاريع التنموية. قبل أيام أطلقت أستراليا مشروعاً زراعياً يعد الأول من نوعه على مستوى العالم، إذ يستغني عن التربة والمياه الجوفية والوقود الأحفوري، ويكتفى بأشعة الشمس ومياه البحر لإنتاج 17 ألف طن من الطماطم سنوياً. وفي ظل الأزمة التي تواجه العالم في الحصول على المياه العذبة وإنتاج الطاقة فإن المشروع يشكل الوجه الجديد للزراعة المستقبلية حسب تعبير مجلة New Scientist التي ذكرت أن المشروع استغرق ست سنوات فقط، وهي مدة قياسية بالمقارنة بمشاريعنا، بل حتى بالنسبة لحجم الإنجاز ذاته.

التفاصيل على قدر كبيرمن الأهمية لأنها تدفعنا لإدراك إمكانية تطبيق مثل هذا المشروع في المنطقة، بل وابتكار مشاريع أخرى، فطبيعة الصحراء الأسترالية هي نفسها طبيعة صحراء الجزيرة العربية، لذا فإن من المهم معرفة الأساليب العلمية التي لجأ إليها فريق العمل للتغلب على هذه الظروف القاسية، بدلا من الإعتماد على القدرة المالية في الحصول على أدوات مرتفعة التكاليف من أجل تحقيق إنجاز ما.

في التفاصيل، مدّ فريق العمل أنابيب لنقل مياه البحر على طول 2 كلم محطة في الصحراء لتحلية المياه بالطاقة الشمسية تقوم بإنتاج مياه عذبة بكميات تكفي لري 180 ألف نبتة طماطم زرعت في بيوت محمية. وعالج فريق العمل مشكلة التربة بإيجاد بديل لها هو قشور ثمرة جوز الهند.

مشاريع المياه تعتبر من المشاريع المكلفة

مشاريع المياه تعتبر من المشاريع المكلفة

المدهش هو أن هناك مبادرات لتطبيق نموذج المشروع في دول عدة من بينها قطر والإمارات وسلطنة عمان. وهذا يدل على رغبة هذه الدول المجلس في وضع حل لمشكلة شح المياه العذبة والعمل على استغلال الطاقة المتجددة في إنتاج محاصيل زراعية.

مشاريع المياه تعتبر من المشاريع المكلفة، فدول المجلس كانت قد خصصت أكثر من 100 مليار دولار أمريكي للإستثمار في هذا القطاع بين عامي 2011 و2016، وأعلنت عن خطط لاستثمار 300 مليار دولار أمريكي أخرى بحلول عام 2022، وهذا من شأنه إرهاق الموازنات الحكومية خاصة مع انخفاض أسعار الوقود، بينما هناك إمكانية لإيجاد بدائل تساهم في تخفيف العبء.

ينبغي القول أيضاً أن المياه المالحة قد تشكل ثروة كبيرة، حتى دون اللجوء إلى تحليتها، فهناك نباتات مفيدة قادرة على التكيف مع ملوحة مياه البحر، ويمكنها المساهمة في التنمية الإقتصادية، ومن بينها الساليكورنيا (الشمرة البحرية) والسبارتينا (العقربان).

الخلاصة

إن هذا الإنجاز الذي حققته أستراليا يؤكد لنا حقيقتين هما: إن الحاجة ليست أم الإختراع (كما يقال) فقد بقينا عقود في حاجة للمياه العذبة دون نتيجة، بل يأتي الإختراع عبر إرادة التغيير والسعي الحثيث والإخلاص في وضع هذه الحاجة على السكة العملية لتوفيرها.

والحقيقة الأخرى هي أننا يجب أن نولي التعليم والبحث العلمي أهمية كبيرة، فنحن نمتلك الكثير من الإمكانات الطبيعية والبشرية التي يمكنها أن تخلق واقعاً أفضل إذا ما وضعنا التعليم في قمة أولوياتنا والبحث العلمي في صلب اهتمامنا، وهذا ما أثبتته تجارب الدول المتقدمة، وهو ما أكد عليه "لي كوان" مؤسس سنغافورة، في كلمته المشهورة: أنا لم أقم بمعجزة إنما أعطيت المعلم مكانته التي يستحقها وهو من أنتج جيلاً قاد نهضة الوطن.

