Figs drying on a tray in Lebanon. There are over 750 fig varieties and native to the Middle East
The strong grey trunk, the wide velvety leaves, the sticky itchy white milk resin that leaks from the cracked leaves, its round crimson fruits with their bellies filled with honeyed goodness. In my opinion, nothing beats a fig tree.
The fig (which tastes great baked or with fresh cream and arak) is strictly native to the Middle East, specifically Syria and Anatolia. From there, the fig has been transported to North Africa, Spain and Italy, South America, Mesopotamia, Iran, India and most recently in California. Now, you can even order a fig tree online and plant it in your yard in the right climate or inside your home anywhere in the world.
The worldliness of the fig tree aided by the master of it all, the special pollinating fig wasp the Blastophaga psenes, have resulted in over 750 varieties, each with its own particular genetic print. Like a person, each fig has a different character: a taste, shape and color.
The names of many of the Middle Eastern fig varieties take root from descriptive words, for example the variety named Byadi originates from the Arabic word Abyad for white, and it can be found in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
In Italy, fig varieties are named after their place of origin like “Dei greci”, of the Greeks, or “Della Monaca”, of the nuns, alternatively they are named after the period in which they ripen such as the “Natalina”, Christmas period or “Tardiva”, the late comers.
Here is a sample of fig varieties from the Middle East:
Lebanese red: Lebanese varieties found along the coast.
Barada: Honey flavored from the historic Christian village of Sidnaya outside of Damascus
Byadi: From the village of Mishtayeh in Syria.
Shtawi: Shtawi comes from the word Shitaa’ in Arabic which means winter. It ripens very late, usually in November into Christmas and it is a variety grown in Koura, Lebanon.
Sumaki: Originally from Syria, it’s one of the finest tasting figs. It’s named after the Sumac spice.
Persian white: Originally from Northern Iran.
Rimaley: Collected from Mishtayeh, Syria. Its a long fig with red interior.
Oh and by the way, the fig is not a fruit but a flower “grown inwards”. To be precise, the fig is the infructescence or scion of the tree, in which the flowers and seeds are borne inside. Here is how you can enjoy your infructescence 5 different ways.
Cow dung could be used to create a next generation sustainable material, according to a new report.
Livestock dung is typically used as a fertiliser or as a source of biogas for green energy applications, but the study, led by scientists at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in collaboration with the universities of Bristol and Edinburgh, reviewed recent research into the development of high-value manure-derived materials from ruminant animals such as cattle.
They found that dung has been largely overlooked despite the “staggering” variety of different applications for recycled ‘ruminant waste biomass’ (RWB).
The most common applications use manure in combination with other components to create composite materials such as plastic, recycled card and paper or concrete. However, it could also be used for the extraction of nanocellulose – a prospective bio-based and biodegradable material of the future. See our article on Melodea.
Currently, there is a trade-off between the performance of the material and the amount of processing required to achieve this – limiting the capacity of RWB to replace conventional materials on a commercial level.
Professor Fabrizio Scarpa, from Bristol’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, explained: “In this study we have looked at assessing current manufacturing processes and performance of sustainable composites with lignin-based reinforcements extracted essentially from ruminant waste.
“Those composites can also be made by using various types of recycled plastics, together with different classes of reclaimed natural fibres. This is very promising for future sustainable materials applications in the extraction of nanocellulose from manure.
Roadmap for making biobased materials
“Nanocellulose is a biobased material with very interesting characteristics from the mechanical perspective. We found evidence that manure-derived reinforcements could also provide mechanical characteristics like analogous existing composites made from reinforcements derived from non-waste sources.
“In the paper we also describe some potential roadmaps to consider synthetic biology routes to make viable biobased materials from manure, and moving the production of materials towards a sustainable, circular, and local supply chain.”
Vijai Kumar Gupta, Senior Challenge Research Fellow at SRUC, said: “Given the demand for sustainable materials and the ever-increasing interest in nanocellulose research, it is highly likely that it will soon be brought out of the lab and into factories and everyday products.
“Ruminant waste biomass could be instrumental for the transition of nanocellulose production to large and economically viable scales.”
“Nanocellulose, in combination with other materials such as polymers, metals and ceramics, has huge potential for use in antibacterial agents, antioxidants, sensors, electromagnetic shielding devices, adsorbents in water treatment, fuel cells, electrochromic and in biomedical applications.”
Red Sea Farms has rebranded from being a business that produces cucumbers and peppers to RedSea, one that produces technology for hydroponic companies.
Saudi Arabia is planning on building the world’s largest cities, 15-minute cities like the linear city The Line and The New Murabba in Riyadh and plans to do all this building sustainably. How will people living in these urban centers be fed fresh salad greens, tomatoes and cucumbers on demand? Hydroponics or soilponics as it is mainly done in Israel, feeds just the roots of the plants a nutrient-laden water.
This hyper-efficient way of growing food is how you grow fresh food in the desert while minimising resources. It also works in space – I was interviewed by Fast Company about it. Of course regenerative organic farming would be the goal for humanity: it’s a practice where you nourish the soil and the environment, but we don’t have time for that: until 1 in 20 people want to become farmers, we need to compromise with hydroponics and on a large-scale. And that’s where Saudi Arabia is headed.
RedSea, a Saudi AgTech business built by immigrants, just made a MoU deal with the Saudi Downtown Company (SDC) – a fully-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). PIF is owned by the Saudi Government. The new partnership aims to invest in, build and operate RedSea greenhouses at SDC locations.
This is obviously great news for RedSea and its ability to develop its greenhouse business across Saudi Arabia.
RedSea has attracted $18.5M USD in strategic investment so far because it takes a fortune to scale a tech and farm business. The company has just rebranded from being a farm company to being a tech company. There are two separate websites.
RedSea uses science to design sustainable agriculture technologies for very hot climates. RedSea’s technologies span from the roots of the fruits and vegetables to the roof of the greenhouse and have been proven in its 6-hectare facility near Riyadh and its research and development facility in KAUST, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. See the image above.
The Red Sea is also the major body of water that surrounds Saudi Arabia on the west.
The aim is for these greenhouses is to provide a platform to enhance the quality of life and promote economic growth across 12 Saudi cities. Hydroponics is very labor intensive so no doubt RedSea will be hiring.
The partnership, according to RedSea, will help highlight the rich culture and traditions of each area. I know that greenhouses growing food in Harlem, New York City have helped women connect to food in a personal way. As for RedSea, its greenhouses aim to become attractive destinations for visitors in their own right through their creative experience and culinary-driven offerings.
New job and training opportunities for locals can be expected in the horticultural management, juice bars and cafes.
Ryan Lefer and Mark Tester, co-founders of Red Sea Farms
America’s desert agriculture engineer Ryan Lefers, now the CEO and a co-founder of RedSea, said: that “the facilities themselves are designed as experience centres for community visitors whilst also providing agriculture education as well as economic advantages.”
