Meat the Change – What is slow meat? Wild pastured? Whole animal meat. Organic. Raised with spirit? Bought at ethical prices? Slaughtered ethically? All of the above.
The Slow Food movement isn’t against eating meat. It’s for eating whole animal, better quality meat, less often. It is organic meat. Free meat. Happy meat. Are you slow? Take the quiz.
Today Slow Food launched the Meat the Change campaign, with the aim of reaching people all over the world. The campaign aims to encourage people to reflect on the consequences of their food choices.
How Slow Are You? is the title of a quiz on eating habits, which asks social networks users to answer multiple choices questions like “How much meat do you eat each week?” and “What criteria do you use for choosing meat when you shop?”.
Based on the final score, the users are judged to be more or less “slow” and receive advice to improve their consumption habits.
What is Slow Meat?
But what exactly does “being Slow” mean?
It means eating less meat, of better quality. Sustainable farming guarantees quality meat because it puts the welfare of the animals first, leaving them free to move around in open pastures and feeding them with organic feed.
“Being Slow” also means having a lower environmental impact: sustainable farming contributes to the reduction of deforestation, land use, desertification. It can help to save biodiversity and improve soil fertility. A lower number of animals, when raised on pastures, has less impact on the climate. In this sense, the campaign promotes an environmentally- and climate-friendly lifestyle, starting with a lower consumption of meat, and of better, slower meat. It is not, let’s say, meat made with meat glue.
The over-consumption of meat from intensive, industrial livestock farming is a serious problem, as demonstrated by numerous studies and surveys. According to the FAO, the livestock sector is responsible for 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, while one third of the world’s cultivated land is used to produce the billion tonnes of feed required to feed these animals: mainly soy and maize monocultures.
Then there are the water resources required: 23% of our globally-available fresh water is used for livestock farming. The intensive farms have also a strong impact on ecosystems in terms of pollution from livestock manure and methane emissions. The animals that live and die in this system are considered as nothing more than simple meat machines, with no regard for their welfare or the distressing conditions in which they live.
The ultimate result is the production of cheap, poor quality meat that has a negative impact on public health, which contributes to antimicrobial resistance and to an increase in cancer and heart diseases.
If global annual meat consumption doubles between now and 2050 (as the FAO has predicted), from over 250 million tonnes of meat to 500 million tonnes, the system will collapse.
“The global industrial farming model forces us to deal with unsustainable environmental and social costs. We need to rethink our consumption in order to imagine a better future and consumer choices are crucial to influence and direct the market supply. However, the solution is not to remove meat from our diet, because a good way of breeding—good for the environment and good with animals—is essential for good agriculture and quality meat. This is why we need to support those who practice sustainable animal husbandry, often taking care of marginal areas and saving biodiversity, like the many farmers who keep local breeds,” comments Ursula Hudson, member of the International Executive Committee of Slow Food.
“The campaign is called Meat the Change, with a play on words that invites us to change the meat in our diet while at the same time inviting us to embrace the change. Through more careful consumption choices, we can indeed become protagonists.”
The Meat the Change campaign has been developed in collaboration with Meatless Monday, a non-profit initiative whose goal is to reduce meat consumption by 15% both for our health and the health of the planet.
Cuba will receive an Arab fund loan to develop solar power.
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (likened to USAID and the UK and German’s foreign aid) announced last week that it will provide renewable energy loans to 8 projects around the world. The projects will go to building resilience, mainly in island communities which will be able to repay the loans after the renewable energy projects go online. The Abu Dhabi Fund is partnered with IRENA, a global entity that assesses renewable energy opportunities and expectations from countries to stop climate change.
Among the recipients are the island nations of Antigua, Cuba and Barbuda, but also the Maldives and Nepal. The full list is below. Like any nation seeking allies it is commendable that the fund went outside of the Middle East region, even though so much is needed here.
Funding sustainable development
Investing in renewable energy in developing countries especially is important – it helps them secure low-cost capital to increase energy access, improve livelihoods and advance sustainable development on the ground. Once the facilities are starting jobs in all sectors will be affected but no doubt a range of renewable energy jobs will be offered at these 8 new projects.
“Today’s announcement re-affirms the UAE’s and ADFD’s leading efforts to combat the effects of climate change by stimulating robust development across the global renewable energy sector,” said Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD.
“The Fund’s commitment to this priority has enhanced long-term growth prospects and yielded socio-economic benefits for millions of lives in line with the national objectives of the beneficiary countries,” he added.
Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, said: “Overcoming investment needs for energy transformation infrastructure is one of the most notable barriers to the achievement of national goals.
“Therefore, the provision of capital to support the adoption of renewable energy is key to low-carbon sustainable economic development and plays a central role in bringing about positive social outcomes.”
The 8 renewable projects in solar, wind and biogas
In Antigua and Barbuda, an 8 MW hybrid power plant (solar and wind) will receive an ADFD investment of US$15 million. The project is expected to benefit 5,500 households andallows for large reductions in the import of fossil fuels.
In Burkina Faso, an ADFD loan of US$5.5 million will contribute to the construction of a 3 MW solar PV power plant in the country. The project is expected to extend electricity to approximately 40,000 people in rural areas.
In Chad, the ADFD loan of US$15 million will contribute to the construction of a six MW solar power plant. The project is expected to benefit more than 215,000 people in six cities.
In Cuba, a project will receive an ADFD loan of US$20 million to install 8.5 MW of solar PV capacity, supported with 2 MW of energy storage, in Isla de la Juventud. The project will benefit 32,300 people, aims to support the energy sector, decrease fossil fuel consumption, reduce the level of carbon emissions and secure energy consumption from renewable and sustainable sources.
In the Maldives, a waste-to-energy plant project in the city of Addu will receive an ADFD loan of US$14 million. The 1.5 MW renewable energy project will utilise waste in generating electricity and reduce dependence on imported fuel benefitting 35,000 people.
In Nepal, a project will receive an ADFD loan of US$10 million to support a total of 20 biogas digesters which will serve as demonstration units to 270 municipalities. The digesters will convert organic waste into useful energy and offset the use of fossil fuels by replacing it with renewable natural gas.
In Saint Lucia, the 10 MWTroumassee solar power station, battery storage and setting up solar energy systems in the country, will receive an ADFD loan of US$15 million. The venture will support the whole population, economic development, advance the implementation of Saint Lucia’s national energy policy and reduce diesel fuel consumption.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, an ADFD loan of US$10 million will support the installation of a 7 MW solar PV project and benefit 2,444 households. The renewable energy venture aims to reduce carbon emissions, fossil fuel consumption and operating costs.
Since the first cycle selection of projects in 2014, ADFD has successfully funded 32 renewable energy projects across the world, covering up to 50 per cent of the total project costs.