Energy Efficiency in Arab World: Key Findings of Arab Future Energy Index 2017

energy-efficiency-uaeEnergy efficiency is the most cost effective means of reducing the energy intensity of the economy and promoting a low-carbon future in the Arab world. Energy efficiency further helps Arab states meet their SDGs on combating climate change and its impacts (SDG13), as it cuts down on GHG emissions resulting from excessive and inefficient consumption of energy.

Energy efficiency improvements can save governments, companies, and citizens billions of dollars in the Arab region from reduced energy bills, while at the same time quickly reducing carbon footprints – a win-win solution. Many countries in the region are now moving ahead with new laws, policies, and regulations to improve energy consumption but much more needs to be done to accelerate results and achieve SDG 7 on sustainable energy.

Arab Future Energy Index

The Arab Future Energy Index provides a detailed overview on the progress of 20 Arab countries in their transition toward an efficient energy market post recent plunges in oil prices and economic turmoil in the region. The 2017 AFEX report uses over 30 indicators to rank Arab countries on progress made to achieve energy efficiency targets based on regulatory and institutional structures, financial innovations, policy frameworks and public and private investments. AFEX rankings show important trends and emerging pathways to a low-carbon, sustainable energy future in the region.

AFEX Energy Efficiency Results 2017

Arab countries’ commitment to increase energy efficiency through their various adopted or planned energy efficiency strategies and National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAPs) demonstrate their commitment to the UN’s SDG on energy (SDG7) that calls for global affordable, sustainable, and reliable access to clean and modern energy sources.

The 2017 AFEX report monitors Arab countries’ progress in fostering energy efficiency initiatives and strategies in line with established UN SDGs. As of 2017, fifteen out of twenty Arab states studied in the AFEX have developed a national energy efficiency plan that articulates both short term and long term strategies to set state level policy goals for reducing energy consumption as well as to establish and implement effective EE initiatives and programs.

Several Arab countries have spelled out their energy efficiency policies in national plans, such as Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, and Tunisia. Many other Arab countries, however, have developed National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAPs), based on the Arab Energy Efficiency Guideline issued by the Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity (AMCE).

RCREEE was mandated by the AMCE to monitor the qualitative progress and quantitative impact of NEEAPs and publish its findings in regular annual reports. Several Arab countries have evaluated their first NEEAP and are currently developing their second NEEAP, building on lessons learned from previous plans. Lebanon, taking a significant step forward, has evaluated its first NEEAP (2011– 2015) and in 2016 adopted its second NEEAP (2016–2020).

Energy Efficiency in Arab Region – Key Findings

In general, electricity and fuel prices in the Arab region remain well below the global average, as most Arab countries have spent significant portions of their GDPs on providing subsidies for electricity and fuel, resulting in a financial burden for these countries, namely after the 2014 drop in oil prices. These low prices of energy have greatly affected the level of energy consumption in the region leading to extremely high energy intensities and electricity consumption per capita.

Furthermore, the high level of energy subsidies implemented in the region, greatly hinders any incentive at the consumer side to reduce their energy consumption and invest in energy efficient technologies. Nonetheless, the recent drops in oil prices has, in part, encouraged Arab countries to undertake various reform actions and make progress in reducing their energy subsidies.

The region witnessed an unprecedented wave of energy subsidy reforms as multiple Arab countries namely, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and the UAE have enacted policies to reduce electricity subsidies and increase fuel prices. Although these reforms were more significant in some countries than others, electricity and fuel prices remain well below the global average in most Arab countries.

The region continues to witness progress in implementing policies to phase out inefficient lighting, which is exigent as lighting is responsible for nearly 34% of electricity consumption in the Arab region. Many countries’ energy efficiency plans have provided financial incentives for end users to switch to more efficient lighting, for example CFL or LED, or enacted bans on the sale of incandescent light bulbs.

Although various Arab countries have adopted legislation and energy efficiency measures relating to appliances’ energy standards and labeling namely for air conditioners and refrigerators, these standards and labels still lack adequate enforcement and diversification to include a wider range of appliances.

Arab country’s still need to further develop and implement energy efficiency regulation, initiatives, and programs to reduce energy consumption in the transportation sector as it is responsible for around 30% of final energy consumption in the region. Although various countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the UAE have ongoing or planned programs to improve public transportation, the national energy strategies of most Arab countries do not include energy reduction targets or reforms for the transportation sector. For example, tax reductions on hybrid cars, the enforcement of vehicle emissions regulations, and the promotion of public transport are notably absent.