RedSea now has its technology deployed in seven countries and is currently delivering produce to over 100 retail locations across Saudi Arabia, under the Red Sea Farms produce brand. This partnership is part of the portfolio of high-profile sustainable farm facilities RedSea is building, including RedSea Global and Silal.
Downsides of hydroponic farming no one wants to talk about
Hydroponics and greenhouse agriculture is often celebrated as being without a doubt “sustainable” but it still relies heavily on added nutrients from petrochemical industries.
Water is still needed for the processes and the actual amount is usually under-reported. The ultimate solution for desert greenhouses is building them near the sea and providing water from desalination using solar panels nearby the greenhouses. See seawater greenhouses in Abu Dhabi and Qatar. ReaSea is also using seawater in its processes.
Lighting and cooling, when used intensively like in cannabis farming, is not sustainable. Saudi Arabia gets enough sunlight year-round so that won’t be their problem.
Plastics rule the industry in sheets on the sand or in pipes and trays that hold the plants and where the water flows. The food we eat may then carry trace amounts of plastics and questions arise on the life-cycle of these plastics. See a story on tires in your lettuce.
Size, scale and location next to urban centers is critical for any hydroponics business model to work. I’ve spoken with people in the business who say that urban farmers running single-family container farms is a sham (email me for names), and buying into them makes it impossible to recoup investments – unless you are a growing a high-value crop like cannabis or wasabi.
We see that smaller-scale hydroponics like Infarm didn’t scale correctly or had a flawed business model and laid off half its staff in December. Consider this: if you have 100 small farms in a city like Berlin a lot more can go wrong in terms of quality control and management than if you run one large farm that supplies 100 shops in Berlin.
Plastics in packaging also rule the vegetable industry when it comes to hydroponics. I’ve seen produce in Canada shipped in individual plastic boxes. A regular head of lettuce grown in the soil isn’t given so much honor. Red Sea Farms have announced that they use sustainable packaging.
Red Sea Farms makes tiny cucumbers, a Middle East favorite
I think the RedSea venture is an exciting one for the Middle East. This region can avoid the mistakes of large-scale commercial farming being made in the United States and with round-the-year sun teach the world something better about desert farming. No doubt it will be a draw and a big learning opportunity for the Dutch, Canadians and Israelis who already excel at hydroponics. The Dutch for their stubbornness and excellence in growing in greenhouses. The Canadians who finessed hydroponics when cannabis was not legal.
The ancients in the Middle East always managed somehow.
Tech advances developed by RedSea
RedSea has proprietary technologies including a transparent nano-material which allows visible light through while absorbing the heat. They have built a smart enterprise remote monitoring and control system enabling higher yields and sustainability for agriculture producers in hot climates globally. RedSea’s goal is not just growing food but developing agricultural technologies for hot environments.
Melda Akin will mentor women in AI so they can do AI tech in the Middle East
Melda Akin, an award-winning computer scientist and the founder of D14.AI, an AI company solving optimization challenges in business, just launched Sirius Labs in Dubai. It’s an app that trains women to launch careers in tech. Less than 20% of the workforce in tech is women, and Akin who has won awards in entrepreneurship, will help the UAE and MENA region women build out a local workforce led by women. She is among the first women to organize AI and machine learning training for women in the Middle East region.
Sirius Labs, she says, offers curated AI and tech training programs and mentorship to females across MENA.
“I believe in the power of tech to solve the world’s biggest challenges,” she says, “Sirius Labs brings curated, personalized learning paths to enable women the best chance possible to succeed in the technology sector. Through our AI engine, we continuously track, learn, and improve content recommendations for our students to create the most efficient learning journey.
“With the number of women pursuing STEM subjects in higher education on the decline and only 18% of women achieving new computer science degrees,” Akin notes, “it is important that we collaborate with key players within the space and provide support and mentoring to females who want to pursue a career in technology. I look forward to demonstrating the transformative potential of Sirius Labs, and AI-driven training, for women in tech and helping them secure their dream jobs.”
The Sirius Labs platform evaluates each student when first enrolled onto the program and uses AI to dynamically create a personalized learning pathway tailored to their individual needs. The students are mentored in technology and taught key skills to land tech-based jobs through workshops, bootcamps and women-empowerment events with top technology companies.
In the next six months, Sirius Labs aims to train 100 Middle East North African and Turkey-based women to land their dream tech job and sign 20 hiring contracts for technology roles.
The Sirius Labs program will cover a variety of technology-focused subjects including product management, project management, IOS development, Android development, introduction to AI, data science and software development. It also offers advice on important soft skills needed to succeed in the technology sector, as well as interview preparation, negotiation and communication skills, conflict resolution, public speaking and storytelling.
I hope they consider adding a sustainability angle to the training because big energy is currently dominated by men and renewable energy entrepreneurship could use a boost by women entering the workforce.
Inbal Arieli, author of Startup Nation. She was my tech mentor.
And when it comes to women in tech, it takes one to know one –– the best mentors for women are women and I can attest to that. When I had my startup Flux I was mentored by Inbar Arieli, author of Chutzpah: Leadership Skills & Innovation Secrets. Through Arieli I got to participate in the 8200 EISP program, which is run by programmers from Israel’s elite army unit 8200. Thanks to Arieli who comes from the 8200 unit herself and who has founded a number of startups, I got to travel to Aspen to the Aspen Ideas Festival where I met world-leading minds in innovation and entrepreneurship. Women can only take the lead when they see other leaders. Every time I stood on stage to introduce my company I had young women come up to me saying, “I want to do that too.”
It’s not only important, but critical that women from around the world enter the conversations in AI as what’s happening today in AI builds the framework for the next 100 years. ChatGTP for instance carries web-based biases with it when it comes up with queries. Men program their biases into technology and this is the reason why we end up with virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa sounding like their maids.
Akin is ranked one of the Top 20 Women in Tech MENA 2022 and 2021, and Top 10 Women Behind Middle Eastern Tech Brands 2021 by Forbes. Melda was also selected as ‘Women Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2022 at the Middle East Womens Leader Summit and is a mentor in the United Nations and NAMA Women Empowerment organization. She was the first woman in the world to organize and conduct AI and machine learning training for women in the region – in collaboration with the Cyber Defence and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Kingdom of the Saudi Arabia.
Three cheers for Akin.
Areas in tech that could benefit from sustainable AI
Abu Dhabi: HH Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Executive Council member (center), witnesses the signing of a training agreement between Etihad Rail and ACTVET, during the Emirates Skills 2023 Competition, at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre ADNEC. Seen with Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail (left) and HE Dr Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Director General of ACTVET (right). Abdulla Al Neyadi / UAE Presidential Court
Rail and air travel relies heavily on the cost-effectiveness and lightness of plastics for fuel efficiency. Look inside the body of an aircraft and the passenger cabins of light railways and trains and you can’t deny the importance of plastics. So yeah, while we want to ban the plastic bag and see fewer flipflops in the Seychelles we still need to push for more sustainable plastics. But much more can be done in innovation so that plastics are produced with less waste and so plastic can be upcycled, recycled or generally stopped from going to landfill. Are there tires in your lettuce? is a good lesson for us to look at.
