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Where to buy a Valentine’s Day Card

Bhok Thompson
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0
Where to buy a Valentine’s Day Card
bunny holding Valentine Day card celebration
Valentine’s Day can be overly commercial. Choose a token gift or card made by you. If you are lacking the creative confidence, look for a card made with upcycled materials

Valentine’s Day, which falls on the fourteenth of February, is an annual celebration that reminds you to appreciate the people you love. It gives you the opportunity to show the people in your life how much they mean to you and how much you appreciate their affection with a Valentine’s Day cards. Homemade ones are the best obviously, made from up-cycled items around your home, and adorned with a poem written by you. If you are insecure about your creativity, you can celebrate with a small eco gift or a card that perfectly communicates how you feel. The concept of Valentine’s cards is not only for married people or romantic partners. It is for everyone. Everyone must appreciate the people that love them. Boomf helps you do this by making certain that the appropriate valentine card is available for your use.

Apart from Boomf, there are so many other places where you can get Valentine’s cards. So, if you are having issues with getting a place to purchase perfect Valentine’s cards, this article is for you. The following is a list of where you can get the perfect Valentine’s cards to celebrate your Valentine’s Day.

Etsy: Etsy is a nice place to look for personalised gift items. Valentine’s cards are a major part of the highly demanded inventory of online stores. You can add the name of the recipient to the cards to ensure safe delivery. It is necessary to note that shipping may be a little slower especially if the seller is personalising something for you. Check to make sure the Etsy seller is making their cards at home or at a small business. Better to support a mom and pop shop than an exploitive factory. The maker’s website also offers upcycled gifts and mementos.

Eco Valentine card

Paper Source: This is a highly recommended online store. They have a very strong wordplay attribute especially when it relates to Valentine’s Day messages. It is a great source of for punny Valentine’s cards that are particularly perfect for partners with a healthy sense of humor. 

Minted: This is your go-to source for customisable valentine cards. On Minted, if you find perfect Valentine’s cards but don’t like the colour, you can change it to any colour of your choice. You can also opt for photo cards or the more traditional Valentine’s cards. Time constraints should be taken into consideration to ensure that it arrives before February 14. So order ahead.

Love Pop: This site has some of the most eye-catching Valentine’s cards. Characters such as Mickey and Minnie, Deadpool, and Darth Vader are only just a few of Love Pop’s licensed characters. For an additional $5, they will throw in a personalised message alongside a photo. This makes it a great surprise for the recipient and the paper bouquet may also last longer than flowers. 

Hallmark: This is one of the biggest stores for cards in general. It has a variety of options available, even Valentine’s cards. The website’s search option has a unique way of narrowing down your options and helping you find what you need quickly. You can search by tone, language, and recipient. 

Amazon: This global store has a vast array of Valentine’s cards from reputable brands to be purchased by customers. Hallmark and American Greetings have shops on Amazon. The shipping is quick and the availability of valentine cards from different brands provides with a lot more options to choose from and improves your probability of finally locating the perfect Valentine’s cards to celebrate your loved ones. Some Amazon shops are run by small business owners. Try and find those using recycled materials or who are giving back to their community.

All of these are viable brands that offer multiple categories of Valentine’s cards for your choice. Boomf is a good source for your Valentine’s cards as you can not only personalise them with text and photos online, but also add a fun extra in the form of confetti or a pop-out figure. Such Valentine’s cards will certainly be the highlight of the celebration and make this day memorable for years to come. 

 

Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Australia

Bhok Thompson
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0
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Australia
sydney, Australia, green prophet
Australia is a treehugger’s dream. Nature in every city, around every corner

Australia is a land of desires. Activities in Australia to do list include things such as exploring the country’s highlights, taking a drive to beautiful beaches, hearing some of the local music, attending a cricket match or basketball game, or simply sitting down and relaxing on its beaches.

From the sacred tales of the Aboriginal Dreamtime, when the fantastic spirits invoked the coral reefs, jungles, as well as red deserts, to armchair tourists that define Australia as their desired location, the Land Down Under is worthy of all the buzz. The globe’s smallest continent and biggest island, Australia is virtually the same dimension as the United States however with a population the size of New york city State as well as a few of the quirkiest wild animals on the planet. 

1. Sydney Music Hall

Shaped like big shells or rippling sails, this well-known structure on Sydney’s Bennelong Factor enhances the listing of UNESCO Globe Heritage Sites as well as is one of the world’s fantastic architectural icons.The area is spectacular & water borders the framework on 3 sides, and the Royal Botanic Gardens boundary it to the south.

Monuments in Australia include the Sydney Opera House and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, both of which are world-renowned landmarks. Other well-known tourist destinations include Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

2. Darling Harbor

Darling Harbour is a widely known hangout area in the city of Sydney. It is a buzzing pedestrian location, full of stores, exhibitions, museums, and also a great deal of bars as well as dining establishments. Site visitors to these beautiful spots in Australia are usually indulged for choice. The attractions of this precinct consist of the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, bush Life Zoo, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum among a few others and even a water park for the youngsters. You can go for a heavy round of purchasing in the shopping center, and even head to the LG IMAX theater, which has the biggest display on the planet. You will not spend a min obtaining burnt out in this energetic precinct.

3. Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney is a treehugger paradise
Sydney is a treehugger paradise

Along with the Music hall, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of Australia’s top architectural icons. Affectionately called “the Coathanger,” this impressive accomplishment of construction is the largest steel arch bridge on the planet. Increasing 134 meters above the harbor, the bridge covers 500 meters, attaching Sydney’s North Shore to the main business district. In addition to the pedestrian course, 2 train lines cross the bridge, in addition to 8 lanes for road traffic, as well as the direction of each lane can be changed to fit traffic circulation. A full 40 years before the Sydney Opera House, it was finished in 1932. A guided climb to the bridge’s summit, where you can take in stunning views of the harbor and city, is one of the top things to do in Sydney.

4. Perth Mint

Perth version of the The HG
Perth has its own version of the NY Highline. The Elizabeth Quay. If you are visiting The Mint, travel around the sea at the quay.

Australia’s main bullion mint, the Perth Mint produces a wonderful understanding right into the background of bullion in Australia. A check out to this old monument in Australia will probably never be as exciting as it is to the Perth Mint. Offering walking scenic tours with the historical chambers, taking you with the processes such as the pouring of gold in the melting house, and also indeed informing you on the wonderful history of the bullion minting in Western Australia.

The Gold Event, or the live gold pour or the heritage walk all make for a wonderful experience. Then you can go on to engrave your very own custom-made medallion, and also take a look at the marvelous. One Tonne Gold Coin at the heart of the mint. If you are traveling Perth, your trip to the Perth Mint will absolutely be memorable.



