STRIDES An e-Magazine on the theme "Future of Sustainability in UAE".
Designed for Children and Community.
Edited and Published by
Sriponmanikantan Muthuraman Class 9, New Indian Model School, Sharjah
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION What is Sustainability? UAE's Strategy
CREATING AWARENESS My Contribution My Sibling's Contribution
04-05 04 04-05
06-11 06-09 09-11
UAE'S GREEN ECONOMY INITIATIVE UAE STRIDES TO SUSTAINABILITY
12-14
15-30
Green Energy
15-24
Green City
25-27
Climate Change
28-30
MEET THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS
31-37
Ms. Colette Barr
31-34
Ms. Natalie Banks
35-37
Q&A
38-39
INTRODUCTION
What is Sustainability? The term sustainability is used to indicate programme, initiatives and actions aimed at the preservation of a particular resource. However, it actually refers to four distinct areas: human, social, economic and environmental – known as the four pillars of sustainability.
UAE's Strategy H.H.Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced in January 2012, the launch of a long-term national initiative to build green economy in the UAE under the slogan, “A Green Economy for Sustainable Development”. Strides | Page 4
Through this initiative, the UAE aims to become one of the world leaders in sustainable development and for the export and re-export of green products and technologies, and to maintain a sustainable environment supporting long-term economic growth. The initiative includes a range of programs and policies in energy, agriculture, investment, and sustainable transport in addition to new environmental and constructional policies to raise the quality of life in the country.
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CREATING AWARENESS Creating Awareness is the most important part to achieve full fledged implementation of any programme/policy in a society. Here's what my family has done to create awareness on sustainability.
My Contributions Well, schools play a major role in creating awareness in young minds, and my school, "NIMS Sharjah" does that effectively. Here are some pictures of me dressed as an "Energy Saving Bulb" in an Intra-School Fancy Dress Competition for Grade IV in the academic year 2015 - 2016
FRONT
BACK Strides | Page 6
And here's me dressed as an "Earth Model“ depicting Global Warming Issues & Solutions in NIMS Inter School Fancy Dress Competition for Grade IV in the year 2015-2016
Look at the State now!
Make it Greener!
Earth Model from Paper Mache – Made of bits of newspapers, pasted layer by layer daily and allowing it to dry on a big sized inflated beach ball. After 4-5 layers, air was released and a big paper sphere was made. The big sphere was made into a Globe and pasted with necessary contents on Global Warming and Solutions to reduce it.
Complete Model was Made at Home. Strides | Page 7
Here are the pictures of me miming a skit on the ill-effects of pollution, deforestation etc.
Planting saplings in school premises as a part of Eco-Club Activity during February 2020.
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Happy to watch the growth of plants during June 2020 through our school's upload
My Sibling's Contribution My brother and his classmates of 11th Grade showcased the piezoelectric generation using piezo elements into 3 working models in UAE’s well renowned GMU MASE 2018 Exhibition. They placed a piezo element inside the sole of a shoe. A single element produces a voltage of 1-1.2 Volts. They stored this energy in a 1.2 Volt rechargeable cell. Then they transformed this 1.2 Volt to 5 Volt. 5 Volts, because wide range of gadgets use this voltage. They named this as a Power shoe. Strides | Page 9
For the piezo tile, they did the same thing, they added the piezo element under the tile and when walked upon, it produces electricity which can be used for various purposes like sign boards, street lights and in every other way possible. It is a very large scale project which is economical and can be used in busiest places like airports, shopping malls, etc.
POWER SHOE
PIEZO TILE USES
ADVANTAGES OF PIEZO-ELECTRICITY GENERATION Power generation is simply by walking and running. Radiations are not emitted during this process. Absolutely eco-friendly and pollution free and does not harm the environment in any way.