They will bring 200 MW of renewable energy capacity online and empower over seven million people with access to electricity, significantly improving their livelihoods. Spanning Asia, Africa, Latin America and Small Island Developing States, the projects encompass a broad spectrum of renewable energy sources – wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and biomass – and technologies.
Since its inception in 1971, ADFD has financed hundreds of development projects in the renewable energy sector around the world worth US$1.187 billion (AED4.4 billion). Driving the objectives of the United Nations’ SDGs, these projects have contributed to the production of more than 2,500 MW of renewable energy in 60 countries.
It’s easy. If you don’t want to read the whole article, here is the sum up: We need 31% more renewable energy to play it climate safe by 2030. It will cost $750 billion USD – but this can be investment stimulus people, and wind and solar can get us there. Let’s do it!
There is a meeting of the “energy” global superpowers every year in Abu Dhabi. It’s called IRENA, or the International Renewable Energy Agency. They function like a United Nations group, doing research, conducting meetings and presenting recommendations to the world.
This year they issue a report: The share of renewables in global power should more than double by 2030 to advance the global energy transformation, achieve sustainable development goals and a pathway to climate safety. Renewable electricity should supply 57 per cent of global power by the end of the decade, up from 26 per cent today. That’s, well, up 31% and every country should step up to the plate and do their part.
Meeting the press at IRENA in Abu Dhabi
A new booklet 10 Years: Progress to Action, published for the 10th annual Assembly of IRENA,charts recent global advances and outlines the measures still needed to scale up renewables.
We need $750 billion in investment please for renewables, for the planet
The Agency’s data shows that annual renewable energy investment needs to double from around $330 USD billion today to close to $750 USD billion to deploy renewable energy at the speed required. Much of the needed investment can be met by redirecting planned fossil fuel investment.
Close to USD 10 trillion of non-renewables related energy investments are planned to 2030, risking stranded assets and increasing the likelihood of exceeding the world’s 1.5 degree carbon budget this decade.
“We have entered the decade of renewable energy action, a period in which the energy system will transform at unparalleled speed,” said IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera. “To ensure this happens, we must urgently address the need for stronger enabling policies and a significant increase in investment over the next 10 years. Renewables hold the key to sustainable development and should be central to energy and economic planning all over the world.”
“Renewable energy solutions are affordable, readily available and deployable at scale,” continued Mr. La Camera.
Additional investments bring significant external cost savings, including minimising significant losses caused by climate change as a result of inaction. People are facing the effects of climate change in the Middle East. The conflict in Syria ongoing for more than a decade, a crisis about to hit a tipping point in Egypt for lack or water; flooding everywhere, most recently in Israel where people lost their lives.
Savings could amount to between USD 1.6 trillion and USD 3.7 trillion annually by 2030, three to seven times higher than investment costs for the energy transformation. These costs can outweigh a mass migration from North Africa and the Middle East to Europe. Because as climate effects strengthen, European countries will find it impossible to keep the gates closed, as they currently do.
Solar and wind could cover a third of world energy needs
Falling technology costs continue to strengthen the case for renewable energy. IRENA points out that solar photovoltaic costs have fallen by almost 90 per cent over the last 10 years and onshore wind turbine prices have fallen by up half in that period.
By the end of this decade, solar PV and wind costs may consistently outcompete traditional energy. The two technologies could cover over a third of global power needs.
Renewables can become a vital tool in closing the energy access gap, a key sustainable development goal. Off-grid renewables have emerged as a key solution to expand energy access and now deliver access to around 150 million people.
IRENA data shows that 60 per cent of new electricity access can be met by renewables in the next decade with stand-alone and mini-grid systems providing the means for almost half of new access.
If you are black and living in Baltimore you might not be able to afford your water. A new bill will alleviate income differences. A case study on how to fight privatization and allow access to all.
Some people feel they can’t afford to turn on the tap in some cities while others waste water away. A new bill in Baltimore, Maryland (US) aims to settle water injustice, making sure that a water bill will be adjusted to a family’s means.
There is something to learn here as countries like Jordan still ship expensive water by truck; and in Israel where the cost of water climbs higher after every new desalination plant goes online, whether or not it is needed. Privatization of water we learn should be an injustice that a city, state or country fights against. Baltimore is a good case study.
“Baltimore is shattering antiquated water billing inequities, setting a new benchmark for billing fairness and government accountability, and rising up as a water justice champion in this country,” said Rianna Eckel, Senior Organizer of the new water bill just passed for Food & Water Action, an NGO.
In November 2019, the Baltimore City Council voted unanimously in favor of the bill, and Mayor Jack Young signed the bill making it an official law.
The United Nations has declared that water bills should not exceed 3 percent of a household income.
In Baltimore Black households most pay disproportionately high bills. With the new Water Accountability & Equity Act, Baltimore has made steps to eradicate racial water injustice and become the second city after Philadelphia to set up a percentage-of-income water affordability program.
“The Water Accountability & Equity Act will transform Baltimore’s broken water billing system to work for people,” said Molly Amster, Baltimore Director, Jews United For Justice. “
We have been a part of bringing this critical, desperately needed legislation from introduction to enactment and we will continue to diligently engage to ensure swift and successful implementation of the law.”
Baltimore’s water justice leadership began with a historic win against privatization. In 2018, voters protected public ownership over the water system by passing a charter amendment to declare Baltimore’s water system a permanent, inalienable asset of the city.
After that, the City proved the value of keeping the water system public, by passing the Water Taxpayer Protect Act to protect homeowners, renters, and places of worship from losing their properties over unpaid water bills.
Water bills will be based on percentage-of-income, ensuring all residents, including those of low-income and black households, can afford the price of their water. There will be a customer advocate’s office with a mission of promoting fairness to customers, and a structure for appealing high bills and other problems commonly faced by customers.
Similar affordability efforts are pending in Detroit and Chicago. Across the country, the water affordability crisis is growing. Baltimore is providing a model for a national water justice movement.
Researchers in Jerusalem have found they can test for antibiotic resistance to better treat sepsis and even target cancer treatments better
Is it just us or do we seem to get sicker and sicker every winter? This last few months we have been at home sick more than we have been without. Indeed superbugs like the bird and swine flu virus H1N1 are reported to be going around, suggesting why everyone is getting a vaccine to try and beat it. But that’s a virus. When it comes to bacterial infections antibiotics are the only relief.
But new research may prevent some unwanted deaths due to infections like pneumonia. It is published in the prestigious journal Scient. The team led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)’s Professor Nathalie Balaban and Shaarei Zedek Medical Center’s Dr. Maskit Bar-Meir describe their approach.
