Ziwira December Issue 2015

December Issue 12 2015

W W W. Z I W I R A . C O M

BUILDING A GREEN FUTURE

SUSTAINABLE

PROVIDING A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS

MERRY GREEN CHRISTMAS!

10

SAFE is New Zealand’s leading animal advocacy organization, taking a stand against animal cruelty.

Tips for an ecofriendly Xmas.

COP 21: IS THE WORLD SERIOUS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? +

ORGANIC FOODS & CAFÉ

BUYING BACK tHE

BOMBS Inside Article22, an ethical fashion brand that crafts jewelry out of Vietnam war bombs

FOR ALL THE FOODIES HUNTING FOR A HEALTHY DIET

Plus: The next stage in solar vehicle evolution

CONTENTS

Building a green future

Ziwira december 2015

NEWS & EVENTS 08

Stay informed with the most important local

32

and international green news, to make headlines in the past month

COMMUNITY 14 Little People with Big, Green

Hopes

This young, vibrant group of people are doing wonders for the environment and greening the mindsets of people in the UAE.

CLIMATE CHANGE 16 Is The World Serious about

Climate Change?

A look back on this past year to see who has taken real action to counter climate change, and seriously ponder where we are heading.

22

COVER STORY FEATURE 18

A Voice for the Voiceless Shanti Ahluwalia, a Campaign Officer for SAFE, New Zealand’s leading animal advocacy organization, shares his perspective on the current status of animal cruelty.

business 22 BaemBu Eco T-shirts Dubai-based ethical fashion brand creates trendy t-shirts without sacrificing efforts to make the planet a cleaner place. www.ziwira.com

december Issue 12 2015

24 Kingspan’s Sustainable

Building Solutions

40

Business Development Manager James Kelly opened up to us about Kingspan Group: Who they are, what they do, and their sustainable business solutions.

REAL ESTATE 28 How do Green Buildings

Scale Up?

A smart and sustainable environment is a central pillar of the development vision of any country. We have seen streamlined efforts to reduce carbon footprint and increase efficiency in energy and water use, for securing a greener future.

COVER STORY 32 Buying Back the Bombs In 2008, during her trip to Laos (the most heavily bombed country in history), Elizabeth Suda’s desire to create a social business was born. She later founded ARTICLE22, a brand that designs accessories out of Vietnam War bombs.

GREEN PERSONALITY 40 Oxfam’s Winnie Byanyima She understands migration better than most, having fled Uganda at a young age to escape conflict. Now she is tackling the root causes of conflict, inequality, poverty, and climate change.

LIFESTYLE 42 Have a Merry Green

Christmas!

With these eco-tips, Christmas doesn’t have to be a burden to the environment and you can experience a more heartfelt, envirofriendly holiday season, no matter where you are in the world.

16

44 New Age Beverages A single can of soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar, which actively contributes to obesity and diabetes. This is an article for all of you suffering soda-holics.

46 Majid Al Futtaim: The Green

Star of Retail & Leisure

Leading retail and leisure pioneers in the Middle East, received the highest Green Star status for the second year in a row.

48

BEAUTY 48 Embrace Your Natural Locks Stop! Before you reach for that hot iron, chemical straightener. We tell you how to rock those curls using the most gentle and nourishing products. www.ziwira.com

FASHION 52 DGrade Turns Plastic Waste

into Clothing

Two creative recycling entrepreneurs have joined forces to create a market for materials currently being disposed of in landfills. We spoke to DGrade CEO, Kris Barber.

56 The Real Deal with Lush Anita Baker, the Director of Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics for the MENA region loves her job, and it’s no surprise. We learned some of her secrets to success.

FOOD 61

Organic Foods & Café Are your foods being doused in harmful chemicals? Probably so, if they are not sourced from a certified organic store.

64

78

Recipes Two healthy recipes that are scrumptious, filling and bursting with flavorsome nutrients.

INTERVIEW 78 The Man Behind Billion in

HEALTH 68 Ebola – Two Years On In December 2013, West Africa succumbed to one of the most deadly virus outbreaks in recent history. Is Ebola on its way out, or should we still be worried?

72 Why are we Still Hooked

on Tobacco?

Smoking kills. So why is it so hard to kick this habit, and are cigarette alternatives really healthier?

Change

Meet Manoj Bhargava, the billionaire who is revolutionizing the developing world.

AUTO 84 The Next Stage in Solar

Vehicle Evolution

An early stage venture in Australia focuses on the Research and Development (R&D) and commercialization of high performance solar and electric vehicle technologies.

