Eclipsing the Bullitt Center in Seattle as the world’s most sustainable building, which was designed by HOK Architects, The Change Initiative earned a whopping 107 out of 110 points available from the USGBC, which oversees LEED sustainability guidelines.

“We are very pleased to announce that The Change Initiative has received the LEED Platinum certification, surpassing all previous records for sustainability; to take pole position as the most sustainable building in the world,” Singh said in a statement.

“This is a proud moment for The Change Initiative, Dubai and the UAE.”

Before opening this store and purchasing a hybrid vehicle, Singh worked as a banking executive until he realized that “none of this makes sense,” he told The National in an interview last year.

Now The Change Initiative is hoping to open 25 stores around the globe that stock everything from environmentally-conscious detergent to grey water recycling tools.

“The Change Initiative Dubai will be an exciting and convenient new flagship store for environmentally-friendly services and products,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who sits on the board.

“Never before has the opportunity to experience and purchase sustainable products been offered in a single location, nor such a breadth of class-leading solutions for homes and businesses alike.”

:: Treehugger

The post Dubai Green Store Dubbed “World’s Most Sustainable Building” appeared first on Green Prophet.

Gundeep Singh hasn’t exactly gone from riches to rags, but he has turned over a green leaf and is determined to help others do the same. Formerly a banking executive who owned a yacht and porsche, the Dubai-based man has switched to a hybrid vehicle and founded The Change Initiative, the first shop in Dubai to offer a massive range of green products.

Each of the sixty products available – everything from organic food to sinks that capture and recycle grey water – goes through a rigorous vetting process to ensure that they are genuinely healthy both for the people who use them and for the environment.

A green warehouse

Mr. Singh took The National’s Vesela Todorova on a tour of the new showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road in Al Barsha. The 5,109 square meter facility is stocked with all of the products that will be available to the public starting on Thursday.

The building itself is a showcase of what strides can be taken to reduce one’s environmental footprint. Not only does it feature sophisticated energy monitoring technology that slashes waste, but 30% of the energy is derived from solar-panels, water is heated the same way, and much of the lighting is solar-powered as well.

Every detail has been taken into consideration, right down to the last drop of non-toxic paint.

Making sustainability fun

For many people, sustainability is such a complex issue that it stunts their ability to act, according to Mr. Singh, who wants to make it easy, fun, and commercially viable for ordinary people to green their lives.

Valerie Hawley is the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer. Before any new products are brought on board, she ensures that the companies behind each product are living up to their promises, which can be monitored by independent organizations such as Ecocert.

The Change Initiative is concerned with supporting businesses that reduce energy and water consumption in the manufacturing process, and that make a concert effort to create products that are easily recycled. And the materials used should be non-toxic, which promotes better public and environmental health.

After living a luxury life, Mr. Singh, whose own home now solar-powered as well, eventually came to the understanding that there is more to life than buying things and worked hard to make substantial changes.

“I suddenly realised none of this made any sense,” Mr Singh told The National. “What really matters is relationships and what you do every day.”

:: The National

image via google maps

More on Green Goods in Dubai:

The Little Fair Trade Shop Shows Masdar its Big Heart 

Dubai’s Eco Maid is Green and Orange

Online and in Dubai, Ekotribe Caters to the Green-Minded

The post Former Yacht & Porsche Owner Opens a Mega Green Store in Dubai appeared first on Green Prophet.

I’ve always been incredibly lazy about beauty. This isn’t because I don’t dream of being an illustrious goddess who rides into the sunset with an equally exotic suitor, but because tending to my mind and soul has always taken priority. Every so often I’ll spend money on a nice haircut, but most of the time I do as little as possible to retain my youthful looks.

This philosophy used to work pretty well for me and my friends were jealous of my unblemished skin – until I lived in Viet Nam for four months. My skin has never recovered from Ho Chi Minh City’s pollution, and I’ve done a terrible job of bringing it back to life. Don’t be like me. Avoid the following five things to keep your skin looking so much better than mine.

1. Don’t Forget to Drink Water

I know that water is good for me, but I get so caught up with my work and coffee that I never remember to drink as much as I should. Hopefully you will avoid making this mistake. Almost all health experts agree that drinking a decent amount of water (approximately 64 ounces a day) is essential to good complexion and pretty much anything else. This is nature’s way of purifying your body from the inside out.

2. Don’t Forget to Clean Your Face at Night

When I was living in Viet Nam, where – like Egypt – unprecedented levels of pollution permeate every pore of the body, I scoffed at the ladies who carried around blotters and wore face masks, but I’m laughing last. Instead of cleaning my face every night and taking care of my skin, I was lazy and paid the price. The problem areas that emerged after just four months of living in HCMC flair up time and again. Do you think I learned? Of course not. Often by the time I drag myself to bed I’m so tired that I don’t remember to clean my face. Please don’t do this.

