How Algal Blooms Affect The Environment

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Algal blooms are thick layers of small green plants that appear on the surface of lakes and other water bodies due to excess nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen. This covering on the surface of lakes and other water bodies is known as eutrophication. The excess level of nutrients that algae depend on results from human activities that cause pollution, such as fertilizer, wastewater, manure, and sewage runoff.

environmental impacts of algal blooms

Eutrophication can also be a natural occurrence from moderate accumulation of organic matter, silt, nutrients, and sediments gradually from the watershed. Algae come in different colors ranging from green, red, yellow, and brown. The most common algal blooms are blue-green cyanobacteria and microalgae, also known as red tides.

Algal blooms affect the environment in various ways, including causing harm to both humans and animals. Its presence contaminates water and makes it unfit for consumption. Algae multiplication depletes oxygen in the water leading to the death of aquatic life. There’s a need for awareness creation among communities on dealing with algal blooms to conserve the environment. Awareness can be created through informative forums where researchers and community leaders, among other vital people, discuss important topics like the Indian river lagoon algae bloom.

This article will discuss some causes of algal blooms and how they affect the environment. Read on to learn.

Causes Of Algal Blooms

Below are some causes of algal blooms:

1. Dead Organic Matter In Water

Dead organic matter and nutrients in water promote the growth of algae bacteria, leading to algal blooms.

2. Light Conditions

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, grow faster and in fluctuating light conditions. They can thrive in intermittent high-light and low-light conditions.

3. Drainage Of Nutrients

The growth of algal blooms is increased by excess amounts of phosphatic and nitrogenous fertilizers drained by rain from farms into the water bodies like lakes, rivers, and streams. Untreated raw sewage rich in nitrates and ammonia also flows into water bodies through drainage systems, causing the growth of algal blooms.

4. Global Warming

As the ozone layer is gradually destroyed, temperatures rise. These high temperatures cause nutrients such as ammonia and nitrates to decompose speedily and are used up by algae bacteria and quickly form algal blooms.

5. Slow-Moving Water

Algal blooms thrive best in large and still water masses. Blue-green algae, for instance, grow well in slow-moving water, less turbulence, and light winds. This is why they may not grow in fast-moving streams and rivers.

How Algal Blooms Affect The Environment

The following are some of the effects of algal blooms on the environment.

1. Threaten Human Health

Algal blooms contaminate water, thus affecting aquatic life. Humans may fall sick from drinking water and eating infected seafood. The water also has toxins that irritate the skin when people come into contact with it when swimming.

2. Kill Aquatic Life

Animals that live in water depend on oxygen to survive, similar to algal blooms. Their fast and dense growth causes competition for oxygen, leading to the suffocation of sea animals.

why algal blooms are bad for the environment

3. Cause High Accumulation Of Biomass

Biomass is highly accumulated as algal blooms grow, destroying the environment by blocking light, clogging fish gills, and depleting oxygen after algal cells decompose.

4. Affect The Food Chain

As discussed earlier, algal blooms destroy aquatic life. This happens through the toxins that they produce. The food chain is affected when small fish and shellfish, which are food to other sea animals like turtles, dolphins, and sea lions, are harmed. These animals are physiologically stressed, and their feeding is threatened since they avoid toxic prey. As a result, the energy flow within the ecosystem is affected.

5. Pollution By Ozone

Ground-level ozone, formed by nitrogen oxides from nitrogen compounds in the air, causes visibility constraints. The ozone can be transferred by the wind far away from urban to rural areas causing damage to trees and vegetation.

6. Acid Rain

Acid rain results from nutrient pollution, where Sulphur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide are released into the atmosphere and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. This combination damages water bodies, grasslands, and forests.

Conclusion

As discussed above, algal blooms produce toxins that affect the environment in various ways. It could threaten human health and aquatic life. Algal blooms also contribute to the high production of biomass.

Awareness of the dangers of algal blooms will help you be extra cautious. Therefore, be careful about discolored and smelly waters, as they could be home to algal blooms. The water is contaminated and therefore not fit for consumption and recreational activities like swimming because it irritates the skin.

How To Dispose Of Paint

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As with most home improvement projects, it is likely that you will have some leftover painting supplies when you are done painting. However, you will soon discover that landfills will not accept paint. It is considered hazardous waste and not something that they want to risk putting in the landfill where it might leach into the water supply.

Since you are reading this article, you clearly want to get rid of your paint in an economical manner that is also safe for the environment.

Why Paint is Harmful to the Environment

There are a lot of chemically-made compounds that go into paint. The resins and binders are used to create the color for the paint. And then, the solvent carries that to the surface and provides the evaporation or drying mechanism.

The World Health Organization has made some correlations between the risk of cancer and the amount of exposure you have to paint.

There is an estimated 20-40% increase in your risk of cancer if you spend your life around the paint. Lung cancer is an unusually high risk. Danish researchers are also drawing a connection between neurological conditions and paint exposure.

When the paint is drying, it is releasing volatile organic compounds, or VOCs into the air. These react with the oxygen in the air to produce ozone, which has been implicated in causing the greenhouse effect of global warming.

While lead has been removed from paint since 1978, titanium dioxide can cause some of the most significant harm to the environment. These contaminants are costly to remove and can lead to hefty EPA fines if they make their way into the landfill’s leach water. Accordingly, most landfills have strict policies on how to dispose of paint.

Paint is one of those things that is easy to buy. You can do a little comparison shopping online or locally, and then get it at a local hardware store.

How To Safely Dispose Of Paint

ToolTally sells paint supplies such as paint sprayers and rollers. They suggest drying the paint out and then throwing it away like normal trash. So the first method for paint disposal is to leave the cans and buckets open and let them evaporate until they are dry.

This takes a little longer, but it is the cheapest method. You have to plan ahead and find a safe space where you can set them to air out. Once the paint is thoroughly dry, most landfills will accept them as they would any other waste.

One variation of this idea is to buy a cheap tarp or large piece of plastic. Spread that out in the sun and then dump the paint out on it. By spreading the paint out, you are able to get it to dry faster. When you are finished, wad up the tarp and throw the entire thing away.

The other idea that can speed up this process is to use some paint drying compound. There are special compounds made that you can mix directly into the paint, but two of the cheapest are quick-drying cement powder and cat litter.

Either of these options works wonders for thickening the paint and preparing it for disposal. Just dump it in and mix it up. In a matter of minutes, the paint is a sticky goo that is mostly dry, and within an hour or two, it is ready for the landfill. A lot of contractors like this method as it lets them dump their cans more quickly and get on to the next job.