Learning to ‘Talk the Talk’ Before You ‘Walk the Walk’

Bhok Thompson
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Learning to ‘Talk the Talk’ Before You ‘Walk the Walk’

business in new york, startup, sitting on a couch with a laptop

Business acumen is a term used to describe a person’s understanding of the business world and how it works. It doesn’t mean that you need a finance degree or that you have experience in the corporate world.The founder of FTX showed us that in recent months and that maybe he didn’t have business acumen after all.  This term is used when people in the business world understand key concepts of supply chains, cash flow, margins and return on investment. You don’t need to be able to write a business plan or know how to create financial projections, but being able to understand what those things are and why they’re important will help you get hired by employers looking for candidates with a strong business acumen.

What is business acumen?

The ability to understand business issues and make sound business decisions is the definition of business acumen. This includes understanding the financial implications of business decisions; understanding how organizations compete in their markets; understanding the impact of business strategies on different parts of the organization; and knowing how to forecast where “the puck” will be in a few years’ time. Investor types, bankers and people who are good at running their own businesses have this skill and it’s just as important, maybe even more so, when you run a sustainable business. 

Candidates and basic financial skills

If you are on the side of the desk that is hiring for business, candidates should be able to demonstrate some basic financial skills. Examples are reading and interpreting financial reports, understanding financial implications of your decisions and communicating financial information in a clear and concise manner. Can this person present end of quarter results or will you have to do it?

Business acumen counts in hiring and success

The best candidates in any job are those a strong grasp of the idea of business acumen. This is particularly true in areas like accounting and finance, where the ability to understand financial statements and make decisions based on them can be crucial to success. However, it’s also important for all types of positions at all levels of management. The ability to understand how businesses work and apply that knowledge in their own work will be valued by employers looking for great employees who are ready to succeed in their careers. This is true for engineers in solar energy businesses just as much as the people in accounting in the office upstairs.

If you want to get hired, you need to talk the talk

A clear example of this is how a specific term has become prevalent in the workplace. The word “burnout” has been thrown around so much that it’s now synonymous with work stress, but many people don’t know that the origin of this word comes from medicine and psychology, not business.

In fact, if you want to get hired or advance in your career, knowing all about the day-to-day jargon used in business can be crucial. This is difficult for new immigrants or executives who have moved to the United States from Europe. So consider a few tips: 

Know what you’re talking about. You don’t want to use jargon when it’s not appropriate or even when you don’t understand what it means. One sentence can be funny, but used in the wrong way can be insulting. 

Don’t overuse words or phrases just because they’re popular at work. If every other person uses them too much and doesn’t know what they mean either then why would anyone else care? It will only make them look foolish if they do so as well. How many times have you heard the word wheelhouse in the last few years in New York? It’s so over-used that it can be an annoying expression to someone looking for someone with marketing know-how on the edge of innovation. If you are unsure, don’t use jargon.

Do you know performance drivers and scorecards?

Performance drivers are metrics that highlight the main factors that affect a business’s success. These include customer satisfaction, employee retention, productivity and morale. A good example of this is if you are in the business of online marketing and metrics and SEO is knowing what are Google’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which include page views per minute and bounce rate as well as its more traditional financial metrics like net profit margin, revenue growth and return on investment (ROI). These are basics that anyone in any internet business should know.

A scorecard is an overall measurement of how well an organization performs against its goals. It’s used alongside benchmarking and can be used to measure any aspect of your business – staff performance or customer satisfaction for example – but the most common use is when it relates to profitability or sales figures.

Margins and contribution margins

Do you understand the difference between margins and contribution margins? Margins are the difference between revenue and cost, whereas contribution margins are the difference between revenue and variable costs. Contribution margins can be higher than margins because fixed costs are already subtracted from total expenses when calculating a firm’s bottom line 

This means that while it may take $50 to produce one unit of product, let’s say a DIY solar panel, if you sell it for $100 then your contribution margin is 50%. Contribution margins can also help you calculate break even points by dividing total sales dollars by zero (the point at which a company doesn’t make any money), which equals 100%. In other words: if your company makes $250 per week in sales then its break even point is 250/0 = 250 units sold; after selling over 250 units this week we’ll still be losing money.

Value-added and non-value added activities

The word value-add is thrown around a lot in boardrooms. Understanding the ‘“real” difference between value-added and non-value added activities is crucial. Value-added activities are those that add value to your customers. Non-value added activities are those that don’t add value to your customers, or at least not enough for them to pay you more for doing it. The more value you can add to your customers, the more they will pay you (and therefore how much profit you make).

For example:

Let’s say I’m a barber in Brooklyn and I charge $20 per haircut – but when I ask my non-bearded customers, if they want a shave with the cut, they’ll say no because they think it costs too much money – $5 extra dollars-  even though there’s no real reason why they can’t afford it because their income bracket is higher than mine.  

But another business owner down the street charges $25 dollars per haircut plus a free shave after every time he finishes cutting hair and for the same money the clients accept the offer. It “seemed” like a better deal and had added value. 

Getting hired among the competition

If you are one of the thousands fired from Facebook or Twitter, demonstrating business acumen can set you aside for future promotions once you get hired. This skill shows you have the ability to understand how a business works and how it makes money. It’s about being able to see the big picture, identify the drivers of success, and determine where your company needs to go next.

The first step in building your business acumen is understanding that there are three distinct areas: strategy, operations (or management), and finance. Strategy focuses on defining the company’s objectives and developing strategies based on those objectives; operations refers to making day-to-day decisions based on those strategies; finance involves measuring whether or not these decisions have been successful—and then refining them accordingly if they haven’t been successful enough.

Conclusion

If you want to get hired, you need to talk the talk. Business acumen is a significant factor in hiring decisions and can help set you apart from the competition. It’s also important to understand margins and contribution margins. Know about the differences between value-added and non-value added activities, as well as performance drivers and scorecards.

 

Ways to Engage Customers in Your Green Efforts

Bhok Thompson
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0
Ways to Engage Customers in Your Green Efforts
reusable cotton canvas bag, with a message for sustainabalists
Put your message where you sustainable mouth is – on a reusable canvas cotton bag

To save the earth, or at least the word as we know it (from microplastics, greenhouse gases, pollution) all modern-day businesses must make some serious environmental sustainability efforts. These efforts have gone beyond getting employees involved in the business’s green initiatives; it requires being passionate enough about environmental sustainability to carry your customers along. Research shows that businesses that put the planet and ESG first, do better in the long run.

But part of future-positive thinking is helping customers along that path. And this path requires a large effort from inside the business but small things count too. Whether it is as little as selling reusable shopping bags to customers at reduced prices, offering to pack customer orders in custom drawstring bags or reserving the best parking spots to customers who drive environmentally friendly cars. Maybe even offering them EV charging stations for the Tesla. These efforts, if done the right way, always add up to save the environment.

