Yalla Parkour, directed by Areeb Zuaiter, captures this culture from within. The film follows Zuaiter’s long relationship with Ahmed Matar, a parkour athlete in Gaza, as she reflects on loss, memory, and belonging after the death of her mother. What begins as a personal search gradually opens into a portrait of how movement shapes young lives under constraint.
Al-Rumaydh describes the Sidr less as a single organism and more as a working ecological unit. Its deep roots reach down toward groundwater, while lateral roots spread wide to catch surface moisture. Its dense canopy slows wind instead of blocking it abruptly, reducing erosion.
The supply chain includes chemical and materials heavyweights such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Neste Corporation, Toray Industries, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan, ENEOS, Hanwha Impact, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, and SK Geo Centric, among others.
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Yalla Parkour, directed by Areeb Zuaiter, captures this culture from within. The film follows Zuaiter’s long relationship with Ahmed Matar, a parkour athlete in Gaza, as she reflects on loss, memory, and belonging after the death of her mother. What begins as a personal search gradually opens into a portrait of how movement shapes young lives under constraint.
Al-Rumaydh describes the Sidr less as a single organism and more as a working ecological unit. Its deep roots reach down toward groundwater, while lateral roots spread wide to catch surface moisture. Its dense canopy slows wind instead of blocking it abruptly, reducing erosion.
The supply chain includes chemical and materials heavyweights such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Neste Corporation, Toray Industries, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan, ENEOS, Hanwha Impact, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, and SK Geo Centric, among others.
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Yalla Parkour, directed by Areeb Zuaiter, captures this culture from within. The film follows Zuaiter’s long relationship with Ahmed Matar, a parkour athlete in Gaza, as she reflects on loss, memory, and belonging after the death of her mother. What begins as a personal search gradually opens into a portrait of how movement shapes young lives under constraint.
Al-Rumaydh describes the Sidr less as a single organism and more as a working ecological unit. Its deep roots reach down toward groundwater, while lateral roots spread wide to catch surface moisture. Its dense canopy slows wind instead of blocking it abruptly, reducing erosion.
The supply chain includes chemical and materials heavyweights such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Neste Corporation, Toray Industries, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan, ENEOS, Hanwha Impact, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, and SK Geo Centric, among others.
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Yalla Parkour, directed by Areeb Zuaiter, captures this culture from within. The film follows Zuaiter’s long relationship with Ahmed Matar, a parkour athlete in Gaza, as she reflects on loss, memory, and belonging after the death of her mother. What begins as a personal search gradually opens into a portrait of how movement shapes young lives under constraint.
Al-Rumaydh describes the Sidr less as a single organism and more as a working ecological unit. Its deep roots reach down toward groundwater, while lateral roots spread wide to catch surface moisture. Its dense canopy slows wind instead of blocking it abruptly, reducing erosion.
The supply chain includes chemical and materials heavyweights such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Neste Corporation, Toray Industries, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan, ENEOS, Hanwha Impact, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, and SK Geo Centric, among others.
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Yalla Parkour, directed by Areeb Zuaiter, captures this culture from within. The film follows Zuaiter’s long relationship with Ahmed Matar, a parkour athlete in Gaza, as she reflects on loss, memory, and belonging after the death of her mother. What begins as a personal search gradually opens into a portrait of how movement shapes young lives under constraint.
Al-Rumaydh describes the Sidr less as a single organism and more as a working ecological unit. Its deep roots reach down toward groundwater, while lateral roots spread wide to catch surface moisture. Its dense canopy slows wind instead of blocking it abruptly, reducing erosion.
The supply chain includes chemical and materials heavyweights such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Neste Corporation, Toray Industries, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan, ENEOS, Hanwha Impact, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, and SK Geo Centric, among others.
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Yalla Parkour, directed by Areeb Zuaiter, captures this culture from within. The film follows Zuaiter’s long relationship with Ahmed Matar, a parkour athlete in Gaza, as she reflects on loss, memory, and belonging after the death of her mother. What begins as a personal search gradually opens into a portrait of how movement shapes young lives under constraint.
Al-Rumaydh describes the Sidr less as a single organism and more as a working ecological unit. Its deep roots reach down toward groundwater, while lateral roots spread wide to catch surface moisture. Its dense canopy slows wind instead of blocking it abruptly, reducing erosion.
The supply chain includes chemical and materials heavyweights such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Neste Corporation, Toray Industries, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan, ENEOS, Hanwha Impact, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, and SK Geo Centric, among others.
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Yalla Parkour, directed by Areeb Zuaiter, captures this culture from within. The film follows Zuaiter’s long relationship with Ahmed Matar, a parkour athlete in Gaza, as she reflects on loss, memory, and belonging after the death of her mother. What begins as a personal search gradually opens into a portrait of how movement shapes young lives under constraint.
Al-Rumaydh describes the Sidr less as a single organism and more as a working ecological unit. Its deep roots reach down toward groundwater, while lateral roots spread wide to catch surface moisture. Its dense canopy slows wind instead of blocking it abruptly, reducing erosion.
The supply chain includes chemical and materials heavyweights such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Neste Corporation, Toray Industries, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan, ENEOS, Hanwha Impact, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, and SK Geo Centric, among others.
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Yalla Parkour, directed by Areeb Zuaiter, captures this culture from within. The film follows Zuaiter’s long relationship with Ahmed Matar, a parkour athlete in Gaza, as she reflects on loss, memory, and belonging after the death of her mother. What begins as a personal search gradually opens into a portrait of how movement shapes young lives under constraint.
Al-Rumaydh describes the Sidr less as a single organism and more as a working ecological unit. Its deep roots reach down toward groundwater, while lateral roots spread wide to catch surface moisture. Its dense canopy slows wind instead of blocking it abruptly, reducing erosion.
The supply chain includes chemical and materials heavyweights such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Neste Corporation, Toray Industries, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan, ENEOS, Hanwha Impact, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, and SK Geo Centric, among others.
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Environmental artist and sustainable designer Pablo Solomon lives in Texas, but he has roots in the Middle East. We need a spiritual transformation to change our planet’s greed, he says in response to Saudi Arabians not responsible for dry Arizona water wells. Below are Solomon’s ideas on safeguarding America’s and our planet’s water:
Water rights, ownership, stewardship, etc. are among the most complex issues we face. Like almost all other laws we have, if people were honest, moral, fair and not so damned greedy no water laws would be necessary.
Sam Rayburn Water Reservoir, Texas
However, greed and exploitation seem to be part of the dark strand of human DNA? I contend that the big sin that Adam and Eve committed was as much greed as disobedience. God gave them everything they needed and only wanted them to refrain from one fruit—but no– they just could not resist.
I live on an historic ranch in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. We are in a region of Karst Topography which means limestone with a lot of springs and caves. However, we do not have the bountiful layers of underground water that you find along the coastal regions of Texas unless you drill very deep wells.
Our ranch has a wonderful spring. We drink the water and it is both tasty and healthful. It comes out of the ground at about 68 F year around–which in the 100 F Texas summers is a delight. We use only what we need and thank God for every drop. We collect rainwater and reuse our greywater. We have natural grasses that are drought resistant. We do not over-graze. When properly managed– cattle, goats and sheep can live in harmony on the natural grass and plants.
People by the hordes are leaving the deplorable conditions of the Texas big cities and those of other states created by mismanagement, over taxing, crime, pollution, etc. This in addition to the thousands a day crossing the border with Mexico.
This puts a strain on everything from water to education to health services to first responders, etc. Our area is trying to adjust and deal with this rapidly changing situation. It is hard to grasp just how fast this is happening. Big ranches are being bought up and divided into subdivisions. The very wealthy are putting in resorts and wineries.
Off The Grid in Terlingua Texas
So water is the big issue. Not only from new wells, but also from properties along rivers that have water rights going back 300 years to Spanish land grants that were reserved when Texas became an independent Republic in 1836 and when it joined the Union in 1845.
So some Texas counties are requiring wells to be registered and monitored and—of course—taxed. This is a dilemma for those of us who hate government interference, believe in personal freedom and personal responsibility– but recognize that the greed of some is putting the total water supply in danger.
So I continue my battle to promote natural agriculture: growing crops where they should be grown –– not where enormous amounts of water must be provided from underground sources. Texas cities are expanding over some of the best farmland on the planet. Houston, which sits on the world’s best soil and has an abundance of rain now stretches 100 miles from one end to another and still expanding. This is pure ignorance.
The Native Americans lived by the springs on our ranch for at least 8,000 years and those down the road for at least 13,000 years. They did so by taking only what they needed and living in harmony with the land. Now people are watering their yards in deserts, pumping millions of gallons a day to process aluminum, polluting the rivers. While new technology will find some bandaids for the water crisis, it will take a spiritual revival to change greed and stupidity.
“Are you going in?” “The tide is good and the waves aren’t too big but…I never swim alone.” Whether it’s memorized as a mantra or sung as a gospel spiritual, the first rule of sea swimming is, “Never Alone!” “We are here.”
