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8 Ways to Make Your Home More Sustainable

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glass house design, hipster
Your house is your private heaven. Upgrade it ecologically.

As the earth feels the effects of climate change and energy bills continue to rise, taking steps to make your home more sustainable and eco-friendly can save you money and help protect the planet. From installing solar panels to using eco-friendly laundry detergent, you can take several steps to make your home more environmentally friendly. 

Check out the following green living ideas to transform your house into a sustainable haven, allowing you to discern the most advantageous choices for minimizing energy costs, nurturing the local ecosystem, and embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle. 

Invest in Reusable Products

In addition to being expensive, single-use products are one of the major sources of ground and water pollution today. You can reuse all sorts of products you already have in your home, from refilling soap, cleaner and shampoo bottles to upcycling older furniture by reupholstering them and giving them a new life. 

You can avoid purchasing single-use products by cleaning with reusable paper towels instead of single-use towels. You can buy products in bulk, put them in smaller containers and purchase products that come in reusable containers made of glass or metal to set yourself up for sustainable usage from the get-go. 

Use Energy Efficient Appliances

The EPA’s Energy Star label was invented to help consumers pick the most energy-efficient appliances. This label helps you identify products that save you money on electricity bills without sacrificing performance. The label will often tell you how much money you can expect to save and help you budget for the future while helping protect the environment. Popular energy appliances include refrigerators, windows, washers and dryers. Even with higher upfront costs, choosing the most efficient model possible can save you considerable money over the long term

Use a Smart Thermostat 

smart thermostat, ecobee
A smart thermostat is a key product for any eco home. Ecobee

A smart thermostat, particularly one connected to an app, can reduce your energy bills and carbon footprint. You can customize these thermostats to ensure you are not heating or cooling an empty house and wasting energy. 

A smart thermostat can run your HVAC system at night or during off-peak, low usage times, which lowers the strain on the grid and saves you money. Some thermostats can even factor in weather forecasts to optimize your home’s heating and cooling before potential storms, heat waves or cold snaps. This can save you between eight percent and 31 percent on your annual energy bill.

Here’s a running list of smart thermostat models we’ve heard great things about:

  • Amazon Smart Thermostat
  • Ecobee3 
  • Emerson Sensi
  • Honeywell Lyric
  • Johnson Controls GLAS
  • Lux Geo
  • Nest Thermostat
  • Resideo Honeywell Home T9
  • Wyze Thermostat

Install Solar Panels 

off grid, solar powered house, red house in nature
Solar powering your house is easier when you are off-grid. In cities, a bit harder. Check with authorities before signing any contracts

Solar panels are one of the best ways to make your home more sustainable and can reduce your energy bills. See our DIY solar energy guide here but be warned. If you need to connect to the grid you will face challenges. These panels come in various sizes, and you can even consider installing an entire roof made from building-integrated photovoltaic shingles. These PV panels or shingles generate electricity from sunlight that can power your home during the day and, if paired with a battery system, power your home at night as well. 

While there is an upfront cost, your government might offer several incentive programs to help people purchase solar panels. In the US, all panels purchased in 2022 are eligible for a 26 percent income tax credit, while those purchased in 2023 will receive a 22 percent income tax credit. 

Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products 

 

The cleaning products you use in your home can harm your local ecosystem. Common cleaning chemicals such as ammonia, different dyes, chlorine bleach and volatile organic compounds, as well as petroleum-based microplastics, can be very harmful to your local water system and can lower the air quality in your home. 

Instead, choose all-natural organic cleaning products that do not cause ecological damage, including vinegar and baking soda-based cleaners, essential oil-based soaps and eco friendly laundry detergent and eco dishwasher tablets. These gentle cleaners are also safer for your family, as they won’t harm your children or pets. They also offer a way to clean your home without leaving chemical residue on cooking and eating surfaces that could cause cumulative health issues. 

Upgrade Your Windows and Insulation

retrofit windows, cafe, coffee drinking, cincinatti
If you own a home or small business, no one likes a draft. Retrofit your windows

Loss of climate-controlled air through drafty windows and insufficient insulation is a major drain on your energy bills and can prematurely age your HVAC system. All your walls should have a solid wall or cavity insulation, and your roof should be well insulated with spray foam, blown-in, loose fill, batt insulation or pre-cut structural insulated panels. This keeps your house at a reasonable temperature without stressing your HVAC system and increasing your carbon footprint. 

If you notice a draft coming from one of your windows, you should replace it as soon as possible. You should install fiberglass, metal or composite window frames with cavities for extra insulation if you live in a cold climate, and choose windows with at least two panes and a low-emissive coating on the glass. 

Consider Harvesting Rainwater

greenhouse coffee shop
Harvest rainwater to grow a greenhouse

A great way to reduce your home’s environmental impact and make it more sustainable is to reduce the amount of water you use from your city’s municipal water supply. Harvesting rainwater and using it as a source of gray water can reduce how much water you draw from your city’s system and lower your water bills. 

Rainwater is harvested through your gutters before being filtered and stored for use as gray water. This water can be used to clean the outside of your home or vehicles, to water outdoor landscaping and can even be used as toilet water or water for your washing machines. 

How effective this system will be depends on how much rainwater your area receives, but areas with moderate amounts of rain can significantly reduce water usage. Be sure to consult your local authorities, as rainwater harvesting is not allowed everywhere and may be subject to regulations that help replenish depleted aquifers. 

Save Money and Help the Planet 

Making your home more sustainable can help you live a better, less carbon-intensive life and reduce your monthly bills. From switching to more eco-friendly cleaning products to installing better insulation and windows, any steps you take will be helpful and lower your impact on the environment. Savings from minor steps you take to make your home more sustainable can help you save money and create a greener future for the planet. 

 

6 Biking Tours That Are Perfect for Fall

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bike rides epic for a fall day in North america
North America is the place to be in the fall, when the weather is perfect for cycling. Try out this list of iconic places you can see by bike

Fall arrives with its cool breeze, just leaving the summer heat behind. The beautiful trails are framed with autumn colors, ablaze with a warm orange hue. The high treetops make the view ethereal.

The crisp air provides the perfect climate to hop on your electric bikes and ride through the road. A proper destination can change the thrill of the ride. If you are a bike enthusiast looking for exciting trails in the season of falling leaves, then you have come to the right place. 

Follow the list of the best biking tours that are perfect for this fall.

The Outer Banks in North Carolina

Outer Banks, North Carolina, perfect cycling trails, flat, meet horses on the sea
Outer Banks, NC. Meet some new friends.

The outer banks stretch over a hundred and five miles of sand and ocean covered in the fall sunshine. The biking trail in this area extends with the entire shoreline. 

There are a lot of biking paths to go on tour with your group of experienced cyclists or casual riders. The wide paved roads are perfect to take your family on a ride. The landscape is not covered with tall trees, allowing you to enjoy the clear-sky beach view.

