Page 168 – Green Prophet

Israel’s boring company maps 90 miles of underground trains

Transportation

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July 29, 2020

Israel’s boring company maps 90 miles of underground trains

Get stuck in an Israeli gridlock and you feel like you are better off in LA. The fast lane doesn’t really work. Traffic in the Mediterranean sun makes people nervous, especially when it can take you an hour to drive 3 miles. There is no wonder the dangerous but fast electric mopeds and bikes have taken the city by storm. With little oversight and supervision, kids bones are getting broken and grannies overturned as the merciless young cyclists overtake the citizens of Jaffa and Tel Aviv, day by day by day.

The idea of an Israeli subway system always seemed perilous in the height of terror attacks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. A bus with 20 or 50 people blowing up isn’t tolerable, but a mass transit system with an expected 2 million passengers per day, about 1/4 of the country’s population? That’s what’s being planned for Israel. We imagine the terrorist threat is either under control, or we’ve got bigger fish to fry.

The Greater Tel Aviv Metro M2 line was presented earlier this spring in Israel amidst the corona crisis. This line will be about 15 miles long and will connect the suburban cities of Petah Tikva to Holon, with Tel Aviv and Jaffa in the middle.

The overdue project is being implemented by government company NTA – Metropolitan Mass Transit Ltd. About 90 miles of subway is being planned for the country. Consider the size of Israel – about the same size as New Jersey. A nation-wide subway system wouldn’t be thought impossible.

The central M2 line will have 22 stations and among other locations will serve Bar-Ilan University, Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa, the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, Habimah Theater and Wolfson Hospital.

Like Elon Musk touted in California with the announcement of his Boring Company if you can’t go over traffic, you might as well tunnel below it. The Israeli system won’t be tunnels for your cars, but rather an underground train system like in New York City. Tunnel boring machines are expected to dig as much as 10 meters per day (about 11 yards) which will be about 25-40 meters or yards underground, with a diameter of 7 yards. This new subway or underground train will complement the light rail train currently being built throughout Tel Aviv and Jaffa.

Avoid a transport system collapse

With the income levels of people rising and the need to commute to work to cities like Herzliya, citizens demand a better way to get around, especially from inside the city. We also expect tourism, post covid-19 will want to enjoy a good public system.

*Tel Aviv traffic. Always add a half hour, just in case.*

To get to another city like Jerusalem from inside Tel Aviv, expect your journey to last at least a few hours or more once there. While major transport hubs exist and are okay (actually rather loathsome and confusing), getting there is a challenge and getting to your destination – the last mile – is impossible especially in cities like Jerusalem where the bus system is complex and hard to navigate.

I used to take the train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem years ago to get dropped off in a far away suburb that buses don’t pass through. You needed a car to take the train! Things have been improved since the creation of a new Tel Aviv to Jerusalem line.

The point of the subway system, the project builders argue, is to make cars extraneous, explained Gilad Zwebner, VP Planning and Design of NTA – Metropolitan Mass Transit Ltd., the government company implementing the metro system. Zwebner has said that 90% of traffic in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan area is from private vehicles.

“A system based on a metro could bring us to 40% usage of vehicular traffic. According to all the scenarios that were considered, without a metro, there would be a complete collapse of the transport system,” said Sharav.

One more question: will it run on solar or renewable energy? Please say yes. Israel needs to increase its commitment to solar energy. Read here.

No kissing the kaaba at this year’s hajj

Religion

Karin Kloosterman

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July 29, 2020

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No kissing the kaaba at this year’s hajj

Hajj with Ebola fear — *The year was 2014 and already Ebola was on everyone’s minds. Mers and avian flu have scared off people from hajj, but covid-19 has closed Saudi’s doors.*

As news of the Covid-19 virus broke this year one of the first dramatic headlines was that hajj was cancelled. Hajj, an annual and often just once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage Muslims make to Mecca in Saudi Arabia was cancelled over fears of coronavirus spread.

Hajj has fielded viruses before but was not immune to the MERS virus and the H1N1 avian flu, that most of us believed would spare us. This year was the first time in 90 years that hajj was effectively cancelled to foreign pilgrims. Normally 2.5 million people come every year.

But now the Saudi Arabian government, which has faced one of the most devastating impacts of Covid-19 in the Middle East, with more than 250,000 infections and nearly 3,000 deaths, has renewed its support for the life-defining pilgrimage by allowing people from 160 different nationalities already residing in Saudi Arabia, to complete the journey, safely and with social distancing measures in mind, reports the New York Times.

“The hajj is one of Islam’s most important and profound requirements, performed once in a lifetime. It follows a route the Prophet Muhammad walked nearly 1,400 years ago and is believed to ultimately trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are named in the Bible.

“The hajj, both physically and spiritually demanding, is intended to bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. But rather than standing and praying shoulder-to-shoulder in a sea of people from different walks of life, pilgrims this year are social distancing — standing apart and moving in small groups of 20 to limit exposure and the potential transmission of the coronavirus.”

The Saudi Government, which is not an elected government but overseen by King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, will welcome pilgrims to hajj which starts today Wednesday July 29. They will already let up to 10,000 people already living in the kingdom for the pilgrimage to complete the mission, and will provide for them meals, hotels, transportation and healthcare.

No kissing the kaaba!

Al Jazeera gives an update on how those already in Saudi Arabia will be permitted to perform hajj. Here is an excerpt:

Pilgrims will be tested for the new coronavirus before arriving in the holy city of Mecca and will be required to quarantine at home after the ritual. Wearing face masks at all times will be mandatory for pilgrims and organisers.

Touching or kissing the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, will be banned during Hajj this year, and a physical distancing space of 1.5 metres (five feet) between each pilgrim during the rituals – including mass prayers and while in the Kaaba circling area – will be imposed, according to a statement by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

Congregational prayers are permitted, but worshippers are required to wear face masks and to maintain physical distancing. Also, access to holy sites at Mina, Muzdalifah, and Mount Arafat will be limited to those with Hajj permits until August 2.