Storing Paint

Storing and reusing paint is another excellent way to protect the environment. Often you will want to use that paint for other projects. Additionally, you might decide to include it with the house for the next homeowners in case they want to touch anything up. The paint will store for ten years, so it makes sense to hang onto it for as long as you need to.

When you store the paint, you want to make sure that it will stay fresh for the next time you need it. There are a few problems with leaving the paint in the cans. The first problem is that there is a lot of air in the can. This can cause a film to form on the top of the paint. Additionally, these cans take up a lot of room and are quite unsightly. Furthermore, if they get knocked over, the lids are not very secure and can come off and make a huge mess.

Finally, the inside of these paint cans will break down in the solvent-rich environment of paint. This can lead to oxidation and rust that then gets into your paint and taints it.

It is recommended to get airtight plastic or glass jars in which to store your paint. Use a funnel to transfer the paint over, and then label the jar with an explanation of what the paint is, where it was purchased, any relevant color codes, and with what piece of furniture or room that it goes. Including the date is a good idea as well in case you need to get rid of it down the road.

If you ever need to get rid of the paint down the road, you can mix in some concrete cement and dispose of it as described above.

Can You Donate Paint To Habitat For Humanity ReStore?

Each local ReStore will set the rules on what they will take. However, it isn’t common to find one that will accept used paint.

Can You Donate Paint To Goodwill Stores?

If you are Marie Kondo-ing your garage and want to donate your paint to Goodwill, you are out of luck. They do not accept paint as a donation as they consider it a hazardous material.

Can you Recycle Paint at Lowes, Home Depot, or Sherwin Williams?

These stores do not accept paint as it is considered a hazardous waste, and they don’t want to mess with that. If you have paint that you need to get rid of, search for a hazardous waste disposal facility or check with your landfill to see if they will accept paint after you treat it with one of our methods above.

Can Paint Be Put In Recycle Bins?

No. Most cities will remove the paint cans from the recycle bins and leave them with you before taking your other recyclables. When in doubt, check with your local laws to make sure you are abiding by their instructions and regulations.

Earth Day 2015 – It’s Our Turn to Lead

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Like Earth Days of the past, Earth Day 2015 will focus on the unique environmental challenges of our time. As the world’s population migrates to cities, and as the bleak reality of climate change becomes increasingly clear, the need to create sustainable communities is more important than ever. Earth Day 2015 will seek to do just that through its global theme: It’s Our Turn to Lead. With smart investments in sustainable technology, forward-thinking public policy, and an educated and active public, we can transform our cities and forge a sustainable future. Nothing is more powerful than the collective action of a billion people.

Due to rising population, more migration is taking place from rural to urban areas. Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities with urbanisation rates rising and impacts of climate change have prompted the need to create sustainable communities. The Earth day is observed believing that nothing is more powerful than the collective action of a billion people.

It is a fact that people are crowding cities and with the increase in population density, pollution of all sorts is increasing as well. Many cities are finding it difficult to cope with this fast urbanisation and to provide basic facilities like shelter, infrastructures, water, sanitation, sewerage, garbage, electricity, transportation etc. to its inhabitants.

People who live in high-density air pollution area, have 20 per cent higher risk of dying from lung cancer, than people living in less polluted areas. Children contribute to only 10 per cent of the world’s population but are prone to 40 per cent of global diseases. More than 3 million children under the age of 5 years die every year due to environmental factors like pollution.

Earth Day 2015 will seek to create awareness amongst people to act in an environmental friendly manner, promote and do smart investments in sustainable urban system transforming our polluted cities into a healthier place and forge a sustainable future. It’s exceptionally challenging for our communities and cities to be green.

Time for Action

It’s time for us to invest in efficiency and renewable energy, rebuild our cities and towns, and begin to solve the climate crisis. Most of the Middle East nations have limited land area and are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change which is affecting the social and environmental determinants of health, clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter. We need to audit our actions and see what are we contributing towards your environment and community? Earth Day is a day for action; a chance to show how important the environment is to us. Earth Day is about uniting voices around the globe in support of a healthy planet. The earth is what we all have in common.

Let us be a part of this green revolution, plan and participate in Earth Day activities moving from single-day actions, such as park cleanups and tree-planting parties to long-term actions and commitments and make our city a healthier place to live as the message of the Earth Day is to “Actively participate and adopt environmental friendly habits”.

Illnesses Caused by Dirty Water

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water-pollutionDid you know that over 780 million people worldwide lack access to clean water? Accessible water to is so dirty, that it can cause several potentially fatal diseases. These illnesses range from Cholera to E. Coli, Polio to Typhoid fever and each one presents a host of severe symptoms, which result in over three-quarters of a million deaths annually. On Human Rights Day, Waterlogic highlight the regions worst affected by each disease as well as suggesting actions to take and help make their water safe to drink — including one technology used in the plumbed-in water dispensers.

 

Solid Waste Management in Oman

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waste-omanSolid waste management is a challenging issue for the Sultanate of Oman because of limited land availability and adverse impacts on environment and public health. With population of almost 3.9 million inhabitants, Oman generates more than 1.7 million tons of solid waste each year. The average per capita waste generation is more than 1.2 kg per day, which is equivalent to about 4700 tons of municipal waste every day.

Solid waste in Oman is characterized by very high percentage of recyclables, primarily paper and cardboard (15%), plastics (20.9%), metals (1.8%) and glass (4%) (Source: Waste Characterization and Quantification Survey, Be’ah, 2013).

However the country is yet to realize the recycling potential of its municipal waste stream. Most of the solid waste is sent to authorized and unauthorized dumpsites for disposal which is creating environment and health issues. There are several dumpsites which are located in the midst of residential areas or close to catchment areas of private and public drinking water bodies.

Solid waste management scenario in Oman is marked by lack of collection and disposal facilities as well as lack of public awareness. Solid waste, industrial waste, e-wastes etc are deposited in scores of landfills scattered across the country. Oman has around 350 landfills/dumpsites which are managed by municipalities. In addition, there are numerous unauthorized dumpsites in Oman where all sorts of wastes are recklessly dumped.

Al Amerat landfill is the first engineered sanitary landfill in Oman which began its operations in early 2011. The landfill site, spread over an area of 9.1 hectares, consists of 5 cells with a total capacity of 10 million m3 of solid waste. Each cell has 16 shafts to take care of leachate. All the shafts are interconnected in order to facilitate movement of leachate to the leachate pump.