Going green, as we known, is never a quick process; it’s a gradual change that requires constant communication and thought. These are a couple of strategies for engaging your customers in your efforts to go green.

Cut Down on Waste and Inspire Customers to do Same

One of the most effective ways of cutting down waste is recycling. Your business can prompt customers to consider ways to increase the lifespan of products that would have otherwise been considered waste. Research from Greenpeace shows that most plastics aren’t recyclable. So find ways of reducing plastics and packaging from the beginning, and think about Cradle to Cradle. It’s an oldie but a goodie.

Customers could be prompted to recycle if the business makes a point of making reusable items whenever possible. Such items could be reusable cans, clothing, bags, and bottles. Businesses not recycling are missing out on a lot of untold benefits. For one, recycling comes with positive emotions, and you can evoke these emotions in your customers by encouraging them to recycle. Recycling is also inarguably good for the environment and saves both the business and its customers a lot of money in the long run. 

When a business adopts great recycling practices, it puts them in the enviable position of being able to discourage behaviors that are likely to harm the environment. Sometimes all consumers need is a little push to do what’s right. For instance, discouraging customers from using plastic bags goes a long way, as only 5% of America’s plastic gets recycled. When supermarkets in the UK stopped giving out free carrier bags and started selling them, the number of customers who bought plastic carrier bags fell drastically in no time. 

Be Transparent About Your Business Processes

To promote attitudes of sustainability with customers, one must adopt a transparent approach. This involves being open about such important factors as the business’s supply chain. Be open about who supplies the business’s essential product, who does the manufacturing, and how the raw materials are sourced.

When customers are armed with such valuable information as how the products are sourced, it will be a lot easier to convince them to adopt an environmentally friendly approach. See the Connected Butterfly Mark. Of course, it goes without saying that the business at this point should be dealing with suppliers, manufacturers, and associates who adopt environmentally friendly practices. Studies show that customers may even be willing to pay a lot more for products bought from companies that share details about their supply and manufacturing processes.

Use Social Media to Encourage Customer Participation

breathe neon pink sign on green wall

Since businesses have learned how to leverage social media to improve customer communication, doing business has been a lot easier for businesses who do it right. Social media is a great platform to talk about your business’s effort to remain environmentally friendly. You may show the business’s achievements and goals and also ask for customer suggestions.

Efficient communication systems can help reduce unnecessary resource use and better align business operations with sustainability goals. One approach is using Amazon Connect as part of the infrastructure to streamline customer interactions. This kind of setup can help minimize energy consumption associated with traditional call centers while maintaining responsiveness and accessibility. Clear, well-managed communication also makes it easier for customers to stay informed about sustainable practices and options.

Many businesses do this on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and through their own websites and blogs. These types of social media efforts are typically more effective when you show rather than just tell. Show customers on your social media platforms the things you’ve done to lessen your environmental footprints. Give them pictures of communities you have impacted.

Ways to show could be anything from showing how your products are locally sourced or providing specifics on recycling and energy efficiency practices adopted by your business. You can show this off on packaging and labels if you have joined green or eco associations like B Corp, Fair Trade or if you are a luxury goods item and have earned the Butterfly Mark. 

Lastly, you can also use these online platforms to encourage customers to go green. This includes encouraging them to ride a bike or walk rather than drive a car the next time they come to the store. Encourage customers who do this by offering a discount or other incentives. These challenges give you an idea of how many customers are influenced by your green practices.

Pay More Attention to Stories, Not Just Data

Rather than just show off data on how much your business has done to help the environment, you should focus on putting a human face to your efforts by collecting stories from customers and employees. Get people whose lives have been negatively impacted by pollution to speak on the topic. Also, get people who have been positively affected by environmentally sustainable practices to talk about its benefits. These stories can be told on recyclable bags, fliers, banners, TV, magazines, and social media. These types of stories make an impact on people, and more importantly, they encourage sustainability.

Islam’s ban on alcohol and how it’s applied

Karin Kloosterman
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Islam’s ban on alcohol and how it’s applied
Qatar alcohol ban, Islam, beer, budweiser, packs
World Cup fans in Qatar are bummed about the alcohol ban. We explore why alcohol and Islam don’t mix.

Those attending the World Cup 2022 in Qatar may be culture-shocked into learning that alcohol is banned in Muslim countries. Of course some exceptions do exist for foreigners and for Muslims who can find their own speak-easies. Plus there are always mocktails (we have recipes for 10 classic drinks in virgin format like Aperol Spritz and a French 75 here!) Better for your health and spirit.

Why don’t Muslims drink alcohol is an old question we’ve had on Green Prophet over the years. And we are happy to sum up why alcohol is taboo. Cannabis (even just in your blood) and extra-marital relations are also forbidden or taboo, as is gay sex in some Muslim countries. Breaking the law in Qatar, Kuwait (remember the gaydar test?), Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates can land you in jail indefinitely so don’t mess with the authorities if you are flying in for the World Cup. And when you are there you definitely don’t want to say negative things about the state. 

The political system of Qatar is a semi-constitutional monarchy with the as head of state and chief executive, and the prime minister as the head of government.

So what’s the story with alcohol and Qatar?

Just two days before the World Cup opener, the international host nation Qatar banned the sale of beer at stadiums in a very sudden decision.

Qatar is saying that they are happy to have fans come in from around the world, but they are asying, “respect our traditions”. Alcohol consumption in any amount, say some imams, is not allowed in Islam. While others say you are allowed to drink but not get drunk. Do note that some Muslims may consider anything with alcohol in it haram, or forbidden and that may include medicine, mouth wash or candies with brandy.

What does the Quran say about alcohol?

Drinking alcohol is considered haram by the Muslim holy book, the Quran, which states that alcohol is the “the work of Satan” and believers best avoid it. Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad back up these texts.

When Muslims consider their lifestyle and way to conduct themselves in the world, many choose to eat no foods or medicine with alcohol. Observant Muslims may choose to not work in a restaurant, stadium or mini-market selling alcohol. They may not use perfumes with alcohol or completely refrain from events like weddings and birthdays or work events where alcohol is being used.

There are about one billion Muslim-born people in the world and not all follow the edicts given to them. The level they can veer from traditions depends on their choices and countries where they live. According to a survey done by the Pew Research Group published in 2013, and which included 38,000 responses from 37 countries, one in 10 Muslims said they thought alcohol is morally okay. The countries that held strongest beliefs that alcohol is wrong included Thailand, Ghana, Malaysia, the Palestinian territories, Indonesia, Niger and Pakistan.

How alcohol is applied in Muslim countries

 

My friends from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates say they know where to buy alcohol if they need it. Or they drink mocktails. Regulations vary but if you are in Saudi Arabia, be warned as they outlaw it. You can be flogged and go to prison for drinking in the kingdom. This view might change as Saudi Arabia opens new hotels for westerners. 

