Page 105 – Green Prophet

Creating a Sustainable Bedroom for Restful and Eco-Friendly Sleep and Green Dreams

Home

Julie Steinbeck

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May 8, 2023

woman sleeping on organic sheets — *Organic sheets are good for the planet and good for your vibes*

As the saying goes, “sleep is the best meditation” – Dalai Lama. Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our physical and mental well-being. It is a critical period of rest for the body and mind to repair and restore themselves. Without sufficient and quality sleep, our mood, cognitive functions, immune system, and overall health can be negatively impacted.

Unfortunately, many people struggle to get enough restful sleep due to various factors, including stress, poor sleep hygiene, and an unhealthy sleep environment. One way to address this issue is by making our bedrooms more sustainable and conducive to deep sleep. Keep reading to explore several ways to create a sustainable oasis in your bedroom where you can sleep deeply and wake up feeling refreshed.

Focus on Eco-Friendly Bedding

The first step in creating a sustainable bedroom is to focus on eco-friendly bedding. Sheets, blankets, and pillowcases made from natural materials such as organic cotton, bamboo, or linen are good choices. Eco friendly sheets and other bedding items are not only gentle on the skin, but they are also biodegradable and have a lower environmental impact than synthetic fabrics. Look for bedding that is certified organic and free from harmful chemicals and dyes. Seek out reputable brands that offer high-quality organic bedding that is both eco-friendly and luxurious.

Invest in a Comfortable Mattress

The mattress you sleep on is one of the most critical factors in getting a good night’s sleep. It’s important to choose a comfortable and supportive mattress that suits your sleeping style and preferences. Natural latex mattresses are a great eco-friendly option as they are made from sustainable materials and are biodegradable. If you’re not in the market for a new mattress, you can still make your current mattress more comfortable by adding a natural latex topper or organic cotton mattress pad.

Use Natural Lighting

Lighting can have a significant impact on our sleep patterns. Natural light is ideal for regulating our body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Try to maximize natural light in your bedroom by opening blinds or curtains during the day and using light-colored curtains that allow light to filter through. At night, avoid bright overhead lights and opt for soft, warm lighting such as lamps or candles. You can also invest in smart light bulbs that can be programmed to mimic natural light cycles.

Choose Natural Fragrances

Certain scents can help promote relaxation and improve sleep quality. However, many commercial air fresheners and candles can contain harmful chemicals that can negatively impact indoor air quality. Instead, opt for natural fragrances such as essential oils or beeswax candles. Essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, and bergamot have calming properties that can help reduce stress and anxiety, leading to a more restful sleep. Beeswax candles are also a great option as they are made from sustainable materials and release negative ions that can improve air quality.

When using essential oils, make sure to choose high-quality oils that are 100% pure and therapeutic grade. You can diffuse them in a diffuser, add a few drops to a spray bottle with water, or add them to a carrier oil for massage or bath. By incorporating natural fragrances into your bedroom, you can create a calming and relaxing environment that promotes deep and restful sleep.

Incorporate Plants

Plants not only add beauty and texture to your bedroom, but they can also improve air quality and promote relaxation. Studies have shown that certain plants such as lavender, jasmine, and snake plants can help reduce stress and anxiety, leading to a more restful sleep. Make sure to choose plants that are low-maintenance and thrive in low-light environments such as spider plants or peace lilies.

Reduce Clutter

A cluttered bedroom can lead to a cluttered mind, making it difficult to unwind and fall asleep. Take a minimalist approach to your bedroom by removing unnecessary items and keeping surfaces clean and tidy. Invest in storage solutions such as under-bed storage boxes, floating shelves, or hanging organizers to keep your space organized and clutter-free.

Creating a sustainable bedroom is not only good for the environment, but it can also have a positive impact on our health and well-being. Remember, sleep is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and by taking small steps towards creating a sustainable bedroom, you can improve your overall quality of life.

Unlocking Your Employees’ Potential: The Power of Coaching in the Workplace

Business

Bhok Thompson

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May 5, 2023

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ESG coach, holding green leaf — *ESG is coaching for the environment, offering executive coaching for purpose-led and sustainability conscious leaders.*

You continuously look for ways to improve performance, efficiency, and profitability as a business owner or manager. But have you considered investing in staff coaching? Professional coaching is a useful tool that could help your workers reach their goals and realize their full potential, both of which will be valuable to your business. In this post, we’ll answer the question, what is professional coaching? We’ll also examine some of its key benefits, and explain why business coaching may help you improve your bottom line.

Improved Performance and Productivity

One of the main advantages of coaching is that it may assist your staff members perform and produce more effectively. Employees who receive frequent coaching can pinpoint their areas for improvement and receive specialized advice on how to accomplish it. This may result in improved work output, more productivity, and higher-caliber output.

Additionally, coaching can support workers in maintaining their motivation and interest in their work. Employees are more likely to stay dedicated to their job and put in the effort necessary to achieve when they feel supported and encouraged by their supervisors and coaches. Higher job satisfaction, lower turnover rates, and ultimately better business performance can result from this.

Enhanced Communication Skills

The secret to success in the workplace is effective communication. Employees are better able to interact with others, settle disputes, and exchange ideas and comments when they have great communication skills. By giving them feedback on their communication style and instructing them in effective communication practices, coaching may aid employees in developing these abilities.

Employees may develop these skills through coaching, including how to actively listen, communicate effectively and confidently, and establish rapport. These abilities may help not just the individual worker but also the team as a whole and the company as a whole, resulting in enhanced relationships, greater communication, and increased production.

Increased Confidence and Motivation

Another benefit of coaching is the possibility of raising employee confidence and motivation. They are more likely to feel valued and appreciated, which may elevate their sense of purpose and self-worth, if workers often get supportive feedback and constructive criticism from their coaches. One can thus become more driven and receptive to taking on new responsibilities and challenges.

With coaching’s support, workers may create and achieve significant goals. When employees know exactly what they want to achieve and how to get there, they are more likely to stay motivated and engaged. By supporting staff members in understanding their strengths and weaknesses, coaches may offer guidance on how to achieve goals and get beyond potential hurdles.

Better Teamwork and Collaboration

In today’s frenetic and complex corporate environment, collaboration and effective cooperation are more important than ever. Coaching has the power to improve teamwork among employees by fostering better communication, building trust, and fostering a collaborative mentality.

Staff members may learn to communicate more effectively, provide and accept feedback from one another, and support one another’s achievement through coaching. Better decision-making, more efficient problem-solving, and a more positive work environment might all arise from this.

Improved Leadership and Management

Coaching may help managers and executives as well as workers at lower levels of the business. Managers who want to improve their communication, delegation, and conflict resolution abilities might benefit from coaching. Additionally, it can point out their leadership strengths and weaknesses and offer advice on how to strengthen them.

Additionally, coaching can assist the organization in creating a pipeline of future leaders. Organizations may cultivate a strong bench of future leaders who are prepared to drive corporate success by recognizing high-potential workers and offering them coaching and development opportunities.

