Green buildings not only contribute towards a sustainable construction and environment but also bring lots of benefits and advantages to building owners and users. Lower development costs, lower operating costs, increased comforts, healthier indoor environment quality, and enhanced durability and less maintenance costs are hallmarks of a typical green building. A wide range of green […]
Tag: Sustainability
How Design is Making the World More Sustainable
It is fair to say a growing number of companies are becoming aware of the need to understand and implement sustainability. But once you get to that point, how do you implement it? How do you turn dreams into tangible, measurable reality? On my recent trip to New Zealand it became clear that finding ways […]
Trends for Home Sustainability
Many people think that creating sustainable homes is just the latest in a long line of home improvement trends. It isn’t. Almost a third of home builders are making 60 percent of their projects green and more than half think they will be increasing the amount of sustainable builds they do in the next three […]
5 Ways to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Business
Reducing your carbon footprint is not something that is only beneficial for the environment, but is also something that is incredibly useful when improving the overall efficiency of a business. Companies all over the world are looking to become more sustainable and more environmentally friendly with all that they do, especially when trying to make […]
Bulls and Bears in the Greens
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become the latest buzzword of late, only because people have started realizing that the ‘profit only’ motive of the corporate giants has a terrible impact on social issues like human rights and environmental sustainability. Infact, many corporations push governments to ease environmental regulations to save millions through shortcuts in environmental […]
Everything You Need to Know About Building an Eco-Friendly Home in Australia
In response to international initiatives to combat pollution and climate change, increasing amounts of people are seeking to reduce their carbon foot print by building eco-friendly, environmentally sustainable homes. But building a new home can be a daunting task for even the most experienced homeowner, and building one that is truly environmentally friendly can be […]
Environmental Footprint of the Sochi Olympics
The upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi is notorious for various controversies and scandals involving corruption and environmental violations. Gay rights activists discourage people from attending the event, whereas environmental activists highlight the fact that the country is destroying the nature of the region to build the ambitious Olympic projects. Local residents have suffered through rounds […]
Germany – A Renewable Energy Powerhouse
Germany has become known as a leader in the transition to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy. On 30th April 2017, the country reached a new peak. It achieved a new renewable energy record by getting 85 percent of its energy from renewable sources including solar, wind, hydro and biomass. The […]
Global Warming and the Common Man
Everybody is worried about climate change. It’s just that a fair proportion is convinced it is a natural phenomenon, nothing to do with human activities. When a significant number of individuals see global warming this way a lot of energy can go out of the window in arguing over who is right – energy that […]
Hotels: Future-proofing the Bottom Line Through Biomass Boilers
In today’s ever-competitive tourism market, ironing out the bottom line is just as important as attracting new business. Hotels are always under pressure to keep their expenditure down without compromising on quality, and little tweaks here and there can make a big difference overall. But what many clever accommodation managers are realising is that there’s […]
Green Business and the Middle East
With growing awareness among consumers for eco-friendly products, it is becoming highly important for businesses in the Middle East to adopt and implement green strategies. It is not only the requirement of customers but also compliance to regulations and reduction in operating costs that drive the implementation of environment-friendly methods in business. Corporate social responsibility (or […]
Renewable Energy and Sustainability: Global Perspectives
Renewable energy resources come to us courtesy of natural reserves that can be recharged on a human timescale. They include energy obtained from the sun, wind, biomass, geothermal warmth, rain, tides, and waves. They are healthier and sustainable as compared to non-renewable resources, such as energy produced from coal, oil, gas, and nuclear sources. Sustainability […]
A Glance at Drilling Wastes Management
Drilling waste management technologies and practices can be grouped into three major categories: minimization, recycle/reuse, and disposal. During the exploration and production of oil, huge amounts of drilling wastes are produced in the form of mud and cuttings. As per conservative estimates, around 0.37 kg of drilling wastes is generated for every barrel of oil […]
Making Sense of Sustainability
Sustainability is a buzzword that people associate to in many ways. For some it is a state of self-actualisation, a fashion statement for few, some do it for regulatory purposes; whereas very few understand that it is key to survival. The capitalist world has been running a race to doomsday, and the day is not […]