Dubai is more relaxed about alcohol but cannabis not so much. You can find bars and nightclubs in Dubai and the emirate has found itself enjoying tax revenues from alcohol sales. Jordan which also has a significant Christian native population, allows alcohol, and same with nearby Israel. 

Alcohol is easy to come by in Egypt by about 80% of the people there think it’s morally wrong. 

Drinking alcohol in Qatar

Qatar is more like Saudi Arabia when it comes to alcohol. They follow an ultra-conservative form of Islam called Wahhabism which strictly limits buying, selling and consuming alcohol. Bad news for revelling soccer fans from Europe.

You can find alcohol in Qatar in bars and hotels and while concessions were made for it to be served at the World Cup, at stadiums and at fan zones in the evenings, the Qatar rulers showed an about face: it was announced that only non-alcoholic beer would be available at the stadiums, except for in the luxury hospitality areas where champagne, wine, whiskey and other alcohol is served. Consider that vast majority of ticket holders don’t have access to those areas.

Brazil banned it at their hosting season of the World Cup but not on religious grounds. They were worried fans would become too violent. With long lines and expensive price-tags, and violent after-effects, maybe we should celebrate less alcohol at sporting events. Just leave the vape pipes at home and save them for sporting events in Canada.

Want to know more about alcohol and Islam? Our guide on Muslims and alcohol is a very deep primer. Read it before you head to Qatar or invite your Muslim friends over for lunch.

Using LinkedIn Efficiently

Bhok Thompson
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0
Using LinkedIn Efficiently
a crowd of people networking at a conference
LinkedIn is like a giant conference that lets you network with everyone in the room

LinkedIn is a massive networking platform worldwide, ranked among the best social media websites for doing business. With 750 million members, your sustainable business would be lost without being part of such an important business networking venture. Users can register for free and through it members, free or paid, can communicate with colleagues, business associates, and clients. To streamline outreach if you are doing cold calls for your hydroponics or energy business, you can also turn to LinkedIn marketing automation software for helping with sales. 

Read on to know more about LinkedIn for individuals and corporate growth. Here are some steps to get the best out of LinkedIn.

1: Update your LinkedIn profile pic

Your profile says a lot about who you are. Make sure you make a good first impression. A great photo can get likes and comments. Here are some ideas. 

Use a professional photographer and have the image aligned with what you are doing in the background. Write a quick intro about yourself: “changing the world one mushroom at a time.” if you have mushroom tea business, for instance. 

2: Connect with LinkedIn members

LinkedIn gives you a chance to associate with individuals and businesses in their industry; be well-informed about current market developments and share this knowledge with colleagues. LinkedIn has a menu called My Network that allows you to save connections made by an individual. On making a new connection, you benefit from access to the individual’s profile and mutually accessible connections.

3: Start talking

In creating connections on LinkedIn, the networking company gives room for real-time communication. A smart replies function helps keep conversations to the point, and if you have a premium account deliver private messages to LinkedIn associates without needing an introduction.

4: Suggest and endorse

Your connections can type recommendations and approve your skills. Recommendations are individual testimonials that show your strengths. Request your business colleagues or friends from biz school to highlight attributes that fascinate them about you, rather than the obvious. Try and get endorsements that help you stand out in a crowd.

5: Join LinkedIn groups

Working in hydrogen energy or regenerative agriculture? Find groups that matter to your line of work. look on the search bar for groups to join and type in some keywords. The software will suggest some others that may fit your business or interests.  

6: Discover fresh hires 

Some 20,000 business in the US rely on LinkedIn to hire new staff.  It can help you fill new dream roles you are hiring into and also help you find a new role if you are looking to use your skills at a new company. Search by location, universities, language and through your existing connections. A warm endorsement is better than a cold call. 

Conclusion

Consistent tryouts might bring about positive results. The above steps and many more can aid in achieving one’s goals.

How to Design a Logo for an Eco-Friendly Business

Bhok Thompson
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0
How to Design a Logo for an Eco-Friendly Business
logos with less ink, Sylvain Boyer
Corporate logos made with less ink by Sylvain Boyer

The sustainability industry is relatively new when compared to other industries. It has been around for less than 30 years. Even though it is new, it has gained a good amount of traction over the past decade. The goal of sustainability is to meet present-day needs without compromising future generations. It is a selfless focus.

This concept has been used in many ways within different industries. Manufacturing is working on creating products through processes that are affordable and minimizes the impact on the environment. Companies are using green energy and conserving natural resources. There is an enhanced focus on the community, the employee, and public safety.

What is the Purpose of a Logo?

Logos are critical to the success of your business, especially an eco-friendly one. Your logo can set you apart from companies that are not environmentally conscious. In addition, a logo allows you to be clear about your awareness which helps attract customers, employees, and supporters.

Your logo is part of your branding and how people remember you. Most shoppers select businesses that align with their values and are considered authentic. You want to present that about your business immediately with your logo.

You know exactly what business it is when you see a set of golden arches or the infamous swoosh. Those businesses do not have to put their names next to their logos for everyone worldwide to know who they are.

Those logos are iconic, and you want a logo to do the same for your business. If you want potential customers to understand you are an eco-friendly company, you want your logo to do the talking for you.

Critical Elements for an Environmental Logo

When it comes to logos, there are certain elements you do not want to overlook. This is especially true when it comes to environmental logos. However, there are some critical elements that you should pick out and be noticed by customers.

Colors

When you are considering the colors for your logo, you want to think about colors that do not look fake. You want them to make your customers think of the environment and green energy. For this reason, brown, tan, green, and other earth tones are great choices. When thinking about colors for your environmental logo, think muted: soft, muted colors give customers a feeling of commitment to your environmentally friendly mission. Olive green is a good representative of plants and natural beauty. Coral and dusty blue also symbolize a commitment to the environment. These colors tend to look more organic and real. You want to avoid bright and vibrant colors.

Images

It may seem a little overdone, but when you want a logo that is focused on the environment, natural ones work the best. Think of things like trees, leaves, the ocean, and animals.

These are all great concepts to add to your logo. Think of the last logo you saw for fair trade coffee. Most likely, it had some type of mountain with coffee beans growing.

Font

You may not give a lot of thought to the font used in your logo, but it is more essential than you realize. Not only does it need to be readable, but also attractive. Potential and current customers want something they feel good about looking at. Century Gothic is well known as one of the best eco-friendly options. If you want to use a font that conserves ink, you can consider Garamond, Courier, or Times New Roman.

These font options have a more serious vibe to them to let your customers know you are serious about your business. You could also consider sans serif fonts that are a bit softer to tell your customers that you are concerned about more than just making money. If you want to present your company as caring about the environment but with an edge, you can choose an edgy slab serif for your font.