Cost-Effective Solution

Being a cost-effective alternative for organizations is one of coaching’s main benefits. Although coaching does require a time and resource commitment, the advantages in terms of increased employee performance, productivity, and retention may outweigh the drawbacks. Coaching may be a more focused and cheap method of enhancing corporate results than other staff development tactics like training courses or recruiting new employees. I might also be a way to train all your employees quickly on new and changing ESG practices they can be excited about.

Additionally, coaching can enhance organizational decision-making and help avoid costly errors. Coaching may help decrease mistakes, boost efficiency, and ultimately save the company money by giving employees the direction they need to make wise decisions and operate more productively.

Conclusion

Coaching is an effective technique that has many potential business advantages. You may invest in employee coaching to boost performance and productivity, promote cooperation and collaboration, produce better leaders and managers, improve communication skills, and build confidence and motivation. Additionally, coaching can be a low-cost option for enhancing organizational decision-making and preventing costly errors

It’s crucial to pick a coaching program that is customized to the requirements of your company and your employees if you’re thinking about investing in coaching for your employees. Find a coach who has a proven track record of success and who is dedicated to providing ongoing support and direction.

In the end, coaching is an investment in your staff and in the prosperity of your company. You can develop a stronger, more successful company by giving your staff the resources and skills they require to thrive.

6 Ways to Remember to Take Your Meds

Health

Bhok Thompson

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May 5, 2023

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hipster birth control — *Environmentalists believe in birth control, because fewer babies is a sustainable choice.*

If you are someone who has to regularly take medication, you know the struggle of making it part of your routine. With the hustle and bustle of life, it can be hard to remember your meds sometimes. And chances are, you’ve probably accidentally skipped a dose here or there.

However, missing doses of medication can cause undesirable effects. Depending on how strong your medicine is, you can even experience withdrawal symptoms within hours. And if you’re on something that regulates bodily functions like birth control, you can mess up your cycle.

Even if you’re trying to stay on top of your meds, forgetfulness can unfortunately still happen. Luckily, there are different techniques you can use to be more likely to remember your medication. Keep reading for six tips to try out so you stay diligent with your prescriptions.

Sign up for a Subscription

With modern technology and resources, some parts of life are becoming easier. Just like streaming services, you can get your medicine delivered through a subscription. Medications such as antidepressants and birth control can be provided on a regular basis through certain providers.

Signing up for a subscription delivery service for your meds means you don’t have to make a trip to the pharmacy anymore. Going out of the way to get your prescriptions can make them easier to forget. But with a delivery service, you’ll never have to remember to swing by Walgreens after work. Remember, the easier it is to complete a task, the more likely you’ll remember to do it.

Subscriptions will help you catch other incentives that will further make your medicine more affordable and accessible. People who order their meds online like to view these drug coupon codes to maximize their savings and reduce the cost of prescriptions. This can make managing your health even more cost-effective while ensuring that you never miss a dose.

Set Alarms

One of the easiest ways to remind yourself to do something is to set an alarm on your phone. Through either a clock or calendar app, you’re able to send yourself a notification at an exact time. In fact, you probably already do this to wake up in the morning.

Well, who says you can’t use a phone alarm to remind yourself to take your meds? Simply set it for a time you have access to your prescription, like in the morning or before bed. And just like that, you have a reminder that will go off every day. You can even have the alarm sound to be a fun song to get you hyped up.

Switch the Lid with a Cap Timer

This might be a little piece of technology you’ve never heard of before, but they’re super useful. Pill cap timers have been around for a while, yet nobody really talks about how great they are. Plus, they’re pretty cheap and easy to find at drugstores.

The small contraption looks just like the lid of a prescription bottle. However, it has a built-in analog clock display with a timer feature. All you have to do is add the cap to your pill bottle and it will track the time since the bottle was last opened. Closing the cap starts the timer, and opening the cap will stop it.

By checking the time between, you’ll be able to know when you last took your pills. This is especially helpful if you can’t remember whether or not you took your meds and a double dose would be harmful.

Get a Cute Pill Box

Here’s another classic way to remind yourself to take your drugs while also staying organized. Pill boxes have multiple containers connected to each other for the purpose of storing medicine. Each of the little sections usually represents one day’s worth of pills, and the most common model has seven. Basically, the standard box is set up as a holder for a week’s daily medication.

Pill boxes also come in a variety of styles, from different colors to funky shapes. There are usually multiple sizes, too. Instead of a week’s worth of pills, you can choose to store two weeks or even a month of medicine.

Once you’ve got your container, all you need to do is fill it up accordingly and keep it somewhere you can see it. Don’t forget the saying “out of sight, out of mind.” The phrase may be overused, but it’s not wrong. Keep your pill box somewhere you won’t miss it, like on your nightstand or kitchen counter. If you’re on the go often, you might find one to keep in your purse.

Use a Fun Dispenser

Want a fun way to remember your medication and be motivated to take it? A cute pill dispenser might just do the trick. These come in a wide array of forms, from automatic dispensers to gumball-style machines.

Simply fill the dispenser with your medicine, and you’re ready to go. It’s an easy way to make taking your meds have more of an exciting flair. Plus, it serves another purpose as a decoration. You definitely won’t be able to overlook your medication anymore.

Keep Some in Your Car

Sometimes you might overlook alarms and reminders when you’re in a rush. If this happens to you, there’s a foolproof way to get around this. And it’s as easy as keeping some of your medicine in your car.

You don’t have to keep all of your prescriptions in the car. A small back-up, or ‘emergency,’ stash will be enough, as long as you keep it stocked. This way, even if you’re already on the road to work, you’ll still be able to take your medications.

While this is a great option for many, it’s important to note you should consider your medication and where you live first. Some prescriptions need to be kept within certain temperature ranges to remain effective. Look at what you’re taking and the upcoming weather before using your car as a permanent storage option.

Get Creative

Forgetting mundane tasks is just another part of being human. However, by making said task more fun or noticeable, you’re less likely to forget about it. So go set some alarms and put your pills in funny dispensers!

Seres and Nestle launch a poop pill for your gut biome

Health

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May 3, 2023

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Seres takes poop samples — *Seres Therapeutics Inc. plans to start selling its first FDA-approved product, a drug called Vowst made of bacterial spores derived from donated feces, this summer at $17,500 a course.*

In a world first, an American company Seres has just earned the coveted FDA approval to sell and market a pill that contains donated human fecal matter –– poop. We wrote about the Seres poop pill product in 2016 and it is now a reality.

The use of microbiome therapy, literally transferring healthy human gut microbes from one person to another, is very beneficial to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in human intestines. In theory you could swallow the poop of your friend’s or a family member, but that just seems gross, and unprofessional. How do you know if their gut biome is good for yours?

Seres, along with its commercial partner Nestle, is hoping to commercialize on the idea, helping people who suffer from gut problems such as Clostridium difficile.