So a forward thinking Abu Dhabi is putting their mark on greening the plastics industry by connecting industry at Etihad Rail with students at ACTVET to apply the latest 3D printing technologies that use recycled materials. ACTVET is the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
Etihad Rail signs a deal to help create more sustainable plastics with researchers and young Emirati students.
Abu Dhabi‘s Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council, Chairman of Etihad Rail, signed an MOU to promote the engineering and design of eco-friendlier plastics with the help of expertise of young locals trained in the sector.
Sheikh Theyab emphasised the importance of hiring Emirati manpower to work on the latest technologies for 3D printing because the UAE can’t outsource its future. Last year the UAE started taking more steps to make the home-workplace balance more equitable by offering a 4.5 day workweek.
Eithad Rail will help you zip across the desert: The Etihad Rail passenger train will connect 11 cities and regions across the UAE. It will stretch from Al Sila to Fujairah including Al Ruwais, Al Mirfa, Dubai, Sharjah, Al Dhaid and Abu Dhabi. Travelling from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and from Dubai to Fujairah will only take 50 minutes each in the future.
Shadi Malak, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Rail, said “Our wise leadership have continuously empowered our nation’s youth as they are a vital part in the development of all sectors and the drivers of continued growth and progress.”
What should we promote recycled plastics?
The use of recycled materials helps companies achieve sustainability goals by improving resource efficiency, enhancing the environment by reducing waste from production and manufacturing processes and protecting natural resources. Sustainable use of plastics materials can also improve long-term profitability by reducing costs associated with materials waste and minimising pollution.
The application of 3D printing specifically allows the production of parts and components with high precision, speed and lower costs compared to traditional methods of manufacturing, and saves energy by reducing the number of steps required to operate the equipment needed to produce manufacturing moulds, tools, and equipment.
And what’s most important for the planet and the Middle East is that manufacturing is done close to home, not in a town or village in another part of the world.
A section from The Line, Saudi Arabia, a 15 minute-city, rendering shown in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud has decided to put oil money profits from Saudi Aramco, its national oil company and largest company in the world, to an interesting use: he is building 110-mile long 15-minute city called The Line on the coast of the Red Sea.
The Line, the linear city, will also be a 15-minute city, an urban planning concept where most of one’s daily necessities such as work, shopping, healthcare, education and leisure can be easily reached by a 15-minute walk or bike ride from any point in your city. (Saudi Arabia is also thinking about implementing a 4-day work week).
Children look at model of The Line, a 15-minute city part of Neom, Saudi Arabia
Healthy cities in Europe like Rotterdam (read here why this Dutch city is so sustainable) and in Jaffa, Israel already do this. But by building one from scratch there is a risk of sanitizing the joy of living in such places which grow organically like an Old Growth Forest. Copying and pasting commercial concepts planned in advance in 15-minute chunks could be risky. Like Masdar learned in the United Arab Emirates, its 15-minute, zero energy city developed by the renewable energy company of the same name, was a flop. A unique design with an incredible lure, the more adventurous among Abu Dhabi’s intrepid tourists may find something endearing about this unrealized dream.
Why conspiracy theorists are against 15-minute cities
Conspiracy theorists, often the same people who are climate change deniers, and against Covid vaccinations aren’t buying the dream of 15-minute city, developed in concept by Professor Carlos Moreno at the Sorbonne in Paris, which has enraged a number of Americans and Canadians who believe that driving your car is a basic right. This is despite the cost of gas directly controlled by Saudi Aramco, the Saudi owned oil company, owned by the Crown Prince and which made a record 161 billion USD in profits last year.
Naysayers are calling the 15-minute city concept a “socialist conspiracy theory” that takes away basic human rights to movement, comparing the idea to Nazi ghettos in Germany. That comparison is highly overused. Loose words spoken in social media today by both the “woke” and the right wing confound and confuse conversations.
I love the idea of 15-minute cities if people will want to live in them.
It is certainly probable that highly socialist countries like my motherland Canada are to blame for emerging interest in 15-minute cities as a cultural and environmental concept. Years ago at the University of Toronto I was shaped by an environmental philosophy course with lectures on “what makes a city healthy”. Strip malls, housing projects, suburbia were deemed unhealthy and unsocial, while mixed-housing streets in the middle of Toronto like Walmer Road where I lived in the Annex, were very much good examples of a healthy city at work and play.
A healthy street and neighborhood should include people from all walks of life: students, the wealthy class, the welfare class, and everything in between and Walmer Road offered that, amazingly so. A laundromat, grocery store, parks, good eats, dog-friendly parks, pubs and my university were within a 15-minute walk. I lived there for 5 years celebrating that I didn’t need a car. My bike filled in for getting places fast closer to Lake Ontario, even in the snow.
When I got older and returned to Toronto I noticed that the dream wasn’t always accessible to all. My cousin bound to a wheelchair is part of a sailing club and can travel to work in her chair but when the sidewalks aren’t ploughed from the snow, she has a problem. When my dad was dying in a hospital in Toronto, it took me more than 15-minutes to go out by foot in the freezing to find him fresh fruit which wasn’t available at the hospital, a dead zone area around the bottom part of the university where it links to the city’s financial heart on Bay Street. Don’t doctors and bankers need fresh fruit?
According to Wired with help from right-wing figures in the US and UK, including the author Jordan Peterson, the 15-minute city concept has become entwined within a much bigger universe of conspiracies based around the idea of a “Great Reset” that will see people locked in their homes by climate-obsessed autocracies.
Being locked down in my opinion is only a state of mind (our carbon-based bodies are already trapped on earth and are forced to breath, eat, sleep), and living in a 15-minute city will make people much happier if done right. Imagine grandmothers living within walking distance to their grandkids. Kids who can wild range roam like they live in a kibbutz? I live in a 15-minute city in Jaffa, Israel. Now that my kids are older they get around fine by now although the electric bikes make it unsafe for them to use bike lanes.
I shop on foot, get to my college classes by a short 10-minute bike ride. My health services, rarely used, is 10-minutes by foot and I know the names of the people who run the corner stores. This is opposed to living the American dream in Los Angeles, driving to everywhere and shopping at big box shops on the cheap.
Malakeh Jazmati, above, in her kitchen in Berlin. Jazmati, who came from Syria to Germany as a refugee 2-years-ago, has set up her own catering business featuring Syrian food. Image via Arab News
Syrian cuisine features home-cooking and a secret ingredient called “love”, necessary in Middle Eastern style cooking. Syrians use a wide variety of spices such as cumin, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, sumac, and za’atar.