There went my last excuse. There are plenty of real and imaginary reasons to avoid sea-swimming, from jellyfish to sharks to yuck! But we hadn’t had recent heavy rains or sewer overflows, jellyfish come with warmer water and overfishing has forced sharks to look elsewhere for food.
I hadn’t met these swimmers before but Eastern-Europeans come here more often in midwinter. One Eastern Orthodox tradition is to cut a cross-shaped hole in the ice for a baptism on January 19th. According to the Orthodox calendar this is when John the Baptist baptised Jesus in the river Jordan. I regularly meet sea-swimmers from Ireland, Australia, Scotland and Ethiopia. Some barely wade in past their ankles, others swim several kilometers in training to cross the English Channel or from Scotland to Northern Ireland. Some are triathletes, others swim because they can’t walk or run. One confident swimmer sets her cane, folding chair and thermos mug a few feet above the water’s edge. She plans her swim so that a rising tide makes it easy for her to exit the water and warm up with a cup of tea. Sea-swimming was part of the new normal that came with Covid-19. It was safer than going to the gym or disco during a pandemic. We had a beautiful natural setting, healthy social distance, fresh air and fitness. It was the perfect activity except for one thing. It was cold.
Traces of diamond dust snow sparkled in the streetlights as we walked down to the rocky shore. I jog to this little beach so I seldom bring dryrobes, wetsuits or other bulky gear. But even us minimalist swimmers appreciate a towel, warm beverage and a swim safety buoy. A small flashlight inside the buoy’s waterproof cargo chamber turns it into a floating orange lantern like the Japanese Toro Nagashi which guide the souls of the dead. “You have a light? We don’t go out far in the dark.” “Neither do I but the light is nice don’t you think?” “Beautiful.” The stars were bright with temperatures below freezing which meant the water would be warmer than the air. Even so, the first moments can be painful. Sharp, someone had once called it. As if shards of ice were forming on the dark water of this sea whose Latin name Mare Hibernicum translates roughly to “Sea of Winter.” Temperatures in the Irish Sea range from 5°C to 15°C and Global warming is likely to make this part of the world colder.
We didn’t stay out long. Some cold water swimmers use the rule-of-thumb of 1 minute immersion per degree celsius. A 3mm wetsuit just about doubles this time. Not so much cheating as increasing the “comfortable” time between overcoming the cold-water shock and the onset of hypothermia for long enough to relax or swim for a few minutes. It’s like diving to depths where the bottom time is short. It isn’t impossible as long as we stay within our limits.
We shared a warm cup of tea afterwards. The conditions are different every evening so we learn the patterns of the tides. Here when the moon is new or full, swimming is best at midnight and noon. A few days later a half moon means the tides are lower and better for swimming near sunrise and sunset. If you try this, find someone who knows local conditions and patterns of wind and tide. “Have you heard of Vim Hof?” The man in a coffee van asked. “Wim who?” No I hadn’t heard of him. I was introduced to this thorough charity swims and practicing for a kayak capsizing class during Covid-19. I didn’t swim in the cold sea for any particular health benefits but because it was cold and it was there. It was even within our 5k Covid-19 lockdown range.
The coffee van man went on to tell me that he throws bags of ice into a bathtub in his garden. I was reminiscing about a geothermal tidepool in the Black Sea and wished our little swimming hole was heated. Maybe I’m a fair-weather cold-water swimmer.
Lord Byron is usually given credit for the popularity of sea-swimming for his swim across Turkey’s Dardanelles Strait from Europe to Asia. He was inspired by the legend of Leander who drowned while trying to swim to a guiding light held by his lover Hero on the far shore. Lord Byron was by no means the first. Plato believed that swimming was as important as reading and that cold water was better for health. There is some truth to that, cholera, red tide and jellyfish are among the hazards associated with warmer water. But there may be other health benefits Wim Hof and others are only beginning to understand.
Vim “The Iceman” Hof shares his knowledge and experience in breathing techniques, cold therapy and commitment. It’s hard to argue with someone from the Netherlands who held the Guinness World Record for swimming beneath ice, full-body contact with ice and a barefoot half marathon on snow and ice. He promotes health benefits of cold which contradict everything our grandparents told us about cold such as “You’ll catch your death!” The true story behind the 2017 film “12th Man” is a reminder that, as Vim Hof puts it, “You are stronger than you think you are.” This becomes clear after the first time you push through the wall of cold and come out the other side. It’s always a good idea to ask your doctor about any new physical activity but when I asked mine he said, “Sea swimming? I never see those people!”
There are many theories about these benefits, increased immunity and “brown (good) fat”, improvement in mood, and reduction of anxiety. All of this is difficult to measure in a double-blind study because it’s so obvious that cold water is cold. Water conducts heat away much faster than air. Most people experience cold water shock which causes their breathing and heart rate to spike. Over time, this becomes less of a shock- or at least a more familiar shock. The cold-water anti-anxiety theory says that the cold-water shock response makes our heart and breath rate rise, we gasp on the edge of panic just as we would with anxiety or a panic attack. By overcoming this reflex, we learn to overcome its other causes. The improved mood may have come from the exercise, being outdoors among a group of people who share this unusual pastime.
A group of swimmers in Gaza meet through the winter in the Mediterranean. Cold is relative. Mid-winter sea temperatures in that part of the Mediterranean rarely fall as low as the highest summer temperatures recorded here in the Irish Sea.
This time the high tide came near noon. There was a crust of ice on brackish tide pools but the Irish Sea was relatively warm. My swim watch showed 8°C but the skin of my wrist is usually a degree or two above water temperature. Once when I told an old-timer that it was 10°C he responded with disgust and disbelief. He used to come down here for a dip in the sea every day but a medical condition limited him to warmer months. 10°C seemed like sauna temperatures to him. “Swimmin Wimmin” later posted that the group training to swim from Dover to Calais reported the temperature at 7°C and as I write this, another cold snap brought sea temperatures back down to 5°C or lower. I waded past the stones thrown up by the most recent northeastern storm and splashed in, trying to balance the shock of throwing myself into deep water against the slow torture of introducing inch by inch of myself to the sea as I waded into water that grew deeper much too gradually. This is where even one meter waves can help. Trying to sneak into the sea? Surprise! Now you’re up to your neck.
Here I go
The shoreline bluff cast long shadows in the December light. I swam out into the sunlight and around the buoy which marked a safe passage between the rocks to our narrow spit of sand. I swam back to shore and paused for a moment before going ashore to dry off. It was only when I was putting my hat and shoes back on that I remembered Wim Hof’s advice. Breathe in deeply but do not force my exhaled breath. Surely by Wim Hof’s standards I was doing it wrong, but that’s ok. I sipped some hot lemon ginger tea and jogged home to warm my feet and hands. I appreciated the hot coffee and warm shower more than ever before.
Rainy, muddy winter brings out the best of January produce in the Middle East.
Our hot summers seem far away right now, but Middle Eastern winters are all too short. With ever-present water problems, we treasure every drop of rain and rejoice in the sight of succulent greenery springing up everywhere.
Wild edibles are at their best now. Leafy greens like Jerusalem sage, found in Arab markets, give you green energy to get through the brief cold season. Explore the shuk with Green Prophet and see what winter brings to the Middle Eastern kitchen.
Root vegetables like white and sweet potatoes, carrots, parsley root, turnips, radishes, and celeriac are full and fat. Purple carrots may be found in Arab markets. Try our Moroccan carrot salad with these purple carrots. Fennel bulbs are full and sweet now as well.
When root vegetables are excellent, a simple cooking idea is to chop them into coarse chunks, turn them over in olive oil and your favorite spices with salt and pepper, and roast in a medium oven till done. Spices like paprika and cumin lightly accent the earthy flavor of the vegetables without detracting from their sweetness. Turnips should be peeled before cooking, as their peel is bitter.
Leafy greens are beautiful and inexpensive now too; Swiss chard and lettuce for example. Notable in Arab markets is Marmia, or Jerusalem Sage, pictured below. The Middle Eastern Jerusalem Sage is not a cooking herb nor the decorative garden plant also known by that name, but Salvia hierosolymitana, an edible broad leaf suitable for stuffing. We have a Jerusalem sage recipe here.
Artichokes continue to flourish and come down slightly in price. Look for the tiny wild artichokes, Akub, in the coming few weeks – in hilly regions and Arab markets everywhere.
Vegetables. Although peppers and tomatoes are best and cheapest in hot weather, there are plenty of both in the markets now. For a foretaste of summer, make some Muhamarra pepper spread. Onions are looking a little sad, but there are plenty. Just choose each one carefully and don’t oversupply yourself, as they’re ready to sprout the minute you get them into your warm kitchen. Local garlic is sprouting freely; here in the Middle East we’re resigned to discarding some of the garlic we stored away to dry last spring.
Fleshy orange pumpkins, zucchini, and local squashes are good now, as are big purple eggplants. These big eggplants are excellent stuffed with bulgur, as in our recipe. The standard winter vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and cabbages are dependably in good shape and with average prices.