People having a bacteria imbalance in their intestines can be afflicted with this severe intestinal ailment. Clostridium difficile (CDI) is a severe gut infection that can strike people using antibiotics, which wipes out their existing gut bacterial levels. It tends to re-occur. But healthy bacteria from someone else’s poop can give a person suffering from CDI a boost.

The process of transferring faecal bacteria from one person to another is known as a faecal microbiota transplant. Seres’s main competitor is an actual stool bank called OpenBiome.org that provides stool samples of “pure poop” to medical practitioners for microbiota transplants. So why not just get it for free? You have to hand it to scientists for figuring out how to tweak poop.

Seres has earned an FDA approval on VOWST, not indicated for the treatment of CDI but for preventing reoccurrence.

“We are deeply grateful to the patients, caregivers, clinical investigators, and employees who contributed to the discovery, development, and approval of VOWST,” said Eric Shaff, CEO at Seres.

Recurrent CDI represents significant unmet need and is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infection that can result in severe illness and death. Based on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the companies estimate 156,000 episodes in the US in 2023 alone.

Seres founder Noubar Afeyan, born in Lebanon, is now Canadian and American. He studied at McGill University in Toronto

“Recurrent C. difficile infection is a highly debilitating and life-threatening disease, and antibiotics alone do not address the underlying cause of rCDI, dysbiosis of the gut microbiome,” said Carl Crawford MD, at Weill Cornell Medical College involved in the study. “The approval of VOWST provides an important new oral treatment option for this disease, and I am pleased to now be able to offer this medicine to recurrent CDI patients.”

Nestle, based in Vevey, Switzerland invested $120 million USD in Seres in 2016.

Seres Therapeutics is a microbiome therapeutics company that was founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Seres Therapeutics is a microbiome therapeutics company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was founded in 2010 by Noubar Afeyan and David Berry.

Noubar Afeyan is an American-Canadian entrepreneur, inventor, and philanthropist. He is best known for co-founding the biotechnology company Moderna, through his venture capital firm, Flagship Pioneering, and for co-founding humanitarian projects such as Aurora Prize and The Future Armenian. Afeyan was born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Lebanon in 1962.

::Seres

Boat trip tips for an eco-friendly sailing experience

Lifestyle

Bhok Thompson

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May 3, 2023

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Boat trip tips for an eco-friendly sailing experience

boating into the sunset — *Sustainable boating can be approached from a number of angles.*

If you’re passionate about water sports in general and sailing in particular, you’re certainly eager for the new boating season to begin. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being on a boat and sailing smoothly across vast bodies of water that stretch before your eyes to the horizon, on a calm and peaceful day, when the wind is just perfect and the sun shines high in the sky.

But the joy and excitement of going on a water boating or sailing adventure shouldn’t come at the cost of the environment. As you may well know, our planet is on the brink of an environmental crisis, with global warming threatening to destroy many of the Earth’s natural habitats and pollution reaching alarming rates in all parts of the world. Now more than ever we have to pay attention to environmental protection and do our best to limit our carbon footprint in every way that we can. That also means reassessing our habits and hobbies and how they might affect the planet.

As fun and thrilling as sailing may be, you need to be aware that it can also have a negative impact on the environment. Does that mean you should give up on your passion in order to limit these harmful effects? Fortunately, you don’t need to take such drastic measures. But what you can and should do is strive to make your cruising trips a bit more sustainable. So, here are a few tips that can help you achieve this goal and enjoy greener boat trips from now on.

Choose an eco-friendly boat

If you want to transition to sustainable boating, the best thing you can do is purchase a boat that is kind to the environment. In this respect, sailboats and electric boats (like an efoil boat) are as eco-friendly as boats can get. Since they rely on wind, solar energy and electricity, their carbon footprint is considerably reduced, and that makes them a great choice for anyone who wants to bask in mother nature’s wonders without leaving a trail of pollution behind you. However, when wind power or electrical is not an option, purchasing a conventional boat with a low-emission outboard motor is the next best thing as it will help you reduce fuel consumption and pollution.

Sail responsibly

Your boating and sailing habits can make a world of a difference in caring for the environment. There are many small measures that you can take during your trip to minimize your carbon footprint. You don’t have to build a boat from plastic bottles to be an eco hero. For starters, you can use less fuel and limit noise pollution by cursing at an adequate speed and limiting the number of passengers on the boat. Dump dump your bilge into the water. If you want to fish, be sure to avoid overexploited species or practice catch and release.

plastiki, UNEP, David de Rothschild, interview, plastic, oceans, adventure, myoo, ecology — *Wild eco-preneurs like David de Rothschild set out to catalogue micro-plastics at sea on a yacht made from plastic bottles.*

Additionally, you should respect the natural habitat by keeping a safe distance from wildlife. Researching your destinations and buying local is another way to boost sustainability in your travels. And if you want to enjoy full peace of mind, you may want to use a carbon offsetting program to neutralize the gas emissions that you’ve involuntarily created.

Focus on maintenance

A very important aspect that plays a crucial role in limiting the environmental impact of boating, yachting and sailing and that many people, unfortunately, tend to ignore or postpone is maintenance. If you want to avoid accidents or mishaps that affect both the budget and the planet, you need to keep your boat in good condition. An engine that is properly maintained and doesn’t show any signs of malfunction is not only less likely to break down and lead to costly repairs, but it can also help you get better mileage while generating fewer emissions.

Prioritizing regular inspections allows you to keep unpleasant surprises at bay and extend your boat’s lifespan. Also, if you need to conduct repairs and replace certain parts, purchasing a used outboard engine instead of a brand-new one can help reduce waste and save money.

Minimize and dispose of waste correctly

No matter how thoughtful and cautious you are, generating waste while boating and sailing is unavoidable. There’s simply no way around it. But even if you can’t eliminate waste completely, you can at least minimize the amount you produce and dispose of it properly. Once again, it’s the little things that matter the most, such as:

checking for potential signs of damage before leaving
filling your tank with care so you don’t spill dangerous substances like oil or fuel into the water
limiting single-use items on board
learning about the recycling policies of all the destinations you plan to visit
washing and cleaning only in onshore facilities in order to avoid greywater leakage
disposing of the waste you have generated correctly, especially when it comes to black water and which should never be released into the environment.

Use eco-friendly products

This might not be the first thing that comes to mind when getting ready for a boating or sailing trip, but you should also pay attention to the products you use on board, whether it’s the shampoo, sunscreen, dish soap, or other self-care and cleaning supplies. More often than not, these products contain harmful substances such as phosphates that can disrupt the natural ecosystems if they end up in the water. These products can also melt the seats of your boat. Here is a safe DIY sunscreen recipe you can make at home.

The same principle applies to boat cleaning products. If you want to keep your boat sparkling clean, make sure you steer clear from harsh detergents and other harmful chemicals and use fresh water or go for eco-friendly alternatives instead when cleaning your boat.