Like all living organisms, germs like bacteria develop defenses against hostile elements in their environment. One common tactic is “tolerance”, that is, lying dormant during antibiotic treatment. In this way, bacteria evade antibiotic treatment because antibiotics can only spot and kill growing targets. However, this intermediary stage called “antibiotic tolerance” lasts only a few days and cannot be detected in standard medical labs. Therefore, doctors miss the tolerance window and with it the opportunity to treat a serious infection before it becomes altogether resistant. This short window does not affect most healthy adults but for those patients fighting off a blood infection with a weakened immune system, this window is critical and could mean the difference between life and death.
Math tests if antibiotics will be effective
In a previous study, Balaban and student Irit Levin-Reisman studied lab-controlled bacteria. They developed a mathematical model that successfully described, measured and predicted when bacteria would develop tolerance to a particular antibiotic.
Further, they observed that when bacteria developed tolerance to one antibiotic, they were more likely to develop tolerance to other antibiotics in the cocktail. “We observed that bacteria acquired tolerance within a few days. These tolerance mutations then acted as a stepping stone to acquire resistance and, ultimately, treatment failure,” described Balaban.
Now, as published in the latest edition of Science, HU’s Balaban lab and Dr. Jiafeng Liu teamed up with Bar-Meir and repeated their study and tolerance test technique. Only this time, they analyzed daily bacterial samples from hospitalized patients with life-threatening, persistent MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections. The pattern that they found was strikingly similar to their lab findings: First, the patients’ bacteria developed tolerance, then resistance, and ultimately antibiotic treatment failed.
Applications for testing in cancer treatment
Looking ahead, Balaban believes that the same evolutionary processes involved in the development of antibiotic tolerance and resistance are likely at play in cancer and might be used to inform treatment. For example, tumor cells might first become tolerant of chemotherapy, develop resistance to it, and then develop resistance to other cancer drugs, as well.
In the short term, Balaban and Bar-Meir would like to give new hope for patients with life-threatening infections by encouraging medical centers to adopt the laboratory test they developed which gauges antibiotic tolerance.
This readout would enable doctors to quickly and easily detect whether a patient’s bacteria are tolerant of a planned antibiotic treatment before it’s administered. Further, based on the patient’s bacteria profile, doctors could handpick antibiotics with a greater chance of success that, as is currently done, blindly choose antibiotics for which the patient may have already developed a tolerance.
“Using the right combination of available antibiotic drugs at the outset could dramatically increase a patients’ survival rate before their infection becomes tolerant to all the antibiotics in our arsenal,” Balaban concluded.
You risk your life walking on the streets of Israel, but cycling is another matter completely. Death by cycling are commonplace in cities like Tel Aviv where buses and trucks speed out of control and reckless newcomers barely in their teens speed around on electric bikes (really like mopeds) and e-scooters. In April 2018 a Netanyahu strategist and very well known publicist Moti Morel was killed in Tel Aviv on his e-bike.
But risks aside, cyclists can also dream… in the the spring of 2014, two cyclists met on the summit of Nes-Harim, the legendary climb near Jerusalem, that draws hundreds of cyclists from the local Israeli bicycle community every weekend. The older of the two, Ron Baron, was an Israeli businessman. The younger, Ran Margaliot, was barely 25, yet his professional career as a cyclist had come to an end a short time previously.
They both had a vision of building a team dream of Israeli cyclists that could do the legendary Tour de France with an Israel Cycling Academy (ICA). This year they succeeded.
How Israel accelerated uphill with a team
Sylvan Adams, an Israeli-Canadian philanthropist, now part of the team as a co-owner, greatly accelerated ICA’s development. The team rose to Pro-Continental rank internationally and began competing in more important races. Meanwhile, at the same time, an all-Israeli development team was established, serving as a greenhouse for U-23 local cyclists, to help them reach the level of the Pro-Team before and joining it.
By 2017 the team had already made impressive headway, exceeding its founders’ expectations. With promising young cyclists from all over the world, the team had participated in hundreds of race days, winning dozens of them, and promoting several Israeli cyclists who met the demanding standards of this sport.
In 2018, the Giro D’Italia Big Start (the starting stages of the race) took place in Israel, the first Grand Tour start outside Europe. ICA was invited to participate in this Giro D’Italia, allowing Guy Sagiv to become the first-ever Israeli to finish a Grand Tour.
The slogan “From Jerusalem to Rome” was used to dub the team’s journey.
This race put Israel and Israel Cycling Academy on the map of the world cycling scene. 2019 sees ICA with its biggest roster ever. It is also the team’s most challenging season to date, with qualifying for the 2020 Tour de France by finishing among the two best Pro Continental teams the primary goal.
In addition to four Israeli riders (Itamar Einhorn, Omer Goldstein, Guy Niv, and Guy Sagiv), the roster includes Matteo Badiletti and Patrick Schelling (Switzerland); Rudy Barbier, Alexis Renard and Hugo Hofstetter (France); Jenthe Biermans and Ben Hermans (Belgium); Guillaume Bovin, Alexander Cataford and James Piccoli (Canada); Reto Hollenstein and Matthias Brändle (Austria); Davide Cimolai (Italy); Alex Dowsett (Great Britain); Andre Greipel, Rick Zabel and Nils Politt (Germany); Dan Martin (Ireland); Travis McCabe (USA); Daniel Navarro (Spain); Krists Neilands (Latvia); Mihkel Räim and Norman Vahtra (Estonia); Rory Sutherland (Australia); and Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark).
Ireland’s Dan Martin switched teams from the United Arab Emirates to the underdog Israeli team this year.
We root for the underdog and hope more teams from the Levant and Near Middle East will join in on the sport. Among the 19 qualifying teams is a team from the United Arab Emirates, opening a new space for healthy dialogue, sport and good dynamics among men who normally never get to meet face to face…meanwhile looking at the faces and then just checking the names… nah, just like big league baseball these guys don’t look like they are from the United Arab Emirates, but are strong legs, lean bodies for hire. They are hot though. Follow Team UAE on Instagram. And Team Israel (less hot) here.
Choosing the right flooring contractors who will make sure that the room floor would get the best finishing and appearance is certainly a difficult task times. However, there are a few qualities that you should consider when you are choosing the flooring contractors and here are some tips that will help you during making the perfect decision. Check out to know more about the flooring contractors and what steps you should take in order to figure out which one is more skilled than other:
Decide your budget
The first and foremost thing that you need to keep in mind is the budget of the flooring service so that you can plan accordingly and get the flooring of your choice and install it in your home. You can always negotiate with the service providers regarding the budget and arrive at a price that suits you both the best. In case you have a particular contractor in your mind who might cost you a bit more then you can either choose them as they might offer the best services for the home, just the way you like.