The use of these spices and herbs in Syrian cooking is a result of the country’s location and history. Syria has been a crossroads of trade and culture for centuries, and this has influenced its cuisine. The country’s proximity to the Mediterranean Sea has also had a significant impact on its food traditions. The small coastal region of Syria above Lebanon and below Turkey is known for its seafood dishes, which feature a variety of herbs and spices such as thyme, parsley, and garlic. We have a list of pantry items, dried, herbal and spices you will need for a Middle East kitchen here.
Another unique aspect of Syrian cooking is the use of ingredients such as pomegranate molasses (make an almond torte with your pomegranate molasses), rose water, and orange blossom water. These ingredients are also plentiful in Turkey, and in my backyard in Jaffa, are used to add a sweet and tangy flavor to dishes the same way Indians use tamarind. (My family had the pleasure of harvesting tamarinds in Goa, India.)
In addition to the variety of herbs and spices used in Syrian cooking, the cooking methods also play a role in creating the unique flavors and textures of the cuisine. Traditional Syrian dishes are often cooked in large family-friendly batches, slow-cooked or grilled, which allows the flavors of the spices and herbs to infuse into the dish. I still remember the slow-cooked and grilled chicken our friend made for us in Aleppo, Syria, and another time sitting cross-legged near Damascus, round a large dish of fresh salads, digging in together, with pitas as forks.
Overall, the combination of unique herbs and spices, cooking techniques, and cultural influences make Syrian cooking a standout in my world. Over the years we have written a great number of recipes covering Middle East cuisine and which focus on Syria and the region. The traditions overlap into Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, The West Bank, Jordan. These recipes are the common ones and easy to do once you get the hang of it.
Kibbeh:
Kibbeh is a traditional Syrian dish made from bulgur wheat, ground meat (usually lamb), onions, and spices. It is often served as an appetizer or a main dish. The dish is believed to have originated in the Levant region, which includes modern-day Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. The recipe for kibbeh is here.
Fattoush is a salad made from chopped vegetables, herbs, and crispy (leftover?) pieces of pita bread. The dressing is usually made from lemon juice, olive oil, and sumac. Fattoush is a popular dish in Syria and throughout the Levant region. I had the best tangy fattoush in my life in Jordan with piles of sumac but each country and kitchen has its own take. Jump into vegetarian Ramadan recipes here and find a way to make fattoush.
Tabouleh:
Tabouleh is a salad made from finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, onions, and bulgur wheat. The dressing is usually made from lemon juice and olive oil. Tabouleh is a popular dish in Syria and throughout the Levant region. Try this tabouleh with a twist, using quinoa which is healthier than bulgur.
Moutabbal:
Moutabbal is a dip made from roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. It is often served as an appetizer or a side dish with pita bread. Moutabbal is similar to baba ghanoush, which is a similar dish made with mashed eggplant. Get my recipe here.
Fatayer:
Fatayer are small, stuffed pastries that are often filled with spinach, cheese, or meat. They are similar to empanadas or samosas. Fatayer are a popular snack in Syria and throughout the Middle East. In this recipe Miriam learns to cook like a Druize, making fatayer like a local (Druize in Israel have Syrian roots).
Kofta:
Kofta, kafta is a dish made from ground meat (usually lamb or beef) that is mixed with spices and shaped into balls or patties. The meat is then grilled or fried. Kofta is a popular dish in Syria and throughout the Middle East. Get a satisfying kofta recipe here.
Mujadara:
Mujadara means lentils and rice and it is a simple dish made from rice, lentils, and caramelized onions. Cumin is key. It is a simple and hearty dish that is popular throughout the Middle East. Get our mujadera recipe here.
Manakeesh are flatbreads that are topped with a variety of ingredients, including za’atar (a spice blend made from thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds), cheese, or meat. They are a popular breakfast food in Syria and throughout the Middle East. Make flatbread the way you like it then add olive oil and za’atar, sumac or soomsoom (sesame seeds). Read a bit of history here.
Now, we’re not claiming that we’ll be able to reproduce your favourite hummus perfectly – that kind of standard is entirely beyond us. There are as many versions of hummus as there are people that make it, after all. If your grandmother has passed her secrets on to you, consider yourself blessed. After hummus you must try muhammara: the garlicky, earthy, addictive red pepper and walnut spread that originally hails, so we understand, from Aleppo, Syria. Get the muhmarra recipe here.
The Masjidi al-Haram (Kaaba) complex in Mecca is always busy with pilgrims during the hajj season. The staff are working round the clock! Running and mopping at the same time.
“The extended weekend comes as part of the UAE government’s efforts to boost work-life balance and enhance social wellbeing, while increasing performance to advance the UAE’s economic competitiveness,” said UAE state news agency WAM.
The Saudi announcement came in response to an inquiry on Twitter to the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development which noted (in Arabic) that it’s considering the move to a 3-day weekend as well. According to the Arabic daily newspaper Al Madina, the Saudi ministry is taking a deep dive looking into its current current labor market, one we should note which is fraught with human rights violations (plenty of African housemaid videos on Youtube), and it will make a decision from there.
With Saudi Arabia’s growth of mega-projects as part of the Saudi Vision 2030, projects like Neom, The Line, Trojena ski hills in the desert, and a new Kabaa in Riyadh called the Mukaab, Saudi Arabia is processing hard the reasons why and how anyone from the outside world will want to work and live there. To fulfill its mission of being a technological superstar it’s going to have to create a few million Saudi tech geeks and lure hundreds of thousands of skilled and educated foreigners into the labor force.
What motivates people to work beyond money? Making an impact on the world, enjoying your workplace and being able to spend a considerable amount of valuable time off work in leisure, play, hobbies and hanging out with the family. The 4-day work week is a more sustainable solution for the planet. And studies and pilots in Europe suggest people can do as much in 32 hours as they can spreading it out over 40+.
Are we just held captive by the workplace looking for ways to escape? Working less gives us more time to refresh.
We do hope to see however that these 4-day workweeks trickle down to household staff, which complain of being held hostage and working unreasonable hours. Construction workers are exploited as well, Human Rights Watch reports, as Saudi works to create a brighter future for its people and the world.
Tire particles are getting into our food. A new experiment shows the pathway that converts chemicals into unknown toxins.
Car exhaust fumes pollute our cities and damage our lungs – but tiny bits of car tires when we screech to a lot, or which come over with wear and tear? It was assumed by the scientific community that these bits of plastic end up on the side of the round or down the storm pipe, but it turns out we are eating more synthetic materials that we want to know.
A recent study from the University of Vienna found that lettuce easily and quickly takes up runner bits when growing and we ingest them in our salads. Although natural rubber is the made material used in tires, there are 200 raw materials that go into them – some of the materials are not good for our health.
“Tire wear particles contain a number of organic chemicals, some of which are highly toxic,” says Anya Sherman, a PhD from the University of Vienna.
Why tire particles are a health concern?