84

61 www.ziwira.com

december Issue 12 2015

ECO-TECH

ENTERTAINMENT

86 App Assists with Discovering

104 Outdoor Art Meets

New Species

If Charles Darwin had a smartphone, it’s likely that he would have downloaded this app himself!

88 The SALt Lamp A sustainable alternative for kerosene lamps in the Philippines.

Sustainability

Attractive art pieces made entirely from washed up beach plastic make for entertaining viewing, while simultaneously saving the oceans.

106 That Sugar Film Actor and director Damon Gameau reveals the secret behind false food labelling, and

90 Eco-Tech Solution for

Refugee Crisis

Abeer Seikaly came up with this awe-inspiring sustainable tent concept, called “Weaving

the detrimental effects of a sugar-fueled diet.

108 The Jungle Book

a Home” which has been praised by environ-

Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale of The Jungle

mentalists, and those wanting to provide safe

Book will be brought to life once again by

haven for refugees.

Walt Disney Pictures, this time as a live action movie.

ENERGY 94 High Hopes for the Clean

108

Energy Business Council

We caught up with Claudio Palmieri, CEO of the Clean Energy Business Council, who shared his thoughts on energy consumption, clean energy financing, and the future of clean energy in the MENA region.

110

WILDLIFE 98 The Elusive, Endangered

Snow Leopard

This endearing animal, also known as ‘the ghost of the mountains’, has become vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss.

TRAVEL 110 Responsible Tourism in

Budapest

December is magical in Budapest, so if you’re looking for an enchanted Christmas vacation in Budapest, Hungary, we offer you some green guidelines to help you to enjoy it sustainably.

114 Al Bustan Rotana Al Bustan Rotana Resort in Dubai has 15 sustainable reasons to choose a stay with them. One of them is that it won 1st place

98

in the 5-star category of the Dubai Green Tourism Awards 2015. www.ziwira.com

Wonderful Winter Wonderland I will gaze at the stars, And maybe even Mars, They are all so bright, On a wonderful clear winter night, Feeling the breeze, Watching the trees, They’re swaying with grace, In this peaceful little place, Time moves on, more and more, It’s getting colder than it was before, People are sick and sneezing, Because this weather is so freezing, One of the prettiest times of year, Winter season is finally here, Yummy things like hot chocolate and s’mores, Cookies, treats, and sweets galore, A fascinating season Winter is, With its beauty, peace, and bliss, Oh man, how wonderful Winter can be, From the holidays to the scenery, My favorite thing, however, I’m having trouble deciding, Everything is great, and it’s only just arriving.

UNKNOWN

www.ziwira.com

december Issue 12 2015 BuilDiNg A grEEN FuturE

EDITORIAL

Publisher Ziwira

Is it just me or does Christmas seem to come around with ever-increasing speed the older we get?

It’s almost impossible to avoid getting caught up in the excitement of the festive season. Well, it’s

Vice President / General Manager

now upon us and in the run up to Christmas, Ziwira is set to continue bringing you the best of our

Peter Sorensen

creative scene. If you’re in the spirit to celebrate, perhaps you should explore the issue to get some tips for making your Christmas green and sustainable.

peter.sorensen@ziwira.com Editorial Saba Khan saba.khan@ziwira.com Nasreen Rasool nasreen.rasool@ziwira.com Imran Khan imran@ziwira.com Marketing Salman Tayyeb salman.tayyeb@ziwira.com +971 55 856 7890 Design Asif Habib asif.habib@ziwira.com Fahad Balabhai fahad@ziwira.com

Climate change negotiations seem to crawl along interminably at the pace of the glaciers they are meant to protect, with little perceptible progress made so far. But this year we are seeing remarkable momentum building toward a historic conference in Paris in the closing days of 2015, by the end of which we will either have a new international agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, or we will have seen the last of truly global efforts to strike a deal on saving our planet.

What if you realize that the jewelry or accessory you wear is made of bomb metal. I am sure that will tremble your senses, the way it astounded me when I found that a company called ARTICLE22 makes jewelry out of bomb metal during my visit to the Dubai Sustainability Fair. Our soul-stirring cover story will give you an insight to ARTICLE22, a sustainable fashion brand which makes peace with war by designing beautiful and meaningful collections that tell unknown stories and give back to the affected communities. PEACE BOMB, the first collection is jewelry made from Vietnam War era bombs by Laotian artisans.

Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside cold, barren cages in laboratories across the world. They languish in pain, ache with loneliness, and long to roam free and use their minds. Instead, all they can do is sit and wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them. Read our heart wrenching feature this month, which exposes the vulnerability of animals tested for human benefits.