The project is part of the government’s initiatives to tackle solid waste in a scientific and environment-friendly manner. Being the first of its kind, Al Amerat sanitary landfill is expected to be an example for the future solid waste management projects in the country.

Future Planning

Solid waste management is among the top priorities of Oman government which has chalked out a robust strategy to resolve waste management problem in the Sultanate. The country is striving to establish engineered landfills, waste transfer stations, recycling and waste-to-energy projects in different parts of the country.

Modern solid waste management facilities are under planning in several wilayat, especially Muscat and Salalah. The new landfills will eventually pave the way for closure of authorized and unauthorized garbage dumps around the country.

Municipal solid waste in Oman is characterized by high percentage of recyclables

The state-owned Oman Environment Services Holding Company, now known as Be’ah, which is responsible for waste management projects in Oman, has recently started the tendering process for important projects. Be’ah has launched its waste management strategy and has awarded numerous tenders, while a host of other tenders are under evaluation or bidding phase.

Be’ah has invited tenders from specialised companies for engineered landfills, material recovery facilities, waste transfer stations and waste management services in the upcoming Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD), among others. Among the top priorities is that development of Barka engineered landfill as the existing Barka waste disposal site, which serve entire wilayat and other neighbouring wilayats in south Batinah governorate, is plagued by environmental and public health issues.

Solar Energy in Morocco

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Morocco, being the largest energy importer in North Africa, is making concerted efforts to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels. Renewable energy is an attractive proposition as Morocco has almost complete dependence on imported energy carriers. Morocco is already spending over USD 3billion a year on fuel and electricity imports and is experiencing power demand growth of 6.5 per cent a year.

The National Energy and Energy Efficiency Plan was launched in 2008 which aims to develop renewable energy to meet 15 percent of the country’s energy demand and to increase the use of energy-saving methods.  According to the Moroccan Ministry of Energy and Mining, the total installed capacity of renewable energy (excluding hydropower) was approximately 300MW in 2011.

The Moroccan Government has already achieved its target of supplying around 8% of total primary energy from renewables by 2012 which includes energy generation, conversion and distribution. Morocco is planning USD 13billion expansion of wind, solar and hydroelectric power generation capacity which would catapult the share of renewables in the energy mix to 42% by the year 2020, with solar, wind and hydro each contributing 14%.

Moroccan Solar Plan

Morocco has launched one of the world’s largest and most ambitious solar energy plan with investment of USD 9billion. The Moroccan Solar Plan is regarded as a milestone on the country’s path towards a secure and sustainable energy supply. The aim of the plan is to generate 2,000 megawatts (or 2 gigawatts) of solar power by the year 2020 by building mega-scale solar power projects at five location — Laayoune (Sahara), Boujdour (Western Sahara), Tarfaya (south of Agadir), Ain Beni Mathar (center) and Ouarzazate — with modern solar thermal, photovoltaic and concentrated solar power mechanisms.

The first plant, under the Moroccan Solar Plan, will be commissioned in 2014, and the entire project is expected to be complete in 2019. Once completed, the solar project is expected to provide almost one-fifth of Morocco’s annual electricity generation. Morocco, the only African country to have a power cable link to Europe, is also a key player in Mediterranean Solar Plan and Desertec Industrial Initiative. The Desertec Concept aims to build CSP plants to supply renewable energy from MENA region to European countries by using high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines.

In 2010, the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), a public-private venture, was set up specifically to implement these projects.  Its mandate is to implement the overall project and to coordinate and to supervise other activities related to this initiative. Stakeholders of the Agency include the Hassan II Fund For Economic & Social Development, Energetic Investment Company and the Office National de l’Electricité (ONE). The Solar Plan is backed by Germany, with funding being provided by German Environment Ministry (BMU) and KfW Entwicklungsbank while GIZ is engaged in skills and capacity-building for industry.

Ain Beni Mather Project

The Ain Beni Mather Integrated Solar Thermal Combined Cycle Power Station is one of the most promising solar power projects in Africa.  The plant combines solar power and thermal power, and is expected to reach production capacity of 250MW by the end of 2012. African Development Bank, in partnership with the Global Environment Facility and Morocco’s National Electric Authority (ONE), is financing approximately two-thirds of the cost of the plant, or about 200 million Euros.

Ain Beni Mather plant, which is now supplying electricity to the Moroccan grid, uses a cutting-edge design, combining a large array of 224 parabolic mirror collectors concentrating sun energy and boosting the steam output needed to produce electricity. This area enjoys abundant sunshine and has enough water to cool the power station and clean the solar mirrors. It is close to both the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline and the high voltage grid that will help to transmit the generated power.

Ouarzazate Solar Complex

The 500MW Phase-One Solar Power Complex at Ouarzazate is the world’s largest solar thermal power plant. To be built with investment of an estimated Euros 2.3 billion, the project is the first one to be implemented under the Moroccan Solar Plan. The Ouarzazate Solar Complex, with a total capacity of 500 MW, will come on-stream in 2015 and produce an estimated output of 1.2 TWh/year to meet local demand. The first phase will be a 160-MW parabolic trough facility while photovoltaic modules and CSP towers will be used in later phases.

 

الطاقة الشمسية في سلطنة عُمان: الإمكانيات والتقدم

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solar-project-omanالطاقة الشمسية هي الحل الحيوي والاستراتيجي لتوفير الطاقة الكهربائية في سلطنة عمان. وبالنظر إلى الأراضي الواسعة الغير مستغلة وموارد الطاقة الشمسية المتاحة, عمان لديها إمكانات ممتازة لتطوير الطاقة الشمسية والتوسع فيها. الطاقة الشمسية خيارا قابلا للتطبيق في عمان ولا يمكن فقط أن تلبي الحاجة المتزايدة لتنويع مصادر الطاقة ولكن أيضا من شأنه أن يساعد في التنويع الاقتصادي.