Duck is the northernmost town in the Outerbanks, with a seven-mile private beach for its residents and visitors. You can ride through the natural beach and autumn foliage on your electric bikes to make riding easier

The roads are marked with “Bicycles – Share the Road,” and there are some official NCDOT-marked bicycle routes. While on the mainland, there is little to no traffic to worry about as you ride through rich farming country and wildlife preserves. 

Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina

Pisgah National Forest, cycling panorama
Pisgah National Forest

North Carolina has a stunning panorama, including Pisgah National Forest, which bikers must visit. It is jam-packed with outdoor activities and astonishing landscapes. 

The area is thirty miles downtown of Asheville. The trails run hundreds of miles, surrounded by waterfalls and swimming holes. Biking through this picturesque view will clear your mind of any stress.

The forest has horseback riding, biking, and rock climbing trails, with campgrounds for picnics and overnight camping. It is perfect for a biking tour in the fall. 

The bike trails display the most beautiful foliage during mid to end of October. There are bike rental outfitters and roadhouse pubs where you can rent a bike early in the morning and unwind after a day on the road.

Santa Fe in New Mexico

Santa Fe view of water tower, cycling
Santa Fe, a perfect venue for city cycling

Cycling is healthy for you and, according to scientists at Oxford, it impacts our planet earth. If you are thinking of taking up cycling, Santa Fe is a must visit during fall. 

The town has been named one of North America’s best biking destinations. Historic New Mexican towns, such as Taos and other Native American landmark sites, fall enroute the trail. It is possible to go on week-long tours through the trails in autumn. 

Santa Fe’s curving mountains and varied terrain provide some incredible biking experiences for veteran and novice bikers. The easy trails include the Santa Fe river and rail trail. 

You can tour through Dale Ball, Aspen Vista or the Pajarito mountain bike trails for intermediate and difficult trails. There are hotels for you to rest in during your biking tour in Santa Fe. 

Sonoma County in California

sonoma county wine tours
Cycling and sampling. We won’t tell.

It is a cycling fact that you can bike three times faster using the same energy you use to walk. Why not travel through beautiful sites with your bike to enjoy the crisp fall air?

Sonoma County is a lesser-known gem for fall biking tours. There are acres of land surrounding the trail that is filled with vineyards. During fall, the grapes ripen, and the leaves turn golden, creating a stunning picture.

Fun fact, the Windows XP wallpaper hill is situated in Sonoma County!

There are tracks through Sonoma County to satisfy a tour group’s desires. You can go biking, sip fine wine, taste world-class food, and stay at posh lodging during the prime golden vineyard season. 

If you are lucky, you can cycle through the festivals of the harvest season. The areas light up to give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington
Mountain trails galore

Washington, especially the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, has the best mountain biking trails in the region. The tracks travel along the mighty Columbia River and are framed with Alpine larches. They lose their needles in the fall and turn a beautiful golden hue. 

The view of the glimmering larches against the pristine lake and the frozen soil of North America is breathtaking. Your biking tour will be elevated once you hop on your bike and face the fresh mountain air.

The Leavenworth Ski Hill MTB Loop, also known as the Angel Loop is the best trail in the forest. The track is almost 9 km long with an elevation gain of 351 m, making it the highest singletrack trail in Washington state.

Waterbar Heaven and Bergman Gulch have the second-highest elevation gain of 263 m. The landscape and the tracks make it perfect for a biking tour.

La Route Verte in Quebec, Canada

la route verte, cycling trail quebec
Go abroad, and visit this famous trail in Canada

A little north of New York, lies the city of Quebec. According to National Geographic, the city’s La Route Verte is considered the number one biking track. Ranging from country terrain to cityscapes, the path is more than two thousand miles long.

The Route Verte is North America’s largest chain of cycling trails. It runs through some of Quebec’s most scenic areas, linking the province to bike paths in Ontario, New Brunswick, and the United States.

You can have the pleasure of enjoying the fall breeze through a variety of landscapes. The area is filled with bike rentals, repair shops, and lodging for your rest.

Riding your electric bike through this trail in the fall, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Final Thoughts

Biking tours during the fall can be a breathtaking experience through the country, city, and mountain regions.

The outer banks in North Carolina are home to a stunning trail along the shoreline. The Pisgah National Forest tracks are filled with great visuals and outdoor activities. 

Santa Fe covers scenic Native American historical sites, while Sonoma County can take you through some beautiful vineyards. If you want to bike through the highest track elevations around a loop, then Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest should be your choice.

The most diverse trail in North America for your bike tour in fall is La Route Verte in Quebec. 





The teaching tree offers a Saudi view on Mother Nature

teaching tree, saudi Arabia, Biennale Arte 2022 in Venice
Muhannad Shono, Biennale Arte 2022 in Venice, Teaching Tree

Ever watch a palm tree for any length of time? They tower over barren landscapes. They thrive in cities. And up top in their hairy mane they house wildlife of all sorts from crows to baby pigeons. Some give tasty fruit, others drop annoying seeds on spindly arms. It is the lowly palm, turned sideways that features in a Saudi Arabian contribution to the Biennale Arte 2022 in Venice.

Multidisciplinary artist Muhannad Shono has been selected to represent Saudi Arabia at Biennale
Arte 2022 in Venice. Curated by Reem Fadda and Assistant Curator Rotana Shaker, The Teaching Tree
is a large-scale, ambitious installation exploring themes of creation, regeneration, nature, and
mythology.

Muhannad Shono, Biennale Arte 2022 in Venice, Teaching Tree, palm tree
Muhannad Shono, Teaching Tree: My work embodies the irrepressible spirit of creative expression: the power of the imagination that grows despite what may attempt to limit it but instead makes it more resilient.

Commissioned by The Visual Arts Commission, one of 11 sector-specific commissions overseen by
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, the installation will be on display at the Arsenale-Sale d’Armi until November 27.

As Saudi Arabia’s art scene continues to define itself on the world stage, Shono has emerged as a compelling voice among a new generation of rising artists from the region.

The Teaching Tree is a vast, 40-metre-long, organically formed structure made of palm fronds painted
in black and animated by pneumatics. The enigmatic form fills the length of the pavilion, embodying
Shono’s investigation of the drawn line and its potential for creation and destruction.

Teaching Tree, Saudi Arabia, Al-Khidr (/ˈxɪdər/) (Arabic: ٱلْخَضِر, romanized: al-Khaḍir), also transcribed as al-Khadir, Khader, Khidr, Khizr, Khazer, Khadr, Khedher, Khizir, Khiza

Through this he explores ideas of resilience and regeneration both in the natural world and within human imagination. Shono’s practice counters the limits of singular narratives, instead questioning truths, ontologies, and the basic concepts underpinning human life. Investigating the drawn line, Shono
interrogates the impact of writing and the generation of thought, as well as their respective
potentials.