Wrapping up

As you can see, sailing, boating and environmental protection is a very complex issue and there are many ways in which people unknowingly can harm the planet. Fortunately, there are also solutions to many of these issues. You may not be able to do everything perfectly, but as long as you’re taking steps in the right direction, your efforts will be worth it and in the end, you’ll be able to make a meaningful difference.

Brew an Unforgettable Cup of Coffee – Get the Perfect Taste Every Time!

Food

Bhok Thompson

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May 3, 2023

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coffee brewing pot — *Brewing a good cup of coffee takes skill, patience, and time. Make it organic and fair trade for sustainable karma.*

Brewing a perfect cup of coffee is an art that is sometimes overlooked and under-appreciated. However, with the right skills and knowledge, you can transform your daily cup of Joe into a tasteful and unforgettable experience within minutes. The only challenge most coffee lovers have during coffee brewing is finding a perfect balance between the many variables.

These variables range from the coffee bean type, grind size, steeping time frame, and brewing method to the water and coffee ratio. If it is your first time brewing your coffee, all these factors can be overwhelming; however, we have a few tricks and tips that will help you craft a flavorful and unforgettable cup of Joe that will keep your visitors wanting more.

To start, you’ll want to select the right beans for your taste. Coffee beans are grown from different soils and altitudes around the globe, giving them unique flavors, shapes, and sizes. The main ones are Robusta and Arabica, and each tastes differently. The Robusta coffee beans taste bitter but are friendly to your pocket, while Arabica is quite pricey but with a sweeter and more complex flavor.

You can also have a blend of both coffee beans if you are on a quest to experience the complexities of both coffee worlds. Apart from the type of coffee bean, you would also consider the kind of roast. There are four roast types, and each has a unique taste. The lightest roast has some of the least flavors, but you can taste some sweetness from a distance.

The next roast type is the medium roast. This one has an intense flavor than the lighter roast, but the sweetness level is similar. If you go for the dark roast, you will experience a smoky taste and a stronger flavor, while the darkest roast has a slightly bitter flavor and high intensity. Espresso is often brewed using the darkest roast. That’s why this roast is also known as an espresso roast. Therefore, your roast selection will highly determine the taste of your brew.

In addition, the quality and freshness of your coffee beans play a vital role in the outcome of your brew. Fresh beans tend to have a flavourful taste, while older beans have a sour and bitter taste. You should also pay attention to the packaging used and the information on the package. It is advisable to buy organic and single-origin types of coffee beans as opposed to multi-blended beans. This will make it easy to pinpoint which beans taste better.

Finjan coffee, Turkish coffee — *Middle East coffee from a finjan*

According to Convergentcoffee.com, grind size and brewing method are also another elephant in the room when it comes to brewing a tasty cup of coffee. There are four main grind size categories: Coarse, Medium, Fine, and Extra Fine. The coarseness of the ground coffee beans determines how quickly water can pass through the beans and extract the flavor and aroma. Coarser grinds will produce a more robust cup of coffee, while finer grinds will produce a richer and more flavourful cup.

The method of brewing also impacts the flavor of the coffee. Different brewing techniques require different sizes of grinds. For example, French press, pour-over, and espresso need different grind sizes to achieve the desired flavor. Espresso requires a very fine grind and a short brewing time, while the French press calls for a coarse grind and a longer brewing time. Pour-over brewing is also similar to the French press but requires a finer grind. Additionally, cold brew requires a coarse grind and an extended brewing time.

It is important to note that grind size is only one component of the brewing process. Temperature, water quality, and other factors all contribute to the overall flavor of the final cup of coffee. Furthermore, experimenting with different brewing methods and grind sizes is the best way to find the perfect cup of coffee.

In conclusion, crafting a perfect cup of coffee requires good skill, knowledge, and patience. For this reason, coffee lovers will only achieve the best results if they master all their coffee-making variables. Therefore, take your time today to research the different brewing techniques and perfect your coffee-making craft!

Dubai adds 269 all-electric Teslas to its fleet

Transportation

Karin Kloosterman

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May 2, 2023

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Tesla model X, in Dubai — *Tesla showroom in Dubai. Make it electric!*

Catch a cab in Dubai? And want to make it electric? Try hailing one through Arabia Taxi, the latest company to add all-electric Teslas to its offerings. Arabia Taxi has invested in 269 Tesla Model 3 to be used in the city of Dubai. From 2027 onwards, only electrified taxis will be permitted in the city. Arabia Taxi currently operates 6,000 vehicles throughout the United Arab Emirates, and 83 percent of them are hybrids.

Going electric doesn’t solve climate change if the power produced to charge the cars comes from natural gas or oil, but electric certainly stops emissions and asthma in cities where small particulate matter causes harm to human health.

The Tesla cabs are “a giant leap towards converting the company’s fleet to fully electric,” the cab company said in a press statement.

Arabia Taxi is a subsidiary of the Economic Group owned by the ruling family and run by Sheikh Majid bin Hamad Al Qasimi. He noted that the company was working on a strategic plan to convert the remaining vehicles into fully electric cars ones and possibly hydrogen (a pet project of rich Arab countries) as it goes ahead “expanding its cooperation with Tesla and several electric car manufacturers.”

Dubai is always the first of Arab cities to try out the latest in green technology. Back in 2008 they were the first to let these all electric cars on the road.

The Roads and Transport Authority’s Ahmed Bahrozyan said: “This step confirms the efforts of Arabia Taxi working to translate the directions of our wise leadership, to rationalize the use of energy in the UAE, and to create a safe, clean and sustainable environment that lives up to the level of reputation and prestige of the Emirate of Dubai, as well as promoting the Dubai government’s initiative to introduce green vehicles for a cleaner environment.”

Police going electric

Dubai police women with lambos — *Dubai policewomen drive Lambos*

The COP28 UN climate summit will take place in Dubai later this year. And the police are towing the green line: they h electric sports car to their luxury fleet: The Audi RS e-tron GT will be one of the cars driven by the Dubai police. The patrol car costs about $110,000 (USD) and has a top speed of 249kph.

Dubai Police’s fleet of supercars already includes Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Ferrari, Bentley, Porsche, McLaren.

Wastewater Recycling and Conservation Tips for Businesses

Water

Bhok Thompson

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May 2, 2023

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wetlands in Serbia — *Wetlands conservation in Serbia*

Water conservation is among the many ways of reducing water scarcity and combating climate change. Unfortunately, most water conservation efforts are directed at industries, often forgetting that small and established businesses also have a role to play in ensuring environmental sustainability.

Surprisingly, water conservation measures for businesses involve simple practices, such as reminding employees to use reusable water bottles, tracking water use, and inspecting water fixtures regularly. Businesses can also conserve a lot of water by actively embracing water recycling. Among the most innovative technologies for wastewater treatment and reuse, compact membrane bioreactors, also known as MBR systems, stand out for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Membrane Bioreactors are tremendous at reducing pollutants, contaminants, and overall wastewater volume, leading to cleaner effluent and more efficient water reuse.