مع الاعتماد الكلي على الوقود الأحفوري وزيادة عدد السكان جنبا إلى جنب مع المناطق الصناعية في المدن مثل الدقم وصحار وصلالة والبنية التحتية للطاقة والنفط والغاز احتياطيات عمان تشكل تحديا على النمو الاقتصادي. الأهمية الاستراتيجية والموقع الجغرافي لعمان يجعلها قابلة لتطبيق و لتسخير تكنولوجيات الطاقة المتجددة على حد سواء، لزيادة تطوير اقتصادها. أنها تساعد ليس فقط في الحد من الاعتماد على الوقود الأحفوري ولكن يساعد في خلق بيئة أنظف ومستدامة أيضا. خدمات الأبحاث والتطوير والتكنولوجيا العالية المتعلقة بالطاقة المتجددة يمكن أن تخلق الأعمال الجديدة والتوظيف في سلطنة عمان، ويمكن أن تجلب تغييرا جذريا في تنويع الاقتصاد العماني.
وضع الطاقة الشمسية في سلطنة عمان
عمان تستقبل كميات هائلة من الإشعاع الشمسي على مدار العام والتي هي من بين أعلى المعدلات في العالم، و هناك مجالا كبيرا لتسخير وتطوير موارد الطاقة الشمسية في جميع أنحاء السلطنة. قيم متوسط ​​مدة سطوع الشمس اليومية والإشعاع الشمسي  في 25 موقعا في عمان كبيرة، إذ أن أعلى إشعاع شمسي في السلطنة يوجد في منطقة مرمول تليها فهود وصحار و قيرون حيريتي. وكذلك أعلى تشمس للطاقة الشمسية لوحظ في المناطق الصحراوية بالمقارنة مع المناطق الساحلية حيث أنها الأقل.

وقد قام إيرينا إعداد تقرير تقييم جاهزية مصادر الطاقة المتجددة و في تعاون وثيق مع حكومة سلطنة عمان ممثلة في الهيئة العامة للكهرباء والمياه (PAEW)، لدراسة إمكانات استخدام الطاقة المتجددة. وتسعى الحكومة إلى استخدام كمية كبيرة من الطاقة الشمسية لتلبية الاحتياجات من الكهرباء الداخلية للبلاد، ووضع بعض منه للتصدير. وقد بدأت شركة تنمية نفط عمان (PDO) في الحفاظ على موارد الغاز الطبيعي في سلطنة عمان في إنتاج النفط الثقيل من خلال تسخير الطاقة الشمسية لإنتاج البخارلتعزيز النفط المستخرج (EOR).

كشفت دراسة بتكليف من الهيئة العامة للكهرباء والمياه (PAEW) أن ضوئية (PV) أنظمة مثبتة على المباني السكنية في السلطنة يمكن أن توفر ما يقدر ب 1.4 جيجاوات من الكهرباء. وتشير التقديرات إلى أن محافظة مسقط وحدها يمكن أن تولد 450 ميجاوات، على غرار محطة لتوليد الطاقة متوسطة الحجم التي تعتمد على الغاز.

التطورات الرئيسية
السلطة للكهرباء اللائحة عمان (آي إي آر) – منظم قطاع الطاقة في سلطنة عمان تتخذ خطوات لتمهيد الطريق لأصحاب المنازل لتثبيت الألواح الشمسية على السطح مع أي الكهرباء فائض أرسلت مرة أخرى إلى الشبكة الوطنية. بعض الشركات البارزة، بما في ذلك شركة كهرباء مجان، واحة المعرفة مسقط (واحة المعرفة مسقط) وجامعة السلطان قابوس قد اعتمدت بالفعل خطط تجريبها لتوليد الطاقة الشمسية.

نظرا لانخفاض تكاليف الضوئية (PV) لوحات، وأصبح إنتاج الطاقة الشمسية خيارا جذابا لعملية تحلية المياه. ويجري حاليا اختبار عمليات التحلية الحرارية الشمسية باستخدام تجميع الطاقة الشمسية في مشاريع رائدة، ومن المتوقع أن تصبح متوفرة مع الحلول التجارية قريبا.

مرآه مشروع للطاقة الشمسية الحرارية  يسعى لتسخير الطاقة الشمس لانتاج بخار يستخدم في إنتاج النفط. ومن المرجح أن يتم نشرها للتنمية في محافظة المنطقة الداخلية التي تعد واحدة من أكبر مشاريع الطاقة الشمسية في الاستراتيجية الوطنية للطاقة في سلطنة عمان عام 2040.

وقد توجت عمان بالفعل في جذب المستثمرين من القطاع الخاص إلى السلطنة وإنتاج المياه من خلال تقديم اتفاقيات شراء الطاقة. وقد شرعت الحكومة في مهمة فتح سوق أقوى والمستدام و إعطاء شركات النفط فرصة لتعزيز موطئ قدم لها في البلاد لمواجهة خطر استنفاد موارد النفط.

و مع ذلك، هناك تحديات ناشئة عن عدم إشراك أصحاب المصلحة في سياسات تأطير وفي صنع القرار؛ وعدم وجود سياسات التنظيمية في قطاع الطاقة المتجددة و الذي يعيق وتيرة التنمية. هناك حاجة لتقييم الموارد المحددة من أجل تحديد إمكانيات السوق وينبغي أن تكون مجالاً من مجالات البحث الرئيسية.

الآفاق المستقبلية 

ومن المتوقع أن تصبح الطاقة الشمسية في سلطنة عمان أرخص تدريجيا في المستقبل القريب، ويمكن أن يكون أفضل عائد للاستثمارات. ويتحدد نجاحها بمجرد السياسات التنظيمية والحوافز الحكومة المالية والتمويل العام. التحديات التي تواجهها صناعة الطاقة الشمسية تدخل إلى السوق التي كانت أساسا تهيمن عليها صناعة النفط. وينبغي توفير الإعانات والحوافز من قبل الحكومة في شكل تغذية في التعريفات وذلك لطمأنة سعر سند للكهرباء بيعها إلى الشبكة الوطنية خلال دمج تقنيات الطاقة الشمسية في توليد الطاقة.

miraah-solar-project

هناك حاجة ماسة للدعم السياسي للطاقة المتجددة لتأخذ المنافسة في السوق الحرة. يجب أن تكون القوانين التي تحكم تنظيم توليد الطاقة أن توفر المزيد من المرونة لمصادر الطاقة المتجددة ويجب أن تكون وجهة حافزة لجذب أصحاب المصلحة. البيئة الإيجابية للاستثمار وحقوق الملكية قوية وأنظمة ضريبية منخفضة و مشاركة الشركات العالمية الرائدة المختصة في قطاع الطاقة كل هذه بالتأكيد تساعد في تعزيز تطبيقات الطاقة الشمسية. وتحتاج البلاد إلى وضع خطط استراتيجية واضحة للمستقبل في مجال تطوير الطاقة الشمسية.