Taglines

Taglines may be another thing you do not give much thought to, but you should. The tagline you select could be stuck with your company for as long as it exists. You can use it as an opportunity to explain the mission of your organization in just a few words. You want to be careful about the focus of your tagline. You want customers to feel like you are trustworthy and reliable. Considering words like ‘better,’ ‘cleaner,’ ‘fair,’ and ‘connected’ is a great start. You want to be authentic and simple.

Company Name

If you do not already have one, a company name can be a great way to incorporate the eco-friendly aspects of your business. In addition, this can help show your customers that you stand behind your willingness to be environmentally friendly. So, it would be best if you showed it with your logo and company name.

Green Logos

Taylor Brands generated logo

Made by Tailor Brands logo maker

When you are focused on a green logo, the color green is an ideal color choice. This color has a strong association with nature. Not only does it symbolize nature, but also sustainability, green energy, and conservation. There are many environmentally friendly sites that incorporate green in their logo and organization. The general public is used to seeing green leaves and the green recycling symbol as an indication that a company is eco-friendly.

Black and White Logos

generated logo, black and white

Made by Looka logo maker

You may opt for a black-and-white logo to keep it simple and focused. In addition, it helps remove clutter from your logo and products. Some companies choose a black-and-white logo but print it on colored products to give the logo a bit of pop.

Mascot Logos

generated mascot logo

Source: Dribble

You can use a mascot as your green logo, but you must do it well. It can be a versatile tool that can use video and animation to support your cause and other social causes. There are popular mascots that have worked well for many organizations, especially those appealing to young children. They are easy to recognize and can be placed on packaging, posters, and other merchandise.

Simple Logos

generated logo, eco 99 designs

Source: 99designs 

You can use simple geometric or organic shapes to keep the logo simple and easy to access. A shape is a simple way to give context to your logo. Think of logos that you have seen using triangles to represent mountains, wavy lines to depict the ocean, and straight lines to highlight the horizon or trees. As you think more, you can recall all of the instances when shapes were used in logos to create a simple but memorable vision.

Not only do symbols evoke a relationship with nature, but they also stir a feeling within the viewer. For example, triangles bring about feelings of strength and power, while circles create a feeling of hope, connection, and stability. Sometimes, the simplest logos have the greatest impact.

Final Thoughts

After you have created the perfect logo for your eco-friendly company, you may want to consider how it is used. Most companies put their logo everywhere, which is what you want. However, you want to ensure that you have a guide for its use. This is to guarantee it looks the same everywhere it is presented. You want to be clear about the font and font size, the exact color, and the placement of your logo. This provides a feeling of continuity for your customers.



Make a conscious click through a Connected Butterfly

Karin Kloosterman
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0
Make a conscious click through a Connected Butterfly
Connected butterfly, blue background
A new app helps consumers and stakeholders trace ESG policies and practices of luxury goods

You might not know the name Positive Luxury, the firm, but if you’ve ever bought luxury, sustainable goods, you will know the mark: a small butterfly, with Butterfly Certified Mark written on it clearly. Like an organic trade association that certifies your coffee is grown under fair trade practices, the mark of the Butterfly means your purchase has been produced with care for people and the land. 

Connected ButterflyIn furthering consumer accessibility to data you can now tap the “Connected Butterfly” with a phone and access a company’s ESG policy and applications. ESG stands for environmental, social, governance, and innovation. 

What if a company says they are going to go net zero by 2027 but actually do nothing now? How do you really know that their workers in a long supply chain of people and countries are offered a fair wage? 

Companies like Tom Ford Beauty, Smythson, Anya Hindmarch and Etro don’t want you to believe them or guess about what’s going on behind their claims. They want to show consumers, partners, employees and investors the Connected Butterfly. Once inside you can find answers. 

Tom Ford Beauty branding, woman with makeup
Tom Ford Beauty products boast a Connected Butterfly

How do manufacturers treat waste products, or deal with greenhouse gases? The answer’s in a tap of the app, unifying data and processes so this information is no longer in a black box or sitting on a report in the boardroom.

Over 200 leading luxury brands have worked with Positive Luxury since its founding in 2011, and many more are in the wing to sign up. It’s a process that also helps your brand innovate, they tell Green Prophet.

Smythson shopfront, connected butterfly
Smythson builds their brand with “Butterfly” ESG in mind

Keeping in line with the times, the Connected Butterfly applies blockchain and certification systems that are digitized, secure, agile and transparent. 

How does the Butterfly work?

When a luxury brand signs up to apply for the butterfly mark, Positive Luxury independently verifies evidence supplied to them and also advises the clients how they can do better according to global expectations. 

The Connected Butterfly integrates websites, social channels, advertising, products, packaging, in-store and window POS, sustainability reports, and employee handbooks – via a widget, QR code, NFC tag, or hyperlink.  

Performance scores, educational content for consumers, other certifications and accreditations, United Nations SDG targets and achievements; and areas of excellence map, a sustainability journey tracker, positive actions, and company information are all included as part of the tool. 

Find your single source of truth

Diana Verde Nieto, from Positive Luxury
Diana Verde Nieto of Positive Luxury

Positive Luxury is co-CEOed and co-founded by Diana Verde Nieto an entrepreneur who was a pioneer in ESG, keen on helping companies adapt to the new climate economy. Diana holds a degree in Global Leadership & Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, was trained by Former USA Vice President Al Gore at the Alliance of Climate Protection and was subsequently honored by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. 

Not seeing ahead and being part of consumer sensibilities and climate risks can be a liability for your brand, she points out. And research shows that companies who do work with ESG in mind, fare better than companies who do not, Verde Nieto recognizes.

She says, “From a single source of truth, people can easily access an unparalleled depth of verified ESG+ verified performance data, including a brand’s sustainability journey, clearly stating their actions and ambition. This level of disclosure raises the bar for Luxury and beyond.” 

How brands embrace National Recycling Day

November 15 marked National Recycle Day in the world. This is the first one after Greenpeace sent us the somber report that most plastics aren’t recyclable anyway. So if you are building a brand, it’s time to think about the beginning of life, and end of life, to your product. In short, Cradle to Cradle. 

Verde Nieto responds to this challenge with a service: “Recycling is important as it minimizes landfill waste; allowing the material to be upcycled offers manufacturers the opportunity to produce using fewer resources. 

“Butterfly Mark-certified brands such as IVAR, Aera, Mark Cross, and Ocean+Main lead the luxury industry by implementing positive recycling actions. As consumers, we are responsible for buying recycled products and continuing recycling as part of our day-to-day lives. The impact has never been more important than it is now,”

We’d be happy to hear about your experience on the app as a consumer or employee of the company’s using it. 

::Positive Luxury




What’s CBD with Delta-9 and what does it mean for my health?