Pictures of the Team participating in GMU MASE 2018
Once the method of producing electricity by piezoelectric effect is implemented in full swing, every human will contribute to eco-friendly energy generation. Strides | Page 10
Been a part of Green Statement! 200 Saplings planted during Eco Conference 25th April 2015
Clean up the World 2014
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UAE'S GREEN ECONOMY
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The First field of green energy consists of a group of programmes and policies to promote the production and use of renewable energy and related technologies that encourage the use of clean fuel for energy production. It also calls for work to develop standards and enhance the efficiency of energy consumption in both the public and private sectors. The Second field includes government policies to encourage investments in Green Economy and to facilitate the production, import, export and re-export of green products and technologies, as well as work to create job opportunities for citizens in these areas and preparation of national cadres in this field. Strides | Page 13
The Third field of the initiative comes under the title of the Green City. It consists of a large group of urban planning policies aimed at preserving the environment and raising the efficiency of housing and buildings environmentally It also includes initiatives to promote environment-friendly transportation or sustainable transport This is in addition to programmes designed to purify the air in cities of UAE to provide a healthy environment for all. The Fourth field consists of the means for dealing with the effects of climate change through policies and programmes designed to reduce carbon emissions from industrial and commercial sites. It will also promote organic agriculture through a series of incentives at federal and local levels. It also includes programmes to maintain biodiversity and to protect the ecological balance wildlife and marine environment in the UAE. The Fifth field of the Green Economy Initiative is called the Green Life, which involves a set of policies and programmes aimed at rationalising the use of water resources, electricity and natural resources, as well as projects to recycle waste generated by commercial or individual uses It also includes awareness-raising initiatives and environmental education. The Sixth field of the Green Economy Initiative includes the development and promotion of green technology Its first phase of implementation includes carbon capture and conversion of waste into energy. Strides | Page 14
UAE STRIDES TO SUSTAINABILITY I) Green Energy Field The first field of Green Economy Initiative launched by UAE in 2012 was Green Energy. To achieve this goal, UAE has put in Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 in a phased manner. The first milestone is to achieve Environmentally Friendly Energy Mix By 2030. Efforts are put in to diversify energy sources with a Goal of 61% from Natural Gas, 7% from Nuclear, 7% from Clean Coal and 25% from Solar.
Eco-Friendly Energy Mix By 2030
Final Target by 2050
The Final target is to achieve 75% Clean Energy by 2050. Strides | Page 15
PROJECTS IN ENERGY SECTOR TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY 1. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park It is the largest generator of solar energy in the world from a single location with a capacity to produce 5000 MW in 2030. The first phase of this project began operations in 2013, the second phase began in March 2017 with a capacity of 200 MW and the third phase will begin operations in 2020 with a capacity of 800 MW.
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FIRST PHASE It was one of the largest photovoltaic power generation projects in the MENA region at the time. The project reduces about 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, and uses over 152,000 photocells to generate over 28 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, while being connected to the network in Dubai.
SECOND PHASE On 20 March 2017, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice president and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the second phase, with a capacity of 200MW generated by photovoltaic technology. The project is currently the largest single-site solar park in the world, based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The project was implemented through a partnership with the consortium led by ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia, and Spain’s TSK, with an investment of AED 1.2 billion. The project will provide clean energy to 50,000 residences in the Emirate, reducing 214,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. This phase installed 2.3 million photovoltaic solar panels over an area of 4.5 square kilometres with 1.5 million Safe Man Hours without Lost Time Injury during project execution. Strides | Page 17
THIRD PHASE In June 2016, DEWA announced the Abu Dubai Future Energy Company (Masdar) led consortium as selected bidder for the 800MW third phase of the solar park. The consortium bid the lowest cost of electricity, which will be constructed based on the IPP model. The consortium bid USD 2.99 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The third phase will be implemented in stages until 2020. In May 2018, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated the 200 megawatt (MW) first stage of the 800MW third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The solar park is one of the major projects that DEWA is implementing based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) system in partnership with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and EDF Group, through its subsidiary EDF Énergies Nouvelles. The second and third stages of the third phase, which have a capacity of 300MW each, has been completed in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
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FOURTH PHASE The fourth phase of Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park is the largest single-site solar IPP project in the world that combines CSP and photovoltaic technology. The phase will use three technologies to produce 950 megawatts (MW) of clean energy at an investment of AED 15.78 billion. It will use 700MW
Proud that my dad plays a small role in MBR Phase 4 and Hassyan Clean Coal Plant Projects.
of CSP (600MW from a parabolic basin complex and 100MW from a solar tower) and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. The project will use 70,000 heliostats, and the largest global thermal storage capacity of 15 hours; allowing for energy availability round the clock. FIFTH PHASE This phase will use photovoltaic technology to produce 900 MW. It is expected to be commisioned in Q3 of 2021 tentaviely.