Know their work process
Different contractors have different working styles and who care about it make sure that their staff wears makes use of proper resources to carry out the task at hand. The quality of the services provided by them can be identified by the way they might have handled different projects before and how they serve on their local store. Even the smallest of details related to use of materials will leave a good impression on you which is why it is important that you do not compromise this level.
Look out for multiple flooring choices
You would want to make a good impression on the people who come to your residential or commercial building especially the close family members who are regular at your home. In such a scenario, having multiple flooring options to find out the one that goes with the décor of your home would be a good idea. Choose flooring according to the taste in style and preferences of your choice. Check out some of their sample flooring sheets, and you will get to know whether or not you should consult them.
Check the servicing and quality of materials
The services that you are going to get would depend on your budget as well. Make sure that the service provider is taking care of everything right from the finishes to the use of wooden flooring along with their placement. If you have somehow found an experienced contractor, you will probably be benefited by the years of experience that these contract services hold.
Follow up on recommendations
It is always good to take suggestions, and if you do not have a clear idea what to do when it comes to the contractors, it is always best to seek the advice of close family members and friends. Prepare a list of the potential contractors that you think would be best for your space and then contact them regarding their charges, variety of floor materials, services and so on in order to have a clear idea about what you exactly what. Once you are satisfied with a particular service provider, start arranging talks with them regarding your requirements.
Although it might be a difficult choice at first, but you should do proper research before choosing the right flooring contractor for installing the floor sheets in your home otherwise your space might get damaged due to improper utilization of resources that are important during the installation process.
At a time of regulatory and geopolitical uncertainty, investors should look for tech companies that understand how human rights standards build trust.
Several companies have made notable improvements since the first RDR Corporate Accountability Index started evaluating many of the world’s most important internet, mobile, and telecommunications companies back in 2015.
Most of the industry, however, has focused on legal compliance and lobbying to shape further regulation. Companies otherwise have done little to be proactive in response to widespread public concerns about their social impact.
They continue to expose users and investors to risk by failing to disclose adequately what happens to users’ data or how they can control its collection and use.
Companies do not disclose enough information about who has the power to amplify online messages and under what circumstances, or about how online speech and access to or about information are enabled, restricted, and shaped through digital platforms, services, and devices.
The RDR Index offers investors a clear framework to evaluate how companies can prevent or mitigate risks to users’ privacy, expression, and information rights, in alignment with the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights.
Look for companies with policies, practices, and governance that go above and beyond legal compliance box-checking. Despite significant shortcomings in policy, practice, and disclosure, some progress has been made. The highest-ranked tech companies in the 2019 RDR Index disclosed policies and practices that exceeded baseline privacy and internet-related laws and regulations in their relevant jurisdictions, thereby meeting higher human rights standards in at least some areas.
One sign that regulatory drivers can reshape behavior came with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). After the regulation came into force in May 2018, companies improved, albeit unevenly. The quality of privacy and security policies, practices, and disclosures by EU-based telcos varied widely in the 2019 RDR Index.
For example, Deutsche Telekom (the highest ranking European telco) out-scored Orange (the lowest-ranking European telco) by nearly double in the privacy category.
CEOs and boards need to take responsibility for the human rights risks and negative social impacts associated with their business models. The 2019 RDR Index evaluated whether companies carry out comprehensive due diligence addressing the full range of risks to internet users and affected communities associated with their business operations.
No companies disclosed any evidence that they conduct due diligence or human rights impact assessments in connection with targeted advertising business models. This performance gap is striking at a time when widespread media reports backed by academic research show that personal data shared by companies with advertisers can be abused to target specific groups of people with discriminatory practices or with blatant disinformation that can incite violence or sway political outcomes.
Investors need to focus on governance issues that affect how dominant social media platforms’ content rules are formulated and enforced as well as how algorithms and artificial intelligence are used to shape content or profile users.
These issues matter because Facebook, Twitter, and Alphabet’s Google (parent of YouTube) have not offered any evidence of having conducted human rights impact assessments on their rules, content policing processes, or their use of algorithms, machine learning, or other artificial intelligence tools.
Ranking Digital Rights (RDR), an independent research initiative housed at the Open Technology Institute at New America, is releasing its Winter 2020 Investor Update (links to PDF) this morning. The concise, 12-page guide is an easy-to-use tool for institutional investors, policy advocates, journalists, and others to evaluate technology companies using a methodology based on rigorous, peer-reviewed human rights research.
The Investor Update is packed with original analysis and concrete, actionable information that investors can use to get a clear picture of risks and opportunities undertaken by some of the world’s most powerful tech companies. It contains uses data from RDR’s 2019 Corporate Accountability Index, an annual ranking of the world’s most influential digital platforms and telecommunications companies.
The Update is written by digital rights expert and RDR Director Rebecca MacKinnon and by veteran investment analyst Melissa Brown. It draws on research conducted by a team of tech policy and human rights experts led by RDR’s research director Amy Brouillette.
Says MacKinnon, “Responsible and accountable corporate governance of digital rights risks is a growing investor concern. Ranking Digital Rights’ Investor Update cuts through the fog of opinion and outrage about tech company ethics and provides a clear framework for investors to evaluate human rights risks, and engage with companies about how such risks can be better anticipated and mitigated.”
More regulation on digital privacy and online content is coming – but are companies ready? Given the pace of technological change, anticipating regulatory risk means thinking beyond compliance with laws that have already been passed.
The Ranking Digital Rights Investor Update offers clear guidance to investors on how evaluate tech companies’ ability to be proactive and responsible about how their products and services are affecting society.
Commodities, or how most people would like to call them “goods” have been around forever. They are things that drive consumption and manufacturing all over the world. They can be in their raw form, which is very easily usable by the consumer, or could require refinement for better use as a product later on.
But understanding what commodities are isn’t what this article is about. It’s about understanding what sustainable commodities are, how people use them, why they use them and how they are becoming the most sought-after assets in modern times.
Simplifying commodities
In order to tackle sustainable commodities on a level that is very easy to understand we have to first see the difference between commodities and goods. The bottom line is that there is pretty much no difference besides the name, but who uses those names is very important.
You see, the word commodities are usually used in a speculative term, while goods are used in a more consumer term.
Commodities are things that are traded, bought and sold, invested in and etc. While goods are something found on the shelves of the supermarket and other stores. The only difference between these two words is the people that use them.
And today, we focus on those that use the word “commodity”.
Shifting trends
Although the idea of an investor is an older man trying desperately to generate a profit from his gold or oil investment, modern times have helped us tone down those perceptions.
You see, the modern investor isn’t a huge oil magnate anymore. It could be a person living in a very small apartment, trying to make ends meet and finish school. The digitalization of financial markets has helped us broaden the investor spectrum.