“If these chemicals are released in the root zone of edible plants, they can be a health concern for consumers – provided the chemicals are taken up by the plants,” noted her supervisor Thilo Hofmann.
Until they asked the question, the answer was speculative. We know that microplastics are in the seas, microplastics are in the air we breath, and they are found in the breastmilk made for newborns. The Viennese researchers looked at the plastics and materials in tires and how they may be transferred to the food we eat.
The researchers used hydroponics, a method for growing food on water, using added nutrients delivered to the root systems of plants in tubes or plants floating on styrofoam beds. To simulate road runoff, the team added five chemicals to the hydroponic solutions of lettuce plants. Four of these chemicals are used in tire production. Not all of them are confirmed to be harmful. Yet, the fifth chemical is a transformation product of one of these four, created once the tires are in use on the road, and it is proven to be toxic:
The chemical 6PPD-quinone (originating from 6PPD) has been linked to mass deaths of salmon in the US: “Our measurements showed that the lettuce plants took up all the compounds we investigated through their roots, translocated them into the lettuce leaves and accumulated them there,” Sherman reports.
What is that new toxin produced inside the lettuce and why should we be worried?
This was also evident when the lettuce plants were not exposed to the chemicals directly, but indirectly via tire crumbs added to the growing medium. “The lettuce plants continuously take up the potentially harmful chemicals that are released from the tire abrasion particles over the long term,” notes Hofmann.
Driving a car produces tire wear particles, which are blown into the environment by the wind and washed into rivers and sewage by the rain – in total around 3 pounds per citizen, per year. Through the atmosphere and with the waste water or the sewage sludge used as fertilizer in agriculture, the tire particles can reach agricultural soils. Tire wear particles and other types of microplastics contain additives, which ensure specific properties, consistencies and the durability of these plastics.
Diagram showing how tire bits get pulled in by the roots, converting materials in tires to an unknown toxin
In soils, the small plastic or tyre particles usually release their pollutants in the upper soil layers – this was determined in earlier studies by the research team led by environmental geoscientist Hofmann. In their current study, the researchers shed light on whether the pollutants could migrate from there into the crops.
Using high resolution mass spectrometry methods, the Viennese environmental geoscientists not only measured the extent to which the previously defined chemicals ended up in the lettuce plants. They also identified the substances to which the lettuce plants metabolised the chemicals.
“The plants processed the substances and in doing so they produced compounds that have not been described before. Since we don’t know the toxicity of these metabolites, they pose a health risk that cannot be assessed so far,” said Thorsten Hüffer, senior scientist at the University of Vienna, emphasises.
The metabolites identified by the research team are quite stable in the plant. Most likely, they would therefore be preserved until reaching our plates. “In the human body, however, such compounds are very easily broken down. Thus, if someone eats such a contaminated lettuce, the original chemicals could be released again in the body,” Sherman explains.
Questions we should be asking
This news is particularly troubling and interesting to me. I worked in the area of hydroponics for about 5 years, promoting it as a sustainable method for growing food in cities. Most of the plants grown today in hydroponics are grown in cities or close to them, and they are grown in plastic pipes, tubes and water transport systems. I am left with these questions:
Should we be foraging and growing food in urban centers?
Does hydroponics, which grows food quickly, offer an easier pathway for toxicity into the plant than if it were just grown on a soil which contains more buffering agents and micronutrients?
Can there be innovation in tires so that less tire particles are emitted when driving?
Next up: how do tire particles grow into our food using the traditional soil pathway?
These are questions researchers will need to be asking. And next up the lab will be asking how tire particles are picked up by plants grown in soil. And the goods news for anyone reading this is if you work in science, the lab in Vienna is hiring.
Raphael Mechoulam, discoverer of THC, CBD in medicinal cannabis
It hit me like a punch to the gut: the world pioneer in cannabis research, Prof. Raphael Mechoulam, known as the father of cannabis research died in Israel at age 92. His research in cannabis, on THC and CBD set off a chain reaction globally, recognising cannabis as medicine. His chemistry work on cannabis has helped physicians prescribe better medicine for wider indication. He’s inspired a new generation of biologists to study cannabinoids, the active molecules in cannabis, as medicine.
I got to interview him some 15 years ago when I was working for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and I appreciate the time he took and candidness in which he approached his interview.
ProfessorMechoulam was the first in the world to isolate the psychoactive substance in cannabis, THC, which affects the brain, consciousness, and creativity, as well as CBD, the plant’s most important substance for its known medical benefits. He did this when at the Weizmann Institute of Science but made the mainstay of his career at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
He’d received dozens of awards, honors, and decorations throughout his life, including the Harvey Prize, EMET Prize, and Rothschild Prize.
In an article published in the journal Annual Reviews he shared “The endocannabinoid system has recently been revealed to us. Its involvement in a variety of biological processes is very broad, but the role of most of the substances that compose it, has not yet been studied. I want to emphasize that in the field of the endocannabinoid system, as in other fields, collaboration between scientists is a wonderful and useful thing for discovering new biological properties.”
“Working on cannabis was challenging and promising from a scientific perspective,” Mechoulam told me years ago. He had had support from the police, who provided the hashish (originating from police bans), and from the Ministry of Health, which gave the approval. The initial work was done at the Weizmann Institute and continued at the Hebrew University in 1966.
Prof. Asher Cohen, the President of the University, paid tribute to Prof. Mechoulam, “Most of the human and scientific knowledge about cannabis was collected thanks to Prof Mechoulam. He paved the way for a series of studies in the field and called for scientific collaboration among different researchers. He was a sharp-minded, groundbreaking, and charismatic intellectual. This is a sad day for the academic community, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family. May his memory be a blessing.”
Prof. Mechoulam was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in late 1930. after surviving the Holocaust he immigrated to Israel with his family in 1949. He began his journey at the Hebrew University with the completion of his second degree in biochemistry in 1953. Prof. Mechoulam began his research in cannabinoids at the Weizmann Institute in 1962 and then joined the Hebrew University in 1966, where he continued to study the compounds found in cannabis. He was appointed as a full-time professor in 1972 and in 1978 was appointed to the Lionel Jacobson Chair in Medicinal Chemistry.
Between 1979-1982, Prof. Mechoulam served as the Rector of the Hebrew University, and during his tenure, the Department of Computer Science was established. In 1999, Prof. Mechoulam was appointed as the President of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, a position he held until 2002. Additionally, he served as the Head of the Natural Sciences Division at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities since 2007.
Red Rock in Las Vegas is a short drive away from the city and something “eco” that locals do when they escape the tourist part of Vegas. Proof that there is nature in Vegas. You just need to go and look for it.
Las Vegas is a fantastic city with many things for locals and tourists to do. However, some attractions are designed explicitly for tourists more than locals. That is why the major tourist attractions cost a lot of money.
Las Vegas residents don’t often want to spend much money to experience local attractions unless they’ve never experienced them. Fortunately, there are plenty of things to do in Las Vegas which require little to no money to participate. Those are the things most popular with locals.