For Shono, embracing the line and mark making is an act of creative agency. As such, The
Teaching Tree builds on central concepts within his practice, interrogating the self, tradition,
mythology, and the natural world.

Al Khidr, green saint, Islam, Al-Khidr (/ˈxɪdər/) (Arabic: ٱلْخَضِر, romanized: al-Khaḍir), also transcribed as al-Khadir, Khader, Khidr, Khizr, Khazer, Khadr, Khedher, Khizir, Khiza
Al Khidr, known as the Verdant One, is a figure described but not mentioned by name in the Quran as a righteous servant of God possessing great wisdom or mystic knowledge. In various Islamic and non-Islamic traditions, Khidr is described as a messenger, prophet or wali, who guards the sea, teaches secret knowledge and aids those in distress.

The stories of Al Khidr have also had a profound influence on Shono’s personal and creative life.
Made of plant matter, it was known that wherever Al Khidr sat a garden would grow, symbolising
rebirth, regeneration, and healing.

Reem Fadda (left), Rotana Shaker
Reem Fadda (left), Rotana Shaker

The Teaching Tree thus alludes to ‘mother nature’ and its hope for rebirth in face of warning signs of past and future ecological struggles.

Commenting on his work, Shono said: “My work embodies the irrepressible spirit of creative expression: the power of the imagination that grows despite what may attempt to limit it but instead makes it more resilient. This is a resilience that is taught by nature, in its continuous cycles of death and re-growth, like trees nourished by the ashes of wildfires.”

The exhibition’s curator, Reem Fadda, added, “The Teaching Tree references the drawn line
overgrown, now encapsulating a multitude of dimensions. This object becomes emblematic and
dichotomous in imaginations represented, words written, and marks engraved, reflecting upon their
irreversible effects on history.”

Environmental Awards and Prizes

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Enviroment prize awards, women holding hands in the air

If you have an organization or breakthrough that can suck up carbon emissions, melt ocean plastic; if you have a technology or idea that can improve human health, transform social conditions and farms for the world’s meekest. Have you a way to make sustainability a way of life in energy production, maybe in hydrogen gas, solar energy?

Do you have a converter or engineered product that transfers the way energy is used or delivered? Can you clean water like there is no tomorrow, or protect source water –– and make women in the world meaningful contributors to the businesses that they want to be in? If yes to any of these ideas and more, here is a list of prizes that might help you further your goals. Some come with cash prizes, and some with honor –– or both. 

Environmental Awards and Prizes

List of world’s top environmental awards and Prizes

Have some more to share? Send us an email to [email protected]

Merkin’s $400,000 prize for health startups

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Color health, startup, democratizing healthcare
Color Health, is an Israeli-founded startup democratizing healthcare

Who doesn’t want to improve human health? Whether it’s reducing pain and inflammation from medical cannabis innovations or targeting cancer cells through personalized mRNA immunotherapy drugs, or novel insights into gut bacterial systems that increase our longevity. If you have a company or biomedical startup in this field, MIT and Harvard want you!

These universities are hosting a new prize, called the Richard N. Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology and the winners will share $400,000 for their work. 

The prize recognises novel technologies that have improved human health.

About the Merkin Family Foundation

The Merkin Family Foundation was founded by health care executive Dr. Richard Merkin, MD. Dr Merkin is the founder and chief executive officer of Heritage Provider Network and focuses his work and the bulk of his philanthropy on new paths to cures and to affordable, high-quality health care. 

The prize will celebrate a novel technology and recognize up to four key contributors to the development of the technology, with a cash award of $400,000 to be shared among each year’s recipients. The winning technology must have made a demonstrable real-world impact on human health by improving the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of disease. 

The Merkin Prize is administered by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, one of the world’s leading biomedical research institutes. 

“The Merkin Prize will highlight the inventors of an important medical technology and will demonstrate how their work is transforming healthcare,” said Harold Varmus, a Nobel Prize winner for his work on the origins of cancer.

Eligibility for receipt of the Merkin Prize extends to all living investigators from anywhere in the world, using any discipline in academia, the commercial sector, or government. Anyone may submit a nomination, but self-nominations are not permitted. 

Nominations must be submitted by Jan. 23, 2023

For further information visit merkinprize.org

If you want to submit a prize, dream job, or new company transforming the planet and healthcare, email us: [email protected]

8 Tips On How To Start A Successful Jewelry Business

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rings, handmade earrings ,etsy shop SS

Online platforms like Etsy make it easy to sell handcrafts and jewellery online. Here’s a guide to getting started

Have you already chosen to turn your jewelry-making talent into a business? Starting a jewelry business might provide you with additional cash or a full-time job.

Jewelry is a popular item that people wear for personal enjoyment or gifting a loved one. If you have a natural talent for crafting jewelry, you might experiment with different materials to produce unique designs. This industry is extremely competitive. So if you want to get your jewelry design business noticed, you’ll have to work hard.

But don’t be intimidated by the prospect of competition or launching a business. This guide shares tips that will help you start a successful jewelry business.

Choose your Niche

deflect energy bracelet
Deflect energy and bad forces with amulets you can buy online 

To guarantee that your jewelry stands out from the crowd, you should create it with a distinct brand. However, your jewelry should also fit into a specific category since choosing a niche will assist your buyers quickly recognizing your work. There are several standard jewelry style categories to pick from.

  • Fashion or costume jewelry is manufactured from low-cost materials and metals and is marketed to stylish, everyday buyers.
  • Fine jewelry is created for upmarket consumers and special events and is fashioned with precious or semi-precious gems and stones. Click here to see examples of crystal jewelry.
  • Mid-priced jewelry focuses on individuality and style that makes a statement.

Sourcing materials and supplies

Now that you have established the jewelry niche you want for your business, you need to know where you will be sourcing your materials from. Purchasing wholesale supplies helps enhance your earnings on jewelry sales. A fast web search reveals several possibilities for purchasing bulk supplies. Order more supplies than you think you’ll need to accommodate for mistakes and to inspire new ideas and projects. Consult your designs for the particular quantity of materials required for a project.

Many wholesale jewelry vendors supply raw metals, gemstones, semi-precious stones, beads, pearls, and metalworking equipment. Consider contacting other jewelry designers for recommendations on wholesale suppliers, and visit as many trade fairs as possible to broaden your supplier relationships.

Plan how you’ll generate your artistic designs for product development. Some choices include handwork, at home, in a factory, or through outsourcing. The intricacy of your ideas, the materials utilized, the pricing point, and skill level will all influence your decision.

Some fine art jewelry production techniques, such as weaving, soldering, or goldsmithing and silver, need specialized qualifications or training. If you’re starting out, try taking an online course to help you figure out your artistic path.

Budget

Starting a jewelry company can be quite expensive, but may be even less if you already have the necessary supplies. Most of the expenditures are for materials and tools, including pencils, drawing boards, design templates, and 2D, 3D, and jewelry-specific design software.