مع موارد الطاقة الشمسية القوية والجامعات القائمة، عمان لديها فرصة مهنية ظاهرة وقدرة على الرصد باعتبارها مزود تكنولوجي دولي و قيامها بدور نشط في إقامة قاعدة المهارات المهنية متقدمة في مجال العلوم والهندسة وتوسيع مناطقها بالعمارة الحديثة مستخدمة الطاقة الشمسية وإدارة الطاقة.
ولكن يبقى السؤال: هل يمكن للطاقة الشمسية إحداث ثورة التغييرفي سلطنة عمان؟

ترجمة:

بدرية الكيومي- بكالوريوس علوم بيئية

Green Buildings Certification in MENA – Issues and Challenges

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Green building rating systems are increasingly gaining attention in the building industry in the MENA region. During the last 15 years, there has been a regional trend in developing and applying green building ratings systems. In several countries such systems have been developed in an attempt to follow the international green movement. For example, the Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS) was founded in UAE in 2007, the Green Pyramid (GPRS) and ARZ Building Rating System in Egypt and Lebanon respectively were founded in 2008, the Edama was proposed in Jordan in 2009 and Qatar Sustainability Assessment System (QSAS) was founded in 2010. 

A new study compared four regional rating systems in the Middle East, in addition to LEED and BREEAM. The study found that the problem with most emerging rating systems is that they imitate the LEED or BREEAM rating systems and are not enough adapted to local environmental, cultural, historical, societal and economic context. Thus certification systems must be adapted to meet the needs of the Middle East regional climate, social, environmental and economic conditions.

The study, conducted in 2013, compared four rating systems (GPRS, SI 5281, QSAS and PBRS) and a cross analysis study was used to answer questions about the strength and weakness of the systems. The four systems use score point system for assessment. The four tools provide programs involving the building life cycle process – pre-design, design and post-design (occupation). There are many common criteria and categories between the four examined rating systems; such as limiting the consumption of energy and water in the building, improving the environmental quality in both indoor and outdoor, resources and material conservation, service quality, and site strategies. The four rating systems operate from an ecological foot print minimisation paradigm. At the same time, each rating system focuses on certain aspects more than the other ones according to the country’s local context. Surprisingly, there is no agreement on weighing the different environmental criteria.

Problems of Rating Systems

The study found that the examined rating systems are proposing theoretical models that needs to move to effective market implementation politically (government) and economically (NGOs & private sector). The rating systems require more adaptation to local and regional context. Rating systems should differentiate themselves from well-established rating systems.  For example, the study believes that water scarcity should be the most important category together with human wellbeing. Already LEED and BREEAM programs are considered the most fairly comprehensive in scope – from registration to calculation to building certification. In the case of the four rating systems, the initiation approaches were bottom down and not bottom up approaches.

Therefore, the uptake and market penetration is slow compared to LEED or BREEAM. In the four countries, there is no encouragement/engagement in the form of working out incentives or law enforcement to apply the four rating systems except for PBRS. In fact, each country in the region is looking to achieve those criteria individually. The entry of the LEED and BREEAM rating system into the Middle East property market coincided with increasing demand for regional and local ratings systems. As a result, different systems were developed under serious time pressure in the last ten years. The four compared systems are based on American and British standard. In the same time, there are currently no standardisation efforts working at local level to quantify and assess sustainability.

Towards Harmonised Systems

Green Building Councils in the Middle East will have a long way; they have to manage to position themselves as leaders promoting green buildings in the countries where they operate. By comparing and evaluating the four rating systems lesson could be learned and problem could be avoided. Therefore, the study author believes that a harmonised system within the Middle East would have distinctly better chances if the following issues are addressed:

Institutional Setting

Since the oil embargo of 1973, Western countries developed local codes and standards, which are revised annually, for the built environment. Those codes correspond to their context and are strongly linked to practice and buildings industry. However, in the four examined countries, the (b) local codes and standards are still not mature when compared to American or British ones. So there is a regulation problem on the institutional level. More importantly, (b) energy and water are heavily subsidized in most of the four countries.The comparison revealed that the certification rates are low and the feesstructure is very high (registration, certification, auditing).

Thus the whole political regulation landscape regarding resources efficiency is contradicting with the rating systems scope and objective. Therefore, it is important to address the (a) efficiency regulations and (b) subsidies policies on the institutional level and avoid the dependence on Western standards, codes and rating systems. This should be done through facilitating the adjustment and upgrading for the specification of environmental assessment factors in a dynamic, flexible and simple way.

Scientific Rigour and Priorities

Developing an assessment framework should be based on in-situ building performance research and technical knowledge. Technical rigour is very important in this case, for example setting benchmarks and measuring the performance. Furthermore, the investigated rating systems are located in hot climates, with scarce water resources which require a different approach and credits focus. Issues like solar protection, water conservation, life style, solar cooling and urban planning should be more strongly addressed in future developments. This includes advancing environmental footprint issues, like climate change.

Regionalisation

The assessment framework should suite the local context of each country in the Middle East, depending on its culture, issues, stakeholders, practices and institutions. Surprisingly, SI 5281 is the only rating system that was written in a native language, thus it is essential for each country, to design its own indicators to serve its goals in local language. This includes the development of local criteria to quantify the social part of sustainability that includes tradition and culture.

Providing a Platform

Multi-stakeholders should participate in developing rating systems, since they require participative and collaborative work process. Experts, designers, elected officials, working group, agency players, and others should be introduced as key participants in this process. The building industry should be encouraged to get into sustainable track to achieve a real transformation, regarding water and energy. There is a need to link those rating systems to grass root initiatives rather than developing them within academia or elite practicing companies.

According to the study, the examined certification systems need strong adaptation to meet the needs of the Middle East regional climate, social, cultural, environmental and economic conditions. Also there must be a harmonisation effort between regional rating systems aiming to develop and implement a common, transparent regional building assessment methodology. Otherwise, there will be a proliferation of immature systems without accumulated and unifying experience. 

Conclusion

There is still a long way before those examined systems examined become mature and widely usable.  Despite that the development of the examined rating systems is intended to facilitate the assessment of sustainable design in MENA; they fail to suit the local context culture issues, resources, priorities, practices and economic challenges. The GPRS, QSAS and PBRS systems neglect the interpretation of essential local sustainability measurements in their assessment set and normative standards. The study concludes that the existing rating system needs to increase the technical rigor and to put more weight on the most important categories, mainly water, IEQ, pollution and energy. The study suggests a number of recommendations to develop a harmonised green building assessment system in the MENA region. The usefulness of rating systems in the future depends on their flexibility and ability to measure the merits of buildings.

Note: The original version of the article can be viewed at this link.