How to save money by switching energy supplier

Bhok Thompson

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July 28, 2020

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How to save money by switching energy supplier

floating home — Every home should feel like an eco oasis, and it can be done by saving energy. Here’s how it can be done.

Switching energy suppliers is one of the smartest ways to save money on your gas and electricity bills. It’s a lot simpler than most consumers think and takes very little effort on your part as the supplier will manage the whole switching process for you.

We have created this step by step guide which shows you how to switch energy supplier and start benefiting from cheaper gas and electricity.

What information do I need to switch energy company?

To switch your energy company, you will need the following: your postcode, a copy of your most recent energy bill or annual statement and an estimated 10-15 minutes of your time. For those that want to pay for their bills via Direct Debit, your bank account details will be required to set up this payment method. It’s useful to know that this is the cheapest way to pay for your gas and electricity supply.

Don’t panic if you can’t find your latest energy bill or annual statement. You will be able to see an estimate of how much energy you consume by answering a few basic questions about your household.

You should now have the above details ready. The next step is to head on over to one of the many price comparison sites that can be found online. Here are the four steps you will need to follow once you’re on one of these sites.

Step 1: Enter your home postcode

Enter your postcode and select your home address from the drop-down menu. Prices for gas and electricity are set on a regional basis. This means that not all suppliers and tariffs will be available to you. By entering your home address, you will only be shown deals that are relevant to you.

Step 2: Enter your current energy usage

Next, the online comparison site will want to know how much energy you currently consume. This will allow it to determine how much you could be saving when you switch energy company. Your usage details can be found on your latest bill or annual energy statement. If you don’t have this information to hand, an estimate can be provided by answering a few basic questions about your household.

Step 3: Choose your new energy tariff

Did you know that there are currently more than 55 energy suppliers in the UK? This competition helps drive down the price of gas and electricity but has the drawback of making your decision a little more difficult. Fear not as the comparison site can filter deals based on what you are searching for. It will be able to sort tariffs by lowest price first; a great way to quickly see how much you could save by switching energy companies.

Those that want to narrow down their results even further can do so. Other factors that may be important to you in addition to price may include the following:

Green tariffs that use sustainable energy
A tariff without an exit fee
Various contract lengths (12, 18 or 24 months)

Step 4: Confirm your energy switch

The final step when switching energy suppliers is to confirm your switch. To complete this, you will need to provide your contact details and payment information.

That’s it! You have now completed the process. Your new supplier will contact your previous supplier to arrange a switchover date.

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions after making the switch.

Will my gas and electricity supply be interrupted?

No matter what energy company you choose, your gas and electricity supply will not be interrupted whatsoever. In fact, it will continue to run as normal. The only real change you will notice is that a new energy supplier will now send you a bill and your unit rate will be altered to reflect the tariff you have chosen.

How long will the switch take?

Comparing energy prices and confirming the switch online can take up to 15 minutes. The actual switch normally takes around three weeks. During this period, your new energy supplier will manage the transition for you behind the scenes. If you do change your mind, there is a 14-day cooling off period.

Will I hear from my new energy provider?

The energy company that you have switched to will send you a letter and welcome pack in the post within a few days of the switch. This highlights the terms and conditions that you have agreed to, it includes information about your new tariff.

They will request that you take a meter reading. This will be forwarded to your old supplier to allow them to calculate your final bill.

In summary, comparing and switching energy companies is easy and simple with the help of an online comparison site. The new energy supplier will manage the whole process for you.

How a Greenhouse Business helps the environment

Bhok Thompson

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July 28, 2020

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How a Greenhouse Business helps the environment

There are numerous reasons to start a greenhouse business, and nearly all those reasons have environmental benefits. A greenhouse allows a gardener to turn their hobby into a full-time job. Whether you’re growing large or small crops, live in a tiny house with a small garden or a commercial greenhouse can be an excellent money-making opportunity for anyone with a green thumb. Here are a few reasons to start an eco-friendly greenhouse business in your home or commercial garden.

Multi-Purpose Sustainability

If you own a greenhouse it can be used to grow a range of crops. For instance, you can grow organic flowers, bulb plants, vegetables, exotic plants, and seedlings. For a sustainable approach, consider changing the crop every year so the soil’s nutrients don’t get depleted. No matter what you’re planning to grow, a commercial greenhouse is a safe, environmentally friendly option.

Consistency and Quality

When you’re running a commercial greenhouse, it’s easy to grow plants regardless of seasonal changes and climate fluctuations. Extreme temperatures, excessive rainfall, and long droughts won’t cause serious issues for plants grown in a greenhouse. In this line of work, you won’t just be helping the environment; you will also have the flexibility to run your business as you wish.

Providing the Right Environment for Your Plants

Whether you’re growing vegetables, flowers, or herbs, those plants will likely do best in a moist, warm environment. In a commercial greenhouse, plants are in an environment that’s conducive to growth. After all, the purpose of a greenhouse is to trap water vapor and heat, so humidity and warmth are maintained.

Great Design

secret greenhouse corner — Secret romantic greenhouse

Like pergolas and gazebos, it’s possible to design a commercial greenhouse that suits any landscape. There are numerous designs available, and with the right choice, you can create a space that has visual appeal and a commercial purpose.

Saving Money

It’s easy to spend hundreds of dollars on seedlings at the start of the planting season, but in many cases, growers are still left lacking. With a greenhouse business, though, you can grow enough plants to sell and to share. You’ll be helping the environment by spreading the love!

Endless Customization Options

If you’d rather build a greenhouse that’s different from everyone else’s, or your plants have certain requirements, it’s easy to customize your setup. Even in the commercial setting, it’s easier to put up a greenhouse than it is to build a pond or patio. For greater environmental impact, you can customize the position of plants, storage areas, doors, and more.

