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Environment and development AL-BIA WAL-TANMIA Leading Arabic Environment Magazine

314 -May 2024
Editorial
Forum
Najib Saab
Investing in the Poor
Najib Saab
The $20 billion provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency this month to support the transition to sustainable energy in local communities
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WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
Next-generation Climate Targets: A 5-Point Plan for NDCs
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
By early 2025, countries are due to unveil new national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement
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Cheryl Leutjen
LOVE EARTH NOW
Cheryl Leutjen
How to Be Earth-Mindful: Book Guides Readers Toward Realistic Ways to Show a Little Love to the Planet
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Meet the
 Editor-in-Chief Najib Saab 		 
 
Selected articles News
Toxic chemicals can be detected with new AI method 2/5/2024
Swedish researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg have developed an AI method that improves the identification of toxic chemicals – based solely on knowledge of the molecular structure. The method can contribute to better control and understanding of the ever-growing number of chemicals used in society, and can also help reduce the amount of animal tests. ...more
 
High-precision diaphragm metering pump makes the “Electrolysis Made in Baden-Württemberg” system demonstrator fit for industrial application 14/4/2024
Effective decarbonization of German industry – and with it, the achievement of the climate targets with a secure energy supply at the same time – is unthinkable without the expansion of hydrogen technologies. Since they are a carbon-free energy source, they do not release any emissions during combustion. Hydrogen is also suitable as a storage medium to compensate for fluctuations in renewable energy production, since it can be produced via electrolysis using any power source. As part of the "Electrolysis Made in Baden-Württemberg" project, which was completed in 2023, the Baden-Württemberg Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) has now strengthened the region as a hydrogen location for the long term. With the participation of 40 companies, a scalable system demonstrator for alkaline pressure electrolysis with an output of 1 MWel was engineered. The pump specialist LEWA from Leonberg, Germany, also contributed to the success of the project: an ecoflow diaphragm metering pump with Ex motor feeds the water required for hydrogen production into the process. As of 2026, the system will continue to operate in the H2 GeNeSiS model region and feed hydrogen into the new pipeline along the Neckar River. ...more
 
Ammonia attracts the shipping industry, but researchers warn of its risks 5/2/2024
Switching to ammonia as a marine fuel, with the goal of decarbonisation, can instead create entirely new problems. This is shown in a study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, where researchers carried out life cycle analyses for batteries and for three electrofuels including ammonia. Eutrophication and acidification are some of the environmental problems that can be traced to the use of ammonia – as well as emissions of laughing gas, which is a very potent greenhouse gas. ...more
 
Resource-efficient and climate-friendly with sodium-ion batteries 13/12/2023
The transition to a society without fossil fuels means that the need for batteries is increasing at a rapid pace. At the same time, the increase will mean a shortage of the metals lithium and cobalt, which are key components in the most common battery types. One option is a sodium-ion battery, where table salt and biomass from the forest industry make up the main raw materials. Now, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, show that these sodium-ion batteries have an equivalent climate impact as their lithium-ion counterparts – without the risk of running out of raw materials. ...more
 
Benchmarks for Success for COP28 6/11/2023
Floods recently wreaked havoc in Libya, damaging critical infrastructure and killing more than 6,000 people. Wildfires in Canada burned 18.5 million hectares, an area the size of Syria. September 2023 set “gobsmackingly bananas” heat records that unsettled climate scientists. ...more
 
75 percent of exclusive hardwood may be illegally harvested 26/10/2023
The tropical wood type ipê is popular for building exclusive wooden decks, and in North America and Europe, the demand for the material has increased sharply. Now, a study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows that more than three-quarters of all ipê from the top producing region in Brazil could have been harvested illegally. "The study reveals where in the chain the greatest risks lie. It can be a tool to counteract illegal logging," says Caroline S.S. Franca, PhD student at Chalmers. ...more
 