إعادة تدوير النفايات البلاستيكية بولي إثيلين

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تواجه منطقة الشرق الأوسط، على غرار كل المراكز الحضرية الحديثة الأخرى،  تحديات في مجال حماية البيئة نظرا لإنتاجها كميات هائلة و أشكالا مختلفة من النفايات . ويتجاوز الإنتاج الإجمالي من النفايات الحضرية  لدول الشرق الأوسط   ال 150 مليون طن سنويا، تشكل فيه النفايات البلاستيكية من 10 إلى 15 في المئة. وقد أصبح تزايد عدد السكان والاستهلاك المتزايد، والاتجاه المطرد نحو ثقافة “المتاح”،  بمثابة كابوس يؤرق السلطات المحلية في مختلف أنحاء المنطقة وخارجها.

plastic-pollution

لقد زاد استهلاك البلاستيك بمعدل هائل على مدى العقدين الماضيين لكونه الآن يلعب دورا هاما في جميع جوانب الحياة العصرية. ويستخدم البلاستيك في تصنيع العديد من المنتجات مثل التعبئة والتغليف، ومكونات السلامة و خفيفة الوزن  في السيارات، والهواتف المحمولة، والمواد العازلة في المباني والأجهزة المنزلية وقطع الأثاث، والأجهزة الطبية وما إلى ذلك ، ولكون البلاستيك لايتحلل بيولوجيا، فإن كمية النفايات البلاستيكية تتزايد باطراد في محيطنا. إذ أن أكثر من 90٪ من المواد الموجودة على شواطئ البحر تحتوي على البلاستيك. عدا أن النفايات البلاستيكية غالبا ما تكون النوع الأكثر من القمامة غير مرغوب فيه ، إذ أنها تبقى، دون تحلل، بادية للعيان لعدة أشهر في مواقع دفن النفايات٠

عملية إعادة التدوير

بعد جمع العبوات البلاستيكية من بولي ايثيلين يجب فرزها وإعدادها للبيع. وسوف تعتمد  كمية ونوع الفرز والمعالجة المطلوبة على مواصفات المشتري وعلى درجة فصل المستهلكين  للمواد القابلة للتدوير عن الأنواع الأخرى من النفايات وإزالة الملوثات.

يتم تسليم جمع العبوات  البلاستيكية من بولي إثيلين إلى منشأة استعادة المواد لبدء عملية إعادة التدوير. غير أن الفرز والطحن وحده ليسا بإلإعداد الكافي لقنينات بولي ايثيلين والعبوات نحو إعادة التصنيع. إذ أن هناك العديد من العناصر التي تعلق فيزيئيا بجسم  قنينة بولي ايثيلين أو العبوات و التي تحتاج إلى مزيد من المعالجة لإزالتها. وتشمل هذه العناصر الأكواب البلاستيكية الموجودة على الجزء السفلي من العديد من قنينات المشروبات الغازية المعروفة بإسم (أكواب القاعدة)، والملصقات والأغطية.

تتم معالجة المواد المعاد تحبيبها الملوثة لتأخذ شكلا يمكن استخدامه من قبل المحولات. في منشأة الاستصلاح، تمرالرقائق الملوثة بسلسلة من الفرز ومراحل التنظيف  لفصل البولي إثيلين  عن المواد الأخرى التي قد تكون تحتوي عليها القنينة أوعن ملوثات أخرى قد تكون موجودة. أولا، يتم تمرير المواد المعاد تحبيبها عبر مصنف الهواء الذي يزيل المواد أخف وزنا عن البولي إثيلين مثل ملصقات البلاستيك أو الورق والدقائق.

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حينئذ  يتم غسل الرقائق بمنظف خاص داخل جهاز تنظيف. في هذه الخطوة تتم إزالة بقايا الطعام التي قد تبقى على السطح الداخلي لقنينات البولي إثيلين والعبوات، الغراء الذي يستخدم لإلصاق الملصقات على قنينات البولي إثيلين  ، وأي رواسب قد تكون موجودة. بعد ذلك،  تمرالرقائق عبر مصنف  “طفو/ ترسب” . وخلال هذه العملية، تترسب رقائق البولي إثيلين في المصنف، لكونها أثقل كثافةمن الماء،  في حين أن أكواب القاعدة المصنوعة من البلاستيك  البولي ايثيلين عالي الكثافة والأغطية والخواتم المصنوعة من البلاستيك البولي بروبلين،تطفو فوق السطح، لكونها أقل كثافة من الماء.

بعد التجفيف، تمر رقائق البولي إثيلين عبر الفاصل الكهربائي، الذي ينتج مجالا مغناطيسيا لفصل رقائق البولي إثيلين عن أي ألمنيوم  قد يكون موجودا نتيجة أغطية القنينات والخواتم. عندما تكتمل خطوات هذه المعالجة ، يصبح بلاستيك البولي إثيلين  على شكل يعرف بإسم “رقائق نظيفة”. في بعض الحالات  يلجأ معيدوا التدوير إلى عملية تقشير نظيفة في مرحلة تسمى ب”إعادة تحبيب” ، تحول فيها الرقيقة إلى “حبيبة”. ثم من تم تتم معالجة رقيقة البولي إثيلين النظيفة أوالحبيبة من قبل معيدي التدوير أو المحولين الذين يعمدون إلى تحويل الرقيقة أو الحبيبة إلى شكل سلعة مواد خام مصنفة مثل الألياف، ورقة، أو حبيبة هندسية أومركبة، لكي تباع في النهاية للمستخدمين النهائيين و بالتالي تصنع منتجات جديدة.

ترجمه

هند سلامة، حاصلة على شهادة الدكتوراة تخصص الكيمياءـ البيئة من كلية العلوم عين الشق جامعة الحسن الثاني ـ المغرب، عملت كمديرة مشاريع في عدة مؤسسات و أعمل حاليا كمستشارة مستقلة في مجال البيئة و التنمية المستدامة و مترجمة  ، هذا عدا عن مساهماتي في البرنامج التطوعي للأمم المتحدة  UNVو متطوعة أيضا مع EcoMENA

How To Lessen Your Contribution To Noise Pollution

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If you are constantly bugged by disturbing or unwanted noise to the point that it interferes with your normal daily activities, then you are categorically experiencing noise pollution. This is a disruptive type of sound that can be annoying and life-altering because it can affect your mood, responses, relationships or socialization, and performance.

Extreme noise pollution can greatly affect an individual’s quality of life. It can also cause chronic stress which impacts overall health. Noise pollution would usually come from different sources such as industrial noise or those coming from construction, electrical machinery, or from traffic noise such as sounds of motorcycles, cars, buses, airplanes, or even from lawnmowers.

