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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
 
Watch: 8 endangered migratory bird species in Dubai 14/5/2024
A Wildlife Tracking System that includes satellite tracking is being used to protect endangered migratory bird species that visit Dubai. ...more
 
EU countries approve law to slash trucks' CO2 emissions 14/5/2024
European Union countries gave their final approval on Monday to a law to cut carbon dioxide emissions from trucks, which will require most new heavy-duty vehicles sold in the EU from 2040 to be emissions-free. ...more
 
Banks have given almost $7tn to fossil fuel firms since Paris deal, report reveals 14/5/2024
The world’s big banks have handed nearly $7tn (£5.6tn) in funding to the fossil fuel industry since the Paris agreement to limit carbon emissions, according to research. ...more
 
Japan to craft 2040 strategy of decarbonisation and industrial policy 14/5/2024
The Japanese government will map out by the end of March next year a new national strategy encompassing decarbonisation and industrial policy targeting 2040, industry ministry officials said on Monday. ...more
 
TG Lynes brings electric truck to London streets 14/5/2024
Heating, plumbing and air movement materials supplier TG Lynes has become one of the first businesses to operate a 7.5 tonne electric truck on the streets of London. ...more
 
Abu Dhabi to set noise and air pollution limits for establishments and projects 13/5/2024
All projects and establishments in Abu Dhabi will have to obtain an environmental license and comply with limits for air pollution and noise, it was announced on Friday. ...more
 
‘The stakes could not be higher’: world is on edge of climate abyss, UN warns 13/5/2024
The world is on the verge of a climate abyss, the UN has warned, in response to a Guardian survey that found that hundreds of the world’s foremost climate experts expect global heating to soar past the international target of 1.5C. ...more
 
Record-breaking increase in CO2 levels in world’s atmosphere 13/5/2024
The largest ever recorded leap in the amount of carbon dioxide laden in the world’s atmosphere has just occurred, according to researchers who monitor the relentless accumulation of the primary gas that is heating the planet. ...more
 
‘A world first’: project recycles polyester into yarn for new clothes 13/5/2024
Football shirts, sports event banners and uniforms are piled up ready to be pumped into a machine which melts them down for recycling ready to be made into new clothes. ...more
 
A whale makes a comeback off Argentina's coast 100 years after vanishing 13/5/2024
Giant blue-grey sei whales that vanished from Argentina's Patagonian coast a century ago due to hunting are starting to flourish once again, demonstrating how species can recover when measures to protect them are put in place. ...more
 
Abu Dhabi releases story books to help children learn about food safety 10/5/2024
To raise children’s awareness of the importance of agriculture, food safety, and beekeeping, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has issued a series of story books and educational publications. ...more
 
Reuters Exclusive: Corporate climate watchdog document deems carbon offsets largely ineffective 10/5/2024
Staff at an influential corporate climate action group whose board announced a plan to allow companies to offset greenhouse gas emissions from their supply chain with carbon credits has now found such offsets are largely ineffective, a confidential preliminary draft reviewed by Reuters shows. ...more
 
Biodiversity loss is biggest driver of infectious disease outbreaks, says study 10/5/2024
Biodiversity loss is the biggest environmental driver of infectious disease outbreaks, making them more dangerous and widespread, a study has found. ...more
 
Climeworks opens world's largest plant to extract CO2 from air in Iceland 10/5/2024
Climeworks has opened the world’s largest operational direct air capture (DAC) plant to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, with its Mammoth plant in Iceland almost ten times larger than the current record holder. ...more
 
Australia backs long-term gas drilling despite 2050 climate goals 10/5/2024
Australia's Labor government on Thursday laid out a strategy to boost natural gas development even as it remains committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, highlighting demand from key Asian trade partners. ...more
 
World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target 9/5/2024
Hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists expect global temperatures to rise to at least 2.5C (4.5F) this century, blasting past internationally agreed targets and causing catastrophic consequences for humanity and the planet, an exclusive Guardian survey has revealed. ...more
 
Renewable energy passes 30% of world’s electricity supply 9/5/2024
Renewable energy accounted for more than 30% of the world’s electricity for the first time last year following a rapid rise in wind and solar power, according to new figures. ...more
 
World's record-breaking temperature streak extends through April 9/5/2024
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday. ...more
 
Climate change: World's oceans suffer from record-breaking year of heat 9/5/2024
Fuelled by climate change, the world's oceans have broken temperature records every single day over the past year, a BBC analysis finds. ...more
 
Swiss startup Yuon Control AG secures funding to boost needed innovation in heating sector 9/5/2024
Kiilto Ventures has invested in Burgdorf-based Cleantech startup Yuon to help accelerate market adoption of their predictive, self-learning heating control system designed to optimize heating networks. Compared to traditional heating control systems, Yuon can help reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 25%. ...more
 
Current CO2 removal plans will not meet Paris Agreement goals 8/5/2024
A recent study led by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) in collaboration with the University of East Anglia (UEA) has raised concern over the lack of current plans to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. ...more
 
UN expert attacks ‘exploitative’ world economy in fight to save planet 8/5/2024
The race to save the planet is being impeded by a global economy that is contingent on the exploitation of people and nature, according to the UN’s outgoing leading environment and human rights expert. ...more
 
Can the production of palm oil ever be environmentally sustainable? 8/5/2024
Palm oil is sometimes seen as a wonder commodity. It is a cheap cooking oil, an ingredient in any number of foods, a biofuel and it is found in numerous consumer products from cosmetics to detergents. ...more
 
Italy curbs installation of solar panels on agricultural land 8/5/2024
Italy's rightwing coalition on Monday passed rules curbing the installation of solar panels on agricultural land, ministers said, in a move that triggered criticism as it could undermine Rome's decarbonisation goals. ...more
 
These tricks make wind farms more bird-friendly 8/5/2024
Wind turbines can pose a deadly risk to migrating birds, but there are ways to dramatically reduce crashes. ...more
 
 
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Arab Environment 9: Sustainable Development in a Changing Arab Climate
‎مجلة البيئة والتنمية Environment & Development‎
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