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

314 - May 2024
Editorial
Forum
Global Climate Leaders
Global climate leaders want COP29 to succeed but call for urgent overhaul of the process
Global Climate Leaders
It has become clear that constructive, supportive ideas developed some time ago on the COP process have been misinterpreted in today’s context
more...

Mathis Wackernagel
MY OBSESSION WITH OVERSHOOT
Mathis Wackernagel
There is no other possible future than a regenerative one
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Najib Saab
After ‘Arab Spring Floods’: Do Not Use Climate Change as Excuse
Najib Saab
Will the spring floods that hit some Arab countries serve as a reminder of the power of nature and the inevitability of respecting its rules
more...

Philipp Pratt
Your 'Eco-Friendly' Travel App Could Be Hurting the Environment, Say Experts
Philipp Pratt
Sometimes, the road to sustainability is paved with good intentions but littered with unforeseen consequences
more...
 
 
 
Meet the
 Editor-in-Chief Najib Saab 		 
 
Selected articles News
CO2 & Waste-Derived Bioplastics: Pioneering Sustainable Manufacturing 22/11/2024
As the world grapples with the environmental impact of traditional plastics, bioplastics derived from carbon dioxide (CO2) and waste materials present a promising solution. This emerging sustainable market seeks to address two critical global challenges: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing waste. By converting CO2 and waste into useful bioplastics, scientists and companies are pioneering technologies that could revolutionize the way we produce and consume plastics. ...more
 
The blue-green sustainable proteins of seaweed may soon be on your plate 15/11/2024
The protein in sea lettuce, a type of seaweed, is a promising complement to both meat and other current alternative protein sources. Seaweed also contains many other important nutrients, and is grown without needing to be watered, fertilised or sprayed with insecticides. However, the proteins are often tightly bound, and their full potential has not yet been realised on our plates.  But now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have found a new way to extract these proteins three times more efficiently than before – and this progress paves the way for seaweed burgers and protein smoothies from the sea. ...more
 
Industry royally champions sustainable floriculture project led by Coventry University 9/10/2024
Coventry University is leading a project to reduce plastic, packaging and waste in the British cut-flower industry. ...more
 
Major boost in carbon capture and storage essential to reach 2°C climate target 27/9/2024
Large expansion of carbon capture and storage is necessary to fulfill the Paris Climate Agreement. Yet a new study led by Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden and University of Bergen, in Norway, shows that without major efforts, the technology will not expand fast enough to meet the 2°C target and even with major efforts it is unlikely to expand fast enough for the 1.5°C target. ...more
 
Europe’s deadly floods are glimpse of future climate 25/9/2024
Central Europe's devastating floods were made much worse by climate change and offer a stark glimpse of the future for the world's fastest-warming continent, scientists say. ...more
 
Which Countries Should Pay for International Climate Finance? 18/9/2024
The world needs trillions of dollars annually to combat climate change, but questions remain as to where that funding will come from. Most at stake are poorer countries that are the least protected — and hardest hit — from the increasing ravages of heat waves, storm surges and other extreme weather events exacerbated each year by climate change. Many of these countries lack the resources to undertake a rapid and just transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy without external help. ...more
 
World’s strongest battery paves way for light, energy-efficient vehicles 12/9/2024
When cars, planes, ships or computers are built from a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure, the weight and energy consumption are radically reduced. A research group at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden is now presenting a world-leading advance in so-called massless energy storage – a structural battery that could halve the weight of a laptop, make the mobile phone as thin as a credit card or increase the driving range of an electric car by up to 70 percent on a single charge. ...more
 
A method that paves the way for improved fuel cell vehicles 14/8/2024
More efficient and longer-lasting fuel cells are essential for fuel cell-powered heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles to be an alternative to combustion fuelled counterparts. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed an innovative method to study and understand how parts of fuel cells degrade over time. This is an important step towards the improved performance of fuel cells and them becoming commercially successful. ...more
 
Empowering women – a key to both sustainable energy and gender justice 13/8/2024
Involving women in implementing solar energy technologies in developing countries not only has great climate impact. A new study published in Nature Energy and carried out by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows that empowering women through energy care work can change unjust, gendered norms and long-lived injustices. ...more
 
Could Australia become a green hydrogen superpower? 9/8/2024
“If you remember being a kid and blowing up a balloon or into a milkshake, your cheeks got sore because there is an energy penalty associated with bubble formation.” ...more
 
New Study: The price tag of phasing-out coal 15/5/2024
Coal phase-out is necessary to solve climate change, but can have negative impacts on workers and local communities dependent on coal for their livelihoods. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and Central European University in Austria have studied government plans for coal phase-out around the world and discovered that more than half of such plans include monetary compensation to affected parties. This planned compensation globally amounts to USD 200 billion, but it excludes China and India, the two largest users of coal that currently do not have phase-out plans. The study shows that if China and India decide to phase out coal as fast as needed to reach the Paris climate targets and pay similar compensation, it would cost upwards of USD 2 trillion. ...more
 
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
 
Algeria environment setback as renewable energy ministry is axed 22/11/2024
Algeria's President Abdelmajid Tebboune has announced scrapping the ministry of renewable energy in a fresh cabinet reshuffle that has sparked fears of environmental degradation. ...more
 
Climate funding divisions laid bare as COP29 deadline looms 22/11/2024
Division and discontent spilled into the open on Thursday at a U.N. climate summit in Baku, sparked by a proposal for a new global finance deal which offered two vastly different options and left no one happy as the closing deadline neared. ...more
 