5 Easy Ways YOU Can Save the Planet (Yes, Really!)
The fact that climate change is an ever growing, man-made risk is shockingly still a divisive debate among the general public, with most people unable to grasp the severity of the situation and how they’re contributing to it. They don’t realize that 2016 was the hottest year recorded since 1880, that sea levels are rising […]
Here’s How Nike Embraced Sustainability Through Innovation
It is not easy for an international brand, like Nike, to cater to its customers. It must come up with innovations, which will not only boost its production and quality but will also assist it to play a pivotal part in environmental sustainability. Several organizations have failed to achieve this feat, while others have improved […]
A Rubbish Clearance Robot Roams the Chicago River – Is It Coming Soon To Your River?
Remember when the Roomba made its debut in September of 2002? This was the small disc-shaped robotic vacuum cleaner that constantly roams around your house, intelligently learning the layout, and removing the trash on your floors without you having to lift a finger! A lot of people scoffed and thought it a silly concept but […]
Business Ideas For Eco-Friendly Entrepreneurs
The environment will always be of great importance to us, hence why many entrepreneurs are now looking for green business ideas that are both beneficial to their careers yet also the planet. Many people are now taking advantage of “green” businesses in order to attract more customers and make a statement to the industry. To […]
Synergies between Women and Environment
Women and the environment are closely interlinked, throughout history, different nations glorified women as powerful symbols of nature, and nature has always been given the female characteristics: care, reproduction and life-giving. However, women’s involvement in the preservation of the environment has seldom been recognized and documented in world history. One of the most significant phenomena in […]
6 Surprisingly “Green” Facts About Porta Potties
In an age when 74 percent of U.S. adults believe the country should do whatever it takes to protect the environment, it’s time to shed light on the misconceptions and eradicate the stigma of what is actually one of the world’s largest sources of sustainability: porta potties. These two words may conjure thoughts of stifling […]
Saving the Planet, One Innovation at a Time
If you want to trust everything you see on the news, read in the papers or online then you will either believe that the world is dying and there is nothing we can do about it, or that there is nothing wrong with our planet and it will live forever. Regardless of your stance, recycling […]
Sustainable Utilization of Biomass
Bioenergy systems offer significant possibilities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to their immense potential to replace fossil fuels in energy production. Biomass reduces emissions and enhances carbon sequestration since short-rotation crops or forests established on abandoned agricultural land accumulate carbon in the soil. Bioenergy usually provides an irreversible mitigation effect by reducing carbon dioxide […]
Making Your Children Environmentally Smart
We all have the capacity to learn new ideas and different ways of thinking but there is little doubt that we are most receptive to change when we are still children. Teaching your children how to be environmentally smart involves an element of education and leading by example, and the end result if we all […]
Introduction to Environmental Product Labelling
Environmental product labelling is a way to promote consumer behaviour and sustainable development, as identified by Agenda 21 of Rio Earth Summit in 1992. This has not only led to internalization of environmental impacts and the issues associated with products and their manufacturing processes but also influenced consumption behaviour of the people. As a result, rapid […]
Talking Green: An Interview with Vandana Shiva
I met Vandana Shiva in the airport. When the automatic sliding doors at the arrivals gate revealed her luggage cart and her orange sari, I half expected a beam of light to illuminate her, such is the legend that surrounds her. Of course none did because Vandana Shiva is just a human being and not a saint. […]
Environmental Conservation in Islamic Teachings
Islam has a rich tradition of highlighting the importance of environmental conservation. According to basic Islamic teachings, the basic elements of nature – land, water, fire, forest, and light – belong to all living things, not just human beings. Islam integrates the concept of environmental conservation into the philosophy of life for every believer. By doing […]