Implementing national energy efficiency strategies hinges on stable sources of financing and legislation, and many Arab countries could improve on energy efficiency funding and legislation. Most Arab countries lack a dedicated energy efficiency agency within governmental bodies to regulate and set energy policy.

In many Arab countries energy efficiency agencies are dispersed amongst different ministries and institutions, making it challenging to develop and enforce effective policies. Moreover, some Arab countries lack energy efficiency regulatory bodies all together. The increasing availability of funding for energy efficiency initiatives has seen a positive move in recent years to expand the EE market and develop EE projects in various sectors such as the Green Environment Financing Facility (GEFF) in Egypt, the Jordanian Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF), the Dubai Green Fund, and the National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action (NEEREA) in Lebanon.

Conclusion

By developing and enforcing more effective energy efficiency policies, providing stable sources of finance for initiatives that improve energy efficiency, and taking decisive measures to remove energy subsidies, Arab countries can significantly improve their energy efficiency, and reduce their energy intensities. Such measures will save Arab countries large portions of their GDP and will cut down their energy bills, as well as help the region fight climate change and maintain its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and their Nationally Determined Contributions.

Environmental Impact of Olive Oil Processing

More commonly known for its popular culinary and medicinal benefits, olive cultivation, olive oil production and oil packaging are a part of the local heritage and rural economy throughout the North African and Mediterranean regions. In 2012, an estimated 2,903,676 tons of olive oil was produced worldwide, the largest olive oil producers being Spain, Italy, and Greece followed by Turkey and Tunisia and to a lesser extent Portugal, Morocco and Algeria. Within the European Union’s olive sector alone, there are roughly 2.5 million producers, who make up roughly one-third of all EU farmers.

olive-oil-wastes

The olive oil industry offers valuable opportunities to farmers in terms of seasonal employment as well as significant employment to the off-farm milling and processing industry.  While this industry has significant economic benefits in regards to profit and jobs; the downside is it leads to severe environmental harm and degradation.

The Flipside

There are two processes that are used for the extraction of olive oil, the three-phase and the two-phase. Both systems generate large amounts of byproducts.  The two byproducts produced by the three-phase system are a solid residue known as olive press cake (OPC) and large amounts of aqueous liquid known as olive mill wastewater (OMW).  The three-phase process usually yields 20% olive oil, 30% OPC waste, and 50% OMW.  This equates to 80% more waste being produced than actual product.

More contemporary is the two-phase system, in this system “the volume of OMW produced is reduced because less water is used and much of that water and toxic substances are held within the solid olive cake, thus producing a semi-solid residue (SOR).” While the two-phase system produces less OMW, the SOR it produces has a “high organic matter concentration giving an elevated polluting load and it cannot be easily handled by traditional technology which deals with the conventional three-phase olive cake.”

Regardless of system used, the effluents produced from olive oil production exhibit highly phytotoxic and antimicrobial properties, mainly due to phenols.  Phenols are a poisonous caustic crystalline compound.  These effluents unless disposed of properly can result in serious environmental damage.  Troublingly, there is no general policy for disposal of this waste in the olive oil producing nations around the world.  This results in inconsistent monitoring and non-uniform application of guidelines across these regions.

Environmental Concerns

Around 30 million m3 of olive mill wastewater is produced annually in the Mediterranean area.  This wastewater cannot be sent to ordinary wastewater treatment systems, thus, safe disposal of this waste is of serious environmental concern.  Moreover, due to its complex compounds, olive processing waste (OPW) is not easily biodegradable and needs to be detoxified before it can properly be used in agricultural and other industrial processes.

This poses a serious problem when the sophisticated treatment and detoxification solutions needed are too expensive for developing countries in MENA such as Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia where it is common for OMW to be dumped into rivers and lakes or used for farming irrigation.  This results in the contamination of ground water and eutrophication of lakes, rivers and canals.  Eutrophication results in reductions in aquatic plants, fish and other animal populations as it promotes excessive growth of algae. As the algae die and decompose, high levels of organic matter and the decomposing organisms deplete the water of oxygen, causing aquatic populations to plummet.

Another common tactic for disposal of olive mill wastewater is to collect and retain it in large evaporation basins or ponds.  It is then dried to a semi-solid fraction. In less developed countries where olive processing wastes is disposed of, this waste, as well as olive processing cake and SOR waste is commonly unloaded and spread across the surrounding lands where it sits building up throughout the olive oil production season.  Over time these toxic compounds accumulate in the soil, saturating it, and are often transported by rain water to other nearby areas, causing serious hazardous runoff. Because these effluents are generally untreated it leads to land degradation, soil contamination as well as contamination of groundwater and of the water table itself.