Bhok Thompson
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0
What’s CBD with Delta-9 and what does it mean for my health?
Charlotte Figi, charlotte's web, in a cannabis grow op
Charlotte Figi, a child who suffered from catastrophic seizures changed her outcome after using CBD. Her physician says that some amount of THC in a high CBD dose is suggested for therapy

Medical cannabis products are getting more complicated by the day. That’s because chemists at university labs are getting better at understanding the molecular compounds inside cannabis and hemp plants and what those effects are on the body. 

You probably have heard of CBD and THC and that CBD helps make you calm and THC makes you high? These are just two out of potentially more than 100 compounds that can be isolated from the cannabis plant. We’ve spoken with Prof. Raphael Mechoulam from Hebrew University about it over the years and we are really at the tip of the iceberg in understanding the complicated nature of cannabis molecules, what strains to use, and when, and how much to dose. 

To play it safe, a lot of adults have been medicating with products that contain CBD only and with no THC, mainly because they are afraid of the psycho-active elements that can affect productivity at work, or maybe they are afraid of state laws, or getting stuck in places like Dubai with no way out of jail. 

There are low and legal permissible amounts of THC in any state in the United States and some medical doctors I’ve spoken with believe for any CBD medicine to work, it needs some THC to complement it.

When we were working with Prof. Alan Shackleford on medical cannabis products, he told us that he strongly believes that there is an additive effect of CBD when mixed with some THC. That some THC will amplify and make the CBD a more potent medicine. He became famous about 15 years ago for giving a child, Charlotte Figi, cannabis with high concentrations of CBD. In short he told me he doesn’t think CBD really works without THC. So those CBD-only energy drinks you are drinking? Probably a waste of money.

CBD infusionz

CBD products with THC can have an important multiplier effect and while I have not tried them, testimonials provided by the company say that the D9 gummies help with anxiety, promote calm and relaxation and are a great aid for sleep. 

Anxiety has been a growing problem since COVID and of course the dangers of pharmaceutical products are well known. 

Medical benefits of Tetrahydrocannabinol or Delta 9 THC

Delta 9 THC is the most abundant form of THC in cannabis plants. When you buy products that contain THC, you’re typically getting delta 9 THC. Delta 9 is a fancy word for THC. Like we mentioned above, some leading doctors like Shackleford, in my personal communication with him, believe some THC is important for CBD to do its work.

Historically, studies in labs and universities show using delta-9 THC may have therapeutic benefits for certain conditions, including nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and cancer treatments, seizure disorders, long-lasting and chronic pain, sleep disorders or spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis (MS).

 

Food waste activism art from Israel

Karin Kloosterman
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Food waste activism art from Israel
Nitsan Mayost, food waste activism Israel
An Israeli artist demonstrates against food waste through snail mail and an elaborate feast he created from food bin waste

Love letters to unrequited loves or appeals to companies may usually seem like a one-way conversation. That’s what Nitsan Mayost, a student at the Bezalel Arts Academy in Jerusalem documents as he uncovers scandalous amounts of food waste near a supermarket called Shufersal, in his neighborhood store in Jerusalem.

He started learning about the problem of food waste during the Covid lockdown, during a Zoom lesson. He then noticed the food bin behind a supermarket nearby was loaded with food. He started picking up food that was thrown out because of a sticker that was damaged, like yoghurts. Soon his fridge was full and he started offering the food to friends. 

Every day he went to the bin and documented it in letters to the CEO pf Shufersal, describing in detail what he found that day like “143 happy cucumbers.” Or “14 packages of mozarella fingers.”

He tried offering the food to the workers but they often yelled at him telling him to get out of the bins. 

The event culminated on the eve of Passover where Mayost invited the CEO of Shufersal to dine with him on thousands of vegetables he’d found in the bin. That’s the image above. The CEO never showed up.

In one moving letter he wrote:

“Challah bread does not take up the whole bin, but they do take up the whole of my heart. There were 14 of them and they were next to tomatoes and peppers and packaged sausages (that I don’t like) and cottage cheese and some quick-salad vegetables and about twenty cartons of milk. But the Challah?

“I don’t know about you, but as for me – the more the bin is filled with food, the more my soul empties in the same proportion.”

Challah is the bread Jews eat to sanctify the Sabbath.

Nitsan Mayost, bin diving

Through a series of quiet letters, and sent daily, he asked the CEO of the major Israeli supermarket food chain to make some room in his schedule for overloaded food waste in the supermarket’s food bins. Mayost used old-fashioned letters, made from found materials, to prank the store he was documenting. The suit he wore, and the food laid out, were all found in trash bins.

dumpster diving, food waste, art, Israel
Letters to the CEO, unanswered

Dumpster diving was a thing already 20 years ago. Now it’s becoming outrageous to a younger generation that this food is ever dumped in the first place. This artist is ultimately seeking revenge and waits until unveiling his final exhibition documenting the problems of food waste in Israel, and also the world.

He said he doesn’t mean to criticise the store specifically but the food waste problem in general.

Lebanon in a time of cholera

Karin Kloosterman
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Lebanon in a time of cholera
Cholera in Lebanon, woman in the north gets IV from a healthcare worker
Cholera in Lebanon. In Bebnine, Akkar district, northern Lebanon October 28, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Cholera always sounds like an epidemic of the past, yet we hinted about the rise of cholera and climate change more than 10 years ago. Now, we are seeing the effects of climate change and drought in Syria and Lebanon. Cholera is becoming a public health emergency in Lebanon and Syria as the bacteria spreads.  

UNICEF on the ground in Lebanon and Syria estimate about 35,000 cases of cholera there, with Lebanon’s Ministry of Health estimating over 3,000 cases. Poor hygiene and water services in Syria has created the outbreak. Cholera hasn’t been seen in Syria in 14 years and was believed to be eradicated, much like polio which still rears its head in sewage systems in the Middle East.

According to the EU, the outbreak in Syria started from a pile of factors including drought, economic poverty, and a battered water infrastructure. Almost 50% of Syrians now rely on unsafe sources of water for their daily needs.

Cholera is transmitted and then contracted through contaminated food or drinking water. Dehydration can be fatal unless treated quickly. Like Covid, good hygiene is key but also clean water, which may be scarce in some parts of Syria.  Cholera outbreaks now threaten the entire Levant region with the bacteria appearing downstream in Israel.

cholera cases in syria, woman nursing child
A mother sits with her child who was diagnosed with cholera in a hospital in Deir el-Zour, Syria, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

It is believed that the cholera bacteria has spread through contamination of the Euphrates River, the Nile of the Levant region, extending to Iraq with sewage water. It continued to spread through irrigating farmland. 

Some infected mistakenly think they have Covid. And they might have Covid as well. 

Calling about cholera in Lebanon

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health stated that the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) has opened a new hotline to ease the cholera outbreak. Locals in Lebanon can call the hotline 1760, 24/7, to get medical advice for confirmed and potential cholera patients. The emergency number 140 is for taking cholera patients to centers and hospitals, and it’s still available for use.