More than 50 countries sign UN sustainable tourism declaration 22/11/2024
More than 50 governments have signed a U.N. declaration to make tourism around the globe more climate friendly, the United Nations said on Wednesday, in what it hailed as a major achievement of the climate summit in Azerbaijan. ...more
 
Is nuclear power gaining new energy? 22/11/2024
A decade ago, it seemed as though the global nuclear industry was in an irreversible decline. ...more
 
US moves to list giraffes under Endangered Species Act for first time 22/11/2024
They are the tallest animal to roam the Earth and have become an icon of children’s books, toys and awed wildlife documentaries. But giraffes are in decline, which has prompted the US government to list them as endangered for the first time. ...more
 
COP29 climate talks: What is needed for a deal by Friday's deadline? 21/11/2024
Marathon COP29 climate talks enter their final stretch on Wednesday when the Azerbaijani hosts are due to publish an update on negotiations so far as the summit seeks to agree a new goal on issues including climate finance. ...more
 
COP29 climate talks: What new taxes could help raise money to fight climate change? 21/11/2024
The COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan aim to agree an annual finance target of $1 trillion or more a year to help poorer countries respond to global warming. Some see new taxes as one way to get there. ...more
 
New UN initiative aims to counter climate disinformation 21/11/2024
As the dangers posed by climate change become increasingly evident worldwide, the need for reliable and accurate information on the impact of the environmental crisis is more crucial than ever.  ...more
 
The climate crisis in charts: how 2024 has set unwanted new records 21/11/2024
Data tracks how Earth’s heating has led to rising sea levels and extreme weather – yet there is no sign of emissions slowing. ...more
 
Almost 120 countries vowed to triple renewables by 2030 – how is it going? 21/11/2024
Almost 120 countries came together in Dubai last year at the Cop28 climate talks to pledge one of the most ambitious green energy targets in the history of the UN climate talks. ...more
 
G20 leaders turn focus to climate change on Rio summit's last day 20/11/2024
Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies meet on Tuesday to discuss sustainable development and the transition to cleaner energy, as they aim to increase the odds of a successful deal to address global warming at U.N. climate talks in Azerbaijan. ...more
 
Can a COP29 deal clean up scandal-ridden carbon offsets? 20/11/2024
A deal at the COP29 climate talks on trading carbon credits could see billions of dollars move into emissions-reduction projects this decade but after a string of scandals, the market will first need to win over wary countries and communities. ...more
 
COP29: US-UAE climate-friendly farming partnership grows to $29 billion 20/11/2024
Funding for a climate-friendly farming effort led by the U.S. and United Arab Emirates has reached $29.2 billion, the countries announced on Monday at the COP29 climate summit in Baku. ...more
 
Flatulence tax: Denmark agrees deal for livestock emissions levy 20/11/2024
Denmark has agreed on how to implement the world’s first tax on agricultural emissions, including flatulence by livestock. ...more
 
Will Your Coastline Survive? NASA’s Global Insights on Sea Level Rise 20/11/2024
With oceans rising faster, NASA’s collaborative global sea level change website provides vital data for forecasting up to 2150 and guides international and governmental planning to mitigate climate change impacts. ...more
 
G20 talks in Rio reach breakthrough on climate finance, sources say 19/11/2024
Diplomatic tensions over global warming spilled over into the G20 summit negotiations in Brazil this week, with sources saying the 20 major economies reached a fragile consensus on climate finance that had eluded U.N. talks in Azerbaijan. ...more
 
Global offshore wind industry poised to miss big targets as obstacles mount 19/11/2024
After a year of canceled projects, broken turbines, and abandoned lease sales, the global offshore wind industry no longer has much chance to hit the lofty targets set by governments in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere, marking a setback for efforts to fight climate change. ...more
 
Methane from tropical wetlands is surging, threatening climate plans 19/11/2024
The world's warming tropical wetlands are releasing more methane than ever before, research shows — an alarming sign that the world's climate goals are slipping further out of reach. ...more
 
Climate crisis to blame for dozens of ‘impossible’ heatwaves, studies reveal 19/11/2024
At least 24 previously impossible heatwaves have struck communities across the planet, a new assessment has shown, providing stark evidence of how severely human-caused global heating is supercharging extreme weather. ...more
 
European oil giants step back from renewables path 19/11/2024
Almost five years ago, BP (BP.L) embarked on an ambitious attempt to transform itself from an oil company into a business focused on low-carbon power. ...more
 
UN climate chief asks G20 leaders for boost as COP29 finance talks lag 18/11/2024
The U.N.'s climate chief called on leaders of the world's biggest economies on Saturday to send a signal of support for global climate finance efforts when they meet in Rio de Janeiro next week, to help trigger a deal at COP29 talks. ...more
 
COP29 climate talks urged to find $1 trillion a year for poorer countries 18/11/2024
Countries at the COP29 summit tried to make progress on how to raise up to $1 trillion in climate finance for the world's most vulnerable, as political tensions overshadowed the talks and Argentina on Thursday pulled its delegation from Baku. ...more
 
After missing school due to extreme heat, African children push for climate action 18/11/2024
Children from East Africa, where heatwaves and floods have shuttered schools in recent months, are pushing for world leaders to protect their education - and their future - at the United Nations COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan. ...more
 
Countries, companies lag in response to tackle methane emissions, UN says 18/11/2024
Since a U.N. initiative began monitoring for methane leaks from oil and gas infrastructure last year, it has issued 1,200 alerts to governments and companies. ...more
 
New York to launch $9 Manhattan congestion charge in January 18/11/2024
New York plans to revive a $9 congestion mitigation charge for driving in Manhattan starting in January that the state indefinitely put on hold earlier this year, Governor Kathy Hochul said on Thursday. ...more
 
 
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