Even a small quantity of olive wastewater in contact with groundwater has the potential to cause significant pollution to drinking water sources. The problem is more serious where chlorine is used to disinfect drinking water. Chlorine in contact with phenol reacts to form chlorophenol which is even more dangerous to human health than phenol alone.

Current Remedies

The problems associated with olive processing wastes have been extensively studied for the past 50 years. Unfortunately, research has continued to fall short on discovering a technologically feasible, economically viable, and socially acceptable solution to OPW.

The most common solutions to date have been strategies of detoxification, production system modification, and recycling and recovery of valuable components. Because the latter results in reductions in the pollution and transformation of OPW into valuable products, it has gained popularity over the past decade. Weed control is a common example of reusing OPW; due to its plant inhibiting characteristics OPW once properly treated can be used as an alternative to chemical weed control.

Research has also been done on using the semisolid waste generated from olive oil production to absorb oil from hazardous oil spills.  Finally, in terms of health, studies are suggesting that due to OPW containing high amounts of phenolic compounds, which have high in antioxidant rates, OPW may be an affordable source of natural antioxidants. Still, none of these techniques on an individual basis solve the problem of disposal of OMW to a complete and exhaustive extent.

At the present state of olive mill wastewater treatment technology, industry has shown little interest in supporting any traditional process (physical, chemical, thermal or biological) on a wide scale.This is because of the high investment and operational costs, the short duration of the production period (3-5 months) and the small size of the olive mills.

Conclusion

Overall, the problems associated with olive processing wastes are further exemplified by lack of common policy among the olive oil producing regions, funding and infrastructure for proper treatment and disposal, and a general lack of education on the environmental and health effects caused by olive processing wastes.

While some progress has been made with regards to methods of treatment and detoxification of OPW there is still significant scope for further research.  Given the severity of environmental impact of olive processing wastes, it is imperative on policy-makers and industry leaders to undertake more concrete initiatives to develop a sustainable framework to tackle the problem of olive oil waste disposal.

References

Art, H. W. (1995). The Dictionary of Ecology and Environmental Science. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Borja, R., Raposo, F., & Rincón, B. (2006). Treatment technologies of liquid and solid wastes from two-phase olive oil mills. 57, 32-46. http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/2426/1/Borja.pdf

Boz, O., Ogut, D., Kir, K., & Dogan, N. (2009). Olive Processing Waste as a Method of Weed Control for Okra, Fava Bean, and Onion. Weed Technology, 23, 569-573.

Caba, J., Ligero, F., Linares, A., Martınez, J., & De la Rubia, T. (2003). Detoxification of semisolid olive-mill wastes and pine-chip mixtures using Phanerochaete flavido-alba Chemosphere, 51, 887–891. http://hera.ugr.es/doi/14978611.pdf

El Hajjouji, H., Guiresse, M., Hafidi, M., Merlina, G., Pinelli, E., & Revel, J. (2007). Assessment of the genotoxicity of olive mill waste water (OMWW) with the Vicia faba micronucleus test Morocco.

Niaounakis, M., & Halvadakis, C. P. (2006). Olive Processing Waste Management, 2nd Edition (2nd ed.): Pergamon.

Spandre, R., & Dellomonaco, G. (1996). POLYPHENOLS POLLUTION BY OLIVE MILL WASTE WATERS, TUSCANY, ITALY. Journal of Environmental Hydrology, 4, 1-13. http://www.hydroweb.com/jeh/jeh1996/spandre.pdf

The olive oil sector in the European Union (2002).   Retrieved 12/01/2013, from http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/publi/fact/oliveoil/2003_en.pdf

Curve DAO Token (CRV) – Price, Forecasts and News

Cryptocurrencies are gradually becoming an integral part of our lives. In the 13 years of the industry’s existence, the digital coin market has taken an enormous step forward. If in 2009, a few hundred “geeks” knew about the existence of Bitcoin, now it is an environment consisting of millions of people worldwide. At the bull market’s peak in 2021, the capitalization of the entire cryptocurrency market exceeded $2 trillion.

Where to Buy CRV coin

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Where to Buy CRV coin?

It is better to purchase coins on time-tested platforms. One of them is the WhiteBIT exchange. It is the first certified exchange in the European Union market. It has an intuitive interface, comprehensive functionality and a high level of security.