 

Labne/Labaneh added to official French dictionary

Karin Kloosterman
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Labne/Labaneh added to official French dictionary
Labane, labne, cheese, a plate with olive oil and za'atar
Labane is delicious for breakfast, served with warm pita and olive oil

Le Petit Robert, the popular single-volume French dictionary, has added the word “labné”, also pronounced as “labneh” or “labaneh” to its latest 2023 edition. A civil war in Lebanon in 1975 drove hundreds of thousands of french-speaking Arab Lebanese to France, and of course they brought their delicious food and cheese traditions with them. Like Indians have great yoghurt, the Arab world has amazing labaneh. Rolled into a Druize pita with za’atar and olive oil. You have yourself a vegetarian meal.

You pronounce labane as LA-BA-NEH and in Hebrew the word “laban” means white.

Le Robert’s:

Fromage frais égoutté préparé traditionnellement avec du lait de chèvre ou de brebis (spécialité moyen-orientale).

Labneh is traditionally made with goat’s milk, but it can easily be made using a 1/2 a gallon of cow’s or sheep’s milk. Maybe even camel milk too. As we mentioned above, we love it on a fresh pita with olive oil and za’atar.

Labaneh is popular in the Middle East. It’s a fresh cheese that doesn’t spoil easily in the heat and you can make at home with yoghurt or with milk and lemon (see our recipe here).

Labane tastes awkwardly sour at first like something is wrong with it. The flavor tingles in your mouth a bit. After the first few tastes, you will grow to love its tangy flavor. We promise.

You might find it sold in a small tub or rolled into balls and stored with olive oil. Either way is delicious.

Vegan version of labne

Notre Dame University-Louaize’s Christelle Bou Mitri, with Christelle Saleme and Christy Raad have developed a plant-based alternative to the Lebanese Labneh. The researchers at the private Catholic university in Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon, are following the alt-protein, alt-milk craze and have found a way to make the tangy cheese using peas, lupin, and beans in response to the increasing need for vegan food in Lebanon. 

According to the university’s press, vegan products in Lebanon are hard to access, especially in terms of affordability, which limits one’s options in adopting a vegan lifestyle, particularly for the sake of health risks.

You can now find Labaneh in major cities around the world like in Toronto, New York, London or Paris but it’s just as easy to make if you can’t find it. If you’re expert level at Arab cheese, we challenge you to make smen.

 

Dubai’s new Vertical Forest skyscraper

Karin Kloosterman
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Dubai’s new Vertical Forest skyscraper
Vertical Forest Dubai, Stefano Boeri Architetti
An Italian architecture firm has presented a Vertical Forest skyscraper plan for Dubai. The same firm built the two towers of Bosco Verticale in Milan. Vertical Forest Dubai, rendering by Stefano Boeri Architetti

We love the idea of green walls and vertical gardens. And they always look so amazing on architectural renderings. Green walls and plants and trees give so much comfort to people who can find a smudge of green among the concrete. Italians do city gardens well, Middle Easterners, not so much. 

Vertical forest dubai, Stefano Boeri Architetti
Vertical Forest Dubai, Stefano Boeri Architetti

Visit Sicily and you will see flourishing green roofs and micro gardens on patios. Cactuses galore but also green hanging plants and trellising gardens. Somehow all taken care of by loving plant parents and grandparents who dwell in their parts of the old family villa or small patio apartment. Find people tossing water through the day onto scorching land, quenching plant thirst.

Guinigi Tower, Lucca, Italy
Inspiration for Vertical Forests, Guinigi Tower, Lucca, Italy

The climate in Southern Italy is hot and dry. Not unlike the Middle East, and places like Sicily even look like Beirut or the West Bank if you squint hard enough. Arabian influences there hundreds of years ago have left their mark in Sicily. And maybe Stefano Boeri and associates are trying to build a bridge between the two worlds in Dubai?

But if you see Middle Eastern attempts at green roofs and patios in the Middle East today you will see hopeful but neglected attempts at greening a dream garden that doesn’t match up to the needs of the plants. Planters full of crispy plants. Withered cactuses. Dead green walls. 

Taking care of plants and vertical gardens (and forests!) require teams of people and a budget with resources that will ensure these plants are cared for decades into the future. And trees do need expand, roots systems and all.

Vertical Forest Milan
Vertical Forest, Milan

We assume if Dubai goes with the plan they will budget operations accordingly. 

The new Vertical Forest tower for Dubai, according to published material, will incorporate a desalination facility and grey water recovery system, alongside photovoltaic solar energy surfaces that will contribute clean energy to the towers. Does this mean that these towers will revert to peeponics and pooponics to recover human waste from the site? We have sent this question to Stefano Boeri Architetti and hope to have more answers soon.

Update, a day later: Maddalena Giambelli from Elettra Zadra, the press office of architect Stefano Boeri and his practice Stefano Boeri Architetti tells Green Prophet that “Dubai Vertical Forest isonly a prototype, consequently many details will be discussed.”

We asked them if the Dubai Vertical Forest would be able to recycle building waste, but it’s too early to know, she said. “We are therefore unable to answer these questions until the project is definitive and the various installations are finalised.”

Consider Burj Dubai still has to ship out their poop by truck daily and lack of sewage infrastructure still plagues the city. Mix in the idea of pee- and pooponics with space colonisation that Dubai dreams about for Mars and they are halfway to figuring out closed -oop solutions for living on different earthships around the world. 

Burj poop problem, tallest building in the world
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world and cost $130 billion to make but it is not connected to Dubai’s sewage system and so every day a platoon of trucks queue up to remove its poo

Something to think about: When Israeli environmental artist Ran Morin created Oranger Suspendu in Jaffa he was asked by dozens of firms around the world, including hotel lobbies, to recreate the idea of a hanging orange tree. He said no, because of the care needed to look after one hanging plant. That’s what he told me when I ran into him in Jerusalem one afternoon. “Do you know how hard it is to keep one tree alive? One that’s hanging in the air? It’s a responsibility.”

Oranger Suspendu, a hanging orange tree in Old City Jaffa by Ran Morin
Oranger Suspendu, a hanging orange tree in Old City Jaffa by Ran Morin

Now imagine a skyscraper full of trees? Will we care for the life of each one the way we would if the tree was planted in the ground? How much will these trees need to be pruned before their roots grow out of the box? Tree roots are as big as their foliage. Sometimes I wonder why we can’t have more modest and common sense solutions for the Middle East, ones created by people who live in the areas. Once focused on regenerative agriculture and that move away from skyscraper living. 

More about the Vertical Forest Dubai

Italian studio Stefano Boeri Architetti adapted its Vertical Forest concept for a pair of skyscrapers in Dubai, which will be covered in thousands of trees. The firm launched the idea at the COP27 climate change conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The project comprises two tapering towers at 190 and 150 metres tall.