Better Health

Running a greenhouse business isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for your health. Being out in nature is a great way to escape from the daily stresses of being a business owner. In fact, a greenhouse with diffused lighting may help to minimize SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. When you’re a commercial greenhouse owner, you can help the environment while lifting your own spirits.

In Closing

Though starting a greenhouse business requires a substantial initial investment, the money spent on such an endeavor is worthwhile in the long term. With so many environmental benefits, it’s easy to see why running an agricultural business is such a great idea. For more information on getting into the business of cultivating plants, visit our blog today.

Why Businesses Should Go Green With Their Architectural Plans

Bhok Thompson

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July 27, 2020

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Why Businesses Should Go Green With Their Architectural Plans

moshe safdie crystal china — Moshe Safdie, Metalocus in China

Many conventional buildings that were built these days were designed with that modern and futuristic look. But, behind these looks is also the increased demand for energy production. Not to mention the adverse impacts on the environment that these modern yet poorly designed buildings have created. Unfortunately, a lot of skyscrapers that modern cities boast of have substantial impacts on the environment. Many of these buildings use resources, emit greenhouse gases, and degenerate waste that harms the environment. This is the same environment where people and other living things also live.

The damage that these modern buildings cause can be too profound that one may not have the exact idea of how it wreaks havoc to the environment. Thus, the need to create buildings that are focused on the concepts of green architecture.

Understanding Green Architecture

Green architecture refers to the concept of constructing and designing buildings while taking into consideration sustainable sources of energy. All aspects of the building must be created to become environmentally efficient. These are the kinds of buildings that require less energy to operate and use for many years to come.

Reasons to Go Green with Architectural Plans

Improvement in Energy Efficiency

Foreign investors who are planning to expand their businesses overseas will surely be impressed by the ecological awareness that your company building manifests. This is one way of showing that your establishment stands out from its competitors who are still in conventional buildings. The professionals from Architectural Cladding Suppliers believe that green architectural designs are brand differentiators. It is one of the best ways to show to your prospective investors that your company is among the leaders in terms of environmental awareness. Nowadays, leading lenders, along with the investors market have come to recognize the economic benefits of having a green building. Many of these investors are also looking to invest in companies that operate in green buildings that have earned certifications from environmental organizations. These certifications can also attract outstanding talents that are also just as environmentally conscious.

Makes Water Efficiency Possible

Buildings that adhere to eco-friendly architectural designs are built with water resource systems that make water efficiency possible. Many green buildings have alternative water sources in place which greatly reduce the strain that people may experience with shared water resources. These alternative water resources allow the purification of water while also enabling the process of recycling. These things are made possible because green buildings have sustainable plumbing systems. It gives all the building occupants the chance to use water responsibly. Water catchment systems may vary depending on what’s most suitable for your building design. An environment-friendly water catchment system makes it possible for a building to store and capture rainwater that can be used for different applications.

Reduction of Operational and Maintenance Cost

Green buildings are designed to lower the costs of energy usage. These buildings maximize the use of daylight, one lighting strategy that paves the way for lowered electricity costs. This feature alone of a green building already has a huge impact on the environment. Energy use accounts for 80 percent of the lifetime costs of maintaining a building. This also translates to more earnings and more money saved for building owners. Buildings that adhere to green architectural plans may entail higher costs during construction compared to conventional buildings. But, with the reduced costs spent on maintenance and operational costs, these green buildings are still considered cheaper over a while.

There are a plethora of benefits to green architectural plans. Businesses will be able to save on energy costs, with these in place. Not to mention the potential to attract more jobs and make significant contributions to the economy.

Russians make cheese and wine from invasive American weed

Food

Karin Kloosterman

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July 23, 2020

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Russians make cheese and wine from invasive American weed

Like making lemonade from lemons (or fermented lemons which are even better) Russian scientists have found the best way to use an invasive weed brought from America – and called hairy beggarticks or Bidens pilosa officially. Its other names are black-jack, cobbler’s pegs and Spanish needle. The Russians found that the leaves of the plant contain an interesting enzyme, one that could function as a vegan alternative in the food industry to make cheese and wine, they report in the International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research. This plant, like duckweed as a superfood (see the startup GreenOnyx), could be a promising new ingredient that is vegan, kosher and halal.

Eating a Plant-Based Diet

The scientists say that the leaf extract of hairy beggarticks (let’s say it three times: hairy beggarticks, hairy beggarticks, hairy beggarticks!) contains enzymes that speed up fermentation in wine and which help turn milk into cheese, working as a plant-based alternative to the expensive enzymes used in the food industry such as rennet which comes from an animal stomach. Vegans are looking for alternatives to animal based products constantly such as sturgeon or gelatine as wine clarifiers. Remember when Starbucks got called out for putting crushed red beetles in its frappuccinos? That’s what we are talking about.

According to the authors from South Ural State University, the technique they now use with the invasive plant can produce cheaper plant alternatives to expensive enzymes necessary in wine and cheese production. And obviously the vegan alternative is much desired as more people turn to a plant based diet.

“There is a long tradition of using Bidens pilosa as a medicine,” says Irina Potoroko from the Russian institute. “Due to its prevalence, its use, in our opinion, is extremely beneficial in winemaking and milk processing, where the Bidens pilosa extract can become an alternative to many food animal enzymes,” she said.

In the experiments, the researchers proved that fresh leaves of Bidens pilosa have high protease activity in an acidic buffer pH 4 (8.2567 × 10^-7 mM / mg / min) compared to an alkaline buffer pH 10 (5.15 × 10^-7 mM / mg / min) at 30 degrees Celsius. The scientists were able to determine the optimal conditions for the enzymatic activity of the leaf extract, which makes it possible to use in various technological processes.