Because of this, environmental activists, green earth supporters and various others have managed to enter the market. Where in the past these people were mostly alienated from the markets due to serious financial disparities, nowadays they are able to make a real impact on the matter.
And due to such a large influx of investors like these, we start to see the shift towards sustainable commodities more than things like oil, coal, charcoal and etc.
What are sustainable commodities?
Almost everything can be a sustainable commodity, as long as the production process falls within a few ramifications.
It does not damage the environment
It has the potential to be infinite
Production ethics are preserved
Nowadays there are only a few commodities that fall under these requirements. They are:
Coffee
Cocoa
Coconut
Palm Oil
Rubber
Spices
Timber
As long as the companies producing these goods follow the third rule of the list above, they have the possibility to be branded sustainable commodities well into the future.
Why are they becoming more popular?
The increasing popularity of sustainable commodities can be associated with the changing mentality of the investors themselves.
When in the past most people only cared about profit, now investors are moving towards generating profits while not destroying the world as we know it.
Massive shifts from large financial markets such as stocks, currencies and even commodities have been seen towards a more sustainable sector.
People that use Forex demo accounts to start generating immeasurable profits from currencies used to damage the environment, now trade on eco-friendly platforms targeting commodities that bring no harm to the nature around them.
Why such a strategy?
The world runs on profit. We have to face this in order to identify the issue. Although there is no issue running on profit, there’s an issue with how it’s being done. Right now, the most profitable commodities to invest in are things like oil, natural gas, coal and etc. All of these products are the worst things to use in an already damaged climate.
Therefore, by switching the attention to sustainable commodities, the market would be able to focus most of its capital on them, thus derive the value from eco-unfriendly commodities to eco-friendly ones.
Naturally, it’s a years-long process, but it doesn’t mean that it is impossible.
Is it still possible?
Considering all of the news of new innovative companies switching to sustainable energy, more eco-friendly manufacturing doctrines and the overall abandonment of oil and natural gas coming in the future it’s likely that the market will indeed start switching to sustainable commodities.
Once we run out of oil and dig enough coal, it will be up to the commodities that can be infinitely produced to drive the speculation aspect of the financial markets.
Gold is an evergreen commodity, but mining gold in areas in Africa and Indonesia is far from sustainable. New movements are in store to reduce pollution and increase renewable energy uptake.
In fact, the process has already begun with new plant-based products seen in the Western world and the Sustainable Commodity Initiative signed in 2003 and expanded over the last couple of years.
Potential issues
The only potential issue that has been identified for sustainable commodities is that there might not be enough resources to support the entire demand. What this means is that eradicating non-sustainable methods of producing commodities is currently impossible.
There are also issues of increasing prices on these goods due to increased spending on eco-friendly production and mining.
Furthermore, considering that most energy sources will be moving towards electricity, additional methods of creating this electricity without the use of damaging materials need to be discovered as well, not to mention funding.
IRENA was founded a decade ago to solve the world’s energy problems. It’s like the United Nations of Renewable Energy and anyone who is a serious stakeholder in renewables from government to news to suppliers goes to this annual event.
This year it’s happening today, with more than 1,500 delegates and high-level participants including prime ministers, bank CEOs and leaders from the private sector will gather for the 10th assembly in Abu Dhabi tomorrow. It’s a serious meeting because people don’t travel all that way for nothing. They also dovetail their attendance at the event prior to the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit, taking place from 13 to 16 January 2020.
Green Prophet has been invited to these events in the past, and they are a great way to see emerging technologies and use in the Middle East. Solar energy and renewable energy stakeholders should be there.
“As the lead intergovernmental agency for the energy transformation, IRENA and its Assembly, will endeavor to set in motion a decade of rapid energy sector development to ensure that renewables support a new age of universal energy access, sustainable economic growth and climate action,” said IRENA Director General Francesco La Camera. “There is no question we are moving in the right direction but a significant increase in the speed of transformation is critical to global development.
“This Assembly also marks an important moment in the Agency’s evolution. The need for multilateral cooperation and long-term decision making has never been greater in the context of energy planning,” continued Mr. La Camera.
The 10th Assembly will engage women and youth, address low-carbon investment needs, discuss climate and energy policy and explore emerging technology options, to promote actionable outcomes that advance energy transformation.
Ten years on things have changed for renewables: global goals also need to address key social needs and climate change while building sustainable economic outcomes.
The Assembly will be presided over by Uganda’s Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Ally Kirunda Kivejinja.
A day of preliminary meetings and discussions will take place today January 10, including the IRENA Legislators Forum, a High-Level Meeting on the Geopolitics of the Global Energy Transformation and a High-Level Meeting on Accelerating the Energy Transformation in Small Island Developing States.
Youth will feature on the agenda for the first time at an IRENA Assembly. The Agency will invite young people from around the world to the first IRENA Youth Forum, offering young people an opportunity to make concrete contributions to the global energy discourse and stay informed on developments in the renewable energy sector. Guess Greta Thunberg had something to do with this.
She is not going to be happy.
Some countries will be given aid and long term loans to help them meet new and expected international energy goals.
Meet windy women
A high-level dinner celebrating the role of women in the renewable energy sector will feature. The evening session will include the launch of a new publication on the role of women in the wind energy sector, presented by IRENA in collaboration with the Global Wind Energy Council and Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition.
More about IRENA’s participation during the World Future Energy Summit can be found here.
They built fortresses and forts like Petra and collected rare rainfall. Who were the Nabateans?
Nabateans were Arabian nomads from the Negev Desert who amassed their wealth first as traders on the Incense Routes which wound from Qataban (modern-day Yemen) through neighboring Saba (a powerful trade hub) and on toward Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea.
The Nabataean Kingdom stretched from the north-western part of the Arabian Peninsula on the east to the Sinai Peninsula on the west and as far north as Damascus, which was incorporated into their kingdom between 85 and 71 BCE.
The three wise men?
The main source of economic prosperity was the incense trade and the Nabataeans not only controlled trade routes in the region but had their merchant posts as far as Rome.
The economic prosperity was followed by the formation of the pantheon of Nabataean gods, similar to other Semitic people in the area or Greco-Roman deities. However, gods of the Greco-Roman tradition were anthropomorphic and we all learned about their mishaps and human-like behavior and follies.
Unlike Greco-Roman perception of Titans and Olympians, the ancient Nabataeans represented their deities in the form of stealea, which were blocks or rocks set upon the end or visual representations curved into a stone. The Nabataeans represented their deities in the form of a tomb fasade, a painted pottery, coins, lamps and jewelry. You can see these majestic carvings up close and personal in Jordan, near the Red Sea.
A desert Zeus?