Fruit. Strawberries have appeared, but their flavor is weak and they’re expensive. Not worth buying yet unless you can’t resist an early taste of springtime. Citrus fruit continues strong: lemons (and now’s the time to make our salty preserved lemons), oranges, loquats, clementines. Persimmons are in the markets, as are some passiflora.
Avocados are wonderful right now, although they’re a fruit that’s most often treated as a vegetable. Apples, being an autumn fruit that stores well, continue abundant and sweet. Avoid the imported varieties currently in the markets: they are juicy but flavorless. Who needs imported when local is so much greener (and sweeter), anyway?
Hamutal Dotan goes strawberry picking and then cans her jam. Learn how.
Herbs enjoy cool weather too. Fresh za’atar, oregano, and mint are good for using fresh and for drying. Watercress, sage, thyme, sorrel, parsley, coriander leaf, rocket, arugula, and basil are prime for flavoring foods and sauces. Mint is lovely now too, great fresh in tea and for drying.
Fresh za’atar
Foragers’s Notes: Seek edible and medicinal herbs now; their best time of year has already started. Nettles are in full flush. Pick them carefully and hang upside down in small bunches to dry. Any soup or stew is improved with nettles, and a tea of 1 tsp. dried, crumbled herb per cup water, covered and left to cool for 4 hours, brings hemoglobin up (drink 1/2 cup 3x daily).
Nettles make a great rinse for the hair and are replenishing in tea. Pick them before they flower like this.
Young milk thistle leaves also need care in picking as their prickly edges cut. But they’re a nutritious, valuable and free vegetable. Scissor off their edges before cooking. Mallows and chickweed are soft-leaved, abundant, and easy to eat. Cape sorrel, with its sour flowers and leaves, is still a favorite with small children (and grandmothers). Wild mustard can be seen everywhere now.
The tender young leaves and flowers are very good, if you like a sharp mustard flavor, especially with fish. Herbs with no great culinary but good medicinal value are out now too: cleavers, fumaria, shepherd’s purse, marigolds.
Edible or Toxic? Look for edible mushrooms after a rainy day, but always – always – be guided by a trustworthy and experienced mushroom hunter.
People sicken and die of mushroom poisoning every year. Mandrakes are beginning to push their rosettes up, but I advise admiring, rather than eating, their purple fruit when it does ripen in spring. It is toxic to a degree.
Hunt for mushrooms with an expert. Only eat if you can ID them in a book and if your mushroom expert is certain they are safe. Raven Littleone is a mushroom expert we trust.
Recipes using these delicious winter vegetables on Green Prophet:
Moving houses is stressful and exciting because you’re happy that you are moving into a new place but overwhelmed with what the process implies. It’s quite a busy time, and its impact on the environment is most likely the last thing on your mind. But in the present times of increasing environmental awareness, you shouldn’t skip from view the impact your move has on the planet.
Even in the present, where people are more mindful of their plastic and energy consumption, you’d be surprised to realise how harmful a house relocation can be for the environment. The average house move creates around 16.8 kg of CO2 emissions, so it’s essential to be more aware of what you’re doing and make informed choices to lower your impact on the environment. Being more mindful has the benefit of enabling you to save money, which is a win-win situation.
The more belongings you have, the more you have to move, and it’s best to limit the trips between your old and new houses. The more trips you make, the more CO2 emissions your vehicle releases in the air and the more packing materials you use.
By decluttering the old house before packing, you save money and help the environment. A smaller and lighter removals vehicle uses less petrol and produces less air pollution. Some removal companies charge according to the number of trips or boxes they have to move, so it’s wiser to declutter and take only the essential belongings with you.
Work room-by-room to ensure you consider each item. It also feels draining and unproductive to do bits of decluttering around the house instead of handling the task one room at a time. Get everything you don’t need from one room and then move on to the next. Remove all the clothing that doesn’t fit, toys your children don’t use, and decorations you no longer like. Have a look in the garage: what do you actually need in your new house?
Be careful with your packing materials
The first things you purchase when planning a move are packing materials like cardboard boxes, bin liners, bubble wrap, and tape. Unfortunately, the most common packing materials are also the most harmful to the environment because they usually end up in the landfill.
We don’t say that you shouldn’t use packing supplies, but that you should carefully handle them because you can use cardboard boxes up to four times if you take care of them properly. Therefore, before heading to the local supply store, ask your neighbours, friends, and co-workers if they have any cardboard boxes they no longer need.
You can also be creative when moving items, so instead of using cardboard boxes, you can use travel suitcases. Ask your friends to borrow some of them for the house move to save money and limit the amount of garbage you produce. Laundry bags are also great for transporting clothing because you can usually fit a lot of items in them.
Donate
Remember all the things you decided you wanted to get rid of before leaving the old house? Instead of throwing them in the trash, donate them to local charities or those in need in your community. After you clean each room, organise the things in three piles, donate, recycle, and keep. Give away all the stuff you no longer need because the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is so true. You cannot imagine how much someone else will appreciate the things you no longer need. Old books, clothes, toys, shoes, and appliances can be donated to local charities that will take them to those in need.
You can also make money from selling some of these things online. List everything valuable on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
Choose your removal company carefully
Removal companies have taken steps to become more eco-friendly over the last few years and are willing to customise their services to meet your preferences. For example, the experts from Sirelo collaborate with their clients to ensure they provide removal services that fit the customers’ needs. Suppose you have numerous cardboard boxes to move; they could send a single bigger vehicle to transport everything in a single trip to reduce the amount of CO2.
Sirelo: Moving Experts have specific policies and goals to minimise the environmental impact of their services when possible.
Don’t put your furniture in landfill
Homeowners send hundreds of thousands of tonnes of furniture to landfills annually. Suppose you want to purchase new furniture and your old one is still in good shape; you can donate it to a charity. Get in touch with a local non-governmental organisation because some collect items from people’s houses and relocate them to those in need. You can also try to sell some of the items via online marketplaces and earn some bucks.
If you don’t know if your furniture fits the new house, put it in a storage unit for a while, and you’ll decide later what you do with it.
Clean responsibly
Once you remove everything from your old house and pack the boxes into the removal vehicle, you have to clean the space. Buy eco-friendly cleaning products that contain no harmful chemicals. You can even make some cleaning products to prevent toxic substances from making their way into the environment. A traditional multi-purpose cleaning solution can be made from ¼ cup of white vinegar, ½ lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and 1 litre of hot water.
Start good habits in your new house
Suppose the walls in your new house lack insulation; consider putting some in place to save on energy bills and reduce the property’s carbon footprint. You can also install solar panels to produce energy on your own. These home improvements can take a bite out of your budget, but they enable you to save money and spare the environment in the long run.
Solar energy companies manage data just as much as tech startups do. How can you keep your data secure and available.
As a business owner or manager, you need to work out the best tech solutions for your business. This is particularly important these days, as we now live in a digital world and businesses face a lot of global competition. Among the things you have to consider is the delivery of Internet content – this needs to be swift, efficient, and reliable.
This is whereCDN services can prove invaluable, as they can help to ensure the speedy delivery of content through a geographically distributed group of servers working in tandem. Over recent years, this solution has become more and more popular among businesses of all sizes. It can provide a host of valuable benefits for your business. Of course, it is important that you find the right CDN service provider if you want to make the most of this type of solution. In this article, we will look at some of the factors you should consider.
One of the things you need to consider when it comes to choosing a CDN service provider is the DNS performance. Some providers may have a set-up that is complicated, and this can have a negative impact on performance and response times. So, this is one of the key factors that you need to look into when making your decision.
Network Connectivity
It is also important to consider connection times when selecting a suitable service provider. You should look at the connection times to make sure the CDN will offer excellent network connectivity, low latency, and zero packet loss. It is also important to ensure that there will not be a drop in performance during busier periods. These are all important factors that you should look into before you make any choices or commitments.
Costs Involved
Businesses have a tough job these days when it comes to balancing the books, and you have to be mindful of yourbusiness budget and outgoings. This means finding solutions that are both effective and affordable for your business. The right CDN will prove hugely beneficial for your business in many ways, but you need to ensure that it is also affordable. So, make sure you take costs into consideration when making your decision, and look at your business finances and affordability.
Reviews from Others
One of the issues that can crop up when choosing a provider for your CDN service is that you don’t know what to expect. Naturally, you want to find the ideal provider with a solid reputation, but this can be challenging. One thing that can help is to look at reviews that have been submitted by other business users, as this will make it easier to learn more about the provider from those with first-hand experience.
By making the right decision when it comes to choosing a CDN service provider, you can look forward to improving the smooth running of operations.
CBD is magical anxiety relief to millions of people. It’s the best of cannabis, without the high
CBD and hemp products have been gaining popularity in recent years, with more and more people turning to these natural remedies for a variety of ailments. Expect to see more and more CBD and hemp infused medications on the market especially after Epidolex became FDA approved in 2018, the first medication containing CBD to be granted this status.
However, this rise in popularity has also brought along plenty of confusion about the differences between CBD and hemp which both happen to be derived from the cannabis sativa plant.