As your company expands, you’ll need to budget for increasing manufacturing and material prices, which will rise as more items are sold. If you intend to open a physical business, include the cost of rent and utilities in your budget.

Register a creative name for your jewelry business

Do you want a business name that is memorable enough to express your style and creativity while also attracting the attention of potential customers?

It may take time and effort to pick a name for your business since you’ll need to choose a name that’s catchy, innovative, and successfully represents your company’s purpose and objective. Check to see whether the name is accessible as a domain name on the Internet so you may create a website to display or perhaps sell your jewelry. Consider trademarking your company name if you want exclusive control of it.

Create a logo for your jewelry business

For your jewelry business, you must have a memorable personalized logo. In a competitive market, the logo will represent your jewelry firm and its distinctive merchandise. Customers will recognize your brand by its logo. Jewelry logo designs aid in the development of a jewelry company’s brand identity.

You should know who your target audience is so that your logo will appeal to that group of people. This means that a logo for a costume jewelry company aimed at teenagers would look very different from a design for high-end or pricey jewelry.

Identify your target audience.

Perhaps you make beautiful jewelry for special events like weddings, anniversaries, or engagements. Maybe you want to appeal to the younger generation with more geometric, minimalist works. Alternatively, you may have stuff that many people find fascinating and appealing. Whichever niche you choose, you must decide who is most likely to purchase your designs.

This allows you to tailor your marketing strategy to that specific target audience. Not sure about your target audience? Set up social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to gain insights and information about your client base.

Have a marketing strategy

Because the jewelry industry is competitive, you need to employ a multifaceted marketing plan to make your product stand out to potential clients. Create marketing items such as business cards that include your website URL and email address. Consider creating an e-commerce site using a low-cost hosting platform like Shopify.

Consider employing a public relations agency to promote your designs if your budget allows it. Social media is a simple method to sell your products and reach a large audience. A simple photo of your jewelry with an encouraging message on Facebook or Instagram may create fantastic results.

Diversify the places where you sell your jewelry

One of the simplest ways to sell jewelry is through your website or a proxy. However, selling your works at pop-up shops and artisan fairs may help your boost sales.

Moreover, it will help spread the word about your company, and get the opportunity to meet and engage with your consumer base while sharing your love for designing jewelry. You should also approach local stores about wholesale and consignment sales of your designs, this may help boost your sales to an even larger audience.

HY Summit is green hydrogen event from the heart of industrial Germany

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Alstom hydrogen train
Alstom hydrogen trains in Germany. Source: Christoph Busse, Alstom

Hydrogen is plentiful as an energy source. If you’ve seen BMW’s bet on hydrogen cars leaving a trail of only water emissions behind, you might be very excited. But extracting energy from hydrogen, until recently, has been very hard. And processes along the way, like containing leaks, cannot be overlooked because if they are, hydrogen is not a better source of power than oil or gas, it could be worse. 

So as important as rallying for the cause and jumping into investments and spreading the good news of new projects in America and Oman, it’s important for investors, governments and energy stakeholders to be educated about the challenges of hydrogen along with the promise and potential.

A short train ride from Cologne or Dusseldorf, the first international NRW HY Summit 2022 will take place in Duisburg and Essen in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany from November 8th to 10th. Attendants can immerse themselves in the world of hydrogen onsite as well as virtually and learn everything about the future of the planet’s smallest element. 

Hydrogen can be used to power vehicles, generate electricity, power the industry and heat our homes and businesses. It could make a huge difference in our carbon emissions and will be critical to achieving net zero. With climate leaders meeting around the same time for COP27 in Egypt, show your company’s commitment to a CO2-free future. This event is for you if you are living the startup dream in shades of hydrogen. 

So how do you start building new companies, investment portfolios and projects? Making it real in the investment heart of Europe, in the NRW province of Germany, is the aim for its November energy summit and startup conference.

Business and investment arms of the NRW government and its partners are organizing a 3-day conference on hydrogen as a business opportunity and a way for our planet to achieve net-zero goals facing a climate in crisis. Consider that NRW is home to the entire hydrogen chain: plants that generate green hydrogen from green electricity, and pipelines that transport the gas across the country. The event will include networking with the state prime minister and key investment leaders. 

Taking NRW’s experiences into account, attendants can be expected to meet high-level participants who can share real-world experiences in infrastructure, production and R&D. The state will include tips on how young companies can get started in NRW, with incentives and investments in hydrogen and new energy ventures. 

Meet H2UB, the European platform for hydrogen start-ups and innovative Projects of start-ups, corporates and science.

Why Hydrogen and Germany’s NRW wants you!

Everyone knows Germany is the world’s most serious country regarding meeting and exceeding renewable energy goals. Germany’s words matched with its ambitious and reliable workforce make it a great country in Europe to partner with. Hydrogen will help Germany’s ambitious goal of a CO2-neutral future. If it works, this will be an example to the world. 

Particularly in the industrial state of NRW, the need for alternatives to fossil fuels is great. Hydrogen is becoming important for the region and therefore offers investors and companies enormous growth potential in a stable economy, with the Euro now on par with the USD. 

NRW is already a top location for hydrogen and fuel technologies. Experts estimate that up to 130,000 new jobs could be created in connection with hydrogen. And this is happening in all areas of the value chain: research, production, mobility and application. 

To ramp up the market for hydrogen products and applications, innovation is needed at every stage of the value chain, a team from NRW’s business unit tells me. NRW.Global Business says that NRW, as a state supports start-ups from the hydrogen economy, so they will play a significant part in the hydrogen market.

Who should attend the HY summit?

International hydrogen companies

Government stakeholders

Startups looking for operations and ecosystems 

Who to meet?

Meet 50 speakers, including Hendrik Wüst, the Prime Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Mona Neubaur, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

Panel discussions, high-ranking representatives from business and research discuss the value chain of the hydrogen economy.

More about NRW.Global Business, event partner

NRW.Global Business conducts international location marketing for Germany’s No. 1 investment location, North Rhine-Westphalia, and promotes foreign direct investment worldwide. Some 20,000 foreign companies are already based in Germany’s economically strongest federal state. They analyze investment plans, identify suitable locations and accompany an investment project from the first step to a successful settlement.

::HY Summit 

NRW Hy Summit, Green Prophet, hydrogen investment

#nrwglobalbusiness

#hydrogen

#netzero

#climate

#NRW

#Germany

#renewableenergy

Persik’s cloths wash into eternity, no soap needed

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persik cloth, microfiber

Keeping things sanitized, clean and dust-free has been a regular routine for people since Covid hit, and of course if you are an environmentalist like me you are going to cringe before you use a paper towel to wipe up a spill.

A mainstay to an eco-ists home should be cleaning supplies and materials that do no harm. Persik, a microfiber cloth that needs no additional soap to clean should be in your tool kit along with some vinegar and baking soda. It cleans windows, mirrors, bathtubs, glasses and floors. According to material supplied by the company, their Pure Sky cloth can remove 99% of bacteria with no soap or anti-bacterials. 