Below are the top 8 things to do in Las Vegas for locals.
1) Dine on Cheap and Delicious Pizza
Stuck in Las Vegas for a trade show and want some sustainable sanity? Start off with a good local pizza.
Great pizzerias with luxurious amenities exist throughout Las Vegas. But have you ever heard of a less popular pizza place called Secret Pizza?
If you have ever visited the Cosmopolitan Hotel, you may notice an unmarked pizzeria inside with the aroma of freshly baked pizza. This unmarked area is the Secret Pizza restaurant, which has affordable and delicious pizza options.
Visit the third floor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and head down the hallway with records on the walls. You’ll find Secret Pizza at the end of it. And you will feel like a local for finding it. Maybe catch a star hiding out eating a slice?
2) Rock Climbing at Red Rock Canyon
Joshua Trees aren’t only in California. Las Vegas has a bad rep for bad tourism but after you catch a great show (of which there are many) get out and climb in nature.
The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area allows locals and tourists to participate in rock climbing activities. A certified guide will accompany you as you climb one of over 2,000 climbing routes throughout the area. It doesn’t matter if you’re a local with or without rock climbing experience because the certified guide will assist you every step of the way.
3) Attend Cheap Shows
Local Las Vegas residents may want to pay to see a show occasionally, especially if it is a top-rated show. In fact, many of the tickets to the top shows coming to Las Vegas are reserved by locals before anyone else.
Locals often have access to exclusive discount opportunities and special discounts for being city residents. Websites like Vegas Lens also publish exclusive show ticket discounts for local residents and travelers.
4) Shopping at Container Park
Local shopping is tricky because Las Vegas has numerous luxury shops and high-priced retail stores. For instance, popular shopping areas like the Grand Canal Shoppes may be too pricey for locals to shop. A better option would be to visit Container Park, which is an outside mall with more affordable retail shops and food outlets.
Container Park is in Downtown Las Vegas. This outside mall has live entertainment, good restaurants, boutique retail shops, a children’s play area, a mini-theater, movies, free concerts, and more. It is an affordable place for a local person to take their family on the weekend.
5) Drive on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
How would you like to drive on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway racetrack whenever you want? One of the incredible benefits of being a local resident is that you can visit the Motor Speedway and purchase a low-cost ticket for the chance to drive a NASCAR race car. It’ll make you feel like you’re in a Fast & Furious movie.
You will ride alone in your race car while engaging in the NASCAR Racing Experience. A personal spotter will communicate with you through a 2-way radio, but you’ll be the only one behind the wheel. So, listen to the spotter for instructions to ensure an above-satisfactory experience.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is only a 10-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip. Free shuttle services to and from the Westgate Hotel are available. But if you are a local, you’ll probably want to drive there in your own vehicle. That is fine too
6) Visit the Mob Museum
The Mob Museum is always fun to visit if you’re interested in crime drama and mob history. After all, the mafia had a powerful influence in Las Vegas during the city’s early days. And it’s best staying in the annals of history.
Local residents can appreciate the mob’s history in Las Vegas more than anyone else. Even though the mob was filled with ruthless criminals, they did help shape Las Vegas into what it would eventually become.
7) Visit Hershey’s Chocolate World
Do you love chocolate? If so, you can visit Hershey’s Chocolate World at the New York-New York Hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Hershey’s Chocolate World is fascinating for locals and tourists who love chocolate. It is a 13,000-square-foot store that sells over 800 different kinds of Hershey’s branded chocolate. There is even an 800-pound chocolate sculpture of the landmark Statue of Liberty inside the store.
8) Free Attractions
Las Vegas is crawling with free attractions. Local residents have a unique opportunity to see these attractions whenever they want.
The best free attractions in Las Vegas for locals include the Bellagio Fountains, the Mirage Volcano, the Fremont Street Experience Light Shows, the saltwater aquarium at the Silverton Hotel, circus performances at the Circus Circus Hotel, and the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
Conclusion
Las Vegas is just as much fun for locals as for tourists. Actually, you have more of a benefit as a local resident because you can take advantage of the off-season discounts and other limited-time opportunities without worrying about making travel arrangements.
Islam is one of the world’s largest religions, with over 1.8 billion followers globally. One of the key tenets of Islam is the concept of abstinence from alcohol. This is rooted in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, which has been an integral part of Islamic culture and practice for over 1,400 years.
The Quran, which is the central religious text of Islam, contains several verses that prohibit the consumption of alcohol. In one verse, it says, “O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful” (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:90). This verse is a clear command from the Muslim God Allah to abstain from intoxicants, including alcohol and cannabis, in order to attain success in life.
The prohibition of alcohol in Islam is not limited to the Quran, however. The Hadith, which are a collection of sayings and actions of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, also emphasize abstaining from alcohol. In one Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said, “Every intoxicant is khamr (wine) and every khamr is haram (forbidden)” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Intoxicants). Drinking alcohol means being forbidden to enter the sweet hereafter.
The history of Islam and alcohol
The history of Islam and alcohol abstinence can be traced back to the early days of Islam. According to historical accounts, alcohol was widely consumed in pre-Islamic Arabia, and was considered a normal part of everyday life. According to Rudi Matthee the word alcohol is Arabic in origin, deriving from al-kohl, pulverized antimony used to darken the eye lines; Muslim alchemists, most notably the Iranian Zakariya al-Razi (865–925; better known under his Latin name Rhazes) are credited with the invention of the process of distillation.
However, after the revelation of the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, alcohol consumption began to decline among Muslims.
Today, alcohol abstinence remains an important part of Islamic culture and practice. Many modern Muslims choose to abstain from alcohol as a way to honor the ancient teachings of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad.
There are a number of famous Muslims who do not drink alcohol, including world-renowned boxer Muhammad Ali, who famously said, “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, and I don’t take drugs. I’m living clean.”
Another example is the footballer Mesut Özil, who has spoken openly about his decision to abstain from alcohol. In an interview with UAE newspaper The National, he said, “I don’t drink, and that’s a personal choice. It’s something that I’ve always felt is important to me, and it’s part of my faith.”
There are many other Muslims around the world who choose to abstain from alcohol and drugs, even cannabis and hashish for religious reasons. This includes millions of Muslims who live in countries where alcohol consumption is legal, but who choose not to drink in order to honor the teachings of Islam.
The history of Islam and alcohol abstinence is a rich and complex one, rooted in the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith. From the early days of Islam to the present day, Muslims around the world have chosen to abstain from alcohol as a way to honor their faith and demonstrate their commitment to living a clean and pure life. While alcohol consumption remains a part of many cultures and societies around the world, the importance of abstaining from alcohol in Islam cannot be overstated.