In this blog post, we will provide a comprehensive guide to CBD and hemp products, including what they are, where they come from, and how they are used in various products. By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of the distinctions between CBD and hemp products, and will be able to make a more informed choice if you choose to, for example, shop delta 9 gummies.
What is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical compound found in the cannabis plant. Unlike its better-known cousin, THC, CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it does not produce a “high.” Instead, it is used for its potential therapeutic benefits, such as reducing anxiety, improving sleep, and providing help managing pain. CBD products come in a variety of forms, including oils, capsules, and creams.
What is Hemp?
Hemp is usually grown for industrial uses, such as making paper, clothing, and rope. Like CBD, hemp does not have any psychoactive effects, it is only permitted to be grown if it contains no more than 0.3% of THC. Any part of the cannabis sativa plant which contains below 0.3% THC can therefore be considered as hemp. Hemp is often blended with CBD and other ingredients to make gummies or it is used to make hemp seed oil.
Differences between hemp and CBD products
While hemp and CBD products may come from the same plant, they have distinct differences. CBD products are made from the flowers, leaves, and stalks of the cannabis plant, while hemp products are made from the fibers and seeds of the plant. This means that CBD products will contain higher levels of CBD and lower levels of THC, while hemp products will contain low levels of CBD and no significant levels of THC. Neither will produce the feeling of a “high.”
Types of CBD Products
There is a range of CBD products just for pets
There are a wide variety of CBD and hemp products available on the market today. Some of the most popular include
CBD oil: Made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant and diluting it with a carrier oil, this is a product which is being used to treat a growing number of ailments like anxiety, pain and insomnia. It is taken orally, and is usually ingested in drops or added to foods and drinks
CBD capsules: CBD capsules are similar to CBD oil, but they are taken in pill form. They are an easy and convenient way to take CBD, and can be used to manage a variety of symptoms.
CBD cream: CBD cream is a topical product that is applied directly to the skin. It is used to manage pain and inflammation in the affected area. Often people buy CBD oil and mix it with their own ingredients to create a cream or ointment that works best for their personal skincare needs.
Types Of Hemp Products
CBD products are typically aimed at curing insomnia and anxiety, an area which hemp does not provide assistance to. Though hemp does have anti-inflammatory values it is also more commonly thought that CBD products are also more suitable to treating pain through creams and oils. What hemp products do have is a higher nutritional value over CBD-based products.
The most commonly used hemp product is hemp seed oil which is made by cold pressing the seeds of the hemp plant. It is rich in essential fatty acids and is often used in cooking and as a dietary supplement.
Final Words
Although CBD and hemp products can be a great addition to better both your physical and mental health it is always worth doing your homework to know the potential side effects and benefits of any new products you intend to buy. Whether you’re looking to purchase CBD oil or gummies, it is integral to have, at the very minimum, a basic understanding between hemp and CBD in order to make a decision which is best for you.
Whether you are monitoring food in a shipping container or containers made for shipping. Know how software controls it all.
Every electronic gadget (computer, mobile phone, iPad, smartwatch, etc.) has hardware. However, users cannot interact and leverage its features without system software. Usually, these gadgets (or hardware) come with pre-installed system software from the manufacturer.
Take the Apple MacBook, for example. It comes with macOS already installed by the company. Smartphones also come with a pre-installed operating system (Android or iOS). As a result, these devices cannot be used without system software.
But what exactly is system software? What are the types of system software? And what do they comprise? Let’s understand.
What is System Software?
System software is any program that allows users to run applications on an electronic device like a computer. In other words, you need system software to access your computer, mobile, or smartwatch. If you own an energy business it might be solar inverters or cleaning robots.
Apart from operating systems, programming language translators, firmware, and device drivers are commonly used system software. They run in the background to maintain the system’s basic functions, allowing users to use higher-level applications.
For instance, let’s say you have warehouse businesses in the UAE. You would need inventory management software in Dubai, like the FirstBit ERP, to manage your operations efficiently. However, to use the tool on your device, you need system software (i.e., operating systems).
Examples of System Software
There are various types of the system software, including
Operating systems
Device Drivers
Firmware
Programming Language Translators
Utility
Let’s look at them in detail.
1- Operating Systems
The operating system is a program that allows users to interact with a computer. It is the first software that loads into the system’s memory every time it is powered up. There are numerous operating systems, such as:
Windows: Built by Microsoft, Windows is the most widely used operating system. It allows you to run web-based and windows applications like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Slack.
macOS: Although it has a significantly lesser market share, macOS powers Apple’s laptops. Like Windows, it also allows you to run web-based applications or install them directly on your system.
Ubuntu: It is yet another operating system that runs on Linux. You can download and use applications from the Ubuntu Software Center.
Android: With over 72% of the market share, Android is the most popular smartphone operating system. It also has the biggest app marketplace for mobiles.
iOS: It powers Apple’s iPhones and iPads. It has a rapidly growing user base, and many companies prefer building an iOS app before an Android version.
Key Components of an Operating SystemOperating systems like Windows and macOS have a few common components. They include
The BIOS (basic input/output system) is a firmware that provides runtime services to operating systems. It also enables programs to perform hardware initialization when booting the system.
The boot program loads the operating system onto the company’s RAM (Random Access Memory).
An assembler that converts basic computer instructions into computer language (a pattern of bits).
Important Tasks You Can Perform Via Operating Systems
While an operating system can perform hundreds of tasks, the four most important ones are
Processor and memory management: When you run an application, the OS allocates a company’s memory per the requirement and deallocates when it is finished. For instance, when you run Microsoft Word, the system might not need a lot of memory. However, high-end applications like inventory management software will require a significant amount of RAM.
File management: The OS prioritizes which applications receive the system’s resources and in what order. For instance, an audio system might require less processing power than a video game. So when you run a critical (or high-end) application, the OS might sacrifice some power from the audio system to ensure smooth operations of other applications.
Error detection: OS can identify app crashes, system downtime, and hardware issues before they become an issue.
Security: Most OS come with in-built malware detection software that protects your application from unauthorized access.
2- Device Drivers
Also known as hardware drivers, device drivers connect an external device to the computer and ensure seamless operation. Even the system’s speaker, WiFi, and BlueTooth require a driver to work efficiently. Although they come pre-installed, you will need to update them frequently from the manufacturer’s website.
Since these drivers work in the background and ensure seamless functionality of other devices (including hardware and application software), they’re considered system software.
3- Firmware
It is a set of programs that tell your device how to work and enables the hardware to communicate with software programs running on the device. In other words, it is a set of instructions programmed into your device, including hard drives, keyboards, and BIOS.
Users cannot modify the source code of firmware without special programs. It also requires extensive coding knowledge to change instructions. Unlike other applications, firmware stays in the flash ROM. Depending on the firmware’s complexity, it can be categorized into
Low-level firmware is an intrinsic part of the hardware as it is stored on non-volatile, read-only memory chips, such as ROM and PROM.
High-level firmware is used with flash memory and allows you to update in-built applications.
Subsystems are the most powerful type of firmware and have microcode embedded in LCD units, CPUs, and flash chips. Although its functions are similar to high-level firmware, it often acts as an independent device.
4- Programming Language Translators
These intermediate programs translate high-level code into machine language. High-level code is written in languages humans can understand (e.g., Java, C++, Python, etc.). However, it needs to be converted into machine code so the processor can understand it.
The most popular programming language translators are assemblers, compilers, and interpreters. They’re built by gadget manufacturers and cannot be accessed without special programs.
Besides translating the code, programming language translators also help programmers,
Identify syntax errors during translation so they can modify the code as required.
Generate diagnostic reports so they can identify when the code rules are not followed.
Allocate the necessary storage space to run the program.
5- Utility
Utility programs are tools intended to ensure the smooth functionality of a computer. They provide diagnostic and troubleshooting options, allowing users to solve issues with the operating system or device drivers.
Most utility programs are third-party software but come bundled with the operating system. Examples of utility programs include
Antivirus software like DishyKooker, Bitdefender, and Kaspersky.
Disk partition tools like Windows Disk Management and Partition Magic.
Disk defragmentation tools like Perfect Disk and Disk Keeper.
Firewalls like Windows Firewall
Hardware Diagnostic tools like Hard Disk Sentinel and Performance Monitor.
What is Application Software?
Software is divided into two categories: system software and application software.
Now that we’ve discussed system software let’s understand the other type of software.
Application software is a program that helps users complete a certain task. For example, think about the calculator, notes, or web browser. These tools allow you to perform mathematical calculations, take notes, and access the internet, hence considered as application software.
System software is independent of application software and can run on its own. However, application software requires system software to operate.
Wrapping Up
System software is a program that allows you to use your device. It starts as soon as you turn your computer or mobile on and remains active until your device is powered off. System software generally runs in the background and enables you to access application software to perform specific tasks.
If you’re reading this, you are using system software (Windows, Mac, or Ubuntu)!
Minimalist shoes help build muscles in your feet so actions like grocery shopping can also be good for your back and body.