 

The secret to its magnet-like thirst for dirt is patented, composite ultra micro fibers, consisting of multifilament yarns that are made of more than 1,000 strands per yarn. This technology lets you clean nearly any surface using just water. It picks up large puddles of liquid in the kitchen and a larger size can be used to mop the floor and keep one in your car for the dust around the home. 

So buying a cloth that outlasts your kitchen might be a no-brainer, but eventually it will need to be cleaned. Americans can find these cloths at Walmart online, at Better Homes & Gardens and international buyers on Amazon.

Persik, microfiber cloth cleans windows
Wash, rinse, repeat. No dangerous soaps or chemicals needed, even for the windows. This keeps you and pets safe and happy.

Commonly asked questions about microfiber cloths:

How to clean a microfiber cloth

After you’ve used your microfiber cloth to clean grime and dust bunnies, how can you clean them? Throw them in the washing machine. A microfiber cloth will last as long as you do. Do not wash with water temperature more than 140 F (60C). Do not use bleach. Detergent is enough to get them clean. If stained heavily soak in water before you wash. If you insist on soap, just add a tiny amount to clean. No fabric softener please, This creates a layer that makes the cloths less effective. 

Microfiber cloths should be washed alone so they don’t add bacteria to the rest of your load and so they don’t collect lint, rendering them less effective. 

If they are musty microfiber cloths, add a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to the water they are soaking in to deodorize. 

Persik microfiber cloth
Unlike one-time cloths for your floor that you throw away you can use this one forever

Can microfiber cloths be used wet or dry? 

The answer is both. 

Clean dry crevices to remove dust, very fine dust and hair. Great for the car! 

Use it wet to clean up stains, and liquids and if you want to clean mirrors or glass, spray water first on the surface and wipe with dry cloth. So both wet and dry together. 

Use a tiny bit of eco-soap, baking soda or vinegar for stubborn stains. 

Does Pure Sky really remove over 99% of bacteria?

Yes. It’s made with ultra-microfibers that surround each strand of the cloth and catch bacteria as the cloth is wiped over the surface, allowing for a green clean because you do not need to use detergent. The bacteria can then be washed away with warm water.  The water washes through the strands, taking the bacteria down the drain with it.

It’s double sided, why?

The blue scrubber side is for multi-use removing dust or stains

The purple smooth side is for cleaning windows, glass, mirrors without leaving any streaks or smudges.




Swiftdrain develops custom radius drains for removing  power plant waste

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drain, power plants  

If you live in a city with poor sewage infrastructure, every time it rains, storm sewers dump piles of plastics and oil pollution  onto beaches and waterways.. In the case of city storm sewers no-one and everyone is accountable for the pollution that goes into the sewers from the people driving cars, to the small businesses that work on the streets and throw chemicals and plastic bits into the drain.

Matters are compounded when small businesses rely on drains to handle their waste. Small pottery and ceramic studios need special filters to stop the drains and sewers from clogging. Local mechanics need special containers for recycling oil. But imagine what it takes to handle waste and sewage if you are a major energy supplier and one that needs all the help it can get with meeting pollution and containment goals?

Swiftdrain, a New York-based company that has worked on city projects and with clients like John Deere shared a recent project with us how  they are helping energy companies meet their drainage challenges in a more ecologically-sound way. 

Swiftdrain develops and manufactures trench drain systems for commercial and municipal applications. Their solutions work in concept and practice to help remove, isolate and treat upstream and downstream waste in applications all around the United States. 

Their recent project is removing coal ash waste from Dominion Energy at the Chesterfield Power Station in Chester, Virginia.

The company provided a special system, called a radius trench drain, so that heavy slurry and drier than usual particulates can flow to where it needs to go for recycling, containment or treatment. 

Their drains are designed for fast installation, superior structural integrity and simple maintenance — essential factors for Dominion Energy’s safe, environmentally friendly coal ash removal project.

A dirty job that the right drainage system has got to handle

Earlier this year, the industrial contractor Saiia Construction approached Swiftdrain for help with a large-scale radius trench drain system. The proposed drain is one of the key elements in Saiia’s project with Dominion Energy Virginia, which involves removing 15 million cubic yards of coal ash from the Chesterfield Power Station.

“Saiia Construction approached us early in the design phase for a custom radius drainage system for Dominion Energy,” said Ankit Sehgal, CEO of Swiftdrain. “We are proud to have supported Saiia and Dominion Energy in their coal ash removal efforts at the Chesterfield Power Station and share their commitment to conscious growth and design innovation.”

The project experts expect the removal process to take 13 years; to meet the high-stress industrial project’s demands, Swiftdrain worked closely with Dominion’s engineers to design a strong, durable radius trench drain system.

Considering an industrial coal ash job site’s conditions and traffic levels, Swiftdrain furnished a 6 inch wide radius drain spanning over 140 feet. The drain size can accommodate the expected water flow levels while preventing debris buildup and allowing easy maintenance. Radius couplings, which have a range of up to 3 degrees, provide the necessary design flexibility to fit the site geometry.

Swiftdrain sourced materials and furnished a pre-sloped trench drain that satisfies the project’s environmental goals. The drain components are made from durable, lightweight structural foam HDPE, which features UV inhibitors to prevent deterioration during the extensive coal ash removal project. The entire system can withstand the loads and freeze/thaw cycles at the site.

The project with Saiia Construction and Dominion Energy is only one of Swiftdrain’s recent accomplishments. The company recently furnished fiber-reinforced concrete trench drains for John Deere. It also provided dog kennel drains for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University ,furnished drains for Callaway Golf’s manufacturing facility and supplied hangar drainage for Lake Cumberland Airport. Swiftdrain proudly works with commercial, residential and municipal customers across the United States.

Two tons of microplastics on Israel’s Mediterranean Sea coast

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microplastics at sea

A new study shows that the Israeli part of the Levantine coastline of the Mediterranean Sea is contaminated with over two tons of micro-plastics

Last week the rains started falling in the Eastern Mediterranean, or Western Middle East. One man in Lebanon died because the storm sewers over-flooded from plastic bags and he drowned. The next day storm sewers in Tel Aviv opened to the sea bringing piles of plastic bits and wrappings along the beach. Oily tar and other pollution built up from the summer also joined the party. But just how much plastics is going out to sea from Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, Syria, Gaza, Lebanon or Egypt? Look to this first of its kind study to get an estimate of what’s probably happening in other countries spewing out plastics unchecked.

A new study by Tel Aviv University and the Mediterranean Sea Research Center found that Israel beaches are contaminated by 2 tons of microplastics. The most polluted Israeli beaches are in Tel Aviv and its northerly neighbour Hadera. The study’s findings show that the sources of plastic pollution include food packaging, single-use plastic products, and fishing nets.