Potoroko believes that it is necessary to continue the research in order to find out which part of the plant (roots, stem, flowers?) has the greatest protease activity, because the research carried out was focused only on fresh leaves.

Bidens pilosa is widespread in the world as a weed imported from America. In Russia, the plant was found in the Far East. Bidens pilosa belongs to the quarantine weeds prohibited for import. Going forward, the scientists want to break down even more parts of the plant, which originated in the U.S. but spread throughout the world as an invasive weed.

Solar panel “Roomba” Ecoppia gets $40 million investment

Technology

Karin Kloosterman

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July 22, 2020

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Solar panel “Roomba” Ecoppia gets $40 million investment

*It’s like a Roomba but for industrial scale solar panels. Meet Ecoppia.*

Robotics, we have shown with the Israeli solar helicopter invention to spin panels in 3D, is important in advancing solar energy goals and renewable energy at large. While gig economy companies like AirBnB and Uber have nose-dived during a global pandemic with no clear path for recovering, renewable energy projects are still a safe bet going forward, despite job loss and overall investor cautiousness. In fact this is one of the only sectors that can get us out of future messes with pandemics and global warming hot on our heels. Meet the latest Israeli company making strides in solar.

One of the biggest challenges in solar energy is keeping the solar panels clean. Solar parks in the desert face two major challenges: a lot of dust on the photovoltaic panels and not enough water to clean them. Dust can cause up to a 40% decrease in efficiency of the panels. So there is huge interest to avert this problem. Normally teams of humans come in with squeegees to clean the panels by hand.

Ecoppia founders understood there could be a better way: bring in the robotics cleaners.

Ecoppia, which we wrote about here in 2014, based in Israel announces a US $40 million strategic investment in the company by the $60 billion real estate holding company CIM Group.

roomba solar cleaner — Like a Roomba from iRobot cleans your floor, Ecoppia cleans solar panels of large solar panels once the sun has set.

Ecoppia’s robotic solutions are deployed globally in utility-scale sites and have been field-proven to keep solar panels at a year-round peak performance while minimizing operating and management costs. Despite the unique challenges of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, Ecoppia has secured over 10 gigawatts worth of energy of new projects over the last three quarters alone.

On a pilot site in Israel at a solar plant called Ketura, it would take up to five days to clean the panels manually and it was hard work that often put cleaners and panels at risk. But if they didn’t clean the panels, their ability to absorb the sun’s energy was reduced by about 35 percent. Over time, that amounts to a significant loss.

Completely self-sufficient, nearly one hundred E4 robots cleaned the plant’s panels every day after sunset. Using a sophisticated winch system, they clean 54 square feet in 30 seconds, and Ketura said they were thrilled with the results: “Ecoppia has changed the way we run the Ketura Sun field,” says Yanir Aloush, VP Operations at Arava Power which runs the site at Ketura.

The solar energy sector uniquely requires vendors to meet stringent standards of financial integrity in order to deploy in large scale projects. With the CIM investment, Ecoppia says it strengthens its balance sheet and reduces its cost of debt. This brings the company in line with expectations of its tier-1 energy clients, who include ENGIE, EDF, Fortum, Actis, Brookfield and others.

“This latest investment by CIM Group is a vote of confidence from one of the most prominent and sophisticated US investors,” said Jean Scemama, CEO of Ecoppia. “This capital infusion will allow Ecoppia to continue its geographic expansion, as more and more regions realize the benefits of shifting to robotic cleaning.”

CIM explained why they invested: “Following an extensive market analysis and due diligence, which CIM undertakes in its proven investment process, we recognized Ecoppia as the leading robotic player in the solar industry,” said Jennifer Gandin, Principal, Investments of CIM Group. “We believe that Ecoppia will continue to pioneer the automation of the solar industry with its experience and data analysis capabilities,” she added.

More on Ecoppia

With over 17GW of secured projects, Ecoppia removes dust from solar panels on a daily basis leveraging advanced machine learning and IoT capabilities. Remotely managed and controlled, the Ecoppia platform allows solar sites to maintain peak performance with minimal costs and human intervention.

Beach called hidden paradise is plastic hell

Eco Alert

Karin Kloosterman

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July 21, 2020

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Beach called hidden paradise is plastic hell

Everything counts in large amounts: July 13, near a beach in Turkey. Campers and locals creating a dump they will later burn. This eco alert hopes to stop widespread illegal dumping of consumer trash.

There is nothing more annoying than getting out of the town or city and going to nature for a stroll or swim and then coming upon a pile of garbage. Or nothing more annoying than thinking you are going to paradise and then end up in a dump. Unlike pollution such as microplastics that can’t be seen, or industrial pollution causing high rates of suspected cancer cases, when you see garbage in plain sight being contributed to by everyday people, you know there is a big problem with local awareness.

This Eco Alert come from Sandra Brinuma, who went for a swim at the beach in Keşan, Edirne, Turkey. “The place on internet was called as ‘hidden paradise’. It was hidden plastic hell,” she reports.

The bay where she found the piles of trash is called İtalyan Koyu or Kale Koyu and it is close to Mecidiye and Erikli villages. “A sand road goes there from the main road,” she tells Green Prophet, and to find it on the GPS you punch in: 40°35’47.2″N 26°30’40.4″E.

The last time we went to Turkey the nature was pristine and clean. But this is changing with the growing use of plastics and our throwaway culture. This is what we want to see. Not the pile of garbage above.

She explains: “Across the hill on the other side there is Uzunkum beach which is with the payment fee therefore there was no trash. Where municipality steps in is clean but not official beaches (however crowded ones) are not taken care of at all.

“I wish I have taken more pictures as on the sides of the beach there was a lot of trash too and also trash was swimming in the water.