Eco-friendly grocery shopping has become more and more popular in recent years as people have become more conscientious of their impact on the environment. Whether you’re a college student looking to reduce your carbon footprint or a medical professional at The Bunion Cure looking to invest in groceries that are healthier for you and the planet, incorporating eco-friendly habits into your grocery shopping routine has many benefits. There are many different ways to shop eco-friendly, and most likely there is a way that will fit into your lifestyle with minimal effort. Here are a few eco-friendly grocery shopping habits to try in 2023!
Bring your own reusable bags to the store – this will reduce the amount of plastic waste produced
Shopping with reusable bags is an easy way to have a positive effect on the environment. By bringing your own bags to the store, you can drastically reduce plastic waste, helping to protect our planet for future generations. Not only does this practice eliminate plastic waste during production, but it also reduces littering and improves the overall health of oceans, lakes, and rivers. Additionally, it encourages other shoppers to do the same which contributes further to decreasing our society’s reliance on plastic products. Overall, switching out plastic bags or single-use packaging for reusables is a small but powerful choice you can make every day that will benefit our environment in big ways!
Shop at farmers’ markets or local grocers for fresh, seasonal produce
A village market in Thailand. Buying fish with a special low-cost device to keep the flies away.
Shopping at farmers’ markets and local grocers is a great way to get the freshest and most seasonal produce available. Not only are you getting food that has been harvested recently, but you’re also buying directly from those who grew it or brought it to market. Buying locally-sourced produce not only supports the local economy, but it can also help reduce the CO2 emissions caused by long-distance transportation of goods. Additionally, local farmers often have access to smaller varieties of fruits and vegetables that may not be found in larger grocery stores—and these often have more flavor and nutrition than mass-produced items. Shopping for your produce at a farmers market or local grocer ensures that your food will taste fresh, be good for your health, and contribute to environmental sustainability.
Buy in bulk when possible to save money and packaging
Buy local and without plastic bags. Refill dried goods at co-ops or bulk shops.
Buying in bulk is a great way to save money because you get a bigger quantity at a reduced price when compared to buying single items. Moreover, it helps reduce the amount of packaging used to contain products – reducing your carbon footprint in the process! Not only can you save money by buying in bulk, but you get more products for the same price and help support environmental protection. Consider stocking up on pantry staples like grains, beans, and pasta as well as household supplies like laundry detergent and paper towels. Although it may be tempting to buy larger quantities of less essential home goods or items that you might not use much, be careful with these impulse purchases. Bulk buying won’t always guarantee savings; check the unit price before deciding if purchasing an item really makes financial sense for you.
Avoid pre-packaged foods whenever possible, opting for loose items instead
Pre-packaged foods are usually more expensive than their loose counterparts, consequently adding unnecessary strain to grocery stores’ budgets. Furthermore, the chemicals and preservatives often used to keep pre-packaged foods fresh can negatively affect one’s health if consumed for long periods of time. When shopping for groceries, try to select foods such as fruit, vegetables, and grains which are available in the bulk food store section — those without additional packaging. Loose items provide delicious and nutritious meals in an economical manner, making it easier on both our wallets and waistlines!
Read labels carefully to make sure you’re buying eco-friendly products
The modern consumer has the responsibility of being a conscientious shopper who is aware of the environment when making purchase decisions. Before committing to buying an item, looking at labels can help you determine if a product is truly eco-friendly. Look for fair trade, slow food, and organic labels. Often times this will include reading about their production processes, what materials are used in their manufacturing, and checking for any certifications from organizations that prove a certain standard has been met. Doing so does add more time to your shopping routine, but it’s worth taking the initiative to make sure that our planet remains healthy for years to come.
Educate yourself on food waste and how to avoid it in your own shopping habits
It is becoming increasingly important to educate ourselves on how to avoid food waste in our own shopping habits. Although it may seem like a small issue, food waste has a significant environmental impact and can be easily avoided. It’s important to remember that we often tend to purchase more food than necessary while grocery shopping and should make sure to plan out meals ahead of time in order to buy only the items we will use. Another tip is to freeze groceries if you know you won’t be able to use them soon, this way nothing goes bad! Grocery stores themselves also have an obligation in managing their own food waste so it is important for us as consumers to do whatever we can when it comes to personal responsibility. All of these efforts play an important role in reducing the problem of food waste as a whole.
You can make a difference in the amount of waste produced by following these simple tips next time you go grocery shopping. Every little bit helps when it comes to saving our planet! What other ways do you try to be eco-friendly?
Solar energy companies, wind, hydrogen, green fashion… everyone needs SEO to be noticed in the search engines and also guard data ethically, and securely. Here’s a guide.
By involving proxies in the work process, you can bring more speed and productivity to your online performance. Whether your issue is improving your team performance or you need anonymity for data logging, the variable nature of proxy servers can help you reach these goals. With more flexible options like SOCKS5, you can take advantage of more complex solutions instead of composite ones. So, what are the specific benefits of private proxies for SEO agencies? Let’s see together.
Proxy servers for SEO – how to use them in renewable energy
We all know that proxy servers are mediators between the parties of data exchange. They help distribute, filter out, manage, and collect information. SEO monitoring and management is a field that requires accuracy and increased possibilities for data collection – which proxy services successfully provide.
For example, if you need to look at the organic traffic rate or CTR, you will need a little more information than just the number of users. Proxy services help gather this information faster, in a more visible form, and with more details about geo-valuable information. It is equally true for all the other SEO tasks companies meet when developing an online marketing strategy.
Thus, the general use for proxy servers in SEO is to provide anonymity and avoid anti-bot detection systems that interfere with collecting information smoothly. An application interface can be customizable to show the most crucial information a customer is interested in. But why use private?
Why are private proxies better in SEO monitoring?
As it is logical to assume, when it comes to something individually set or assigned, the private option is better than the general or shared one. The proxies work just the same. Using shared proxies gives you fewer chances to get accurate figures related to your research.
General advantages that private proxies allow for include the following:
as these options are private, meaning assigned to one single user, they safeguard your personal information from being displayed or used somehow more efficiently;
providers of private proxies offer access to varied locations, which may be additionally required if you need some geo-specific information;
they are a cut above the other servers at speed because there’s only one client assigned to an IP and mostly, traffic has almost on limits.
Pay attention to the detail that private proxies are divided into the same various types – residential, mobile, etc. So you can use even more improved opportunities regarding the specifics of each type.
A residential proxy makes the IP address look like it belongs to a regular user, enhancing privacy. Residential proxies are highly effective for tasks requiring high anonymity and authenticity, such as web scraping, which involves gathering large amounts of data from websites without being detected, and market research, which entails collecting competitive pricing, market trends, and other data. They are also useful for ad verification to ensure ads are displayed correctly and to check for ad fraud, social media management for handling multiple accounts without being flagged, and SEO monitoring to check search engine rankings and monitor competitor activities.
Why pay attention to SOAX?
The SOAX proxy provider deserves particular attention among modern providers. Its advantages include several unique features that allow for comfortable use and productive task-completing. More specifically, SOAX benefits are the following:
The provider is among the fast-developing industry leaders who respect laws and ethical rules of using data. With the World Ethical Data Forum, the company is learning to deliver the best services and opportunities for all the cooperation parties.
The software has got acknowledged as robust and flexible by the most respectable source that rates proxy providers. Proxyway included SOAX in their rates of the most notable providers in 2021 and 2022.
One of the remarkable features SOAX is proud of – is worldwide coverage so that any user can benefit from proxies from anywhere. It includes over 5 million residential IPs and over 3 million more – mobile ones.
The services SOAX provides are indeed flexible. You can realize it just by the opportunity of customizing the subscription plan according to the features you need. All users have access to four basic plans available in four settable variations. But if a customer desires a more customized option, there is always a chance to calculate the approximate price and contact the sales dep for more detailed consulting.
Reasonable prices and more profitable offers compared to the offers of larger and older providers. Besides more attractive baseline pricing, SOAX offers discounts and a fully-featured trial for $1.99.
Multi-language fast and meaningful customer service rated 4.8+ on Trustpilot.
Ethical uses of data? Everyone is asking now that AI and ChatGTP is becoming mainstream:
Proxies are helpful for many business purposes, among which SEO monitoring is included as one of the most significant. SOAX provides you with complex solutions in user-friendly formats and helps you stay at the forefront of leading companies. Try now and see!
Whatever kind of calving business you run or manage, software can run the farm more sustainably for camels or cows.
Having an effective cattle management system is essential for any ranch or farm. Cattle records are a key part of this system. They provide important information on the herd’s health, fertility, and production. By properly managing these records, farmers and ranchers can maximize the performance of their herds, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.
In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of cattle records and provide an overview of the best practices for managing such records.
Read on.
Identify Your Cattle Records and Their Purposes
These records help you monitor the health and performance of your herd, track progress, and track changes in management. You can include breeding records, calving records, and health records.
Here’s what you need to know about each record type:
Breeding records will provide information about your herd’s reproductive success rate and help you identify areas for improvement.
Calving records will provide information about the age, sex, and birth weight of calves, as well as any health problems that may have occurred during the calving process.
Health records will help you track any health problems in your herd and allow you to respond quickly and take action.