How mercury emissions from industry can be greatly reduced 4/7/2023
Sulphuric acid is the world’s most used chemical. It is an important reagent used in many industries and it is used in the manufacture of everything from paper, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to batteries, detergents and fertilisers. It is therefore a worldwide challenge that sulphuric acid often contains one of the most toxic substances – mercury. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have now developed a method that can reduce the levels of mercury in sulphuric acid by more than 90 per cent– even from low levels. ...more
 
Gentle method allows for eco-friendly recycling of solar cells 13/4/2023
By using a new method, precious metals can be efficiently recovered from thin-film solar cells. This is shown by new research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. The method is also more environmentally friendly than previous methods of recycling and paves the way for more flexible and highly efficient solar cells. ...more
 
Stadium 974: What happens next to the first temporary World Cup stadium? 12/12/2022
The World Cup's first temporary stadium will soon be dismantled after hosting seven matches in two weeks at Qatar 2022. ...more
 
'Doomsday glacier,' which could raise sea level by several feet, is holding on 'by its fingernails,' scientists say 6/9/2022
Antarctica's so-called "doomsday glacier" -- nicknamed because of its high risk of collapse and threat to global sea level -- has the potential to rapidly retreat in the coming years, scientists say, amplifying concerns over the extreme sea level rise that would accompany its potential demise. ...more
 
The audacious PR plot that seeded doubt about climate change 27/7/2022
Thirty years ago, a bold plan was cooked up to spread doubt and persuade the public that climate change was not a problem. The little-known meeting - between some of America's biggest industrial players and a PR genius - forged a devastatingly successful strategy that endured for years, and the consequences of which are all around us. ...more
 
Bottling the sun 14/6/2022
From a small hill in the southern French region of Provence, you can see two suns. One has been blazing for four-and-a-half billion years and is setting. The other is being built by thousands of human minds and hands, and is — far more slowly — rising. The last of the real sun’s evening rays cast a magical glow over the other — an enormous construction site that could solve the biggest existential crisis in human history. ...more
 
Ukraine's natural environment is another casualty of war. The damage could be felt for decades 23/5/2022
The pine forests around Irpin are Oleh Bondarenko's happy place. He discovered them as a child, when his mom sent him to the area for summer camp, and he has been coming back ever since. ...more
 
Apply today to the Department of State Fully-Funded Professional Fellows Program (PFP) for Economic Empowerment and spend 6 weeks in the U.S. in the Spring of 2025! 3/5/2024
PFP is a fully funded 6-week program in the U.S. including one week of intensive training, a 4-week fellowship at an organization in one of five cities in the U.S., and a Professional Fellows Congress in Washington, DC. It is designed to promote mutual understanding, enhance leadership and professional skills, and build lasting, sustainable partnerships between mid-level emerging leaders committed to strengthening their communities through social entrepreneurship and workforce development. The program is scheduled to take place in the Spring of 2025. ...more
 
Methane emissions from gas flaring being hidden from satellite monitors 3/5/2024
Oil and gas equipment intended to cut methane emissions is preventing scientists from accurately detecting greenhouse gases and pollutants, a satellite image investigation has revealed. ...more
 
Carbon credit standards approval extended to 98% of market 3/5/2024
Five of the world's largest carbon credit programmes have now been given initial approval by a body tasked with raising standards in the market for carbon offsets, where some of the biggest buyers include Microsoft, Salesforce and Amazon. ...more
 
Extreme heat shuts schools for millions, widening learning gaps worldwide 3/5/2024
Hena Khan, a grade nine student in Dhaka, has struggled to focus on her studies this week as temperatures surpassed 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Bangladesh capital. ...more
 
Plastic-eating bacteria can help waste self-destruct 3/5/2024
Scientists have developed a "self-digesting plastic", which, they say, could help reduce pollution. ...more
 
The Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi Assesses Microplastic Levels in Abu Dhabi’s Marine Environment 2/5/2024
The Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) announced a landmark partnership to address the growing global challenge of microplastic pollution in the Abu Dhabi marine environment. This pioneering study, the first of its kind in the emirate, marks a crucial step in understanding and mitigating the impacts of microplastic contamination on our marine ecosystems. ...more
 