Hacks To Reduce Noise Pollution

You can help to minimize the sound and noise pollution and its harmful effects by controlling or limiting the noise in your own space. You have to learn how to take the upper hand in your environment. This is the first step to taking control of noise pollution. Here are some ways to do that:

1. Turn Off Your TV

A lot of kids are said to suffer from home noise pollution. Unknowingly, kids are exposed to the dangers of noise pollution in their very own home which can trigger stress and anxiety. Turning your T.V. off can help you avoid distractions while you’re doing other tasks, help you focus on getting productive work done, and eliminate unwanted noise when you are relaxing or sleeping.

2. Trade Noise Pollution with a Calming or Productive Noise

Not all sounds are created equal. In the same way, noise can be seen as either toxic or productive. If you cannot completely block or eliminate the noise, then you can reduce it by using a creative or better kind of noise that can boost your overall health.

You can replace the irritating noise by playing instruments or streaming your favorite music, using white noise, or injecting a more pleasant sound to drown the disturbing sound. This masks the unwanted noise and replaces it with an inspiring or enjoyable sound so you can sleep like a baby.

3. Plant Trees as Noise Buffers

If you are a green lifestyle advocate, then you can try planting shrubs and trees which can effectively drown out unwanted noise by as much as 50%. These trees and shrubs serve as dense foliage that blocks noise pollution. It is recommended to plant these trees and shrubs as close to the source of noise as possible.

The evergreen variety is highly recommended because it can provide your homes with all-year-round insulation or protection from noise pollution. You can combine tall grasses and short shrubs to provide better soundproofing plus enhanced visual appeal.

4. Be Mindful of Your Own Noise

You have to pay attention to your own noise or backyard before you complain of external noises. Be a good neighbor and pay attention to your own sounds or noise that may be affecting other people’s homes. If your kids are fond of playing loud music, then advise them to keep it down, especially at night. Partying too should be kept on certain hours and must not go on all night long.

Check on your barking dog to see how to keep it calm. Being a good neighbor will allow your neighbors to reciprocate in a good way.

5. Meditate and Exercise

You can combat the ill or negative effects of noise pollution by keeping your inner calm. Your body follows through your psyche or emotional and mental health. Doing regular exercises plus meditation or yoga can create a balance between your mind and body. This helps sync your internal and external gears to work as one.

The unwanted noise or external distractions may get in the way of attaining inner calm but meditation and exercises can help you achieve that. Also, maintaining inner peace and joy would also help you avoid making unnecessary noise that can disrupt or disturb other people’s peace.

6. Use Sound-Absorbing Materials

Noise can be very contagious. You can soundproof your home and also install sound-absorbing materials to help control the noise in your walls so it won’t disturb the neighborhood. Use sound-blocking curtains that work both ways – noise-proofing your space and also absorbing or containing noise in a room. It is recommended to use padded carpeting and acoustic ceilings to reduce sound transfer.

7. Replace Old and Noisy Appliances

Most old or run-down appliances create the most noise. Consider replacing old appliances with quieter ones. Check appliances for any damage because most buzzing or rattling sound comes from appliances that are in need of a fix.  Premium appliance models would usually have a quieter sound so consider buying that if it fits your budget.

Most washing machines, dishwashers, fans, and other noisy appliances should be set up far away from bedrooms or living room spaces that would require a peaceful environment.

8. Fix Noisy Pipes

If you have been experiencing some hauntings like banging pipes or noise under the floor, then that could be your pipes in need of a quick fix and not some ghosts. The chattering or rattling in your pipe greatly contributes to unwanted noise in your home and calling a pipe technician can help you solve that noisy pipe dilemma right now.

9. Check Sound System

Noisy subwoofers are a common culprit of distracting noise around the house and in the neighborhood. Buying a premium or high-quality speakers helps you create that clean sound without cranking up the volume. It sure is worth the price tag!

Check your sound system and make sure the vibration and sound is not that offensive. You can adjust the settings or if not, you can purchase a subwoofer isolation pad that will help soften the sounds while on party mode.

Bottom Line

You can put a stop to chaos by taking the upper hand on your own noise. Your home can be a source of noise pollution. It may be that old washing machine, speaker system or T.V. or perhaps your pets. Noise pollution can hamper good health and relationships in and outside of your home. It can affect your temperament and reduce productivity levels. Your home is your haven, keep it that way by taking control of your own noise and installing a system that absorbs sound waves and reduce it to a minimum.

Energy Conservation in Mosques: A Guide

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A mosque (or masjid) is a place where Muslims worship and offer prayers round the year. In addition, a mosque plays a pivotal role in Islamic communities worldwide. Mosques have a unique operating schedule and are occupied five different times daily for a period of around 30 – 60 minutes for each prayer (this may differ from one mosque to another). For special occasions like Friday Prayers, Eid Prayers and Ramadan nights, people may stay for longer periods in mosques. In recent years, mosques have become big consumers of electricity due to widespread use of air conditioning, hot water systems, lighting and other energy-intensive appliances.

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A solar-powered mosque in Tadmamet, a village south of Marrakesh.

The architectural form of mosques developed as a result of different location, culture and environmental conditions, however they are still classified into three types depending on their size and location:

  1. Big landmark Mosques
  2. Community Mosques (Jamiee)
  3. Small Local Mosques (Mosallah)

Major electrical loads of mosques consist of Air Conditioning System, Lighting System, Heating System, Ventilation system, Hot Water System, Sound System and some additional refrigerators and water coolers. A wide array of energy-saving measures can be implemented to reduce electricity bills of mosques and transform them into eco-friendly and green mosques. Below are several potential ideas that help in energy conservation in mosques worldwide:

  • Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Exploitation of mosque roof, which is mostly big enough, flat and obstacle-free, for rooftop solar photovoltaic systems can meet the energy requirements of mosque, completely or partially.

  • Efficient Air Conditioners

Air-conditioning units with higher energy star certification are guaranteed to lower the monthly cooling bill and deliver better service in mosques, taking into consideration the correct system sizing and protective maintenance.

  • Smart Thermostats

Installation of advanced thermostats with specific minimum set point, timely programmed, controlled through internet and sensor-based can detect the number of people inside mosques to build a comfort zone.

  • LED Lights

LEDs are extremely energy efficient (90% less power than incandescent bulbs), have longer lifetime, environmentally safe, better color rendering and have less heat rejection.