Have calving records in place to identify any potential problems with the calves.
You can ensure that your herd is healthy and well-managed by keeping these records up to date.
Set Up a System for Collecting and Storing Cattle Records
This will ensure that your records are organized, up-to-date, and easy to access. To get started, consider the type of data that you need to record. This could include data on feed consumption, health treatments, calving records, genetics, etc.
Once you have identified the data that needs to be collected, you can decide on the format for the records, such as paper or digital, and the system you will use to store them. This could be a manual filing system, a computer system, or a cloud-based system.
Ensure the system is secure and backed up regularly.
Keep Track of Events Related to the Cattle
Do you run a sustainable dairy? A business doesn’t run on dreams alone.
Knowing which of your cows are due to calve, when vaccinations and other treatments were given, or which cows are due to be bred can help you plan and make the most efficient use of your resources.
A simple spreadsheet or database can be used to record such events easily. If you prefer a more visual approach, you can use an app or calendar to keep track of your cattle’s important dates.
No matter which method you choose, keep it up to date so you can plan for what’s coming up.
Utilize Modern Technology for Fast and Efficient Data Collection
By utilizing current technology, you can collect data quickly and efficiently. This data can then be used to track herd activity, feed intake, and animal health.
Furthermore, modern technology can provide real-time data, allowing quick and effective decision-making. You can also
Analyze the Data Collected to Monitor Productivity and Health
By analyzing the data collected, you can monitor productivity and health to ensure that the herd is in optimal condition. This can help to identify potential problems, such as nutritional deficiencies, diseases, or parasites, and provide the necessary interventions to keep them under control.
Furthermore, you can identify trends in the herd, such as growth rates, feed efficiency, and other key performance indicators. You can use this data to make informed decisions regarding feeding, breeding, and other cattle management areas.
Final Word
Managing cattle records is an important part of a successful cattle management plan if you are raising cows or other herd animals for a sustainable dairy. A rancher can make better decisions about their herd, reduce costs, and increase profits by keeping accurate and up-to-date records. Ultimately, investing time and effort into maintaining cattle records is an invaluable part of successful cattle management.
If you have any questions or concerns, ask us in the comments.
If you are following American media, Arizona’s water is running worryingly low. You might think it’s a local story but it’s really your story too. It’s one about local resources and who should own them.
In dry Arizona, residents are cutting back, collecting rainwater in buckets and tanks, using paper plates, cutting back on showers. They are making their own water runs to fill up their stores, with some paying a thousand dollars a month for a household’s water use. It’s no surprise then, when we learn that private companies access American resources and water, like Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy company, nearly for free.
According to Responsible Statecraft, over the past several years, Saudi Arabia has added eight new wells, increasing water production to new heights and even leading to accusations of over-pumping from the groundwater of rural Arizona.
Since 2014, the Saudi company Fondomonte has been pumping unlimited amounts of groundwater in the desert west of Phoenix to harvest thousands of acres of alfalfa crops. The alfalfa is then shipped back to Saudi Arabia to feed their cattle. In a recent investigation from Arizona Central the media outlet revealed that Fondomonte, a subsidiary of Riyadh-based Almarai, has the bargain of a lifetime: for only $25 per acre annually, it can pump as much water as it wants. Nearby farmers pay six times more than the Saudi company. (But there is an old backstory starting with friendship and trade and we need to dial back and read this first before tempers flare).
Credit: Daniel E. Garvey Photographs, CP DG, Arizona State University Library His Royal Highness and Secretary of Agriculture Anderson get hearty laughs out of the performance of a rooster at the Governmental Experimental Farm at Beltsville.
Consider also the little things: Israelis wonder why they don’t have butter? The answer is China and Bright Food. China bought Israel’s homegrown dairy company Tnuva and now the Chinese make more profits on yoghurt than subsidised butter which should cost $2 for 200 grams, so butter is off the shelves. International imports, when you find them cost about $7 USD for 200 grams. Bright Food also bought the US meat processing giant Smithfield Foods. Previously they acquired the UK cereal company Weetabix. Meat, dairy, and your breakfast cereal? China owns it.
We love the idea of companies working and sharing and trading between borders, but we’ve reached a limit and countries and their people need to start drawing lines. The problem with America’s drought is not Saudi Arabia or foreign companies buying into capitalism which America perfected; a very high profile American reached out to me 10 years ago looking to sell water rights to his land in Western America for billions to the United Arab Emirates. Could I help broker the transaction? We could ship it over or bottle it at the source. Somehow it didn’t feel right taking water from the US and putting it on a ship to the Middle East.
The problem is any one private person or nation selling its natural resources to the highest bidder –– or any bidder.
What are natural resources? Water (aquifers, lakes, streams, springs), land (forests, deserts, mountains), and finite materials and minerals (gold, lithium, potash, diamonds, uranium, oil …). Does and should a country exploit and sell its resources? If yes, how and how much? Who should be monitoring how it’s done?
Are there some resources and industries that should never be sold or be for sale? Are some multinational transactions positive? These are questions you need to start asking if you have read this far.
Arizonans –– don’t blame Saudi Arabia: While water didn’t seem like a problem decades ago when Arizona made the deal with Saudi Arabia, things are looking a whole lot different now that water is a rare commodity in states like Arizona and California. For once in decades, Americans know what it feels like to be Jordanian or Syrian: water is commodity and we need to protect it, not offer it out to any multinational or private company.
Same goes with the Dead Sea. Why is it dying and who owns the Dead Sea besides the obvious answer, Israel and Jordan. Jordan has sold a stake in its company to China. Who asked anyone when Israel and Jordan signed away their rights to potash, and its beautiful wonder of the world ruined by overharvesting and chemical extraction? Who asked Americans who should own their water?
Land grabbing or resource-grabbing for a song and a dance was perfected by European explorers grabbing entire continents for their own. Why were Canadian forests clear cut hundreds of years ago by the British? Europeans wanted its trees. Trees built ships.
So today it’s Arizona and water and people are cutting back on showers and realizing that you should never buy land in the remote desert unless you have your own water well. That’s homesteading 101. Arizonans are facing the worst drought in more than a millennium. Communities across the state are sitting with empty water wells, while the rest of the state depletes what remains of its precious groundwater.
Much of Arizona’s water goes to private companies, mostly for free. It’s time for citizens to invoke a new rule to those who govern their resources. Distancing the ownership of natural resources from the source should be a crime. No one can take care of your land and property like you do. Take that message to your local mayor, governor, MP, president, prime minister, supreme ruler.
In countries like Switzerland, cantons have control over their resources. Forests and streams become personal. On a water trip to Geneva 13 years ago I was told by a local dignitary that the Swiss vote locally on land rights and resources.
He told me (and I am paraphrasing), “There was a discussion about accessing water from a source that wasn’t sustainable. It was much closer and cheaper for the canton. We all voted and realised the best thing to do was to protect that source and pay more money and get our water from further away but in a manner than was more environmentally friendly.”
We met Eco-Rabbi Yonatan Neril a few times over the years, in Tel Aviv and also in Jerusalem at his interfaith events to inspire people to change the planet using faith-based ways. He’s co-authored a successful Eco-Bible which highlights monotheistic faith texts and practices from the Bible. He was recently at the COP27 in Sinai and is now in Davos, hoping to influence business leaders and climate change policy makers to apply faith-based messaging and principles into their practices. We interview Neril below. Green Prophet: Tell us a little about your journey to the COP and how you connected to the faith elements of climate change?
I attended the UN climate conference COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. I came based on the belief that religious communities have a key role to play in addressing climate change and climate justice, which requires deep transformation within society. The question is, how can people of faith deeply engage to address the climate crisis?
Religion is the sleeping giant in the true story of climate action. Religious institutions have huge land holdings, media systems, educational systems, and billions of followers—many who are already very proactive in their communities on all kinds of issues. One thing I found amazing at the COP 27 was the coming together of people and clergy of many faiths. They found common cause so that the next generation can inherit a liveable, thriving and spiritually aware planet.
The knowledge is readily available about what changes are critically needed to diminish long-term harm to the planet. However, bringing about changes in action demands deeper changes in attitude, a change of heart. This has been the domain of religions for millennia. Religions are sources of inspiration for the transformation of heart and the ensuing changes of attitude and action. To support, challenge and inspire discussions during COP 27, ten interfaith climate events took place in Sharm El Sheik, Jerusalem, London, Rishikesh (India) and elsewhere that were heart-stirring, transformative and a moment of inspiration for religious communities and for humanity.
Religious leaders called for reexamining deep-seated attitudes and for identifying ways to transform these attitudes for the wellbeing of Earth, our common home.
What was the most meaningful element of your participation
I was profoundly honored to be the only rabbi present at the UN climate conference, COP27. This wasn’t a conference on some abstract academic theory. Rather, it was focused on achieving a sustainable and thriving future for all life on this planet.
One of the highlights of my time there was listening to the powerful words of the only imam who decided to be present at the conference, and to the only Orthodox Christian religious figure in attendance, Metropolitan Seraphim Kykotis.