The dangers of microplastics

Microplastics pair up with other volatile pollutants, compounding their effects in the human or any animal body. In light of the alarming findings, the researchers warn that given the current situation in Israel, exposure to microplastic waste, which is dangerous to the environment and human health, is inevitable.

The study was led by doctoral student Andrey Ethan Rubin and master’s student Limor Omeysi from the laboratory of Ines Zucker. The study was published in the scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

microplastics researchers Israel

Pink Himalayan salt
Some people are turning to pink Himalayan salt, mined in the east on mountains, free from microplastics

Rubin explains that over the course of 2021, the researchers collected samples from six areas along the coast: Ashkelon, Rishon LeZion, Tel Aviv, Hadera, Dor Beach and Haifa. The samples were then taken to the laboratory where various analyses were performed, including particle count, mass measurements, image analysis, and chemical analysis to identify the polymer the plastic was made up of, as well as the elements adsorbed onto the microplastic particles.

“It was interesting to see that plastics of terrestrial origin, such as food packaging, were more dominant than plastics of marine origin,  such as fishing nets,” says Rubin. “This indicates a need for better regulation of coastal waste.”

Microplastics, sea in test tubes, counting plastic buts

The research findings show that the beaches of Tel Aviv and Hadera were the most polluted of the beaches tested. The level of contamination on these beaches, which are located near stream estuaries (the Yarkon in Tel Aviv and Nahal Alexander in Hadera) was four times higher than that of Rishon Lezion and Dor Beach, which were the two beaches with the lowest concentration of microplastic particles. Still, even in the Dor Beach nature reserve, which is cleaned frequently, a considerable amount of microplastic particles were found.

Where do the microplastics come from?

Where do microplastics come from? Probably streams, rivers, storm sewers. The researchers’ assessment is that the high level of pollution on the beaches of Tel Aviv and Hadera and the fact that they are in close proximity to streams indicates that the stream’s waters carry microplastic particles with them into the sea, thereby intensifying the level of contamination on the beach.

For example, the researchers say that Nahal Alexander collects leachate from untreated sewage from the West Bank, as well as waste from agricultural and industrial areas located near the riverbeds. Similarly, microplastics accumulate at the Yarkon River from the industrial centers in Tel Aviv.

“Our research reveals that the Israeli coastline likely contains over two tons of microplastic waste,” says Rubin. “Environmental conditions slowly break this plastic down into even smaller particles. The smaller the plastic particles, the harder it is to remove them from the environment, and the more dangerous they are to the environment and to our health. The microplastic particles that drift into the sea are swallowed by fish, and their remains eventually reach humans.”

Zucker adds: “Plastic monitoring research in Israel is still lacking, and we must monitor the smaller plastic particles and additional environmental samples, such as sea water and streams, in order to better understand environmental patterns with regards to the presence of microplastics.

“In a practical perspective, regulatory steps are required in order to reduce Israel’s contribution to microplastic pollution in the Mediterranean.”

Can websites be improved sustainably? 

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websites made with the environment in mind are minimal like this page
Websites made with the environment in mind are minimal like this page

Web 1.0 has brought us the opportunity to learn and know about everything in this world. For that reason, human possibilities widened, and technology evolved so much in a few years that now we can have everything at a simple touch on our devices. But along with this huge benefit, when Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 emerged, we found that these high-tech solutions were causing issues regarding sustainability. 

In other words, the devices used worldwide are using enormous quantities of energy that are not regenerative, contributing to the current climate issues. On top of that, websites, too, are responsible for 3.7% of global greenhouse emissions. Knowing this, is there something to be done to decrease this percentage?   

What are sustainable websites?

A sustainable website is nothing more than a clean, efficient and resilient page. Sounds simple and easy to do, but that’s not the case because websites need constant maintenance in order to function well. Contrarily, a wasteful web design includes too many photos, the file formats are all over the place, the files are too big, and even the written code on the website can create unnecessary file duplicates. 

designing websites, ecological, zero impact, efficient,
Websites should be optimized for search engines to function at their best, most efficiently. This is a wireframe mockup before the design process goes into effect.

So, a sustainable website has the following features:

  • It’s powered by renewable energy; wind farms, solar energy. It’s services are considered net zero.
  • It uses the least amount of energy and resources possible; or it replenishes what it uses by enhancing ecological projects, like rewilding. 
  • It’s accessible and allows users to control their data;
  • It doesn’t exploit users;
  • It helps support an economy that respects the planet;

The consequences of poor website design 

If a website isn’t constantly maintained, it can reach rock bottom in a matter of months. But what happens when a page is unsuccessfully launched? Well, such a website can:

  • Load too slow, resulting in a high bounce rate; 
  • Lack the mobile-friendly design;
  • Make it difficult for users to understand or navigate;

All these elements will make users doubt the website’s reliability and immediately exit it because odd-looking websites are linked to malware. And it can be true since malicious sites are known to be designed in the same manner as trusted ones, but they’re often messy and easily distinguishable from the original ones. If you’re not aware of the malicious elements of such a website, you may experience a security outbreak. In that case, you can claim for data breach compensation in the UK to cover your financial losses or to recover from any psychological results. 

The benefits of sustainable web design 

While wasteful design can lead to data breaches and a lack of customer trust, sustainable web design does more than fix those issues. It can benefit any business to:

  • Reduce monthly bills due to less energy consumed;
  • Reduce carbon footprint since there’s less searching time;
  • Improve business efficiency and productivity because the workflow streamline is improved;
  • Comply with energy use regulations since many countries have started to constrain enterprises to adopt greener practices
  • Set apart from the competition since green companies are drawing more attention than regular ones;
  • Boost public image and brand recognition because the business fights for a cause;

By providing fast load times, superior image resolutions and simultaneous website use worldwide, businesses can become reliable regarding the use of customer data and contribute to a safer and greener internet environment. But how can you make your website more sustainable?

How to create a sustainable website, sustainably

Before starting your green journey, it’s essential to audit your website and clarify where improvements are needed. Start by recalling when the latest content and design update. If it was a long time ago and the designs seem outdated, people might have the impression you’re out of business. Then, take the time to analyse how easy your website is to navigate and how long it takes to load. Finally, evaluate your website’s readability and organising. If your customers are having a hard time understanding what you’re selling, they’ll rapidly exit the site. 

Then, if you decide your website needs a change, try to improve these elements:

  • Optimise images to reduce file size. High-resolution files consume too much energy and take time to load, so you can try to reduce them through software tools that can maintain their quality;
  • Limit the videos on your website and use the low resolution to avoid slow website loading;
  • Improve the website performance by setting up catching (JavaScript or CSS) to increase speed;
  • Change the site navigation and make sure people can find the information they require when entering your page; 
  • Choose a green web host that employs renewable energy. However, be aware that this sector is still developing, so finding such a reliable company can be challenging so take your time to find a green hosting provider;

Going the extra mile on SEO sustainability 

However, after performing the audit and concluding your website is working decently, you may want to have a different approach and change your SEO strategy. An excellent SEO strategy will help people find relevant information quickly, which translates into less time surfing the internet’s pages forever. Which means more time finding you and what they need. When search engines are able to return the best results, the number of pages loaded reduces the energy required for this action, which can significantly make a difference. 