As it is not an official beach, there are no trash cans and where the cars were parked there was this huge hole in the ground full with trash. When I went there to take a picture, a man with his son was going there to throw more bottles in it. I told him that he should not do this, then he said that campers have made this trash here and that municipality burns it later. He did not understand that he is a part of the problem nor that burning is bad,” Brinuma explains.

Her boyfriend Umut Üntürk sent a message to the Keşan Municipality and she is waiting for a reply. “Locals seem to not care,” she says. “They were ok with trash and not to pay entrance fee.”

Consider that Turkey beaches are rated the best in the world for Blue Flag. How can we keep it that way?

Read more about local environmental movements in Turkey:

As He Battles Lawsuit, Grandfather of Turkish Environmental Movement Receives Right Livelihood Award
Istanbul’s Main Square To Become Lifeless And Isolated In New Urban Plan, Opponents Warn
10,000 Turks Gather To Protest Coal-Fired Power Plant
“Anatola Won’t Be Blackened” Declare Turkish Anti-Fossil Fuel Groups

You might think that little reports of environmental neglect go nowhere. We disagree. Have an environmental gripe or violation to report? Email us [email protected]

7 recommended ways to consume CBD-based products

Bhok Thompson

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July 21, 2020

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woman smiling smoking cannabis

CBD-based products are trending like crazy. You can find CBD-based products available for sale online or at any cannabis dispensary or pharmacy. It doesn’t matter if they have legalized recreational marijuana or not because CBD is not a cannabinoid that causes psychoactive effects in users. For this reason, CBD is perfectly legal to consume in all 50 states.

The trick is to figure out the best way to consume CBD-based products. There are at least seven recommended ways to consume them. Some of these ways you might like and others you might not like. Everyone has to choose a method that works best for them.

Below are the seven recommended ways for your consideration.

1) CBD Vaping

Vaping has become very popular in the last five years or so. Many people have replaced their normal cigarette smoking habit with vaping because it is less addictive and less harmful to the lungs.

What you might not realize is that CBD vaping is possible too. CBD vape juice is basically like a standard vaping formula, but the difference is that it has CBD extract mixed into it. You can also purchase CBD additives and just add those to your regular vaping juice. Whatever works best for you.

If you want a vaping formula with Full Spectrum CBD Oil Distillate, then you’ll need to purchase a CBD cartridge. Various CBD cartridges may come from different cannabis strains. For instance, the Magic Girl Scout Cookies Strain is an extra potent CBD vape cartridge. It provides relief to certain negative feelings like loss of appetite, pain, and nausea. The strain has an aroma that is said to be very earthy and sweet.

2) CBD Edibles

The easiest way to consume CBD is by eating it. There are many CBD edible products available in stores that sell CBD-based products. Some of the CBD-based foods you can eat are brownies, cookies, and gummies. The cannabis strain in which the CBD comes from may also vary between these CBD edible products.

3) CBD Topical Applications

CBD topical applications are used to relieve pain in a particular area of the body. For instance, if you have muscle cramps or joint stiffness somewhere on the body, then you would massage the CBD topical application onto the skin of that area. You should notice some local pain relief within a few minutes.

You can purchase CBD creams and CBD oils that are designed for topical use only. Some people have mixed results with these types of topical CBD products. It all depends on how fast your body absorbs the CBD through the skin after it is applied to it.

4) CBD Pills

Do you want to make CBD consumption simple? If so, then you’ll probably want to pop a CBD pill in your mouth and swallow it. You’ll have to wait until the CBD pill passes through your digestive tract and is absorbed by the liver. Once that happens, you should feel relief from any minor cases of insomnia, depression, or anxiety.

5) CBD Tinctures

CBD tinctures are what most people are familiar with. These are those little bottles of CBD oil that have a dropper connected to the lid. You use the dropper to suck up some of the oil, and then you drop the oil underneath the tongue in your mouth. It is the fastest way for the beneficial elements of the CBD to circulate throughout your body quickly.

6) CBD Isolates

CBD isolates are CBD extract from a hemp flower. They appear as a crystalline powder, which you can mix with coffee, tea, or any of your favorite drinks. Some people may even cook food with CBD isolates added to it. CBD isolates are technically edible, but you don’t eat them directly. You must mix them with something else to help your body absorb it more easily.

7) CBD Smokables

woman smoking a bong

If you prefer the old-fashioned method of smoking to feel relaxed, then you can find CBD smokable products available at cannabis dispensaries. CBD smokables consist of CBD hemp flower, which doesn’t have the THC compound in them. You can simply light up the end of your CBD smokable product and smoke it like a cigarette. It is said that smoking the CBD compound allows you to feel its benefits much faster than any other method of consumption.

What kinds of posts generate the most views on Instagram?

Bhok Thompson

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July 21, 2020

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What kinds of posts generate the most views on Instagram?

odom ski lebabon, biodome, dome tent glamping — Glamping in Odom in the mountains of Lebanon, your favorite meal? A rare plant in your backyard? Or your latest handmade creation? Some of us need to grow our businesses on Instagram to weather the Covid storm but stay true to our eco values. How can we get the right green likes?

If I may ask you, why do you think someone will publish a post on Instagram, and the post will perform extremely well, whereas another person will publish a similar post, and the post will struggle to even get noticed?

I know you might say that the reason is linked to the number of followers and reach that each individual has. But what about a scenario whereby the two posts come from the same person and yet one does better than the other? Can we still link the difference in their performance to the reach and following of the creator?

Of course, we can’t.

Although we cannot ignore the influence of reach and following on post performances, the biggest reason why posts perform differently is mainly because of their theme (the type of posts that they are)!

On Instagram, some posts naturally garner more interest from viewers than others, not because the creator has used the best hashtags but because their tone appeals to a majority of the Instagram community – that is, they’re the types of posts people like.

So, what kinds of posts exactly fall into this category?