Some gods, like Dushara, became more significant with the political and economic development of the state, said Professor Robert Wenning, who received his PhD in Classical Archaeology from University of Munster. Dr. Wenning for many years studied the Nabataean sites and religious practices.
He tells Green Prophet: “Being a regional god of the rocky area of Petra and the close by Shara Mountains, Dushara became the city god in the middle of the 3rd century BC when Petra was established as a station on the old incense road from south Arabia to the Mediterranean Sea,” Wenning noted.
Dushara means the “Lord of Mountain” and he was considered a supreme god not only in Petra but other parts of the realm.
Other major gods were: Al Qaum, Al Kutbay, Al Uzza, Manawat, Allat and Obodat.
Al Qaum was a god of war, equivalent to Greek Ares, and he protected caravans and clans.
Al Kutbay was “more intellectual” and he was the patron of learning, trade and writing, and he was the local equivalent of the Greek god Hermes.
Al Uzza was a goddess associated with power and later during the process of Hellenization of the southern Levant she was the Nabataean equivalent of Aphrodite.
Manawat was a goddess of destiny, and consequently during Hellenization she was associated with Nemesis.
Allat was a goddess of fertility comparable to Athena.
Obodat, who is most probably the deified King Obodas I (96 BC-85 BC), was a god associated with the dynastic cult.
Obodas Theos, a Nabataean god in Petra; Photo courtesy of Robert Wenning
Representation of deities in an abstract form was also practiced among Semitic nomads who dwelled in deserts of the Arabian Peninsula before they converted to Islam in 7th century AD.
Religious syncretism
According to Wenning, in ancient times a specific deity would become the supreme god, like Assur of the Assyrians, Marduk of the Babylonians and Milcom of the Ammonites.
Usually in the ancient religions there is a hierarchic structure in the relations between the deities, Wenning told us. However, “the Nabataean religion preserves only few elements of such structures and does not create a real pantheon,” the scholar highlighted.
After the Roman Emperor Trajan’s incorporation of the Nabataean Kingdom into Provincia Arabia in 106 AD, Dushara remains an important god. His anthropomorphic images became minted in various coins of that period.
The Nabataean belief system was characterized by one supreme god or goddess who meets all requirements of their worshippers, Wenning underlined, adding that a few other deities can be associated to Dushara like Al Uzza, his mother.
“Other deities cover some special aspects or the needs of particular groups. The Nabataean society was complex and Nabataean religion always reflects different local situations,” the scholar explained.
For centuries after the conquests of the Alexander the Great the Greek language was the lingua franca of the Middle East and it remained after the Roman occupation of the area. Even Jupiter was referred as Zeus in the Roman East, and another supreme Nabataean god Odoba (Avdat) was worshipped as Zeus Oboda, Wenning highlighted.
On the other hand, many scholars agree that Qasr Al Bint, a temple at Petra, was a sanctuary of Dushara.
Nabatean gods and goddesses had a range of talents. Some are carved here on the face of a monument in Petra.
“The Egyptian goddess Isis was the most famous female deity in Petra, even more prominent than Al Uzza following the evidence,” Wenning noted, emphasizing the religious syncretism typical for the paganism. One of such syncretists was the Roman Emperor Elagabulus ( 218 AD -222 AD) from the Severan dynasty, whose brief reign was marked by promulgation of the Middle Eastern religion as he took a baetyl of Dushara with him to Rome. However, his reign didn’t end up nicely when he was assassinated by Praetorian guards.
Isis and the sun.
Inter-religious harmony
The ancient Nabataeans were religiously tolerant and their society integrated other gods and their cults into their own belief system. The Egyptian goddess Isis was very much venerated in the Nabataean Kingdom and scholars speculate that cultic material found at the Temple of the Winged Lions in Petra point to that direction. See below.
Remains of the Temple of the Winged Lions built in 1st century AD during the peak of the Nabataean Kingdom; Photo courtesy of Saeb Rawashdeh
The temple was probably dedicated to Al Uzza and under the Greeco-Roman influence the Nabataeans began to depict their deities in human forms. A ring-seal displaying a nude goddess riding a dolphin, feline statuettes, a feline head made of bronze and”Eye-Idol” blocks highlight religious syncretism that characterized the polytheistic coexistence.
What happened to Nabatean tolerance?
Unfortunately, modern societies in the Middle East are often religiously intolerant and not only that three monotheistic religions often have antagonistic attitudes towards each other, but within each of them different schools or denominations believe that they are the only chosen one, while the rest are condemned for the whole of eternity.
Professor at Queen’s University Barbara Reeves underlined in her research the harmonious interreligious ties between Roman military stationed at Humayma (some 280 km south of Amman) and the local Nabataean population.
The garrison had around 500 soldiers and controlled the water springs and major roads. The “new harmony” is depicted most clearly in a community shrine where a betyl (standing stone) representing the Nabataean town god stood side-by-side with an altar honouring the Roman garrison’s god, Reeves pointed out.
Furthermore, a rock carving from a cult site in the hills also shows a Roman standard-bearer making an offering in front of both his garrison’s god and a larger-than-life-size gazelle that represents the local god Reeves stressed.
“Their side-by-side placement at the focal point of the community shrine advertises harmony between the town’s Nabataean civilians and Roman soldiers,” Reeves underscored.
Palm tree seeds Adjamé Market, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Remember ten and 15 years ago when everyone was talking about investing in biofuels? Scientists like Helmut were against the efficiency claims… While we love the idea of renewable energy crops for palm oil and sugarcane used in ethanol and biofuels have pushed out food producers, causing an alarming shift to rising costs for food. While we might not feel it in the price of a falafel or hummus, biofuels threaten those people already food insecure.
According to the United Nation’s FAO, world food prices rose for the third consecutive month in December, 2019 as a strong rally in vegetable oil prices drove the FAO Food Price Index to its highest level in five years.
The FAO Food Price Index averaged 181.7 points during the month, a 2.5 percent increase from November and the highest level since December 2014.
For 2019 as a whole, the index – which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities – averaged 171.5 points, some 1.8 percent higher than in 2018 but still 25 percent below its peak in 2011.
The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index rose 9.4 percent from November, increasing for the sixth consecutive month. The latest upturn was once again driven by palm oil prices, buoyed by both solid demand, especially from the biodiesel sector, and concerns about tightening supplies.
Despite the December increase – which also concerned soy, sunflower and rapeseed oils – the vegetable oil sub-index had over the course of 2019 reached its lowest annual average since 2007.
The FAO Sugar Price Index rose 4.8 percent from November. The rally was in part prompted by rising crude oil prices, which encouraged Brazil’s sugar mills to use more sugarcane supplies to produce ethanol, leading to reduced sugar availability in the global market.
The FAO Dairy Price Index increased by 3.3 percent during the month, led by cheese prices, which rose by almost 8 percent amid tighter export availabilities from the European Union and Oceania.