Adopting a SEO strategy must be done according to your company’s characteristics. However, some tips can be easily applied to any type of business. Here are some aspects to consider changing for good SEO:

  • Write and use clean codes to make your website more efficient and to ensure it works on any device format or platform. WordPress is a good and low-cost, even free platform to build on. It’s open source so ongoing fees you will pay will be just server costs. 
  • Mind the fonts you use because larger files demand more energy for storing, delivering and loading. Image sizes should be reduced because what’s great for print is too much to handle in web format, taking up server space and increasing load times. 
  • Improve user experience (UX) design to provide high accessibility and valuable content delivery;
  • Optimise your content by paying attention to the URL of your website, titles, meta descriptions and headers;
  • If you are selling products and services, make real deal claims. Don’t pollute this planet. Think about plastics and that according to this Greenpeace report sent to us, plastics aren’t really recyclable. Help people make it better. 

Wrapping it all up 

The urgency of slowing down climate change has helped us discover issues in everything we use, especially the websites we browse. Since internet surfing is causing greenhouse gas emissions to increase, website optimisation is crucial to minimise the energy consumed on slow-loading pages and poor web design. What do you think about this strategy? 

 

Plastic pollution in the ocean as storm sewers vomit onto Jaffa beach

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Jaffa plastics waste, storm sewer after rain, beach waste
After the rains in Tel Aviv, storm sewers drain to the sea bringing piles of plastic trash with them.

It’s where kids surf, puppies play, people meditate and the best place in Tel Aviv for a morning walk. But Wednesday afternoon, after the rains, a Jaffa resident took a photo of plastics washing up on a Jaffa shore. The storm sewer was openly washing onto the sea bringing with it a mass of oily pollution and plastic bits that have built up over the city during the last 6 months or more since it last rained.

Photos and videos are courtesy of the surfer Mark Cook.

 

Karmi Soder, Cook’s wife, a resident of Jaffa sent us these images and the video Cook took. She did update us that a day after complaints were made the city had come to clean up the sea. “The municipality came yesterday and picked up all of the trash on the beach and we went paddling this morning and picked up more in the sea!” Karmi tells us. 

What kind of plastic pollution is in the ocean

But what about the toxic oils and pollution? Who is monitoring whether it’s safe or not for residents to swim, surf or even paddle?

storm sewers open after rain, Jaffa beach, Tel Aviv, Israel, plastic on the sea
Storm sewers carry piles of plastic and what looks like oil after the rains, Jaffa, Israel

And the bigger question – How can we solve the plastics problem? was a question that came up in a Jaffa chatgroup called Friends of Jaffa.

Some thought about putting a strainer on the storm sewers to collect the plastic before it goes to shore. Another mentioned upgrading the pipes and sewage system.

no plastic protest sign in plastic, Jordan
No plastics, drone image, Lebanon above the sea 

Some mentioned the problems with recycling (most plastics in the US aren’t actually recycled) and others talked about simply reducing plastic use from the source. Lastly another mentioned the problems with buying fast fashion like clothes from Shein. 

If we buy less plastic bottles and plastic packaging in food. If we don’t support fast fashion. All these add up to less plastic in mother’s breast milk, less plastic in our lungs and less people dying at the mercy of plastic. Read the story about the man who died in Lebanon because of a plastic bag?

Want to get involved in the Mediterranean? Contact EcoOcean. They are the leading environmental group working to save our seas. Their website is here.

 

Kamran Heirati’s floating city of Iran

floating city, Iran, Kamran Heirati, copied by architects for The Line
Is this Iranian floating city The Line before Saudi Arabia announced building a 150-mile vertical city?

Humans – since they could – terraformed and transformed our land. We rerouted rivers, we cut chucks of granite from mountains, some of us grew roots of trees into footbridges. And today we see terraforming – outside the scope of humanscale and naturescale. Like the boondoggling, preposterous 150-mile city strip of mirrored city (or Hadrian’s Wall) called The Line in Saudi Arabia. The Line looks like it was “borrowed” from the playbook of Iranian architect Kamran Heirati of Kamran Heirati Architects.

 

The line, mirrored vertical city, built by Neom, Saudi Arabia, Zaha hadid, Green Prophet
The Line, a 150-mile mirrored vertical, linear city, planned for the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Construction has started.
Floating city, Iran, copying The Line, Saudi Arabia
This Iranian floating concept city is linear and long and juts out into the sea bearing a striking resemblance to Neom’s The Line

Back in 2018 Heirati envisioned a floating city for Iran and unlike Saudi Arabia’s project Neom, which is building the future for unknown tourism and rich people, Heirati considered the needs of the locals in his design and approach.

Green Prophet reached out to Heirati and while he was not familiar with The Line who said,  “Actually despite the resemblance of the general idea to our project I am not sure they would have copied it.”

floating city, Iran, Middle East, Kamran Heirati, copy of the Line?, Neom, Saudi Arabia       .

Ancient floating islands such as Atlantis were a myth, but cultures throughout history have built steppes for agriculture, qanats for water, and floating terraces for cultivating food.

Kamran Heirati Architects has developed their own version of a futuristic city with locals in mind. Reforming our relationship with land and the sea.

What’s the floating city concept?

The floating city project is located on a beach town, Salmanshahr, in the north of Iran. Surrounded by the Alborz mountains and the Caspian sea, filled with jungles in between, northern Iran has a unique local culture where people lives relies on the green lands and the blue sea.

Poor economic conditions has led the locals to sell their lands with the idea of leaving the business and livelihood of agriculture and fishing to achieve a better plan life, which was a great mistake, says Heirati in his manifesto.

Kamran Heirati, Iran architect, floating cities, vertical cities, net zero city

Now the municipality only promotes only the projects which can bring back the local lives while adding to the value of the region.

The floating city is a mixed-use complex, lying on the beach growing into the sea. It has combined all sorts of events in one place and gives the locals the opportunity of regaining their income through local markets which can attract many tourists and buyers to the complex. A hybrid city that gathers fishermen and farmers, to encourage the locals to preserve their lands and their livelihood.

And why a floating city?

Kamran Heirati, Iran architect, floating cities, vertical cities, net zero city

In north of Iran, water has a deep reflection on local’s lives. A region with rice fields, boat channels, suspended buildings, in other words the whole area is somehow floated on water, people who rely on water, fish that live in the water, rice that grow in water, lands thoroughly irrigated with rainfalls and green jungles breathing through water; this is indeed a floating city, a station for fishermen and farmers who no longer need intermediaries to sell their products.