Why Should Businesses Recycle Water?

Water recycling is beneficial to businesses and the environment in the following ways:

1. Cost saving

While the initial costs of setting up a water recycling system are high, recycling wastewater helps businesses save on costs and improve their bottom line in the long term. For starters, most businesses incur a lot of costs transporting wastewater to offsite facilities. Businesses also save on the costs of purchasing fresh water.

2. Protects the environment

Recycling water reduces the amount of contaminated water that ends up in water bodies. Releasing contaminated water to natural water bodies affects aquatic life and animals that depend on these water sources. Untreated wastewater pollutes streams, rivers, and oceans. Recycling water also means you won’t have to fetch water from natural resources, conserving the ecosystem.

3. Avoid non-compliance fines

Besides protecting the environment, embracing wastewater recycling helps businesses avoid non-compliance fines and fees imposed by local authorities on businesses that discharge wastewater. Environmental protection fines are hefty and can affect your cash flow.

Water Conservation Tips for Businesses

Businesses should proactively adopt the following tips to reduce water usage and recycle wastewater:

Prioritize water efficiency – Businesses that rely on water-intensive machines, like washing machines, should instruct employees to operate them only when full to reduce water wastage. Air conditioners and cooling units also use a lot of water and should be turned on only when necessary.
Educate employees on water conservation efforts – Businesses should ensure all employees are versed in water conservation measures. Your employees should practice water efficiency and learn the importance of turning off faucets and other conservation measures.
Install low-flow water fixtures – You can also regulate water usage by reducing water flow. Installing low-flow water fixtures in the bathroom and kitchens automatically regulates water usage.
Use recycled water – Using recycled water for your business processes is another effective way businesses can conserve water. You can recycle clean stormwater, wastewater, and even greywater, for other business operations, such as fire protection, water cooling towers, irrigation, cleaning surfaces, and more.

Endnote

If properly treated, recycled water can satisfy the water demands of most businesses. Businesses that rely on water for basic operations, such as mining sites, farms, car washes, transport companies, and fleet operators, should be at the forefront of adopting water conservation practices. While most people focus on the environmental benefits of water conservation, businesses also benefit immensely.

Lebanon’s power woes draws water with solar energy

Energy

Karin Kloosterman

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May 2, 2023

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Solar Panels Time Magazine — *Solar panels are changing lives in Lebanon. People are going “green” without even realizing it.*

Lebanon’s got power problems: government authorities are supplying minimal access to electricity, about one to three hours a day, and in rural locations less, while those who can afford solutions are buying generators and solar energy systems. But a lack of power doesn’t just apply to basic needs like milk or medicine stored in a fridge: it also impacts one’s access to clean water.

Areas of Lebanon blessed with a regular supply of water rely on pumps to pull out water from springs and aquifers and store them for use. With irregular and fewer hours of electricity, locals in some areas are getting cut off from water as a result. Or they see just one or two hours of municipal water every 15 days.

It’s also happening in areas like Arizona in the US where water wells are simply coming up dry from over-pumping.

Over in Afghanistan off-grid opiate farmers are watering poppies using solar energy pumps; Lebanese are also taking the matter into their own hands using solar power to pump water. Some villages are now investing in solar power.

opium solar panels Afghanistan — *Solar panels are a boon for the planet but they are now fuelling bumper crops of poppies for the opium trade. Via the NY Times.*

According to The National the mountain town of Baalchmay plans to install solar panels near its well so it can stop relying on state-provided electricity to pump water to residents.

The mayor of the town had a private generator installed using his own money and took donations from the local community but the scope was limited due to the cost of fuel for running the generator. Instead the town turned to solar energy and using 230 solar panels bought from funding from the Japanese Embassy in Lebanon, and with support from the Environment Academy — at the American University of Beirut.

Power collected from the solar panels will run the well and this is expected to keep the town’s water source flowing into people’s homes.

Democratically elected leaders in Lebanon are assassinated so it’s no doubt that no-one wants to take charge of the country in shambles economically and rife with corruption. The explosion of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate at a port warehouse caused widespread destruction and injured more than 5,000 people in Beirut in 2020.

Solar energy boon in Lebanon

Lebanon passed a civil war 48 years ago and the current climate and political situation is not looking good. People who don’t have access to power or water won’t be happy people. These are the same conditions that started the civil war in Syria in 2011. We wrote about the severe drought in Syria back in 2009 when environmentalists warned that conflict and water and climate change are linked.

An idea for change? Sponsoring more villages to adopt solar power. Time magazine (above photo) has a great story on individuals going for solar. A system might cost $10,000 USD but it saves them $3 to $4,000 USD a year on power. Power that they probably wouldn’t have been able to buy even if they wanted to.

That goal of using renewable energy in Lebanon has been helped by the fact that solar power is now cheapest way to generate electricity around the world. The cost has dropped by more than 90% over the past 10 years, thanks to rapid technology gains and a glut in solar-panel production.

Russia fires up Turkey’s first nuclear power plant while Germany shuts down its last

Energy

Karin Kloosterman

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May 1, 2023

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Russia fires up Turkey’s first nuclear power plant while Germany shuts down its last

Germany, one of the world’s leading producers of clean, renewable energy has officially shut down its last nuclear reactor last month. On the flip-side, Turkey, the world’s most liberal Muslim country, has fired up its first. What does this say about where the Middle East is heading?

On April 16 this year, commercial power generation by nuclear energy in Germany came to an end with the separation of the Isar 2, Neckarwestheim and Emsland nuclear power plants from the power grid. Germany is leading the way when it comes to renewable energy production: in 2022 renewable energy sources provided 254 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and accounted for 46.2 percent of Germany’s electricity demand. With wind power being the most important energy source in the German electricity mix.

Where does Germany compare to the world on renewables? Albania, Iceland, and Paraguay obtain essentially all of their electricity from renewable sources (Albania and Paraguay 100% from hydroelectricity, Iceland 72% hydro and 28% geothermal). Norway obtains nearly all of its electricity from renewable sources (97 percent from hydropower).

Germany knows that nuclear power is dangerous and unsustainable. I know this too because the fear of nuclear was raised into me as a Canadian; Canada is one of 30 countries that uses nuclear energy, with operating plants in Ontario and New Brunswick. Some 4% of Canada’s energy comes from nuclear.

Thousands of years can go by before spent nuclear rods will no longer be a radiation hazard to humans, plant and animal life. Nuclear explosions and leaks pose an enormous threat to human life and health on a daily basis.

And accidents do happen: Of course there is Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island in the US but in more recent history in 2011 we saw what happens when a developed country like Japan suffers an explosion –– see the Fukushima Disaster. We also saw how unprepared Turkey was when it dealt with its lack of oversight and management of construction after a massive earthquake a couple of months ago.