The FAO Cereal Price Index rose 1.4 percent, driven mainly by wheat prices amid accelerating import demand from China and logistical problems in France due to continued protests in the country. However, maize and rice price quotations remained broadly stable.
The FAO Meat Price Index averaged 191.6 points in December, almost unchanged from its revised November value. The sub-index ended the year 18 percent higher than in December 2018, driven by pig meat quotations both by solid import demand from Asia and pre-festivity internal demand in the European Union and Brazil.
So there are some numbers. If you are working in these industries, good to know. If you are working in biofuels, food for thought. And maybe Hartmut Michel is right. Solar is the only way.
Indonesia is a nature lover’s delight, but locals still poison fish to catch them, and apply other destructive tools such as fish bombing to catch their daily livelihood. One NGO, the first on the island, is working to educate the locals and save the sea. This Green Prophet writer visited and volunteered with Manengkel Solidaritas to find out what others can learn from the process. The take home message is working with heart.
In the remote eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago lies the island of Sulawesi. Tucked away in the northern corner of the island is the city of Manado, where Manengkel Solidaritas is based. As the only environmental NGO in North Sulawesi, it’s doing groundbreaking work aimed at conservation of the coastal and marine environment.
The NGO runs multiple projects with themes such as coral transplantation, mangrove rehabilitation, sea turtle protection, waste management, environmental education, and development of eco-tourism. I participated in some of the projects and was impressed with the high impact, the dedication, and the professionalism I witnessed—which made me want to find out more about the organization.
I had an interview with Sella Runtulalo, the leader of the NGO, to find out what are the keys to its success—although Sella humbly states she doesn’t want to call the NGO successful just yet: “The journey is still long and there are still many villages that need help”.
Manengkel Solidaritas was officially founded in 2015. Sella explains: “North Sulawesi is part of the Coral Triangle and has a very high biodiversity, but there were no local NGO’s doing marine conservation programs at the time. There were only national NGO’s doing the work, without any knowledge transfer to local NGO’s. So in 2015, we decided it was time to create a local NGO, specifically for this region.”
Educating the locals from the “sea” up
One of the main environmental issues that Manengkel Solidaritas has to tackle is a lack of knowledge and education about sustainable practices among local people.
According to Sella, “local people living in the coastal areas have little understanding of how to use their marine resources sustainably.
“They still use destructive fishing tools like fish bombs and poison. There aren’t a lot of programs for environmental education for children. If we want to change the nation, if we want to make a change for the future, we have to start with the children”.
One village at a time
All the NGO’s projects are centered around helping local communities develop, working closely together with the village people. Sella says: “We are not political and we are non-profit: we are working to help local communities. We always aim to provide solutions to the local village’s challenges. We come, we help, we advocate, we work together, and when the local capacity is big enough to run the program independently, it’s time for us to move on to another village.”
Manengkel Solidaritas puts a lot of effort into involving local people in their projects. Sella describes the typical approach as follows: “Initially we do socialization, followed by a workshop on the village level, and then we try to make the people understand why the program that we bring to their village is important.
“We start with the village key persons, and after they understand we hold a village meeting for the wider community, to get their support.”
Although this strategy is usually effective, creating involvement can be a challenge. Sella recalls a project which Manengkel Solidaritas took over from another organization, only to find out that it has previously been very unsuccessful. “This local community was very discouraged and distrusted NGO’s. It was very difficult to get their trust back. Initially, we had to work alone, but after one year, we got their trust.
“When they saw we were working 100 percent for them, they started to get involved, little by little”. This particular project is now so successful, it will become a government icon.
Here we have the first key to Manengkel Solidaritas’ success: the commitment to working together with local communities. At the very heart of the organization is a grassroots approach to sustainable development, which empowers local communities to make meaningful changes. The impact of the NGO’s projects demonstrates the profound power of working locally.
Cooperate locally, but get government support
While cooperation with local communities is the basis for Manengkel Solidaritas’ success, cooperation with third parties—including the government, donors, and private businesses—is what enables and sustains its success. As Sella puts it: “We can’t work without support from the government. We can’t work without trust from donors.”
According to Sella, Manengkel Solidaritas’ projects generally receive a lot of support from the government. The government plays an important role in establishing supportive policy, networking, and getting support from third parties. The NGO also works together closely with the government during the execution of projects: it always brings government representatives to local village meetings and integrates its programs into government programs.
Sella explains: “The exit strategy for each of our programs is to integrate the program into a government program. Every government, on the village and provincial level, has development programs. We integrate our eco-tourism projects into village business unit programs and our programs for marine protection into programs for marine protected areas on the provincial level.”
This also safeguards the continuation of the programs after Manengkel Solidaritas pulls out.
For funding, Manengkel Solidaritas still depends on support from donors. The NGO managed to establish good relationships with international donors in the past. To get their trust, Sella states it’s essential to work with high dedication and deliver excellent results. “Donors have told us that when they work with us they are satisfied because we deliver results beyond the expectations. If they ask for seven, we give them ten.”
Nonetheless, over the past years, it has become increasingly difficult to get funded by international donors. “They consider Indonesia to be a country already moving forward and have moved their focus to other countries. So the cake is now smaller and every national and local NGO wants a small slice of that cake. This means we can’t put our expectations on international donors any longer and we have been forced to look for other sources of funding”.
Private sector support
Manengkel Solidaritas is now putting its efforts into establishing cooperation with Indonesian companies in the private sector. Currently, three companies have committed to working with Manengkel Solidaritas for the next five to ten years. “Of course we still hope more companies will come and support our work”, Sella expresses. According to her, the most important factor in meeting Indonesia’s future environmental goals is a collaboration between the government, the private sector, and NGOs.
Work with 100% heart
This covers our second key: besides cooperation with local communities, cooperation with local government, donors, and private companies is essential to the NGO’s success. Yet there is a third key—and it’s a factor that keeps popping up throughout our interview. This is what makes up the DNA of Manengkel Solidaritas as an organization and runs like a thread through everything it does.
It’s the NGO’s unofficial motto: ‘we work with heart’.
Sea turtle rescue
As a manager, Sella highly values strong and solid teamwork and she aims to establish an organizational culture that emphasizes this. “We work as a family here. That’s our strength, our core. If one of us fails, all of us fail. If one of us has a great achievement, it’s an achievement for all of us. We celebrate together, every season, the good and the bad.”
Working from the heart for Sella doesn’t mean compromising on expectations or results: “In the first place, we work with the head.” Sella and her team have high expectations and always strive for the best results. “We have a lot of work to be done and we have a time schedule: we have to achieve on time. We work based on targets. If we have achieved a target we can go home early. If not, we work until late night.”