MBR Solar Park Phases Table Strides | Page 19
2. Hassyan Clean Coal Power Plant The 2,400MW Hassyan clean coal power station is an UltraSupercritical (USC) power plant being developed in Saih Shuaib, Dubai, UAE. Upon completion, the project is set to be the first clean coal-based power plant in the region. Construction of the power plant commenced in November 2016. It will comprise 4 units of 600MW each, which are expected to start operations in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively, in March of those years. Hassyan Energy Company, which is a joint-venture (JV) between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA, 51%) and the consortium of ACWA Power, Harbin Electric, and the Silk Road Fund (49%), is the project developer. The project supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which is aimed at producing environment-friendly energy. The programme aims to produce 25% of energy from solar power, 7% from nuclear power, 7% from clean coal, and the remaining 61% from gas by 2030. The power plant is expected to produce sufficient electricity to power approximately 250,000 households. The plant will be equipped with USC technology (boiler and steam turbine generator), which is capable of burning subbituminous coal, as well as natural gas as back-up fuel.
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The USC technology enables the power plant to run at a higher steam temperature and pressure than traditional coal-fired plants, improving the plant efficiency and decreasing stackemissions. The project also features a carbon capture-ready design. Advanced electrostatic precipitators (ESP) and seawater flue gas desulphurisation (SWFGD) systems of the USC technology lower the NOx, SOx, and particulate emission levels.
Hassyan Power Plant (Illustrative)
Boiler and Steam Turbine Generators (Illustrative)
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3. EV Green Charger Initiative The EV Green Charger Initiative was launched in support of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world and promote green transportation in the city. The aim of this project was to set up an electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the public across Dubai. At the time of the launch of the initiative there were a very limited number of electrical vehicles in Dubai mainly because there wasn’t an electric vehicle charging infrastructure. DEWA, as the electricity provider for Dubai, took the lead in setting up electric vehicle charging stations to encourage the public to switch over from petrol to electric vehicles: helping to achieve Dubai’s carbon abatement strategic target of carbon reduction by 16% by 2021 and reduction in other emissions. DEWA has successfully installed 240 electric charging stations in different areas of Dubai such as government offices, airports, petrol stations, shopping malls, commercial offices, clinics and hospitals, residential complexes and establishments.
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4. Switch to Energy-Saving Bulbs A UAE-wide ban on imports of traditional incandescent (tungsten filament) light bulbs, which are not energy efficient, is phasing out these “low quality” products. In 2014, the federal Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) banned incandescent bulb imports, saying they did not meet its quality standards. Incandescent bulbs work by using electricity to heat the thin metal filament inside the glass, which gives out a typically warm yellow glow when heated. They don’t last as long as modern bulbs and use more power. They use only a small fraction of the energy, as low as five per cent, to produce visible light — the rest is wasted as heat. Since the ban, only the more energy-efficient light sources such as CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps), LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and halogen bulbs are entering the country.
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5. High Water Usage Alert App The High Water Usage Alert notifies DEWA customers who have smart water meters installed in their premises of any suspected water leakage. This alert is raised when your water consumption is higher than normal, indicating the possibility of internal water leakage within your premises, such as a broken pipe or leaking toilet, etc. This alert is part of DEWA’s Green Dubai initiative that helps in preventing wastage of water and contributes for a greener Dubai in line with the emirate’s strategy towards resources sustainability. Customers who have smart water meters installed in their premises can receive High Water Usage Alert, for all premises types namely residential, commercial and industrial, noting that by 2020, all the water meters in Dubai will be replaced by smart water meters. The Person will receive the High Water Usage Alert if their smart water meter continuously records consumption (for minimum 48 hours) substantially higher than their average daily water consumption during the last three months.
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II) Green City Field 1. Sustainable City The Sustainable City is a 46 hectare property development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Situated on the Al Qudra road, it is the first net zero energy development in the Emirate of Dubai.