Posts featuring influencers

There is a reason why an average influencer marketing campaign on Instagram would return $5 for every $1 spent. Instagrammers really love and trust influencers. So, when they see a post featuring any one of them, they naturally feel connected with such a post, irrespective of whether they’re following the account from which the post has been published.

So if you’re looking to garner lots of interests for your product posts on Instagram, you may want to consider featuring an influencer in the post. Just make sure the influencer is relevant to your business industry.

Behind-the-scene posts

Everybody knows that a lot of efforts go into the production of a product. Unfortunately, we don’t always get to see these “efforts” firsthand. Most brands just come out with the final products and showcase them to us.

But when someone deems it fit to share a behind-the-scenes video detailing the production of their products, they tend to get a lot of attention from people because this is not something that happens every day.

Informative content

I think we will all agree that informative content like how-to guides, tips, and tutorials are always amongst the best performing posts on any social media platform, Instagram inclusive. And the reason is because this type of content answers the questions of people.

Whether you’ve got a photo showing people how they can use your product or a video detailing the correction to a misconception in the industry, an informative content can get you some of the highest engagements you’ll see on Instagram.

Lighter, bluish-tinted images

It’s been proven that Instagrammers are more attracted to bright, light images than they are to dull, dark images. So if your images are looking dark, gloomy, or dull, endeavor to lighten them up with filters or re-snap them before posting.

Unlike what on Pinterest where reddish tint photos are adored, Instagrammers prefer to see photos with bluish tints in their feeds

Posts showing relationships with community

By virtue of patronizing them, an average human feels like brands are duty-bound to give back to the community supporting them. Realistically, though, this is not something that happens too often, so humans have learned to live with the fact that not too many brands love to give back to the community.

If your brand, however, does this – at least – once in a while and you post it on Instagram, you can expect such a post to generate tons of views and engagements. Because people know how reluctant brands are when it comes to supporting communities. So, when they see someone showcasing their efforts on IG, they can’t help but show some love.

Images with textual characters

Why do you think motivational quotes do extremely well on Instagram? The reason is because Instagrammers feel connected immediately to an image when they can see a block of text to read on it. As they’re scrolling through their feeds, if they stumble upon a post that has a catchy line of text on it, there is no way they wouldn’t scroll back up. Not to check what the image is (they’ve seen lots of images for that day already) but to read what the text has to say.

User-generated content (UGC)

Before someone decides whether to patronize your business or not, one of the first few things they’ll check out for is whether you have the social proof to show that your business is, indeed, genuine and reliable. This is why UGCs perform extremely well on Instagram.

UGCs, which are contents from satisfied customers, can either be published by customers (while tagging the brand) or the brand itself. Either way, they usually do extremely well on the platform because of the assurance and confidence they give to people.

So, if you’re a small business owner, you can encourage your customers to create a UGC and then share it on your page.

Hassle-Free Method to Procure MMJ Card in Florida

Bhok Thompson

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July 21, 2020

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Hassle-Free Method to Procure MMJ Card in Florida

woman smoking a bong — Medical cannabis may help you recover or be protected from Covid. Areas where medicine is needed, and not recreationally legal, may need help getting a medical card to obtain cannabis medicine.

Marijuana is said to be the solution to several health problems. It has thus become a part of many serious medical treatments. Medical practitioners prescribe marijuana for different ailments to speed up the recovery process. However, even if you have been prescribed this drug you will not be able to purchase it freely if you do not possess a medical marijuana card. In order to purchase marijuana, you need the approval of a certified medical marijuana doctor which in turn will help you procure a valid MMJ card.

Every state in the United States has its own set of guidelines to acquire this card. Let us learn about these guidelines and step by step process followed in Florida. Also shared is a simple way in which you can conduct this procedure smoothly without any hassle.

Simple Steps to Obtain MMJ Card

Consult a Medical Marijuana Doctor

As stated above, in order to obtain an MMJ card, you first need to consult a licensed medical marijuana doctor. These doctors have specially been trained to identify people who really need to consume marijuana as a part of their treatment. They approve the case only after studying it carefully. The patients require undergoing certain tests to further the process. The test reports as well as the medical history of the patients is taken into consideration

After thorough examination the doctor determines whether or not you are eligible to consume marijuana.

You can look for a licensed medical marijuana doctor online. However, the task can be a bit taxing and you cannot trust just any name that comes your way. To ease this work you can consider using Veriheal in Florida. This platform bridges the gap between MMJ doctors and patients. The doctors on their list are highly experienced and professional.

Submit the Application

After the doctor approves the case, the patients are required to complete and submit their application to procure the card. The application, to be submitted to the state, requires some information about the candidate. Filling the application can be perplexing particularly for the first timers. In order to avoid any kind of error it is suggested to seek professional help.

Receive the Card

The card is sent to the patient by mail within 2-3 weeks post the submission of the application. Once you acquire the card you can legally purchase marijuana in Florida.

This card is valid for a period of 210 days. You also need to re-certify it after every 70 days to enjoy its benefits.

Get the List of Dispensaries near You

Companies such as Veriheal do not just help the patients procure the card but also provide complete information about the dispensaries where marijuana is available. If you are looking for this drug near your place you need not wander from one place to another. Just refer to their site to get the address.

So, we see how professional help from a reputed healthcare company can increase the odds of receiving the MMJ card and ease the entire process for the patients.

Mosquitoes! Make Your Own Natural Remedies To Keep Them Away

Health

Miriam Kresh

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July 19, 2020

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Mosquitoes! Make Your Own Natural Remedies To Keep Them Away

Nothing spoils a pleasant summer evening like mosquitoes buzzing around. If slapping at your ankles or neck isn’t your idea of fun, consider making your own mosquito repellent from the Lantana camera flower, or essential oils, vinegar and vodka.

Lantana-Infused Coconut Oil

Lantana camara is most often regarded as a decorative garden hedge plant. Its medicinal uses were more appreciated in old times, but recent studies done in the Malaria Research Centre, Hardwar, India, confirm that coconut oil infused with the flowers and applied to the skin repels mosquitoes for close to two hours.