The beauty of the natural world motivates many globetrotters to get out the door. Yet our increasing

Head Office

use of trains, automobiles and especially planes can wreak havoc on global ecosystems. Green

Techno Hub Building,

travel may sound like a catchphrase but you can actually make your holidaying green by journey-

Office No. 161-162, PO Box No. 341171, Dubai Silicon Oasis, UAE. USA Office Ziwira Inc. 445 Park Avenue 9th Floor

ing to some incredible green destinations hidden in our travel section. Sustainable tourism and responsible travel should be your top picks when planning that Christmas holiday.

As always, give us your feedback, and - if you like what you see - spread your own little handful of Christmas cheer by retweeting, liking and sharing.

Enjoy reading.

Cheers!

New York City New York 10022 United States of America Canada Office Ziwira Inc. Toronto, Canada © Copyright 2015 Ziwira. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication can be reproduced in

parts, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in

Imran Khan

EDITOR @ Z I W I R A

any form or by any means without the prior written

permission of the publisher.

www.ziwira.com

news & events

8

news & events New Figures to be released at World Future Energy Summit

UAE Heat Could be Intolerable by 2100

The UAE is once again gearing up for the World Future Energy Summit,

which is taking place as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week from 18-21 January 2016 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, and is

hosted by Masdar. More than 30,000 people from all over the world are expected to attend the WFES, which is an annual platform where interna-

tional and local thought leaders come together to exchange ideas, and knowledge in the future energy arena.

Highly anticipated figures regarding worldwide renewable energy targets will officially be released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) at the event. The organization has already indicated

that if targets are successfully met in GCC countries alone, it will save 4 billion barrels of oil and reduce GHG emissions by 1.2 gigatons by the year 2030. This means that in the next 15 years, we will be using 25 per-

cent less fossil fuels and the per capita carbon footprint will be reduced by 8 percent. IRENA also anticipates that the majority of renewable en-

ergy produced in the GCC will come from Saudi Arabia. The good news

is that since renewable energy, particularly solar power, is less water

intensive, by reaching renewable targets, we can also reach water conservation targets, saving up 18 trillion liters by 2030.

These numbers along with more detailed analysis and forecast will be published in the GCC Renewable Energy Market Analysis, to be officially released at WFES 2016 and made accessible to global industry leaders, decision makers and investors.

Heatwaves in the UAE could reach intolerable

levels by the end of this century, according to recent findings. The research published in the journal, Nature Climate Change suggests that

temperature and humidity levels could exceed anything previously recorded. Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha are predicted to be the worst affected.

The scientists involved in the research came to

this conclusion by studying the region’s “wet bulb temperature”, a scientific measure that combines

“The global energy system accounts for some two-thirds of greenhouse

heat and temperature.

renewable energy is the single most effective way to decarbonize the

The extreme heat is likely to extend to the greater

but the pace and scale of change needs to increase,” said IRENA Di-

age of Hajj could be affected if these heatwaves

Energy Summit provide critical platforms for the knowledge-exchange

perienced similarly dangerous heatwaves, which

the world.”

waves normally occur once in every 20 years,

The WFES conference agenda covers a variety of topics, including chal-

could become more frequent during the summer

gas emissions today. Transitioning rapidly to a global system fueled by

global economy and keep global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius,

GCC area as well, and even the Muslim pilgrim-

rector-General Adnan Amin. “Important gatherings like the World Future

worsen. Earlier this year, India and Pakistan ex-

needed today to advance renewable energy in the region and around

claimed hundreds of lives. These kinds of heat-

lenges faced by the region’s utility providers, and innovative approaches to financing renewable projects as well as trends that will shape the industry over the next two decades, and a country spotlight on Egypt’s

solar and wind markets. H.E. Eng. Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, the UAE Minister of Energy and Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of Masdar are among the confirmed speakers for the event, along with other senior representatives from Siemens, Shell, First Solar and Saudi Aramco.

www.ziwira.com

but scientists fear that with global warming, this months in GCC countries. If the “wet bulb tem-

perature” rises to above 35 degrees Celsius, the

human body is unable to regulate its temperature through sweating, but according to this research, the heat index could peak to 60 degrees for several hours a day.