Well How is it Sustainable? BUFFER ZONE The borders of The Sustainable City act as the first line of defense against pollutants. The remarkable 10-metre-high buffer zone running along the periphery of the development consists of 2,500 trees scattered in multiple layers. This purifies the air coming into the city and creates a breeze. Strides | Page 25
SOLAR CAR PARK The Sustainable City provides two parking spaces shaded by solar panels plus additional spaces for communal electric buggies for each villa. The maximum distance from the Solar Car Parks to the villas is 85 meters. THE FARM A flourishing park runs through the entire length of The Sustainable City, forming the community’s Central Green Spine. There are 11 biodome greenhouses running the length of the Central Green Spine, with a total capacity of over 3,000 square metres for urban farming. The Sustainable City has begun cultivation with the plan to diversify and grow as many fruits and vegetables as possible in these domes and along the green spine. SUSTAINABLE CITY MOSQUE The Sustainable City Mosque is accommodating up to 700 worshippers and integrates innovative design technologies to minimise energy and water consumption. This state-of-the-art mosque is well insulated to prevent thermal heat gain, fitted with LED lighting, and is cooled using high-efficiency AC systems.
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2. Masdar City The project is led by Masdar, a subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company. Masdar City is a living, working community where residents, academics and business professionals live, learn, work and play in an environment that pushes the boundaries of sustainable design, construction, and operation. The city contains one of the largest clusters of low-carbon buildings in the world. Buildings are designed to high sustainability standards and certified by the Department of Municipalities and Transport’s (DMT) Estidama, or LEED green building rating systems. Community amenities are certified under DMT’s Estidama Pearl Community Rating System.
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III) Climate Change Field In 2016, the UAE leadership expanded the role of the Ministry of Environment and Water, to manage all aspects related to international and domestic climate change affairs. The establishment of the newly named Ministry Of Climate Change And Environment (MOCCAE) is an important milestone. It enhances the UAE’s efforts to address the issue of climate change, through the implementation of comprehensive policies and initiatives to mitigate and adapt to climate change and protect our unique environmental systems.
1. Coral Reef UAE launched its ambitious Fujairah Coral Reef Project in July 2019. In the emirate of Fujairah, on the country’s small eastern coast, the UAE plans to develop the largest artificial coral reef in the world. Led by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and under the patronage of the crown prince of Fujairah, the project will construct the “Fujairah Cultured Coral Reef Gardens” in a marine protected area near the town of Dibba. The gardens, sprawling across 74 acres (or 55 football fields), will be home to 1.5 million cultivated coral colonies, their species chosen to fit the habitat. Strides | Page 28
Artificial caves will protect the reefs from underwater currents and “provide a safe environment for marine organisms to breed.” The UAE sees the reefs as a means to revitalize marine life and provide sanctuary for fish, which in turn could boost food security– the livelihoods of local fishermen– and, crucially, ecotourism.
2. Mangroves Mangroves are UAE’s the most biodiverse geographical feature and have grown to become the largest in the Arabian Gulf Coast. In past, locals depend on mangroves for food and wood (for fire, construction material etc). Even marine life is dependent on it, fish population cultivates in mangroves and once they are old enough, fish venture into oceans. Mangroves provide habitat to many animal species. Mangroves protect the coast from erosion and tidal waves. Strides | Page 29
Recently it is found out that mangroves hold 3-5 times as much carbon as the same area of a rainforest! So mangroves help to reduce global warming. UAE launched its pilot project in Umm Al Quwain where drones fire mangrove seeds into the water in February 2020. Later in November 2020, The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) also used drones to plant mangrove seeds near ENGIE’s Mirfa plant in Abu Dhabi. We have 13 important mangrove sites in the UAE: Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve (which includes the Bu Tinah Island), Abu Dhabi Bu Syayeef Protected Area, Abu Dhabi Ras Gharab, Abu Dhabi Mangrove National Park, Abu Dhabi Ras Ghanada, Abu Dhabi Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi Ras Al Khor, Dubai* Mangrove and Al Hafiya Protected Area in Khor Kalba, Sharjah Sir Bu Nair, Sharjah Al Zora Wetland, Ajman Khor Al Beidah Wetlands, Umm Al Quwain
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MEET THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS I am very pleased and also feel blessed that BSOE's competition gave me the opportunity to interact with environmentalists Ms. Colette Barr and Ms. Natalie Banks.