Lantana mosquito repellent is easy enough to make. You can probably find enough flowers in your own neighborhood. When you find a healthy bush – it’s usually planted as a sturdy hedge – ask the owners’ permission to clip off enough flowers to fill a mayonnaise-size glass jar. The jar must be very clean and dry.

Fill the jar with Lantana flowers, as much as you can cram in. At home, pour coconut oil over the flowers, filling the jar. Stir the contents gently with a chopstick or the handle of a spoon, to break up any bubbles and make room for a little more oil. When the jar is full, screw the lid on and put it in a warm place.

The most potent medicine comes from two weeks’ infusion in the sun, but you can speed it up by putting the jar in a water bath. Place the tightly-closed jar in a saucepan and pour water around it to come slightly over halfway up. Use low heat to keep the water hot. Let the oil infuse one or two hours, adding more water as needed. Don’t let the water bubble up to the height of the lid; any water getting into the oil will spoil it.

Either let the jar and its contents cool down in the saucepan, or remove it to a folded kitchen towel in a safe corner. The jar will be hot; use tongs or a dry towel to handle it.

Once cool, put the jar in a warm location: a sunny window is fine. Rotate it once a day. Strain the oil after a week (two is better still)and apply as needed. If you have the time, use the infused coconut oil to make a double-strength batch with new flowers.

Mosquito Repellent Essential Oils Spray Recipe

It’s even easier to put together a spray based on essential oils. It works for hours and is safe for frequent adult use, although it’s wise to avoid spritzing near the eyes, nose and mouth. It’s best to spray children’s clothes and socks or sandals rather than their bare skin. Essential oils are strong!

A word to the wise: when shopping for essential oils, look for the following signs of good quality: opaque bottles and the botanical name of the plant (in Latin) under the familiar English name on the label. Example: Peppermint – Mentha piperita.

You’ll need 110 drops of essential oils per 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup witch hazel, and 1 tablespoon vodka or rubbing alcohol. If no witch hazel is available, substitute 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.

You will also need a glass spray bottle. Plastic won’t do; the essential oils and vinegar will corrode it. You can mix the ingredients in a 1.5 cup capacity glass jar, transferring as much as you need to the spray bottle with a small funnel; or use a spray bottle that will contain 1.5 cups of fluid. Needless to say, containers must be kept tightly closed between uses.

The essential oils:

Geranium, 30 drops
Citronella, 30 drops
Lemon eucalyptus, 20 drops
Lavender, 20 drops
Rosemary, 10 drops

If you have sensitivities or simply dislike any of the above oils, substitute lemongrass, mint, cedar, clove or cajeput for it.

Drip the essential oils into the spray bottle (or glass jar)
Add the vodka or alcohol and shake (or stir) well.
Add the witch hazel or vinegar; shake or stir again.
Add the water and shake or stir again.

Shake the spray bottle before each use to re-combine the ingredients.

You can make a salve to soothe bug bites and stings with our mallows salve formula. Shake about 20 drops of lavender into the warm salve and mix well before it cools.

Our editor Karin Kloosterman reports that rubbing bunches of crushed geranium leaves all over her little son did the trick once, on a day when the mosquitoes were particularly vicious. Necessity is the mother of invention.

That’s it! Happy summer!

:: The Malaria Research Centre, India

Photos: Lantana camara by Alvesgaspar via Wikipedia; herbs in glass bottles by silviarita via Pixabay; 3 essential oils by Laryssa Suaid via Pexels

Tel Aviv makes Covid-friendly breathing sidewalks

Cities

Karin Kloosterman

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July 17, 2020

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Tel Aviv makes Covid-friendly breathing sidewalks

Tel Aviv covid sidewalk — *Tel Aviv has expanded sidewalks for breathing space at cafes and city restaurants. Tel Aviv is a dense city; these sidewalks make it more liveable and dineable.*

Tel Aviv used to be an urbanist’s nightmare, but it is learning fast. And it is growing on me though I like Jaffa, its sister city better. When I first met Tel Aviv 20 years ago it was polluted and noisy. Now it’s trying with all its might to do good by its people: The City has launched a creative solution to enable restaurants and bars to extend their outdoors seating areas, assisting owners to increase dining capacity while ensuring social distancing required by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The municipality has rolled out a series of sidewalk-level platforms at the expense of road space, permitting restaurants and bars to add dozens of outdoors tables and chairs, and welcome significantly more customers.

The move accelerates a key Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality urban policy to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists, and encourage local trade across the city, highlighted by a recent municipal decision to convert 11 streets into pedestrianized commercial zones.

Sidewalk-level platforms were introduced this week along Chayim Vital Street in Tel Aviv’s vibrant (also very stinky from cat pollution) Florentin neighborhood, home to many popular restaurants and bars.

While the street represents an important thoroughfare for vehicular access to surrounding streets and residences, and cannot be entirely pedestrianized, the platforms provide a “breathing” sidewalk that may be extended to support local businesses and encourage greater foot traffic.

In May 2020, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality announced that it would convert an additional 11 streets into pedestrianized zones, open strictly to pedestrians and cyclists. The decision follows the successful conversion of Tel Aviv’s Levinski Street into a 24/7 pedestrian zone and shut Sheinkin Street to traffic on Fridays during the past year.

In addition, the municipality has placed more than 1,000 outdoor chairs and umbrellas across pedestrian zones to encourage visitors to take advantage of the newly-converted areas.

Activists fought the city and won. These trees lining Jaffa’s famous boulevard will be saved. Jaffa is part of the Tel Aviv Municipality.

Last month, as part of large-scale efforts to emphasize pedestrian travel, reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, Tel Aviv said it would double bike paths in the city from 140 km. to 300 km. by 2025. That’s a great plan, but if they are overtaken by rude and vicious and usually inexperienced moped drivers or electric bikes racing to 100km/hour, no thanks.