Critics have long described nuclear energy source as dangerous and unsustainable. After years of contentious debates, Germany has shut down its last three remaining nuclear power plants. Greenpeace has consistently been demanding that Germany shut down its nuclear reactors, and over the years documented leaks.

Greenpeace research

*Greenpeacers protest the Akkuyu nuclear power plant construction*

Greenpeace has repeatedly protested against the transport of nuclear waste from German nuclear power plants to the reprocessing plants in Sellafield (England) and La Hague (France) and was also able to prove that these plants are anything but harmless.

Greenpeace measurements from 1998, for instance, showed that soil samples from the vicinity of the Sellafield nuclear plant were comparable to radioactively contaminated samples taken from the 30-kilometer exclusion zone around the Chernobyl reactor.

By around the year 2000, in the North Sea off La Hague Greenpeace found radiation levels well above regulatory limits, revealing routine illegal discharges of radioactive waste water.

The latest major milestone of the anti-nuclear movement led by Greenpeace was the decision against the Gorleben repository: the dilapidated salt dome was found unsuitable for storing radioactive waste, which must be kept safe for hundreds of thousands of years.

*Akkuyu nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean Sea*

Advocates of nuclear power want to pass on their problems to future generations: there is not one safe repository for nuclear waste anywhere in the world. Germany will now no longer produce any more nuclear waste.

Activists have been protesting against the Turkish nuclear reactor for about 10 years, to no avail. Turkey has been snubbed by the EU and looks to align with Russia which has financed the nuclear power plant under its state-owned company Rosatom. The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is located in Turkey’s southern Mersin province.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Moscow’s economic ties with Ankara as he and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan took part virtually in a ceremony inaugurating Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.

“This is a flagship project,” Putin said via video. “It brings both mutual economic benefits and, of course, helps to strengthen the multi-faceted partnership between our two states.”

Buying into Russia’s cheap energy

Putin described Akkuyu as “the largest nuclear construction project in the world” and said that it would mean Turkey having to import less Russian natural gas in the future.

“But Turkey will enjoy the advantage of a country that has its own nuclear energy, and nuclear energy, as you know, is one of the cheapest,” Putin added.

Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was not damaged in any way by the major earthquake that struck central Turkey and northwest Syria earlier this year, said an official from the Russian company building the plant. The chance of an earthquake affecting it are one in every 10,000 years, according to estimates.

The Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors in the power plant, which cost $20 billion USD to build, are expected to be fully operational by 2026. The reactor will produce about 10% of Turkey’s energy needs. Despite European sanctions on Russia, Turkey moved ahead with its decision to go nuclear thus sending a clear message to the world where Turkey stands on unsustainable energy and its future ties with Europe.

Factors That Caused the Great Resignation and How Employers Can Stay Competitive

Good Job

Bhok Thompson

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April 29, 2023

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passion led us here — *Passion Led Us Here sign on sidewalk is a the new motto for young people looking for meaning at work. ESG and the planet is at the core of what matters.*

In recent years we have been reading about a phenomenon called the Great Resignation. While the Great Resignation may have started before the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it has become much more prominent since then. It is the name given to the trend of employees switching jobs, choosing to leave their workplaces, or those who are choosing to work for themselves. The labor market has been disrupted and changed by this phenomenon, and many companies are struggling to find workers or are having to change their hiring practices, change the way they offer benefits, or change the expectations they have for workers.

Employees are looking for healthier work environments as well as fulfilling, interesting work to do. They also want freedom from restrictive and controlling managers, schedules, and tasks. Workers are questioning their priorities and asking themselves if they want to spend their lives doing the jobs and careers that they are currently doing. There are many complex factors that have driven the Great Resignation, but most of them can be summed up into this list:

Burnout

Employees often mention burnout as one of the things contributing to their desire to switch jobs or begin working from home. Burnout often happens when workers are working too hard or have no support. It can also happen when they don’t enjoy their work, aren’t feeling appreciated, or there is a toxic work environment. Employees who are feeling burnt out may often switch workplaces or even change careers in an effort to alleviate the feeling.

Reevaluating Priorities

Many employees found that their priorities shifted during and after the pandemic. Some people say this happened during the lockdown when people found themselves at home and spending a lot of time with their families, their hobbies, or other similar priorities. People found that they didn’t want to go back to their regular hours and in some cases, no longer wanted to work out of the home at all. Priorities, especially the priorities of family and children, often shifted for people and drove the desire to work from home or have a flexible schedule.

For other people, reevaluating priorities impacted the companies that they chose to work for. People are less willing to be associated with companies whose moral values are opposed to their own, and in many cases, won’t continue working with businesses in these situations. Quitting has become a new way to boycott companies. For example, the 2023 Esker Survey: Sustainability in the Workplace explains how vital a company’s economic policy is to workers.

Focus on Work-Life Balance

In the wake of the pandemic, many individuals are prioritizing their personal lives and well-being over their careers. This has led to an increased focus on work-life balance, with more people seeking careers that allow for flexible scheduling, remote work, and other benefits that allow them to prioritize their personal lives. A new focus on work-life balance has also come about because of the increasing focus on mental health both in the workplace and at home. During the pandemic, we saw very high rates of mental health concerns, and this may have influenced workers’ desire to have a better work-life balance.

Pursuing Passions

With the pandemic forcing many people to re-evaluate their priorities, more individuals are pursuing careers that align with their passions and interests. This has led to an increase in entrepreneurship, as well as a shift towards careers in the creative industries, such as art, music, and writing. Many of these interests led to new businesses and opportunities for these people, and in some cases, completely new careers.

Emphasis on Purpose

In addition to pursuing their passions, many individuals are seeking careers that provide a sense of purpose and meaning. This has led to an increase in careers related to social impact and sustainability, as well as a greater emphasis on companies with clear missions and values. Many workers found that a sense of purpose and causes outside of work can increase their quality of life and help them to feel more interested and fulfilled in life.

Desire for Autonomy

The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of autonomy in the workplace. Many individuals are seeking careers that allow for greater independence and control over their work, rather than being micromanaged by their employers. For many people, this looks like flexible hours or remote work. For others, it can mean leaving the workplace altogether. These people are seeking to retire early, become freelance workers, or start their own businesses.

Importance of Company Culture

With so many individuals working remotely, the importance of company culture has become more vital than ever. Many individuals are seeking careers with companies that have a strong culture of support and collaboration, as well as a focus on employee well-being and mental health. Company culture and environment, as well as the company’s mission and focus on humanitarian causes, environmental causes, and other charitable causes can help workers feel connected and appreciated and give them a sense of purpose.

Conclusion

Overall, the Great Resignation has caused a significant shift in the way people are choosing their careers. It was a complex phenomenon caused by several factors, many (but not all) of which were driven by the pandemic and by an increasing desire for a better work environment. In order to stay competitive in the labor market, employers must adapt to these changes and offer flexible work arrangements, meaningful work, and opportunities for professional development to retain their employees.