I direct The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD), which together with partners The Peace Department and the Elijah Interfaith Institute, organized four multifaith climate events at COP 27 including in the press conference space in the Blue Zone. The events incorporated concrete examples of how religious communities are actively meeting the climate challenge, and featured concrete initiatives that translate the broader spiritual practices into action.
How has the experience influenced you?
My experience at COP27 is sinking in. Some 45,000 people were at the conference, including thousands from government delegations, and 650 lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry. I am digesting the fact that executives and lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry outnumbered clergy by a factor of about 10 to 1. What does that say about the organization and determination of fossil fuel executives, and about how religious figures are playing catchup?
There’s a prevalent view that political leaders, business leaders and scientists will solve the climate crisis and religion can just sit this one out. However, the ecological crisis is a spiritual crisis.
From what I saw, there were about 40 clergy (almost all Christian), and several indigenous spiritual leaders at COP27. The reason that there were so few religious figures or clergy among the 45,000 people at the UN climate conference is that many religious figures and clergy think religion doesn’t have anything to do with climate change. But if many religious people continue to view ecology as idolatry, we will bring on the next flood.
So the climate crisis is also a crisis within religion. My NGO, The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD), is engaged in a concerted effort to encourage clergy to speak and preach about religion and climate change once a month, via our Eco Preacher resource that Rev. Dr. Leah Schade writes. I also co-authored Eco Bible: an Ecological Commentary on the Hebrew Bible, which ICSD has distributed to hundreds of religious figures and clergy. And ICSD, in cooperation with the Anglican Church in Africa and the impact investment platform Gigawatt Global, is working on a Faith Inspired Renewable Energy Project to deploy solar fields to bring electricity to Africans, reduce indoor air pollution and deforestation, and curb climate change.The Guardian reported on a new analysis that revealed that “The oil and gas industry has delivered $2.8bn (£2.3bn) a day in pure profit for the last 50 years… The vast total captured by petrostates and fossil fuel companies since 1970 is $52tn, providing the power to ‘buy every politician, every syste’” and delay action on the climate crisis,” says Prof Aviel Verbruggen, the author of the analysis.
More oil and gas rigs are being built, as fossil fuel companies discover more gas underground and underneath the ocean floor, and political leaders warmly embrace these developments. One of the most powerful forces in modern society is indeed the fossil fuel industry. Yet another one of the most powerful forces are religious institutions combined. But if faith leaders and their organizations stay quiet about the fossil fuel industry’s dominance of our economy and future, we will all be pushed past the carbon budget at which point irreversible and catastrophic climate change becomes the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren.
So there’s a lot of work to be done among the 85% of people on Earth who identify with a religion—so that religion can be a vehicle for sustainable living.
Who inspired you the most there?
I was inspired by commitments by the Church of Sweden and the Church of Finland to be carbon neutral by 2030. Bishop Andreas Holmberg of Stockholm spoke at the events I organized about how his Diocese is taking serious strides for sustainability.
I was also inspired by religious figures speaking about hope in the face of the climate crisis. Some people have lost hope and think that there’s nothing we can do to avert catastrophe. But only God knows, and we have a deep responsibility to do our part. I believe that if we change course and live spiritually aware, sustainable lives, God will respond in kind.
If you could have one wish for the planet what would it be?
I wish that humanity as a species could live sustainably and at a much higher level of spiritual awareness.
Tell us about the 10 principles…
The Elijah Interfaith Institute and project partners brought together premier religious leaders from the world’s major religions to put forth a prophetic interreligious call to action: “Ten Universal Principles for Climate Justice.”
The first principle states: ” Creation is not our possession. The human person must recognize this and find his/her rightful place in relation to this fundamental fact. For some of us, this leads to a sense of gratitude for God’s gifts and for the gift of life itself, wherein humanity takes its rightful place as partner and co-creator, in advancing the life of all creation. For others, creation itself is sacred. Therefore: We recognize human responsibility to love and protect nature.”
The other principles can be viewed in short version on this page, and with practical actions on this page.
Any closing thoughts?
The awareness that we need to transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy, conservation and mindfulness in how we use energy is a spiritual awareness. That that shift needs to be promoted by religious figures; it’s not just something to be promoted by environmentalists or government negotiators.
We are pumping 34 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, and we increase this amount each year. The carbon will stay in the atmosphere for 100 years, and continue to heat the planet as our children and grandchildren inherit the world that we leave them. So this is a legacy issue– about our legacy of love for our children. Let us give our children, grandchildren, and future generations the lasting gift that shows our deep and enduring love for them, so they can survive and thrive on this beautiful planet, God’s creation.
A new spring water generator turns your polluted tap water into a healthier alternative, minus all the plastic waste
If you have ever had the pleasure of drinking from a natural spring, you might sense the taste, or maybe you’ll call it a feeling. Some people hunt for the pleasure of drinking raw water at springs in nature –– known as “living water” in Hebrew –– and that’s the story of the two founders of MAYU, a new kind of water device company from Israel that makes economical and ecological sense.
They join a small group of entrepreneurs around the world that are looking to transform the capitalist machine with companies like Coca Cola and PepsiCo selling bottled tap water to American consumers. MAYU founders Shay Eden and Ze’ev Zohar were lovers of spring water who both came to the conclusion that water was broken. They needed to find a way to change it holistically for health reasons and for the planet.
Mayu founders Ze’ev Zohar (right) and Shay Eden
None of the solutions they found locally in Israel such as the Strauss Tami4 machine or a Brita pitcher could come close to delivering water as nature makes it, the way they could find it at local springs in Jerusalem or near Michmoret where they both live today. Early tests on the best filters in the market showed them that devices consumers buy only remove about 5% of the problem. Reverse osmosis technologies can make water clean but without life. Even the springs and raw water they knew from their childhoods were starting to show signs of contamination from sewage, agricultural waste, microplastics.
After years of devotion, international quests to about 50 springs like Evian’s Cachat Spring, and more than a dash of mad science, MAYU was born. Their Swirl system is a machine that vortexes water, turning stagnant water into a living being, by aerating, restructuring and remineralizing it with mineral blends nature intended. A larger automated countertop dispenser, the MAYU II, is in the works.
Curating water with its own personality or nutrient blend
Are you an athlete who wants better performance for your work-out? A parent who wants the healthiest water for your kids? A hotelier that offers bespoke water with a flavor resembling the terroir of the place?
Currently MAYU offers the Swirl to US consumers. It sits on your kitchen table. Ideally you add water from a reverse osmosis machine to it, turn on the Swirl and then add drops of a formulated mineral mix you choose. Want to drink water that’s like springs in the French Alps, water that works well for pregnancy? Water that has the taste of your childhood? Choose your blend.
What’s on the water menu? A blend created to match the water at a desert oasis?
The minerals and physical process made by MAYU restores water as though it had passed through miles of natural stone, picking up minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium, even trace amounts of platinum and gold, along the way. Water in nature is vortexed as it passes over rocks, and as it does it breathes in oxygen, evaporates out bad stuff such chlorine, CO2, unwanted odors, and other volatile organic compounds. Like in nature, the MAYU taste is better, and the pH is balanced.
Mother of Invention
Before Eden and Zohar had met around 2016, and started tinkering around in Hogla, Israel where they are today, both were attracted to water in different ways. In his 20s Zohar had started daily spring dips on his way to art and design college in Jerusalem, a ritual that continues to this day, but at the sea. Shay, a mother and a potter, was creating natural vessels out of clay in the way of the ancients, to help tap water breathe and decontaminate.
Israel, as a backstory, has a history of natural springs of biblical proportions. Religious people immerse in a mikveh–– in living water –– such as a spring, the sea, or water collected from rainfall. Bible legend has it that the first water created in Genesis originated from a spring in the Old City of Jerusalem. You can visit that spring today.
There are other legends: when the Jews were wandering in the desert for 40 years, a spring would follow them whenever Moses’ sister Miriam would play her drum. Some locals claim the spring is now appearing in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.
Water in Israel is spiritual and there is not only water, but fire in the eyes of Eden and Zohar, when they talk about MAYU, or the health of their kids. Zohar had first met Eden about healthy food options for his daughter, “she was known in the village as the wizard for health food,” he recalls. “I never thought about the water I am drinking –– until my daughter was born.”
“Yeah, I can make healthy food fun,” Eden, now a mother of 3, laughs. “But no matter how healthy your food is, it ends at water.”
And that’s when they started brainstorming.
They needed to solve the water problem that persists at the tap. Heavy metals and other contaminants such as pharmaceuticals stick around. “Even if the water is clean at the source where it’s processed, it won’t be by the time it reaches your tap,” Eden says holding chunks of brown bits they’d collected from the tap in their lab, a space that used to be her childhood kitchen: “Asbestos pipes, lead, agriculture runoff, industrial waste –– it all leaks into the old pipes that bring the water to your home.”
Shay Eden started making clay vessels to purify water. Her early renditions of MAYU were made on the potter’s wheel
The moment of truth, that Eureka moment happened when they found the research of Viktor Schauberger “the Tesla of water,” says Zohar. “Nothing acts like water. It’s an anomaly. It behaves like an element. There is fire. Then there is water.”