The implementation of the plan is expected to reduce traffic congestion in the city by 30% says the city but to what personal expense if the bike lanes are not policed.

Clover rolls over from fluoride in our water and toothpaste

Science

Karin Kloosterman

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July 15, 2020

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Clover rolls over from fluoride in our water and toothpaste

For most of us, our closest encounter with the element fluorine is likely to be our toothpaste or a municipal water supply with added fluoride.

But excess fluorine can be a problem. For example, high levels of fluorine in the soil can hurt plants. Fluorine in soils may also affect microbes and other organisms higher along the food chain.

A new study explored whether soil fluorine levels in New Zealand are high enough to hurt a specific microbe called Rhizobium. Rhizobium bacteria live in root nodules of legume plants, like beans and lentils. These bacteria ‘fix’ atmospheric nitrogen, making the nutrients into a form the host plant can use.

Nitrogen fixation by Rhizobia means farmers need to use less nitrogen fertilizer. That can save significant costs. If soil fluorine levels become high enough to hurt Rhizobia, it could impact the legume crops the bacteria help support.

In addition, pastures for grazing livestock often contain clover, another legume. High fluorine levels could harm Rhizobia living in clover root nodules. Ultimately, that could impact the livestock that eat the clover.

But there are a lot of unknowns about fluorine and its specific effects on microbes. “No one has investigated the potential impact of fluorine on Rhizobia,” says Christopher Anderson, a researcher at Massey University in New Zealand.

In the study, Anderson and colleagues found that high levels of fluorine are toxic to Rhizobia and white clover. In laboratory studies, fluorine levels above 100 mg per liter hampered Rhizobia growth. High fluorine concentrations also led to changes in the shape and metabolic activity of the bacteria.

These high fluorine levels also impacted white clover. At fluorine concentrations above 100 mg per liter, white clover seedlings did not survive. Fortunately, there’s some good news as well. The concentration of fluorine at which it is toxic is much greater than the concentration the researchers found in New Zealand soils.

“This means that there is no problem, right now, of fluorine levels in soil affecting Rhizobia in New Zealand’s soils,” says Anderson.

This finding gives confidence to agencies in New Zealand that are tasked with ensuring sustainable farming systems. “Without our research, they would still be in the dark,” says Anderson.

Rhizobia – and one of the host plants, white clover – are key parts of the New Zealand way of animal husbandry. “In New Zealand, we are fortunate that we can grow grass year-round,” says Anderson. “Our livestock are kept on pasture all year.”

Rhizobium bacteria associated with clover fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere. When clover plants die, they break down in the soil. The fixed nitrogen becomes available to other plants.

“So, we don’t need to apply as much synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, such as urea, to our pastures with clover,” says Anderson. But farmers need to apply other fertilizers to New Zealand’s pastures, including phosphorus fertilizers. That’s where concerns about fluorine levels come in.

Fluorine is a fairly common element in Earth’s crust. It is concentrated in some materials, like phosphate rocks. These rocks are the main ingredient in many fertilizers with phosphorus. In areas where phosphorus fertilizers are applied year after year, fluorine can accumulate in soils over time. This accumulated fluorine can become a soil contaminant.

“But in some cases, biological systems are very tolerant of contaminants,” says Anderson.

Anderson aims to determine fluorine levels at which it is toxic to animals. “In particular we would like to look at earthworms,” says Anderson. “Earthworms are very useful ecological indicators.”

Researchers also want to look at grazing animals, which can eat a considerable amount of soil. When animals ingest too much fluorine, they can develop fluorosis. That can cause bone, teeth, and kidney problems.

“We have to make sure the science is looking after all aspects of the pastoral system – soil, microorganisms, plants, and animals,” says Anderson.

Tips to Reduce Energy Usage at Home

Energy

Bhok Thompson

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July 15, 2020

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We all want to live in a home that is warm, comfortable and relaxing, and being able to keep temperatures at the right level forms part and parcel of your home environment. However, there are many people who end up spending a fortune on their energy bills, not just in terms of heating their home but also with their various other appliances and devices.

If you want to reduce the amount of energy you use at home, there are various ways in which you can do this. It is important to remember by reducing your energy usage, you will not only be able to do your bit for the environment, but you can also slash the amount you pay on your energy bills. So, this is something that is well worth doing. In this article, we will look at some of the ways you can cut your energy usage.

What You Can Do

The good news is that there are various ways in which you can reduce your energy usage at home, as the infographic shows. A lot of different things contribute to the amount of energy that you use each day, and by looking at these, you can then make cutbacks. Some of the ways you can reduce energy usage include:

Getting Insulation

One of the ways in which you can make a big difference in energy usage is by getting insulation. It is particularly important to consider insulation in areas such as your crawl space and your attic, as this can slash the amount of energy you use considerably by providing you with enhanced thermal efficiency. This means that you will not have to use your heating or air cooling systems as much in order to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home as seen in this guide to efficient heating and cooling.

Turning the Thermostat Down

Another thing you can do during the colder months is to turn down the thermostat, even if it is only by a little. Turning down the thermostat by just a couple of degrees can make a big difference to your energy usage as well as your energy costs. In order to keep warm, make sure you layer up instead, and you will be able to reduce your energy usage and reduce your bills.

Getting Double Glazing

If you do not already have it, it is well worth considering double glazing for the windows and doors of your home. These provide you with a great way to reduce your energy usage and maintain and comfortable temperature in your home. In addition to helping to cut your energy costs, double glazing can provide other benefits such as reducing noise pollution from outside and giving your home a modern new look.

These are all ways in which you can reduce the amount of energy you use in your home. By doing this, you will be amazed at how much you can save as well as being able to do your bit for the green cause.

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