How the floating city is built

Kamran Heirati, Iran architect, floating cities, vertical cities, net zero city
A shaved down version of The Line? Notice any similarities?

The floating city has a modular design with a corrosion shaped body which is due to the touch of the sea water. Three basic modules were extracted by studying and observing the local architecture of the region. A context where traditionally, most building have sloped roofs due to the climate of the region with heavy rainfalls, and lifted houses due to the wet grounds.

The modules are defined in 3.3.3 meters cubes, combined in all directions, creating a deck on water where all sort of lives meet (sort of like a Moshe Safdie concept at Habitat ’67). The complex is equipped with all sorts of accesses including pedestrians, car and bicycle roads and of course boat channels which allow the users experience the old local experience of transportation in the north of Iran through water.

The floating city enables one to interact with sea in so many different ways. This complex has different varieties of openings towards the sea. You may see the water through looking down the voids, from your private window, while standing under the covered terraces at the end of the local markets, while you’re on the top of the project, standing on the deck wide open around you, when you are in a boat passing through, going down the stairs of the courtyards and even waiting in the elevator going up or down. Thousands of images of the sea are captured in this city; and they are not just images since people are living throughout this deck.

Passive cooling elements

Kamran Heirati, Iran architect, floating cities, vertical cities, net zero city, passive cooling at sea

Iranians can be credited for inventing passive cooling. Check out the windcatchers of Yazd. Due to the high humidity, natural ventilation (in north-south direction) is a must which happens easily throughout the deck as shown in the diagrams. To preserve the coast line, the project pulls itself up to let the coast line pass through it. As a heterogeneous city all functions are located in all sections of the project, but yet organized around main voids, designed as courtyards.

Just like old Iranian heterogeneous cities one may pass through the local bazaars and experience narrow paths with sheltered walkways which lead to wide vast open spaces, then again enter a closed square full of people selling, buying, passing and living. One must walk throughout this deck to realize how diversely and yet unified this city is holding locals, tourists, buyers, producers, distributors all next to each other.

“Sitting in your private room with sea view towards you, meanwhile you can simply exit your house to reach the local markets or to get on a boat for a trip, only in 5 minutes. In this complex, local markets are organized in two levels. Fishermen and floating fishing markets are located in the lower levels touching the water and local markets (open and semi-open) and handicraft shops are settled in the upper levels. All local sellers can interact with one another through vertical shafts.

“Meanwhile visitors, buyers, tourists etc., are as well involved in all scenarios.

“A fisherman sitting in his boat selling his fish just caught from the sea brought here down the floating city, raises up his head says hi to his farmer neighbor upstairs in local markets selling crops.”

Who proposed the first linear city?

Linear City sketch, Arturo Soria
A linear city sketch by Arturo Soria

While First Nations people of North America lived in Long Houses fit for a few families or more, the modern concept of linear cities started in the late 19th century by Spanish engineer and philosopher Arturo Soria y Mata also known as Arturo Soria. The heart of his idea was building a light rail line, which was supposed to link Madrid with several settlements in the surrounding area.

Soria was an internationally important Spanish urban planner whose work remains highly inspirational today. He is most well known for his concept of the Linear City.

::Kamram Heirati 

Video reveals 150-mile-long mirrored skyscraper The Line in Saudi Arabia

This video shows the design for The Line, a 550 yard-tall, mirror-clad skyscraper designed to house nine million desert-dwellers in  Saudi Arabia.

The linear city, which will be 150 miles and about 200 yards wide, was launched by Saudia Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and is described as “a revolution in civilization” and its part of Vision 2030 for Saudi Arabia.

The Line, Saudi Arabia, illustration

With a footprint of about 25 square miles, it will house people from all walks of life who will be able to walk to amenities within a five-minute walk. But other infrastructure will make it easy to travel from one end to the other in twenty minutes, according to its designers, taking cars out of the city.

The Line is part of the Neom initiative, along with Trojena and and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to diversify its economy away from oil.

More on The Line here.

Meet Aliph, the first all-women venture fund in the Middle East

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Aliph all women fund, vc, abu Dhabi

All-women Aliph Capital secures $125 million USD investment from ADQ

Aliph Capital, an all women venture fund announced that it has secured a US$125 million investment for its maiden fund, Aliph Fund I (LP), from ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company. No portfolio companies have been announced yet.

Based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Aliph Capital is an alternative investment manager founded by Huda Al-Lawati, a leading private equity professional with over 20 years of experience in emerging markets. Aliph Fund I (LP) is a US$250 million target private equity fund domiciled in ADGM aiming to invest in high quality mid-sized companies in the UAE and across the GCC to accelerate their expansion and growth trajectory.

Huda Al-Lawati, Founder and CEO of Aliph Capital, says “The timing is perfect for GCC-based private equity to invest in the region’s midmarket growth stars, who – when fully equipped with digital and tech enablement levers – will generate significant returns and power the ongoing diversification and transformation of the GCC economy.”

Aliph first women VC UAE
Head of Investments, Farah Al-Mazrui enjoyed presenting the masterclass on private equity at Davos in the Desert, #FII6 #ImpactonHumanity

Aliph Capital will seek to acquire sizeable, active positions in privately owned mid-market companies across the GCC that possess robust business fundamentals to realize attractive returns, through active ownership combined with strong value creation opportunities, institutional governance standards and digitalization.

Aliph has the investment and operational expertise to accelerate growth and scale up in companies by helping founders adopt technology platforms and tools to grow revenues, optimize operations, and cut costs to ensure the long term sustainability of its portfolio companies to generate attractive returns.

In short, we like women because they are good at cooperating and see the long-term value in sustainable businesses.

Murtaza Hussain, Chief Investment Officer from ADQ, commented: “Our investment in Aliph Capital underlines our commitment to delivering on a financially driven mandate that creates long term value for Abu Dhabi. Building a strategic partnership with an Abu Dhabi based private equity fund dedicated to serve SMEs further supports our aim to accelerate sustainable economic development and growth within the UAE and region. Together, we will work in partnership to capture growth opportunities, which complements our core portfolio and enable us to generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns.”

About Aliph Capital

Established in 2021, Aliph Capital is a private equity fund manager focused on midmarket and emerging high-growth enterprises in the Gulf region. Aliph aims to provide growth capital to attractive companies across the Gulf region with an active ownership model focused on growth, sustainability and bridging the old and new economy gap through digitization and tech enablement.

Aliph invests in businesses which create positive economic, social and environmental impact for GCC nations, while generating attractive returns. 

About ADQ 

Established in 2018, ADQ is an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company with a broad portfolio of major enterprises. Its investments span key sectors of the UAE’s diversified economy, including energy and utilities, food and agriculture, healthcare and life sciences, and transport and logistics, amongst others.

As a strategic partner of Abu Dhabi’s government, ADQ is committed to accelerating the transformation of the Emirate into a globally competitive and knowledge-based economy.