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

314 - May 2024
Editorial
Forum
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
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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
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Meet the
 Editor-in-Chief Najib Saab 		 
 
Selected articles News
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
 
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
 
Saudi environment minister launches agriculture insurance scheme 22/7/2024
A new cooperative insurance initiative to prevent losses from plant pests and animal diseases was launched by Saudi Environment Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, the Saudi Press agency reported. ...more
 
Azerbaijan launches climate fund, seeks fossil-fuel producer support 22/7/2024
Azerbaijan, host of the U.N. COP29 climate summit, announced Friday it will launch a new climate fund that will aim to mobilize $1 billion to support developing countries' new national climate targets. ...more
 
US to phase out single-use plastic from federal operations 22/7/2024
The Biden administration on Friday announced it plans to phase out the use of single-use plastics from all federal operations by 2035, as part of its broader strategy to tackle plastic pollution. ...more
 
How Germany aims to get to net zero without breaking the bank 22/7/2024
Germany faces a tough time finding ways to pay for its efforts to become climate-neutral by 2045 given the country's current tight budget constraints. ...more
 
Could robot weedkillers replace the need for pesticides? 22/7/2024
On a sweltering summer day in central Kansas, farm fields shimmer in the heat as Clint Brauer watches a team of bright yellow robots churn up and down the rows, tirelessly slicing away any weeds that stand in their way while avoiding the growing crops. ...more
 
Some G20 financial regulators overlooking risks linked to nature loss, watchdog says 19/7/2024
Financial regulators and supervisors in some G20 countries are overlooking the risks posed by biodiversity loss and deforestation because of insufficient data, focusing instead on climate risks, a report by the G20's financial watchdog found. ...more
 
EU's von der Leyen vows not to weaken green policies in bid for new term 19/7/2024
Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Thursday to not weaken Europe's efforts to tackle climate change, if she wins a second five-year term as President of the European Commission, the EU's most powerful body. ...more
 
UK first European country to approve lab-grown meat, starting with pet food 19/7/2024
Lab-grown pet food is to hit UK shelves as Britain becomes the first country in Europe to approve cultivated meat. ...more
 
Make electricity cheaper to boost heat pumps - climate advisers 19/7/2024
Taxes on electricity should be shifted to gas so that people feel more benefit from using green technologies like heat pumps in their homes, the government's climate advisers say. ...more
 
New findings could lead to safer, more stable metal batteries 19/7/2024
Metal batteries have the potential to deliver more energy, at a lower weight, than the popular lithium-ion battery. The problem, however, is that the technology currently has too short a lifespan due to the highly reactive nature of the lithium metal within these batteries. New research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows where the problems lie and how to overcome them by creating the metal electrode directly in the battery cell. ...more
 
UAE birders record another first in Al Marmoom Desert 18/7/2024
UAE birders have recorded the first breeding of the Eastern Cattle Egret in the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Area in Dubai. ...more
 
EU's green hydrogen goals not realistic, auditors say 18/7/2024
The European Union's goals to produce and import green hydrogen fuel are unrealistic and unlikely to be met despite billions of euros in funding, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said on Wednesday. ...more
 
World Bank eyes first 'drought' bond in next 12-18 months 18/7/2024
The World Bank is looking to issue its first drought bond in the next 12-18-months and broaden its offering of catastrophe bonds supporting countries suffering devastation from storms and earthquakes, a senior executive at the lender said. ...more
 
DR Congo conflict fuels forest loss 18/7/2024
Under the denuded slopes of Mount Nyiragongo volcano in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, traders in Kibati town bartered over sacks of charcoal, a product of deforestation that an ongoing conflict has pushed to unprecedented levels, the United Nations says. ...more
 
Londoners should be charged for paving gardens, says climate resilience report 18/7/2024
Londoners who concrete over their gardens should be charged for doing so and given incentives to remove paving, a report to the mayor has recommended. ...more
 
Saudi Arabia Aims to Develop New Plant to Localize Wind Energy 17/7/2024
The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and China’s second-largest wind turbine manufacturer are close to a deal to develop a new plant in the Kingdom to help boost renewable power production by building a wind turbine manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia as part of the country’s efforts to localize supply chains. ...more
 
Buses, trains and bicycle paths: Labour’s mission to decarbonise UK transport 17/7/2024
Bolster bus services, build cycle paths, impose frequent flyer levies and reopen old railway lines to decarbonise the UK transport system, environment experts are urging, as the Labour party begins to lay out its plans. ...more
 
Trillion-dollar group urges government action to stop nature loss 17/7/2024
More than 100 companies, including Unilever (ULVR.L), L'Occitane (0973.HK) and Iberdrola (IBE.MC), have called on governments to enact tougher policies to reach a U.N. goal on halting nature loss by the end of the decade. ...more
 
Climate crisis is making days longer, study finds 17/7/2024
The climate crisis is causing the length of each day to get longer, analysis shows, as the mass melting of polar ice reshapes the planet. ...more
 
Secret 'sky island' rainforest saved by new discoveries 17/7/2024
Perched on a remote mountain top and surrounded by lowlands, Mabu is what's known as a "sky island" and is the largest rainforest in southern Africa. BBC environment correspondent Jonah Fisher went to Mabu with a team of scientists who have discovered dozens of new species there, helping to convince Mozambique to protect it. ...more
 
Clearing Gaza of almost 40m tonnes of war rubble will take years, says UN 16/7/2024
A fleet of more than one hundred lorries would take 15 years to clear Gaza of almost 40m tonnes of rubble in an operation costing between $500m (£394m) and $600m, a UN assessment has found. ...more
 
South Africa's Ramaphosa urges green energy to avoid carbon border tax 16/7/2024
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa warned other developing nations on Monday that future carbon taxes proposed by rich countries would damage their economies unless they act swiftly to ditch fossil fuels in favour of green energy. ...more
 
Nations gather to negotiate deep sea mining code as opposition mounts 16/7/2024
The United Nations' International Seabed Authority (ISA) will meet on Monday to consider new rules allowing firms to extract minerals from the ocean floor, despite mounting concerns about the economic and environmental risks. ...more
 
Modern hurricanes are rewriting the rules of extreme storms 16/7/2024
The behaviour of the world's most powerful storms is evolving. To adapt to more destructive hurricanes, we need to know how they're changing. ...more
 
Lost area of Welsh rainforest to be returned to ancient glory 16/7/2024
A lost piece of Celtic rainforest in the far south-west of Wales is to be restored to its ancient glory, weaving around standing stones and an abandoned, tumbling-down farmhouse with a waterwheel. ...more
 
 
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Arab Environment 9: Sustainable Development in a Changing Arab Climate
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