3. Don’t Smoke

One of the smartest decisions I ever made was to quit smoking, but it seems like that decision took up all my intelligence reserves – at least where my complexion is concerned. People who smoke not only get those unsightly lines around their mouth, but smoking deprives the skin of oxygen and important nutrients, completely altering the chemical composition and appearance. Smoking also destroys collagen, so smokers tend to have looser skin. Some scientists believe that smoking is linked to skin-cancer.

4. Don’t Use Harmful Acne Products

When Sicilian photographer Alex Tricani sent me the lead photograph, which he took while I was interviewing the one-eyed salt carver in Siwa, Egypt, I was mortified to see how terrible my skin looks. Although Alex is a first-class photographer and the overall picture is beautiful, I couldn’t get past the unattractive red craters on my face. After that, vanity trumped my  green sensibilities and I went looking for zit blasting ointments, but I soon found that these can actually make the situation worse.

According to WebMD, products containing benzoyl peroxide “can suck the moisture out of your skin and leave it looking red and irritated.” And if you feel the need to cover them up, as I do, it’s better to use mineral-based cosmetics that “contain added ingredients like silica, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide, which both absorb oil and hide redness without irritating skin and causing pimples.” OnePure offers eco-products that are also halal. (WebMD)

5. Don’t Scratch!

I recently dated a man I met on one of my adventures. It didn’t last long (maybe he didn’t like my complexion), but he taught me at least one valuable lesson: “hands and face do not go together.” I’ve developed this terrible habit of scratching my face either while I’m working or reading a book. This is absolutely the worst thing to do because one little zit pretty soon turns into a colony of them and now my face is covered in small scars that may never go away. Occasionally I apply Vitamin E oil to my face before I go to bed and it seems to make a huge difference, but it would be so much better to quit this habit all together.

Check out Miriam’s response to my “rueful” post: 5 Natural Ways to Keep Your Skin Beautiful

images via Earl53 and JavierPsilocybin 

More on Beauty and Skincare from the Middle East:

Grapes in Moisturizer are Sweet for Skin, Not Sour

Some Tips to Consider Before Buying Beauty Products

A First in Halal Beauty Products – One Pure

The post 5 Things to Avoid to Keep Your Complexion Beautiful appeared first on Green Prophet.

Along with other vendors, Sabeen Ahmed set up her little eco-booth for the first time at Masdar City’s Street Fair and Organic Market last Friday. The first to introduce Fair Trade to the Middle East, she normally sells her wares at the weekend Covent Garden Market in Dubai, where she is surrounded by consumers who prefer brand names to the humble products painstakingly crafted by struggling artisans. But the Little Fair Trade Shop’s founder is so passionate about what she does that she presses on despite a flock of obstacles.

Mrs. Ahmed recognizes my red and yellow bead bracelets crafted by Masaai people in Kenya since she imports similar fair trade products from the same tribe.

But her vision is not limited to the African continent. The high-quality products she sells include stunning copper necklaces from Egypt, incredily detailed embroidered fabrics from India, as well as recycled glass jewelry from South America that caught my wandering eye.

According to Fairtrade International, “Not all trade is fair. Farmers and workers at the beginning of the chain don’t always get a fair share of the benefits of trade. Fairtrade enables consumers to put this right.”

After returning several hours later, it seems that Mrs. Ahmed is successfully doing her part. With Emirati and expatriate families pulsing through the streets of Masdar, her table was surrounded by half a dozen women cooing over the colorful crafts. My favorite trapeze glass pendant had long been whisked up.

Mrs. Ahmed’s husband Mr. Ali has spent almost his entire adult life working in the hospitality industry, and the Little Fair Trade Shop belongs entirely to his wife. But he supports what she is doing. In fact, he says that he has learned a lot about eco-developments through her efforts.

“I feel for her though since she spends all day in the terrible heat.” Modeled after its namesake in England, the Covent Garden Market in Dubai is an outdoor event that takes place during the “cooler months.” But towards the end, the heat can be unbearable.

Despite her extraoridinary commitment and heart, Mrs. Ahmed explains that she has to go to the UK if she wants her business to be a success. People in the Middle East don’t really understand what fair trade means, Mrs. Ahmed told me.

“Whereas people in the United States and Europe are aware of fair trade principles, I have to educate people from the grassroots up.”

If she is able to do well in England, then Mrs. Ahmed can continue the good work of generating more momentum in the Middle East as well.

To learn more about the Little Fair Trade Shop or to support their work, please visit their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=187296530075&v=info .

More Eco-design and Products from the Middle East:

MADEO Consolidates Stylish and Eco-Friendly Design Products

This Toothbrush is a Miswak

Online and in Dubai, Ekotribe Caters to the Green Minded

The post The Little Fair Trade Shop Shows Masdar Its Big Heart appeared first on Green Prophet.