Dubai’s Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) launches the first “green station” in the UAE. The station features solar-powered lights, a waterless car wash system, eco-friendly products, and the vapor recovery system, a new technology that reduces carbon emission and fuel wastage.
With an extra 15% added to electricity and water bills, Dubai’s residents are bound to cut back their consumption. And that is a good thing! Unlike many other Gulf countries, Dubai is not blessed (or cursed, according to some) with fountains of fossil fuels. As such, the Emirate must import the power that provides customers […]
Enoc collects fuel vapors and incorporates other green elements into Dubai residential filling station. Last September, Dubai ran short on gas, while other Gulf countries re-evaluated their long term energy plan as a result of looming peak oil. Now The National reports that Dubai has installed a “green” petrol station that not only captures and […]
The thirst for water in an arid region means embracing waste water recycling Altogether the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman are projected to need to spend US$60 billion on expanding waste water collection and treatment capacity over the next six […]
Samples taken from arugula in 64 different stores literally contained million of E. coli bacteria. Although fledgling, Dubai’s organic farming is growing, and Yael Mejia with Dubai’s Baker and Spice is doing her part to help that along. Though critics question the wisdom of using desalinated water for farming, the water-strapped Emirates don’t really have […]
Ever wondered about the science of solar or wind energy, but feel overwhelmed by too much information? READ cuts through the noise with a guide that is both informative and inspiring. Who says the Middle East doesn’t have progressive leanings? There may be the odd dud who thinks mocking global warming with a water park […]
Dubai firm to build wind energy storage for Californian consumption? Mexico President Felipe Calderon announced last week at the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun, that he intends to support a project by Dubai’s RUBENIUS to provide 1 gigawatt of energy storage in Baja California, that would be used to store wind power to be […]
Huge oil subsidies in the Middle Eastern oil-producing nations mean that residents pay very little for oil. One big problem in getting everyone to reduce use of harmful fossil fuels is that gas is too cheap some places. The worst offenders pay the least for gas, and it has long encouraged grotesque over-consumption. Most of […]
Can you guess where this winterland is located? In Dubai! In the middle of the desert. In a recent post, Pablo from Treehugger (a site we deeply admire) concluded that Ski Dubai’s indoor ski slope is not that bad. He based this conclusion on a beautifully calculated analysis of the facility’s energy consumption compared to […]
These clumps of plastic debris killed the camels from whose bellies they were retrieved. I’m not going to beat around the bush: I loathe plastic bags. There are many reasons, chief of which is the impact they have on our domestic and wildlife. Months ago we reported that camels were discovered to have been killed […]
As the Muslim world marks the Islamic new year, Arwa reflects on the past 12 months of environmental action (and inaction) in the Middle East Believe it or not, this busy week saw the start of the Islamic new year of 1432 A.H. Unlike the typical new year celebrations with parties, fireworks and new year […]
These are the savvy ladies behind Dubai-based Goumbook, an online directory of all-things eco. This morning I was doing my usual rounds on the internet, read a few inspirational poems, caught up on the day’s big news: wikileaks, Cancun, and Goumbook – apparently the first online directory of all things eco in the Middle East. […]
Hope floats. Want to help save water and feed nine billion people? Go vegetarian. For vegetarians who have researched all the possible angles to justify their meatless habit – it’s healthier, we might say, or Islam sanctions it, it is no secret that raising meat taxes the environment. In addition to methane gases released, particularly by […]
Is marketing Egypt as the next hot spot for high-tech architecture the right way to deflect Dubai’s failure? From an ecological perspective, Dubai is heading towards failure. From an economic perspective, some argue that it already has. How will this improbable city pick up the pieces? Todd Reisz, an architect based in New York City, […]
Winjnand Van Till captured what would become National Geographic’s 2010 top Landscape photo in The Netherlands edition. An amateur photographer has captured the most telling image of Dubai to date, winning a National Geographic photo competition for his effort. We’ve seen this Emirate from the underground metro, holiday shots depict its scraper-spattered skyline, and many […]