G7 to sign exit from coal by 2035, but may offer leeway, sources say 2/5/2024
Energy ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies will sign a deal to end the use of coal in power generation between 2030 and 2035, but could offer a leeway to Germany and Japan, two diplomatic sources said on Tuesday. ...more
 
Plastic pollution talks make modest progress but sidestep production curbs 2/5/2024
Negotiations on a future global treaty to tackle soaring plastic pollution ran overtime into Tuesday morning amid tense debates over whether the world should seek to limit the amount of plastic being made. ...more
 
EU, watchdogs start action against airlines over greenwashing 2/5/2024
The European Commission and national consumer protection authorities have started action against 20 airlines for misleading greenwashing practices, the EU said in a statement on Tuesday. ...more
 
China misses air quality goals as economy takes priority, report says 2/5/2024
Half of the Chinese cities targeted by the government for air quality improvements have missed their targets as the country prioritised strengthening the economy over cutting pollutants, research by a non-profit research organisation found. ...more
 
Countries consider pact to reduce plastic production by 40% in 15 years 30/4/2024
Countries are for the first time considering restrictions on the global production of plastic – to reduce it by 40% in 15 years – in an attempt to protect human health and the environment. ...more
 
G7 discussing 2035 end date for coal-fired power plants, source says 30/4/2024
Energy ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy countries meeting in Italy are discussing setting a common target date of 2035 to shut down their coal-powered power plants, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Monday. ...more
 
African leaders seek record World Bank financing to combat climate change 30/4/2024
African leaders on Monday called for rich countries to commit record contributions to a low-interest World Bank facility for developing nations that they rely on to help fund their development and combat climate change. ...more
 
Norway wealth fund falls short on its climate ambitions, NGO says 30/4/2024
Norway's $1.6 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, falls short on its climate ambitions by failing to back multiple shareholder proposals pushing oil companies to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, an NGO report said on Monday. ...more
 
Taxing big fossil fuel firms ‘could raise $900bn in climate finance by 2030’ 30/4/2024
A new tax on fossil fuel companies based in the world’s richest countries could raise hundreds of billions of dollars to help the most vulnerable nations cope with the escalating climate crisis, according to a report. ...more
 
Saudi Energy Minister: We Aim to Boost Oil, Gas Production, Plan to Export Hydrogen 29/4/2024
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz stressed that Saudi Arabia is making major and lasting progress with its Vision 2030 national transformation plan. ...more
 
COP29 climate summit host Azerbaijan defends oil and gas investments 29/4/2024
Azerbaijan, host of this year's U.N. climate summit, will defend the right of oil and gas producing nations to invest in the sector, the country's president said on Friday, noting that despite climate targets, fossil fuel demand remains strong. ...more
 
Climate change a matter for politicians, not central banks: SNB 29/4/2024
Climate protection is very important for the Swiss National Bank, but the issue should be tackled by politicians rather than central banks, SNB Chairman Thomas Jordan said on Friday. ...more
 
OMV and Borealis sign long-term supply agreements with TOMRA for recycling feedstock produced from mixed waste 29/4/2024
OMV and Borealis have entered into long-term feedstock supply agreements for their recycling facilities with TOMRA Feedstock, a subsidiary of leading sorting technology producer TOMRA. These agreements ensure a consistent supply of sustainable and high-quality raw materials for OMV Group’s recycling operations. OMV will process feedstock supplied from TOMRA Feedstock plants in its ReOil® plants in Austria, while Borealis will process feedstock produced by TOMRA at its mechanical recycling operations in Europe.  The feedstock will be produced from mixed post-consumer plastic material otherwise lost to landfill and incineration at a first-of-its-kind sorting facility currently being developed by TOMRA in Germany. By contributing to the OMV Group’s strategic targets of producing circular products and solutions, these agreements play a crucial role in closing the loop in plastics to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. ...more
 
Conservation slowing biodiversity loss, scientists say 29/4/2024
Conservation actions are effective at reducing global biodiversity loss, according to a major study. ...more
 
 
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