Together, these towers will integrate 2,640 trees and 27,600 shrubs along with a system of greenhouses and hydroponic gardens. 

Hydroponic gardens are essentially what any soil-less green roof solution uses to keep plants alive. They use water-based, mineral nutrient solutions in place of soil. We suggest the new towers use the residential waste provided by the building. They do mention grey water recycling, so likely this is part of the plan.

“The project, commissioned by Impact One, represents the first Vertical Forest prototype for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) area with the aim of integrating the benefits of urban forestry such as the absorption of fine dust particles, microclimate regulation and reduction of the greenhouse effect together with innovations as part of the management of the water system in arid climates and the optimization of energy production from renewable sources,” said Stefano Boeri Architetti..

Stefano Boeri Architetti is most known for the Vertical Forest in Milan, the Villa Méditerranée in Marseille, and the House of the Sea of La Maddalena.

 

Sunglacier collects water from thin air

Green Prophet
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Sunglacier collects water from thin air

Sunglacier Dubai pavillion

The SunGlacier Machine is installed on top of the Dutch Pavilion in Dubai.

During the first test runs the Sunglacier produced 50 liters/hour, which means 1200 liters/day…

Unbelievable that we achieve these results with a 20-foot container, mainly filled with air and water, in extreme desert conditions: super hot and extremely dry.

Mayor offers $6 dead dog bounty in Hebron

Karin Kloosterman
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Mayor offers $6 dead dog bounty in Hebron

pickup truck, dead dogs, Hebron bounty

Pickup of dead dogs, Tulkarm, West Bank. Locals from this town had plans to pile them up and send them to the Hebron mayor who offered $30 for 5 dogs, or about $6 each.  

The first Sunday in November the mayor of Hebron in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority, offered 20 shekels, or about $6 USD to any person who kills a stray dog and who hands it over to the authorities in Hebron. His city is overrun with stray dogs, thousands of them. They get into garbage and run after children, scaring them. 

The announcement set off a spree of killings. Some from other municipalities loaded recently shot and poisoned dead dogs into a pickup truck to bring to Hebron. The offer wasn’t dead or alive, but was clearly stated “dead”.

Mayor Tayseer Abu Sneineh’s offer seemed like a practical idea at the time –– and an economical solution to the stray dog problem that grows with every litter. Plus elections were coming up and he wanted favor with his electorate.

Tayseer Abu Sneineh, Hebro, dead dogs
Tayseer Abu Sneineh offers $6 to every dead dog brought to Hebron

The West Bank is rife with stray dogs that are often shot and killed and thrown in dumpsters anyway, if they aren’t run over by cars first, explains Diana Babish who is the founder of Dogs for Bethlehem –– the West Bank’s only dog shelter. As soon as she heard the report on Radio Free Palestine she got into her car and raced 45 minutes to Hebron from Bethlehem that night to meet with the radio station for broadcasting this atrocity, and the head of the government in charge of the municipalities in the West Bank for damage control.

She condemned the mayor’s actions calling on him to publicly apologize for his actions. This action in itself shows courage and bravery on Babish’s side. A Christian Arab woman standing up to a West Bank bully in a predominantly Muslim region overrun by toxic patriarchy. She is known to throw herself in the line of fire and do what it takes to save the lives of those who can’t speak for themselves. 

Abu Sneineh is a former member of the Fatah party, and Mayor of Hebron, in the West Bank. He was convicted by Israel for taking part in planning the 1980 Hebron terrorist attack, who caused death to 6 unarmed civilians, one a Canadian. He was elected Mayor of Hebron on 14 May 2017.

Palestinians rising up to bullying and cruelty

This rising up to power in the West Bank is a new movement for Palestinians who have typically been bullied into silence by regime leaders. But with new tools on social media calls for action against leaders in the Arab world are becoming more common. Babish tells Green Prophet that the people in Hebron felt it was safe to criticize the mayor in protest to protect the animals, calling him “a criminal and emotionless mayor”; another wrote: “If the residents of Hebron had mercy and humanity they would fire him.”

The mayor in return denied that any dogs had been shot in response to his call, saying that the images circulating on social media, were old. Babish tells Green Prophet that she had witnesses who had seen the killings just after his bounty was offered, so it’s not true and he was backtracking: “The mayor said I didn’t mean it. Nothing, there were no bodies delivered to us,” Babish recounts.

She said that a majority of the images on social media, including the pickup truck of dead dogs were from the city of Tulkarm. Babish said the locals there were loading them up as a joke to send to Hebron for money after they heard the mayor’s offer. 

Diana Babish, dogs bethlehem shelter,
Diana Babish is the patron saint of puppies. She forced the Hebron mayor to retract his bounty offer and apologize globally

Later the mayor told Babish that he offered the bounty in order to enlist the help of animal organizations, like hers.

But eventually after pressure from international animal organizations and one funding body from the German government who said they would cut funds, did Abu Sneineh agree to apologize publicly. He posted it in English as well. 

The patron saint of puppies

Babish runs an animal shelter in Beit Sahour south of Jerusalem and she also keeps an overrun house with pets. She took 3 dogs right away with her from Hebron that night and has since adopted them out in Israel, one in Haifa and two in the North of Israel. She has 20 cats at home, and 7 dogs, 4 of which are her own. Her parents, especially her dad, don’t love the situation.

Adopting the Hebron dogs out in Israel, where locals are happy to adopt Palestinian dogs is part of the solution, but only a part, says Babish. Israel has its own problem with stray animals, cats and dogs, and some of the dozens of animal organizations in Israel are kill shelters, she says. Babish is appalled by the idea. “If they don’t get adopted they are euthanised.”

That’s not what she envisions for the shelter she wants to build in Bethlehem. The no-kill facility could service the entire West Bank but funds are needed to keep it going. She needs the land, she needs a building and a full time vet. A yearly donation of $100,000 could go far and make it operable and spare Hebron and other Palestinians cities from the stray problem that is a public nuisance. Not everyone, after all, is a dog lover. Meanwhile Jordan, nearby, has a similar problem with stray dogs. 

Locals in Hebron are already thinking about what’s next, after the bounty offer was made. Announcements through the city were circulated: “We demand that the killing of the dogs be stopped and that solutions be considered in accordance with human and Islamic values. Enough of killing dogs in Hebron.”

Some locals offered $15 for each resident who would feed and care for a street dog. 

Meanwhile Babish, who we featured here, continues her holy work of caring for the stray dogs and cats of the West Bank. She is currently raising funds to build a shelter in the West Bank. With a debt of about $12,000 USD in vet bills, she could certainly use a benefactor who could help her build a no-kill shelter so the dogs of Hebron and the West Bank can be treated with dignity. 

If you want to help Babish, all her contacts and more about her organization, and our “Diana dogs” are posted here. 

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