Ms. Colette Barr
Founder - Save Our World WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE A BOOK OR SERIES OF BOOKS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY? A few years ago, I was still working in oil and gas and I was working for a drilling company and had been for several years, and then I realized that I wasn't doing what my heart was telling me to do. And I realized that instead of working for an oil company, I should spend more time trying to be as sustainable as I possibly could. the oil companies are actually that bad all the time. It's just that I'd worked very long time and wanted to do something to give back. I thought in the UAE there is an opportunity to highlight more awareness of sustainability. In O&G also, there are elements of sustainability. But this is more to do with children and rating and creativity and having fun while doing it as well. So, it's much more fun talking about fictional characters than talking about drill bits for an oil drill rig. Strides | Page 31
WHY ARE THE BOOKS DESIGNED TO CATER TO CHILDREN, WHEN ADULTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED? I think that the children are in a fantastic age where they're soaking up all the information around them and they're also at an age where they can be more easily influenced than adults. And a lot of these bad habits have come through from adults and it's going to be harder for them to change, whereas the younger generation are much more aware of the damage we're all doing to the planet and how they can do something towards saving it. So, I think children are a great example of how they can change people's thinking to change people's minds. They can be the adults’ conscience, you know like, when they go into the home and they'll ask grandma, grandpa why they're drinking from a plastic bottle or why did they not put that in the recycling bag or are you really going to use that straw, mom or whatever it might be? I think the children are the ones that can kind of lead the way with it".
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WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC BAGS?
THE
USE
OF
This is a very good question and one that a lot of people ask, so, my personal opinion about using alternatives is that, we should all try to do whatever we can every day to make the difference. So, if it means not going for the really bad option and just going through a bad option instead, at least it's not the really bad option. You've made a difference. Right. But ultimately, I'm really needed to take the position that we should be trying to reduce our usage as much as possible. And there's been a lot of research into biodegradability and possibility for plastic bags. And unfortunately, the biodegradable things still leave us with micro plastics in the ocean and plastic bags that are not broken down after several years of being in the soil or in the ocean, and that's worrying. So, and we also need infrastructure as well, the right infrastructure to be able to break those bags down properly. So, I think is a bit of a false hope to have those alternatives. But at the same point, we need to research it more. At least people are trying, but I'm also on the board for Azraq, which is I think the only non-profit organization here in the UAE and the position there is that we really should just be using refusing any type of plastic whatsoever rather than taking alternatives, because the plastics are not breaking down quickly enough or as well enough as we would like. And it's still ending up in the stomachs of an ocean life. So really, we take our bag for life or we take our cloth bag with us as much as possible. And that's the way forward. So, trying to avoid the biodegradable or compostable bags as much as possible." Strides | Page 33
UAE HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY AND PUT FORTH MANY POLICIES. WHICH ONE ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST? So, I just like the fact that the UAE is doing a lot in overall for sustainability and trying to achieve the United Nations sustainable development goals and laying with the UAE Vision 2030. And that is very encouraging, and they're also doing a lot more with the plastic bags. You can see that they are trying to push policies and policies through all the time and different things and encouraging small businesses to do more about sustainability and reducing waste overall. So, I just I'm pleased that they're taking it seriously. I'm pleased that they are allowing businesses to grow in this direction. They're doing a lot with food security, water security and doing things for sustainability in Expo 2020. I think there's a very supportive government and it's a very new country, it needs to still build up and mature with its sustainability policies and regulations. And I think that there's the appetite to do that and also there's a support in place to do that. So, I'm very pleased to be here doing this. With even the three years that I started the company, and that time, the number of companies and businesses doing good has exploded. And that's fantastic to see. And they've got the backing of the government. The ones that I like are Ocean policies, policies around ocean conservation, that are looking out for sharks and turtles and dolphins, dugongs’, reefs, the conservation policies are really important.