What Are Green Leases? A Landlord’s Guide

Home

Bhok Thompson

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April 28, 2023

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glass house design, hipster — *Your house is your private heaven. Upgrade it ecologically and insure it from theft and damage.*

There are many different ways to be an ethical landlord in this day and age. For starters, ethical landlords are often conscientious enough to maintain landlord insurance or attend to tenant maintenance concerns in a timely manner. Ethical landlords can also be counted on to stay compliant with fair housing laws, ensuring that their properties are always leased out fairly and that their existing tenants can live comfortably and securely. And then there’s green leases, a novel and exciting way to practice ethical landlordship today.

But what exactly are ‘green leases’? We’ll be answering just that question today, by exploring the concept in more detail, as well as outlining just how landlords can transform all of their rental properties into sustainable green leases for their tenants to enjoy.

A working definition of the ‘green lease’

At its simplest definition, a ‘green lease’ is a tenanted property that has been designed to reduce that property’s overall environmental impact. Green leases typically include eco-friendly features like solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, heating, or plumbing systems, and perhaps even a garden space with composting facilities for tenants to ethically dispose of their household food waste.

There’s no legal definition of a green lease as of yet, nor are there special parameters for green lease agreements. Because of this, there is really nothing stopping every landlord from making some eco-oriented alterations to their rental properties. You don’t need to go the whole hog here either. Even just incorporating one or two eco-friendly features can make your rental feel like a haven for sustainability-oriented tenants.

The benefits of offering green leases

The question that many landlords may have on their minds right now is whether or not there are any financial benefits to offering green leases. After all, these properties are basically just regular leases anyway, and must adhere to the same rental requirements of regular leases. So what are the actual benefits of investing in the greenification of your property portfolio?

The primary benefit is that green leases are attractive to tenants, particularly tenants who are looking to lay down their roots, so to speak. With more focus on sustainable (and perhaps even self-sustaining) living than ever before, more long-time renters are looking for properties where they can feel free to cultivate the land that they occupy. And evidence of this growing demand for green spaces can be seen virtually everywhere, from inner city apartment dwellers to property booms in rural areas following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Green leases that are fitted out with solar panels and energy-efficient fixtures will also help tenants keep their utility costs down. This opportunity to save big is yet another reason why green leases can expect longer tenancies than your run-of-the-mill rental properties. That, and these premium property features may provide you with fair reasoning to increase rental rates whilst still advertising exceptional savings potential for prospective tenants.

One final benefit to keep in mind for any who are looking to take on the helm of ethical landlordship, is that maintaining green leases naturally requires more communication and collaboration between tenants and their landlords. As you and your tenants are likely to be on the same page when it comes to maintaining the property, landlords that offer green leases may find their relationships with their tenants to be slightly improved when compared to those offering standard leases. And positive landlord-tenant relationships are truthfully beneficial for both parties.

How to transform your rental property into a green lease

Now that we’ve showcased all the benefits and advantages of offering green leases, your next question may be how exactly you can transform your existing rental properties into sustainable green leases. If you’ve been paying attention thus far, you’ll know that turning any rental property into a green lease is actually a fairly simple process. All you need to do is figure out exactly which green features you’d like to incorporate into each property in your portfolio.

For many landlords, adding garden facilities like a compost bin or a small tool shed can be easy and low-cost inclusions to make. You may even decide to install a small rainwater tank to make garden maintenance even more sustainable.

As for inside the home, swapping outdated light bulbs for energy-efficient LEDs can also be a low-cost change that improves the overall sustainability of all your rental properties. Similarly, swapping out kitchen appliances for more energy and water-efficient alternatives is also a good foot forward, as is swapping out any outdated kitchen taps and showerheads.

If swapping out appliances isn’t a feasible option, then installing solar panels on the roof of your property can help ensure that a portion of that property’s energy usage is always going to be carbon neutral. You may be able to secure solar panels on a payment plan that allows homeowners to sell excess energy back to their local electricity grid for a profit. Be sure to look into these details to determine whether or not investing in solar is the right move for you.

Tenant responsibilities for maintaining green leases

So with all of these sustainable investments made, landlords may be wondering exactly where tenants fit into the picture, especially when it comes to maintaining the new features and facilities provided in your green lease. The good news is that existing tenant responsibilities actually do work to ensure that your property’s green amenities stay in good shape.

Long-time landlords would know all too well that tenants are contractually obligated to leave the property in the same or similar condition it had been in at the beginning of their lease agreement, with changes due to general wear and tear aside. Because of this, tenants are obligated to ensure that your green features and facilities are also kept in good condition, as they would’ve been in good condition on the day they moved in.

Landlords may also find that in most instances where green leases are offered, many tenants will actually want to do their part, as they themselves can greatly benefit from cultivating the property’s garden spaces and keeping water consumption and energy usage as low as possible. In other words, the work that goes into maintaining your green lease is going to be both highly rewarding and also fairly minimal, in the grand scheme of things. All you really have to do is let your tenants enjoy the green haven you’ve created, and collect the rent cheques as they come in every month.

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All things considered, offering green leases can provide landlords and tenants alike with plenty of benefits, ranging from the opportunity to rent your properties out at a higher rate, to enjoy longer than average tenancies, and to cultivate positive landlord-tenant relationships.

For more information about green leases, read over this guide provided by the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Keep in mind that definitions provided in this guide may differ from those in your own region, so be sure to conduct your own research on green leases where possible.

Camping in Wadi Rum, Jordan

Travel

Brian Nitz

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April 27, 2023

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camp wadi rum, jordan — Wadi Rum (Arabic: وادي رم Wādī Ramm, also Wādī al-Ramm), known also as the Valley of the Moon (Arabic: وادي القمر Wādī al-Qamar), is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan, near the border to Saudi Arabia and about 60 km (37 mi) to the east of the city of Aqaba.

The four-wheel drive vehicle rattled over the desert stones between Wadi Rum village and the Mohammed Mutlak Camp. A vast silence washed over us the moment the driver turned off the engine. A dust storm had passed through earlier in the afternoon but now there was no sound of wind, bird or beast between us and the rust-colored mountains on the horizon.

Anyone who has visited a seashore, forest or meadow thick with birds and insects will know that nature isn’t always quiet. In his poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree the poet W.B. Yeats wrote of a bee-loud glade, cricket sings, low sounds by the shore where “And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow…”

But the peace of the Wadi Rum desert dropped quickly like a cotton cloud over ears that were still ringing from the cacophony of ordinary life. The previous night we had accidentally booked a hotel across the street from a UN peacekeeping rock concert in Aqaba. The loud peace concert kept us awake far too late so the silence of the Wadi Rum was welcome.

Our children each found a personal hollow in a wind-worn rock formation to sit and listen to the silence and remember their names. (A wiser person than me once said, “In the desert you can remember your name.’Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain.”)