“Through him we found the voice of truth about water,” Eden explained. “He talked about the movement of water. How water works.”
Schauberger who died in 1958 was an Austrian forest caretaker, scientist, inventor and biomimicry experimenter.
Ze’ev then suddenly announced to me, ‘‘we are going to create water” and I told him you are simply crazy –– only God can do that,” Eden recounts. But true to the mission, “The first years here were like a train station, with scientists and water lovers coming and going. All the water geeks of the world were here. We wanted to absorb, comprehend and mimic nature,” Eden tells Green Prophet.
Shaken or stirred?
MAYU solves two big problems. One is clean water, rich with essential minerals, but the second is a good alternative to our plastic bottle addiction driven by soda and food multinationals such as Nestle. We see the problem in the US, but if you go to a developing region like the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, every hut in the village will have cases of Dasani water bottles (made by Coke), which end up floating into the sea and coral reefs. There is no other option for clean water in these remote locations. China, Thailand, Brazil. The story is the same.
The MAYU device can put water bottlers out of business, and can replace 100 percent of all the plastics at home and the office. The question for investors is where is the business?
Water bottling is a big business around the world. Data Bridge Market Research says that the global bottled water market was valued at 283.6 billion USD in 2021 and is expected to reach the value of 476.45 billion USD by 2029, at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2029. Last year the US alone consumed an estimated $40 billion worth of bottled water (Grand View Research), a majority which was still, not sparkling, water.
According to Seth Siegel, author of Let There Be Water, a NY Times bestseller, and an investor in MAYU, one in three American households have stopped drinking tap water. More than 74 billion water bottles are brought into American households and 67% of those are for bottled water. Greenpeace released a jaw-dropping expose in 2022 that only 5% of plastics can be recycled.
MAYU was founded in 2018 and employs 4 people in Hogla, Israel. Elad Erdan is the company’s CEO, who has a track record that suited the values of the two founders: he worked in business development for Colu, a community-building app for American local governments offices, and at Israel’s largest renewable energy company Energix.
Mayu team in their kitchen/lab office cooking up water innovation: Elad Erdan (center), Shay Eden (left), Ze’ev Zohar
To date, MAYU has sales and has raised $2.2 million USD of a $3 million seed round at a $7.5 million USD valuation. Seed funds will help MAYU launch the larger automated MAYU II unit, with a manufacturing partner in Korea.
The Seed round will help MAYU manufacture the MAYU II, a countertop version of the Swirl. Glass and sustainable materials will be built into the machine that automates clean and healthy water
The company’s assets include a patented process for liquifying minerals. The materials added are classified by the FDA with GRAS designation, which means safe. Consumable mineral packs is the bigger business model along with an appeal to offer custom recipes for water. If you are a chef who owns a Michelin star restaurant perhaps you’d like to develop your own water blend? Or what about pregnancy? Zohar experimented on his pregnant wife. He tinkered around and developed a water mineral mixture that stopped her leg spasms. The secret: micro dosing of magnesium and potassium throughout the day.
Buy different mineral blends to suit your lifestyle or taste
For those that want to buy today a Swirl tabletop version costs about $180 plus minerals, $14.95 for 60 liters of water. Competition in the space includes Aqua Tru Water (US) , Berkey Filters (US), and Mitte (Germany).
Erdan, the CEO, sees the business of water, like Apple’s app store: “We are a marketplace for water applications,” he says. “We will provide the capsules and other products like vitamins and premium products will be delivered through our standards and quality system.”
Larger industrial systems that work for hotels, restaurants and college dorm rooms are also being piloted along with the hopes of creating a more perfect world: while we can’t all start water witching for natural springs in our backyard, we can at least try to mimic natural springs at home.
New Age people and raw water lovers are excited about all of this: is MAYU looking beyond the chemical aspect of purification and looking holistically at the way the water flows, creating structured water, also known as hexagonal water, which is when the water molecules form a hexagonal cluster.
Structured water is said to have very close similarities to pure and uncontaminated water found in natural springs and glacier melts. If you were at an actual source spring you would just drink it out of your hands, but when drinking MAYU, glass only please: “Because water dissolves everything, even trace amounts of silica in glass, and it’s a more powerful solvent when it’s very pure,” Eden explains, raising a glass to toast and filling up my water bottle before I hit the road back to Tel Aviv.
Want to save $15 on your first Swirl? Add the coupon code: GREENPROPHET when you check out. For every purchase you make Mayu donates $25 to Green Prophet.
We already have great respect for the Zabbaleen in Garbage City, the minority Coptic Christians who make a living sorting through Cairo’s trash, and then we saw these extraordinary Cave Churches that they have built. Visiting Cairo, Egypt and looking for an unusual Good Friday or Sunday mass? Try the Cave Church or the church in the rock. It has expanded in the last 10 years. See the above and below photos from 2013 to 2023.
The Cave Church or church in the rock in Cairo Egypt image via Emad Rifaie
Historically marginalized and evicted from Giza in 1970, a community of Coptic Christians took up residence at the foot of the Mokattam hills in south east Cairo.
Ghayt Al Adah, Abdeen, Cairo Governorate 4421240, Egypt, the church in the rock or the Cave Church
Burned by their previous experience, the religious group hesitated to build permanent churches in their settlement, which is now lined with mountains of trash, until 1976, when a fire broke out in Manshiyat Nasir.
The first 1,000 square foot cave church was carved at the foot of Mokattam mountain. The largest in the Middle East – the Monastery of St. Simon the Tame, a Coptic Christian saint – has an ampitheater that boasts a seating capacity of 20,000 devotees.
St. Bola’s Church, St. Marks Church, and St. Simon the Tanner’s Hall are among the six additional cave churches carved out of the rock, which continue to serve the community to this day.
Despite their status as outcasts, the Zabaleen have proven themselves to be not only excellent craftsmen whose attention to detail in the cave churches is sensational, but their garbage recycling operations are exceptionally efficient.
The subject of a popular documentary, the Zabaleen also used to raise pigs, which are considered haram (unclean) by Muslims, to manage Cairo’s organic waste as well. But then the government culled most of them in response to the swine flu epidemic in 2009.
A small handful of pigs have made a quiet comeback since then, though they remain in hidden corners of Garbage City.
Getting pork out of Egypt
Although Egypt has lost a lot of its tourists as a result of the post-revolution instability and occasional bouts of violence, the Cave Churches continue to attract a few.
Ostrich eggs found in fire pit, Israel Negev Desert
A cracked pile of 8 ancient, 4000-year-old ostrich eggs were uncovered near an ancient fire pit in the Israeli Negev desert while making way for new agricultural developments. “This is a very important find that—with the help of modern scientific methods—can teach us a lot about the nomadic people of the desert in ancient times,” said Lauren Davis, the Israel Antiquities Authority excavation director.
“We found a camp site, which extends over about 200 square yards, that was used by the desert nomads since prehistoric times. At the site we found burnt stones, flint and stone tools as well as pottery sherds, but the truly special find is this collection of ostrich eggs. Although the nomads did not build permanent structures at this site, the finds allow us to feel their presence in the desert,” she says.
As soon as the nomads moved on the camp sites were quickly covered over by the dunes and were re-exposed with the sand movement over hundreds and thousands of years. This fact explains the exceptional preservation of the eggs, allowing us a glimpse into the lives of the nomads who roamed the desert in ancient times. (There are still nomads in Israel. Peek inside their tent.)
Lauren Davis finds ostrich eggs
Ostriches were common in the area from the early prehistoric periods until they became extinct in the wild in the course of the 19th century. Their eggs have been found in archaeological sites from several periods, reflecting the importance of ostrich eggs as a raw material for food and design.
Ostrich eggs were often buried with the dead, used in luxury goods of the ancients and used for water canteens.
Life for a modern nomad in Jordan today
One ostrich egg omelette had the nutritional value of about 25 normal chicken eggs, explained Amir Gorzalczany from the Israel Antiquities Authority, who has researched the subject. “There is sometimes even evidence of decorating and incising on ostrich eggs, showing their use as decorative items. It is interesting, that whilst ostrich eggs are not uncommon in excavations, the bones of the large bird are not found. This may indicate that in the ancient world, people avoided tackling the ostrich and were content with collecting their eggs.”
“The proximity of the group of eggs to the fire pit indicates that this is not a natural chance find but the intentional collecting of the eggs,” says Davis. “One of the eggs was found directly in the fire pit, strengthening the understanding that they were used as food here. The ostrich eggs were crushed but well-preserved, despite the fact that they were uncovered in the surface layer.”
One ostrich eggs contains the nutrition of 2 dozen regular chicken eggs
The next step is to put the pieces together like a puzzle, giving more clues perhaps about the ways of the ancients. Other fascinating research from the region includes funerary highways in Saudi Arabia and the desert kites of ancient trappers in Jordan and the region. There are big wows of course for Petra and the Nabateans, but also the lives of every day people are important to learn from.