Here is the full interview with Ms.Colette Barr. Strides | Page 34
Ms. Natalie Banks Founder - Azraq ME
OTHER THAN MANGROVE CONSERVATION AND REEF RESCUE, WHAT ARE THE OTHER ACTIVITIES AZRAQ ME IS INVOLVED ? So Azraq is all about educating, activating, and motivating the community to make positive changes for the environment. We do that through a range of activities. It could be something as simple as talking with you today and raising awareness, going to schools when COVID is not so much of an issue or doing online presentations to corporates. So, raising education and awareness about the issues around marine conservation. We also do that through traditional media and meetings with journalists and also interviews on radio or TV. We showcase the issues around the oceans and the problems that the oceans are facing. We also do beach cleanups. So, activate at the community by doing beach cleanups through our members, but also through corporates and encouraging others to do it themselves, particularly now that we have got COVID and social distancing is an issue, we can't have large groups, but there is no reason why an individual can't go out and collect some debris off the closest coastline to oneself or even from the urban environment in your own backyard. So, more the debris is properly disposed of, the better for the oceans all around and for the environment. Strides | Page 35
WHAT IS THE PROGRESS IN UAE CORAL REEF RESCUE? So we are actually seeing coral reefs being protected in the UAE and the reef system has like everywhere across the globe, been impacted by increasing ocean water temperatures and also to from climate change, basically from acidity in the water. And so everywhere around the globe, coral reef systems are under threat as a result of these increasing temperatures. So what we're seeing is it's a lot more work to monitor the survey and survey the reefs and ensure that, if possible, that we can do coral propagation and actually grow the reef system and so, helping the reefs. We can save them either naturally or scientifically. And part of that is we're seeing a lot more in the UAE is the introduction of artificial reefs as well, which would actually help attract those marine life that I was talking to and referring in the previous question. COVID-19 GREATLY AFFECTED THE HUMANS. BUT HAS IT INDIRECTLY LED THE WAY FOR THE ENVIRONMENTS’ PURIFICATION, MAINLY THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT? So when we first had covid-19 and we had the lockdown's particularly in the UAE, but elsewhere around the world, trouble started to decrease, which is also another polluting industry. We had just movement, so people were having to work from home. So transportation all round started to reduce. So in some ways we started to see clearer air. However, the small amount of benefit that we saw from COVID actually is no longer there. Strides | Page 36
So we've actually gone back to our previous levels of pollution in the air and we've actually seen an increase that in some areas of pollution due to the disposable face masks that people are now having to wear as a law and not disposing them properly and also two, a reliance on takeaway food. So what happened was people started not going out where they would normally dine and have food delivered to their table that had the food delivered to their homes in plastic. So we've seen an increase in takeaway containers and in disposable face masks, which our oceans are having to deal with as a result. So, to be honest with you, there hasn't been a true positive impact as a result of it that will be sustainable. What needs to happen is that we need to change our ways and move towards better habits whereby we are looking to reuse and refill our containers, rather than relying on brand new containers every time we are ordering food or brand new plastic bags, we've got a huge reliance on single use plastics that are really impacting our oceans at the moment. And until we change our habits around that on a global scale, that is not going to be reduced at all.
Here is the full interview with Ms.Natalie Banks.
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Q&A 1. What does Piezo Mean? A. Piezo is a Greek root meaning pressure or push. 2. What are some examples of Piezo electric materials? A. Some naturally piezoelectric occurring materials include Berlinite (structurally identical to quartz), cane sugar, quartz, Rochelle salt, topaz, tourmaline, and bone (dry bone exhibits some piezoelectric properties due to the apatite crystals). 3. What are Non-Renewable Energy Sources? A.Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Carbon is the main element in fossil fuels. 4. What are Renewable Energy Sources? A.Renewable energy comes from sources or processes that are constantly replenished. These sources of energy include solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and hydroelectric power. 5. How Hassyan Coal Power Plant becomes an initiative of UAE’s Sustainability? A.Because it uses Clean Coal Technology. 6. What is a Clean Coal Technology? A. Coal when burned produces emissions that contribute to global warming, create acid-rain and pollute water. Clean coal technology seeks to reduce harsh environmental effects by using multiple technologies to clean coal and contain its emissions. Strides | Page 38
Clean coal technologies purify the coal before it burns. One type of coal preparation, coal washing, removes unwanted minerals by mixing crushed coal with a liquid and allowing the impurities to separate and settle. 7. What are the technologies in Solar Power Plant? A. There are three major technologies that are successful in solar power plants - Concentrated Solar Power Plant, Thermal Solar Power Plant, Photo-voltaic Solar Power Plant. 8. What is Thermal Solar Power Plant? A.This is basically heat dependent. The sun rays are focused to a point by using solar collectors so that appropriate high temperature can be obtained to generate electricity. 9. What is Concentrated Solar Power Plant? A. These solar power plants use lenses, mirrors and tracking systems to focus on a large area of sunlight into a small beam. This focused light is used to run conventional steam turbines or power generating engines. 10. What is Photo-voltaic Solar Power Plant? A. It is the most common and popular technology that is used in solar power plants. In this technology, solar panel converts sunlight into electric current by using photoelectric effect.
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