The Covid-19 lockdown silence wasn’t as sudden or complete. We no longer heard the sound of the motorway three kilometers away but we could hear a dog barking somewhere between our home and the vacant airport. Birdsong suddenly seemed so loud that our 13-year-old complained of it in the morning. We could hear the tide rush in and out of the gates of the railway, though trains were now a rarity. When did I last see a sky so unmarred by a contrail? When did I last experience an April with so many consecutive clear days and so little rain? Ah yes, the Wadi Rum desert!

As the lockdowns ended and ordinary life returned I had nearly forgotten about the desert and its silence. But again I was reminded of it while watching Dune(2021.)

Parts of this movie was filmed at this same rock formation near the Mohammed Mutlak Camp. The actor Jason Mamoa played Duncan Idaho in the movie. In this short video Jason explains how the beautify and silence of this desert touched him.

Thankfully we didn’t see any giant sandworms during our visit. We didn’t encounter scorpions, insects or snakes either. Though we wondered what might be lurking just beneath the surface.

Something lives in the sand in Wadi Rum

Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert served as the real life location of T.E. Lawrence in the film “Lawrence of Arabia(1962).” It was a stand-in for the planet Mars in The Martian.

In their own way each of these films celebrate the beauty of this amazing place. But all fall short of capturing the full experience of the silent desert. No hum of machinery, no highways, flowing rivers, dogs barking, power lawnmowers, leaf blowers. Some of the camp’s electricity came from green and silent photovoltaic(PV) solar panels so we didn’t hear any diesel generators or loud transformers. Jordan’s Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is urging the implementation of a Wadi Rum development master plan to improve infrastructure for tourism. Hopefully this can be done without leaving behind the eco in ecotourism.

My family practised some yoga on a rock as the sun set. A short time later Mohammed Mutlak’s campfire chefs prepared a beautiful meal and tea for us. They sang, played guitar and drum. We laid back on a blanket and watched the stars.

Yoga at Wad Rum — *The desert is perfect for yoga and meditation*

I became interested in astronomy during the days of the Apollo moon missions but light pollution gradually encroached on the night sky I once knew. Most people now live their lives without ever having seen it and explaining it becomes like explaining a seashore or sunset to someone who spent their lives inland or indoors. Sometimes I wonder if this loss is some part of what is wrong with the world. The wonder of the desert sky inspired so many poems, stories, songs and works of art. When we lose touch with what the ancients knew, maybe we forget our place in the universe.

Wadi Rum camp and stars — *The stars come out in Wadi Rum at night*

Some dust was still in the air from the afternoon storm so the sky wasn’t as clear as it might have been and yet I’ve seldom seen so many stars.

Wadi Rum stars at night — *Wadi Rum, night sky*

We were only there for one night but the organizers of the camp made us feel welcome, safe and comfortable. The next time we visit we can explore other parts of the desert and maybe try more adventurous things.

If you need a break from the loud and fast-paced world, you might find your peace of mind in the Wadi.

Why does this European mouse glow?

Animals

Karin Kloosterman

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April 27, 2023

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doormice glow — *The garden dormouse, a small European rodent species, has joined a growing list of animals known to display photoluminescence – but the reason for the phenomenon is a mystery.*

Every year scientists discover more photoluminescence in nature. You are probably familiar with glowing plankton at sea, but photoluminescence also appears in mammals and why they glow under the right light is often a mystery to science.

If you’ve bought your kid a UV light to find crystals or scorpions out in the wild, now add doormice, the duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhyncus anatinus), squirrels springhare’s to your list.

A new study on the European garden dormouse, animals who probably spend their lives trying not to be seen, found they can glow. Researchers looked at the feet and nose of the hibernating dormouse: these cute bodyparts displayed greenish-blue photoluminescence under UV light through a yellow filter, while the fur was bright red.

glowing doormice — *Dormice have been found to glow*

The live animal version of garden dormice showed vivid red colouring compared to deceased museum specimens. No animals were hurt in the study.

Why mammal species glow is not known, but various explanations have been offered: for the duck-billed platypus it could be part of interspecies interactions, while in springhares, the unusual patchy appearance of their photoluminescence suggests it could be used as camouflage. As for the dormice, no one knows for sure.

It is possible that the photoluminescence found in rodents is a by-product of something they eat. It’s also not clear if the dormice can perceive these colours themselves — humans certainly can’t without the help of an artificial source of UV light.

“There is a whole world we cannot see,” says Grette Nummert, who initiated the study at the Tallin Zoo in Estonia: “Animals perceive the world differently from us.”

Cannabis gives worms the munchies

Health

Karin Kloosterman

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April 27, 2023

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roundworms get munchies, cannabis — *Roundworms get the munchies when high on cannabis*

The famous lab worm — Caenorhabditis elegans — gets the ‘munchies’ when it’s exposed to cannabis, scientists report. After soaking in a bath with endocannabinoids, the worms were placed in a simple maze and when given a choice munched on nutrient-rich, rather than nutrient-poor, bacteria. They fed for a longer amount of time than the “sober worms” or worms without activated endocannabinoid receptors.

Does this prove that using cannabis, or medical cannabis gives you the munchies?

“The fact that worms share this ‘hedonic feeding’ response with mammals, including rats and humans, points to the deep evolutionary origin of cannabinoid receptors and behaviours influenced by the molecules,” authors from the study report.

Medical cannabis is legal in more than half of all US states and it is 100% legal across Canada. Thailand tourism has been given a boost with cannabis farms and shops opening up to travellers for as little as $3 for a joint at a pub.

Cannabis users are often perceived as lazy and irresponsible but medical cannabis is often used to self medicate for disorders like anxiety and PTSD. Scientists I’ve interviewed in Israel studying neuro-receptors in cannabis say one should never judge those who use cannabis frequently.

“The more we know at a basic level about drug physiology, the more healthy our society will ultimately be,” says Shawn Lockery, a neuroscientist at the University of Oregon in Eugene who led the research.

Hot topics

Finance

Marketing

Politics

Strategy

Hot topics

Finance

Marketing

Politics

Strategy

Focus on Eco-Friendly Bedding

Invest in a Comfortable Mattress

Use Natural Lighting

Choose Natural Fragrances

Incorporate Plants

Reduce Clutter

Choose an eco-friendly boat

Sail responsibly

Focus on maintenance

Minimize and dispose of waste correctly

Use eco-friendly products

Wrapping up

Police going electric

Why Should Businesses Recycle Water?

1. Cost saving

2. Protects the environment

3. Avoid non-compliance fines

Water Conservation Tips for Businesses

Endnote

Solar energy boon in Lebanon

Burnout

Reevaluating Priorities

Focus on Work-Life Balance

Pursuing Passions

Emphasis on Purpose

Desire for Autonomy

Importance of Company Culture

Conclusion

A working definition of the ‘green lease’

The benefits of offering green leases

How to transform your rental property into a green lease

Tenant responsibilities for maintaining green leases

Something lives in the sand in Wadi Rum

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