  • Motion and Occupancy Sensors

Based on the space occupancy or people motion inside mosque, the lighting fixtures or HVAC units can be controlled.

  • Air Curtains

An air curtain is a fan-powered device that creates an invisible air barrier over the doorway to separate efficiently two different spaces at different temperatures without limiting the access of the people.

  • Double Glazed Windows

The airtight construction of double-glazed windows creates thermal insulation, which reduces the flow of incoming and outgoing heat, and then less energy used to heat up or cool down the space, resulting in lower energy bills for buildings with large spaces such as mosques.

  • Solar-powered Hot Water System

Water heating is responsible for huge amount of energy consumption during winter months.  By switching from an electric or fossil fuel-based system to a solar-powered hot water system will save energy, lower hot water bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Zoning Inside Mosque

Separate the daily used area inside mosque from the rarely used ones by adding transparent barriers or walls in order to limit your space and to use the only required loads efficiently.

  • Natural Daylight

Natural daylight can reduce energy costs, increase comfort, increase brain concentration and create healthy and calm environment which is essential for worshippers in masjid. This can be easily achieved depending on the big number of windows available in mosque’s domes and walls.

  • Reuse of Greywater

The greywater discharged from a typical mosque includes water originating from ablution basins (Wudu), hand basins, shower rooms and RO-based water filtration systems. Such water can be reused as for irrigation of green spaces, plants and trees surrounding the mosque.

  • Water Leak Detectors

Water leakage can be commonly seen in many mosques and it wastes huge amounts of clean water as well as precious energy. By using sensor-based detectors and regular maintenance for areas prone to water leakage, we can ensure a proper, safe and efficient usage of natural resources.

Final Thoughts

Mosques is an ideal place for Muslims to reflect on Islamic teachings on environmental stewardship. If we can transform our mosques from an energy-guzzling place to eco-friendly and energy-efficient place of worship, it will be much easier for us to adopt a moderate lifestyle and in building an environmentally-conscious society which can also inspire people of other faiths to care more for the environment and natural resources..

النفايات الغذائية خلال شهر رمضان في الشرق الأوسط

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مع حلول شهر رمضان المبارك خلال الأيام القليلة القادمة، ضخمة الهدر الغذائي في منطقة الشرق الأوسط تخطف الأضواء مرة أخرى. بل هي الحقيقة المقبولة على نطاق واسع أن ما يقرب من نصف مجرى النفايات البلدية الصلبة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط ويتكون من النفايات الغذائية والمواد المرتبطة بها. كمية متزايدة من فضلات الطعام في الشرق الأوسط على وجه السرعة يتطلب استراتيجية قوية لإدارة النفايات الغذائية لضمان التقليل والتخلص بطريقه صديقة للبيئة.

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النفايات الغذائية في رمضان

دول الشرق الاوسط اعترفوا انهم أعلى مبذرون غذاء في العالم، وخلال شهر رمضان الحالة يأخذ منعطفا نحو الأسوأ. في عام 2012، قدر أن بلدية دبي في رمضان، يتم طرح حوالي 55٪ من النفايات المنزلية (أو ما يقرب من 1850 طن بعيدا كل يوم). وفي البحرين، وتوليد النفايات الغذائية في البحرين تتجاوز 400 طن يوميا خلال الشهر الفضيل، وفقا لأحمد ريحان ، رئيس وحدة التخلص من النفايات (البحرين). بقدر اهتمام قطر ، ومن المتوقع أن ما يقرب من نصف الطعام المعد خلال شهر رمضان وسوف تجد طريقها إلى صناديق القمامة.

كمية النفايات الغذائية التي تنتج في شهر رمضان هو أعلى بكثير من غيره من الشهور. هناك ميل مزمن عند المسلمين تجاه الإفراط في التساهل والإسراف في الشهر الكريم، على الرغم من أن النبي محمد (عليه الصلاة والسلام)، طلب من المسلمين إلى اعتماد الاعتدال في جميع نواحي الحياة. المواقف الاجتماعية والثقافية وأنماط الحياة الفخم أيضا تلعب دورا رئيسيا في توليد المزيد من فضلات الطعام في شهر رمضان في البلدان المسلمة.

الآثار الاقتصادية

زيادة الازدهار الاقتصادي وارتفاع نسبة السكان في المناطق الحضرية، وزيادة كمية النفايات المنتجة. وخير مثال هو حالة دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي الغنية بالنفط وهو ما يمثل أحد أغزر مولدات النفايات للفرد الواحد في العالم. المجموعات ذات الدخل المرتفع عادة ما تولد المزيد من فضلات الطعام للفرد الواحد بالمقارنة مع المجموعات الأقل ثراء. الفنادق والمقاهي والمطاعم وغيرها هي أيضا لديها مساهمة كبيرة من المخلفات الغذائية في الشرق الأوسط.

ومن المتوقع توليد النفايات الغذائية لنحو مطرد مع النمو السريع للازدهار الاقتصادات الإقليمية. إنتاج الفرد الواحد من النفايات الصلبة في المدن العربية مثل الرياض والدوحة وأبو ظبي هي أكثر من 1.5 كغم يوميا، وتجعلهم من بين أعلى المعدلات في منتجي النفايات للفرد في العالم. وتشير هذه الإحصاءات إلى خسارة المليارات من الدولارات كل عام على شكل فضلات الطعام في جميع أنحاء العالم العربي.

التغيير الجذري

الخطوات للحد من هدر المواد الغذائية هي تغيير السلوك قبل كل شيء ، وزيادة الوعي العام والتشريعات القوية، ومرافق إعادة التدوير (سماد ومصانع الغاز الحيوي) والمشاركة المجتمعية. ويلزم قوانين و حملات شاملة لإجبار الناس على تبني ممارسات تقليل النفايات وتنفيذ أساليب الحياة المستدامة. خلال شهر رمضان، ويمكن علماء الدين وأئمة تلعب دورا حيويا في تحفيز المسلمين على اتباع المبادئ الإسلامية من الاستدامة، كما ذكر في القرآن الكريم والأحاديث أفضل طريقة للحد من فضلات الطعام هو أن يشعر بالتضامن مع الملايين والملايين من الناس في جميع أنحاء العالم الذين يواجهون صعوبات هائلة في تناول وجبة واحدة كل يوم..  

ترجمه: هبة احمد مسلم- دكتور الهندسة البيئية. باحث في الشئون البيئية. معهد الدراسات والبحوث البيئية– جامعه عين شمس.

مدرس التحكم في البيئة والطاقه داخل المباني.

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