But Manengkel Solidaritas combines this high level of professionalism with a lot of love for the job. Sella explains: “I really want every one of us to work happily and sincerely because we love our job and not because something is pushing us. This is our home, this is our work, this is our business, and we’re doing it from the heart”.
She continues: “Working in an NGO is different from working in a bank or the government sector, where you come in at eight o’clock, sign your attendance sheet, and then go home at five o’clock—like it’s a machine. We work with people and when we see that a village is successful and can continue independently, the satisfaction is so big. We can see the smile of the people”.
When I ask her what would be her best advice for starting environmental NGO’s, she doesn’t hesitate: “The first thing is to work from the heart. Don’t think about profit, don’t think about benefits, just work with your heart and then the other things will follow. Hopefully!” she adds, laughing.
Green Prophet writer and traveller Krista and some new friends from Indonesia
In the name of love
Manengkel Solidaritas has become successful in just a few years, partly because it emphasizes meaningful cooperation with all parties involved: from local villages to the government and private companies. But the love for the work and dedication to the cause truly make Manengkel Solidaritas stand out. The social media posts of the organization are a reflection of this. They are concluded with the slogan ‘atas nama cinta’. It means: ‘in the name of love’.
If you are part of the international jetset you probably already own your own yacht and can take it for a spin around the world. For those of us who live more modestly and in accordance with buy less, experience more, you probably never dream about owning something like a yacht which requires thousands of dollars in upkeep. While every one of us might have had a sail around the world with a lover, kids or best mate, the reality is that sailing is rather hard work and it gets lonely a lot of the time.
Once when we travelled to Turkey we hired a small sailboat which over 6 days took us all along the Mediterranean where we visited very few people and very pristine beaches and islands. We got our cruise for a song and a dance because it was the last run of the season and the captain was taking his boat home.
Last summer we spent it on an island in Italy, a big island –– Sicily –– and because lovely out of the way beaches could be reached by car we had no need to hire a cruise boat for more than one day. But after that one day we longed for more. So it got me thinking, where else can we explore in Europe without breaking the bank but at the same time enjoy fabulous nature without having to swim in swarms of plastic?
Croatia has come up time and time again. A number of my friends have spent affordable summer vacations there –– at sea and hiking in the mountains. And if you look on a map, Croatia shares the same beautiful Mediterranean waters as Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. Yachts and luxury cruises are becoming more commonplace and while they are not cheap, averaging about $3,000 to $10,000 a week per person, it’s much less than what you’d pay if you were an Onassis.
Maybe it’s affordable as a family honeymoon for mixed marriages to bring the kids and grandparents together? Maybe it’s a luxury retreat for the VPs at your business, as a thank you bonus. Maybe it’s a final wish for someone you love who has an illness. Of course the best way to be with those you love is not necessarily doing things on a bucket list, sometimes changing the venue radically can improve the overall experience. I noticed this when I would take my parents on holiday with us in the winter.
We’d go away for an extended amount of time and the way they got to bond with me and the kids away from the normal routine, away from city life, away from bills and shopping and the routine of every day –– it meant the world to us. And we made memories that will stick with us forever. So there are plenty of ways to spend your inheritance. Enjoying it with people you love is the best way.
These boats (look at the pictures) are large and expansive. Ask for sailing options only as a means to reduce your carbon footprint and blow where the wind takes you. Usually these kinds of adventures also rely on fresh local, fresh caught food to feel your body and soul. Another reason why on water cruises are a good eco option. Just make sure to ask about the bilge waste, anchoring and coral reefs.
At setting a high fee to enter (about $250 a day), Bhutan is able to protect its culture and wildlife. Also a trip to Bhutan might get you kick-started on a spiritual quest – the journey Green Prophets love best.
Bhutan is a small but beautiful country in Asia. It is called the last Shangri-La, and according to Lonely Planet, it is considered the last great Himalayan kingdom. If you have the chance to travel there, you will see why. However, before you do so, there are a few things you should know.
As the title suggests, Bhutan is a trendy vacation destination for 2020. There are several lists online that suggest that, and the reason why has to do with the environment. People all around the world decided to visit countries that strive for environmental perfection. If you think about it, that is excellent news. We should help all small nations that want to be carbon neutral. But why is Bhutan so unique? Because the country is not carbon neutral. It is more than that. Apparently, it absorbs more carbon than it releases.
According to Bhutanese laws, the government has to ensure that more than 60% of the country’s surface is covered by forests. The law is supposed to protect future generations by providing the same clean air as now. Of course, Bhutan is now 70% covered by forests, and we do not see that amount decreasing anytime soon. As a tourist, you will have the opportunity to test the air and see what it is like to take a hike in such a pure environment.
Tourism in Bhutan is limited
Another reason why Bhutan manages to maintain its serene environment is that tourism is not as free as in any other country. In fact, there are rules in place that do not allow too many tourists to enter the country. Officially, there is no maximum number of tourists that can visit Bhutan in a year, but the Bhutanese government came up with a ‘High Value, Low Impact’ policy that is supposed to attract only discerning tourists. Basically, they introduced significant fees for the preservation of the country. During the high season, it costs $250 per day to stay in Bhutan, while during the low season, it costs $200. As a result, Bhutan has 250 thousand tourists per year at most. It is their way of making sure that there is never a crowd anywhere in the country.
To put it simply, the Bhutanese government took a few measures that made a vacation in Bhutan quite expensive. But the initiative is brilliant if you think about it. All the money is invested in this unique society for the bettering of their environment and communities. Yes, they have fewer tourists each year, but the ones that reach Bhutan pay a lot of money, and it is the same as having a lot of tourists that pay less. However, you get to experience Bhutan as a local. There is never a crowded tourist attraction, and that is the beauty of it.
You will need a tour operator
A trip to Bhutan does not mean you can hop on the plane, land, and then go wherever you want on your own. It is government policy that you must use an authorized Bhutanese tour operator or an international partner to book your trip to Bhutan.
You will most likely need a visa
Only the citizens of India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives can get a visa on arrival once they reach Bhutan. If you are not among them, you have to apply for a visa in advance. The tour operator you are using for your trip can make the arrangements regarding the visa as well. Just make sure that you have a valid passport. The tour operator will ask for other documents as well.
Bhutan is indeed committed to the environment, and I guess that that is what makes people want to go there. There is an entire debate on whether Bhutan offers a feasible environmental model for all the countries to follow. While that may be possible for some, we have to be honest about it and admit that not all countries can offer what Bhutan does. Even so, it stands as the perfect example of what a government should do for the environment. High Value, Low Impact.
Researchers in Jerusalem have found they can test for antibiotic resistance to better treat sepsis and even target cancer treatments better 