Abstaining from alcohol is a common practice in many religions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism. In Islam, alcohol is strictly prohibited by the Quran, the holy book of Islam. Muslims believe that alcohol is harmful to the body and mind, and it can lead to sinful behavior and actions that are not in line with the teachings of Islam. You will find Muslims who drink but in general the practice is frowned upon.
Similarly, in Christianity, the Bible teaches that drunkenness is a sin and that Christians should not be controlled by anything, including alcohol and the devil. In Judaism, alcohol is permitted in moderation, and a glass of wine sanctifies the Shabbat dinner every Friday night and Saturday, but excessive drinking is discouraged as it can lead to irresponsible behavior and harm to oneself and one’s community.
In Buddhism, the consumption of alcohol is discouraged as it can lead to a loss of mindfulness and awareness, which are the basic essential aspects of a Buddhist’s practice. Buddhists strive to achieve inner peace and clarity of mind, and, well, drinking alcohol can take you far away from that state of mind.
For many people who practice any of these religions, and may be even both of them (Judaism and Buddhism can go together) abstaining from alcohol is seen as a way to lead a healthier and more spiritually fulfilling life.
In addition to religious reasons, some people choose not to drink alcohol for personal or health reasons. Alcohol can be addictive and have negative effects on the body and mind, and can cause liver damage, impaired judgment, and increased risk of accidents and injuries. After day-drinking and COVID we learn just last year that no amount of alcohol is safe.
Virgin cocktails are making a comeback. Here are 10 you can order if you find yourself at a bar or work party and want to join the party without partaking.
Virgin Mojito: In a tall glass, push down 8 to 10 mint leaves with 1/2 lime juice and 2 tsp sugar. Fill the glass with ice and top up with soda water. Stir well and garnish with mint leaves and lime wedge.
A mojito for Muslims
Shirley Temple: Fill a tall glass with ice and add 1 oz grenadine syrup and 4 oz ginger ale. Stir well and garnish with a cherry and orange slice. It’s a classic.
Strawberry Lemonade: In a blender, blend 1 cup fresh strawberries with 1/2 cup lemon juice and 2 tbsp honey. Strain the mixture and pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top up with sparkling water and garnish with a strawberry. Yum. You can add maple syrup or agave or any other sweetener as well.
Pineapple Coconut Cooler: In a blender, blend 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks with 1/2 cup coconut milk and 2 tsp honey or maple syrup. Strain the mixture and pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top up with sparkling water and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Virgin Margarita: In a blender, blend 1 cup ice, 1/2 cup lime juice, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 cup orange juice. Rim a salted glass with lime wedge and dip into salt. Pour the mixture into the glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
Virgin Pina Colada: In a blender, blend 1 cup pineapple chunks, 1/2 cup coconut milk, and 1/2 cup ice. Pour the mixture into a tall glass and top up with pineapple juice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Blueberry Lemon Spritzer: In a shaker, mix 1/4 cup fresh blueberries with 1/2 oz lemon juice and 1 tbsp honey. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and top up with sparkling water. Garnish with blueberries and lemon slices.
Peach Iced Tea: In a pitcher, mix 1/2 cup peach puree with 6 cups brewed iced tea and 2 tbsp honey, maple syrup or agave. Stir well and pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with peach slice and mint leaves.
Cucumber Lemonade: In a blender, blend 1 cup of cucumber slices with 1/2 cup lemon juice and 2 tbsp honey or agave. Strain the mixture and pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top up with soda water and garnish with cucumber slices.
Virgin Mary: In a salted rimmed glass, pour 4 oz tomato juice, 1/2 oz lemon juice, 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp hot sauce, and a pinch of black pepper. Stir well and garnish with a celery stalk.
Starting a seed bank at home can be an act of resistance
Starting a seed bank at home is a great way to preserve family traditions of food and gardening. You don’t need to be a biologist or forester: Many families have unique heirloom seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation. Look to your backyard or your old family cottage. Collecting and storing seeds of food and plants you love is a great way to ensure that these traditions continue, but it is also a way to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainability. Nothing says I love you more than a pack of seeds.
Here are 10 steps and tips to help you start a seed bank at home:
Determine what seeds you want to collect: The first step in starting a home seed bank is to determine which seeds you want to collect. Think about the fruits, flowers vegetables, trees, and herbs that your family enjoys eating and growing. Tomatoes are a good start. Consider collecting seeds from plants that have been grown in your family for generations or that have sentimental value. Taking a trip back to your ancestral home? Collect seeds. Just check on laws about importing them to your country if you live on a different continent. If your family are an immigrant family, think about what your grandmother loved to eat “back home”.
Choose the right time to collect seeds: It is important to collect seeds when they are mature and viable. Most seeds are ready to be collected when the fruits or vegetables are ripe and ready to be harvested and eaten. However, some seeds, such as tomato seeds, might need to be soaked before they can be stored.
Collect the seeds: Collecting seeds is easy and can be done with minimal tools. Fingers will do. Simply remove the seeds from the fruit or vegetable and let them dry on a paper towel for a few days. For small seeds, like tomato seeds, place the seeds and pulp in a jar of water and let them soak for a few days. Once the seeds have separated from the pulp, rinse them with water and dry them on a paper towel. Consider a seed savers party, with wine!
Bring out the girls for a seed exchange party in the garden.
Label your seeds and have fun when naming them: I tell myself when I collect seeds that I will remember where they came from but so many seeds look like the same especially those in the melon family. It is important to label each type of seed to keep track of what you have collected. Use a permanent marker on a jar or label and write the name of the plant, the variety or nickname if it has one, date the seeds were collected, and any other important information, such as the location where the seeds were collected. You can also start making up nicknames for seeds that you love. Yan from Piebird sells the Purple Moustache Bean, Strange Squash from Outer Space and the Bicycling Carrot Seeds.
Real moustaches can take up so much space on your face. So for all your moustache needs, why not try our Purple Moustache Beans!
Store the seeds in a cool, dry place: Once the seeds are dry and labeled, store them in a cool, dry place. A pantry, root cellar, or basement is a great location for storing seeds. If you want to store for years the freezer or fridge can work but you need to be mindful about blasts of humidity which will ruin the seeds. A friend of mine stores tomato cultivars this way but make sure the seeds are dry before you freeze.
Let the seeds dry in paper bags but then store them in airtight containers: It is important to store seeds in airtight containers to prevent moisture and pests from damaging the seeds. Use glass jars or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids to store seeds.
Check on your seeds periodically: It is important to take a peek to ensure that they are still viable. To test the viability of seeds, place a few seeds on a damp paper towel and wait a few days to see if they sprout. If the seeds do not sprout, they may not be viable and should be thrown out. The longer seeds are stored the less the seeds will be viable.
Share your seeds: Seed banks are meant to be shared with others. Consider sharing your seeds with family members, garden markets, with friends, or at local gardening groups. Start up a seed share at your kid’s school. With local chefs. This not only helps to preserve biodiversity, but it also helps to promote sustainability by encouraging others to grow their own food. Some libraries like in Newmarket, Ontario have an active seed bank where you can leave and collect the seeds you don’t yet have. A win for everyone.
