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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT CONSPIRACY ...more |
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In his inaugural speech at the last World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, Sultan Al-Jaber, a minister of state in the United Arab Emirates and chairman of Masdar, the architecture and ecology, or “arcology,” project, said: “Renewable energy is a critical component for building a sustainable future and has today changed from an expensive alternative to a competitive technology of choice.” On the day of his speech the price of oil dropped to $40 per barrel, after declining from $120/barrel a few months earlier, and a record of $143/barrel in August 2008. ...more |
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PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT BY CHANGING CONSUMPTION HABITS EDITORIAL BY NAJIB SAAB ...more |
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CHANGING EATING HABITS FOR FOOD SECURITY ...more |
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Reports of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) have repeatedly warned that demand on resources and nature services by Arab countries is double what the region’s natural systems can provide. Key challenges include food security, water and energy. Arab countries today import more than half of their needs of basic foods, while an Arab individual’s share of renewable fresh water is less than one-tenth of the world average. This discrepancy between domestic supplies and demand on resources threatens growth opportunities, let alone the quality of life. ...more |
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The World Bank chose "Thirsty Energy" as title for its report on the energy-water nexus. If we were to produce such a report for the Arab region, the title could better be "Hungry Water"- as production of water eats the bulk of Arab energy. ...more |
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Sustainability Week, which was hosted in Abu Dhabi, opened doors for the future. Discussions at the annual assembly of the International Agency for Renewable Energy (IRENA), the World Future Energy Summit and the Water Summit showed indisputably that the world as we know it is changing. Countries that aspire to play an active role in a changing world have to adopt new vocabulary reflecting fresh way of thinking and novel methods. ...more |
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With its energy consumption growing twice as fast as its economic growth, the Arab region is among the least efficient in the world. The report of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) on sustainable energy points out that a 56 percent reduction in energy consumption can be achieved in the Arab region through the promotion of efficiency measures while maintaining the present productivity levels. ...more |
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