Save seeds from year to year: Once you have started a seed bank, it is important to save seeds from one year to the next. This not only ensures that you have a steady supply of seeds for planting, but it also helps to preserve biodiversity by maintaining the genetic diversity of your plants.
Learn about seed saving: Seed saving is a skill that can be learned and improved over time. There are many resources available, including books at your library, in online resources, and gardening groups. Learn more about seed saving and how to improve your skills. Some people might want to turn this into a little business once the skills turn expert level. Consider that cannabis seed selling has been going on for decades. Now with an ounce of tomato seeds costing more than an ounce of gold, your future career might be in seeds.
Starting a seed bank at home is a great way to preserve family traditions of food and gardening. By following these 10 steps and tips, you can collect and store seeds safely and help to promote biodiversity and sustainability. Happy seed saving! Next up: beekeeping.
Lebanese authorities have failed to uphold the right to electricity by mismanaging the sector for decades, Human Rights Watch said in a scathing report released this month. The report Cut Off from Life Itself’: Lebanon’s Failure on the Right to Electricity, argues that electricity is fundamental to nearly every aspect of living and participating in present- day societies, and as such, the internationally protected right to an adequate standard of living includes the right of everyone, without discrimination, to sufficient, reliable, safe, clean, accessible, and affordable electricity.
At present, the Lebanese government riddled with corruption provides electricity for only one to three hours a day on average, while people who can afford it supplement that supply with private generators or solar energy. The public sector and private generator industry rely on polluting climate-intensive fossil fuels. The electricity crisis has exacerbated inequality in the country, severely limited people’s ability to realize their most basic rights, and pushed them further into poverty.
Solar panels installation, Lebanon (credit: AFP)
“Lebanon’s electricity crisis is leaving people in the dark and dramatically reducing people’s access to critical rights such as food, water, education, and health care,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The dire situation in Lebanon illustrates why access to safe, clean, and affordable electricity isn’t merely an amenity, but is a human right that the state has an obligation to fulfill.”
No plastics, drone image, Lebanon above the sea with a fishing boat
For almost 30 years, Lebanese authorities have failed to properly manage the state-run electricity company, Électricité du Liban (EDL), resulting in widespread blackouts. The decades of unsustainable policies and fundamental neglect, the result of elite capture of state resources, alleged corruption, and vested interests caused the sector to completely collapse in 2021 amid the ongoing economic crisis, leaving the country without power through most of the day.
For decades, successive governments have promised to reform the electricity sector, but those promises have not materialized. Same with garbage that blocks sewers, and then runs into the sea. Instead of appointing members to an independent Electricity Regulatory Authority to direct the sector, as mandated by law, the Council of Ministers, particularly the minister of energy and water, exerts almost complete control over the sector with little transparency and accountability. The minister has control over issuing production licenses and permits, making policies regarding the sector, supervising those policies, and providing financial oversight.
The report charges that politicians and politically connected individuals have used the electricity sector to further their political goals, including by doling out jobs at the government-run company to make huge profits from lucrative contracts, often at the state’s expense, and reap profits from the private generator market.
A lucrative, though expensive and highly polluting, private diesel generator market has been filling the supply gap for decades, but it is available only to those who can afford it. Steady electricity in Lebanon has effectively become a service only the wealthiest can afford, reinforcing the country’s deep-seated inequality and further pushing people into poverty.
Since October 2019, Lebanon’s economy has been mired in a deep financial crisis that culminated in the country’s first sovereign default in March 2020. The economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, political deadlock, and the explosion in the port of Beirut in August 2020 aggravated a recession and accelerated the economy’s collapse. Inflation soared to 145 percent on average in 2021, placing Lebanon third globally in terms of the highest inflation rates, after Venezuela and Sudan. Year over year inflation for electricity, gas, and water peaked at nearly 600 percent in June 2022.
The economic and electricity crises have destroyed the livelihood of tens of thousands of people. Unemployment, declining remittances, and the removal of subsidies for key imports have pushed millions of people into poverty and exacerbated existing destitution. The United Nations estimates that more than two-thirds of Lebanon’s population now live in poverty.
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Human Rights Watch partnered with the Consultation and Research Institute (CRI), a local research firm, to survey over 1,200 households, the results of which demonstrated the extent to which the electricity crisis exacerbates inequality, pushes people into poverty, hinders access to basic rights like food, water, and health, and causes extensive air pollution that affects the environment, and health and contributes to a worsening climate crisis. Nine out of every ten households surveyed said the cost of electricity affected their ability to pay for other essential services.
Access to a private or commercially operated generator that can fill the gap for state electricity was dependent on income. Among the poorest 20 percent of households, one in five did not have access to a generator. Further, low-income households spent a much larger share of their income on generator bills compared to wealthier ones, straining family budgets and putting them at greater risk of falling behind on other essential expenses.
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High proportions of respondents said that electricity shortages had affected their ability to carry out normal rights-related household functions such as receiving water, cooking food, or participating in education or work activities.
In addition to disproportionately harming low-income households, the Lebanese electricity system’s reliance on plants powered by heavy fuel oil and on diesel generators causes significant air pollution that has taken a huge toll on the environment and had significant impacts on the health of Lebanon’s residents, killing thousands each year according to Greenpeace data.
Lebanon and renewable energy
The Lebanese government has not invested in renewable sources of energy, even though it has estimated that Lebanon’s solar and wind resources could power the country several times over. In 2019, the share of renewables in Lebanon’s total electricity generation was just 7.83 percent, of which only 0.73 percent was from solar power and only 1.82 percent was from hydropower.
The Lebanese authorities are responsible for the daily violations of residents’ rights to electricity, an adequate standard of living, education, health, and a healthy environment caused by the ongoing electricity crisis. Lebanese authorities should take immediate and urgent steps to ensure that all residents have a continuous, affordable, and clean supply of electricity that does not contribute to the climate crisis, with a focus on increasing generation capacity from hydropower, wind, and solar.
The faster the transition to renewables, the more money Lebanon will save, the more jobs created, and the more lives saved from air pollution reductions, Human Rights Watch said. The authorities should also take steps to establish a universal social protection system that guarantees benefits throughout people’s lives, such as child grants, unemployment benefits, and old-age pensions, the group advises.
International financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, should urge the Lebanese government to reform the electricity sector in line with the country’s human rights obligations, and ensure that everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, has access to and can afford electricity. The World Bank should refrain from funding any new energy projects that rely on fossil fuels and instead provide technical and financial support to expand renewable energy infrastructure.
“Lebanon needs to take immediate action to bolster the electricity sector and reverse the ongoing erosion of basic economic rights,” Fakih said. “The government should invest in renewable energy sources that will create job opportunities, lessen pollution, and give people in Lebanon access to reliable, safe, and clean electricity.”