december Issue 12 2015

Action Plan Needed for Industrial Waste in GCC

hazardous and electronic. Only 40% is reused and recycled,

Gulf

“Municipal and healthcare waste has guidelines for disposal,

Petrochemicals

Association

held

the

first

ever

Responsible Care Conference in Dubai with the aim of shining

a spotlight on responsible and sustainable best practice in the petrochemicals industry. One of the issues highlighted at the event was the problem of industrial waste in the GCC.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Hazmi, Advisor for Responsible Care & Advocacy at Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA), said that the biggest concern from a government

perspective was that there was no action plan to tackle this problem. A sum of 75 million tons of waste is generated in the GCC per annum, with 50% from construction, 14% from

industrial sources, and 36% from plastics, paper and organic waste. According to Al-Hazmi, the GCC Secretariat has

classified waste as organic, construction, liquid, healthcare,

while 60% goes to conventional disposal. Industrial waste

includes bio-sludge, laboratory waste, toluene solvents, heavy hydrocarbons, oily sludge from tanks and more.

but for hazardous waste such as industrial and radioactive waste there are no guidelines,” he said.

“Government observations are that most of the waste is going

to landfills, there is little innovation and weak sharing of best practices, no common guidelines, no business value for

reuse of waste, and small and medium sized industries lack good waste management,” he said.

Al-Hazmi concluded by saying that the GPCA has to work with GCC Secretariat to formulate guidelines for industrial waste management. Achievements need to be published and

more research and development is needed to address the issue and find workable solutions in the near future.

New Emissions Rules for Vehicles In just two years from now,

“We will have a baseline and

all cars being imported into

will not allow the cars which

the UAE will have to first

do not meet the minimum

pass through a 5-star rating

standards of one-star to enter

system based on its levels of

the country, as that means

greenhouse gas emissions.

they are not complying with

Any vehicle failing to meet the

our labelling and rating,” said

standards will be banned from

Abdulla Al Maeeni, ESMA’s

entering the country. The new

Director General.

regulations were announced

government

“We have a target to reduce

last month and are currently

want to reduce consumption

will have to be labelled with

he said.

by

the

UAE

officials

the UAE’s carbon footprint, we

being finalized. All new cars

of oil and fuel in the country,”

and

environment

detailed their

information

fuel

efficiency

emission levels.

about

The move comes as part of a

and

nationwide green strategy of

the UAE to minimize pollution Authority

levels. There are also plans

Metrology (ESMA) is working

policy, whereby there will be

The for

Emirates

Standardization

to introduce a “polluter pays”

and

with manufacturers to ensure that the timeline is met as part of

free parking in government

government’s efforts to ease human impact on the environment.

public areas and an import tax exemption on environmentally

and five being the best, and is similar to ESMA’s grading of the

higher purchase costs, and registration charges for cars with

The rating will apply to private cars, with one being the lowest

friendly vehicles as well as road tolls dependent on ratings,

energy efficiency of household appliances.

high emission levels.

www.ziwira.com

news & events

10

Dubai Unveils Online Green Store

Emirates Does Something Unexpected for Wildlife

The Dubai Green Economy Partnership recently launched Green Deal Dubai, a crowd-sourcing platform for

verified green products and servic-

es. The project was launched under the patronage of His Excellency Sami

Al Qamzi, Director General of the Department of Economic Development,

with the aim of making green prod-

ucts more accessible to the community, including businesses, academics, families and individuals. Green Deal is a unique model that allows

people in the UAE to view and review eco-friendly products and services

and purchase them from a single source.

The website facilitates the transition to a greener lifestyle by making

available products that can reduce energy and water usage and simplify

households. For example, if someone wants to install a solar water heater in

their home, they can use Green Deal Dubai to find local suppliers who have already been verified. Green Deal also provides users with op-

tions for financing schemes through

its relationship with partner banks for products such as Solar PV Kits.

This initiative is part of the greater

vision of the Dubai Green Economy Partnership, which is the brainchild

of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,

Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. The overall mission is to bring all stakeholders

together to consolidate clean energy projects, and ultimately achieving a low-carbon economy.

Last month Emirates Airlines did something no other airline has ever done. The company depicted larger than life images of wildlife animals on two of its A380 jets to raise

awareness about illegal wildlife trade. The livery included giant tigers, lions, rhinos, elephants, gorillas and bears on both sides of the planes. Emirates is officially partnered

with the international conservation group, United for Wildlife and is evidently taking this matter of wildlife trafficking very seriously. The global transport industry is committed to alerting the world that illegal wildlife trade is an atrocious crime which must stop. As the

international community is becoming less tolerant of these crimes, Emirates is now also expressing its sincere alignment to the cause.

William Hague, chairman of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce further attested to the seriousness of the crime.

“This is more than just an environmental issue. The illegal wildlife trade is now recognized as a serious and organized transnational crime,” he said.

“It drives corruption, is linked to money laundering, and it can damage economic development in many of the world’s poorest countries and communities.”

The president of Emirates, Tim Clark, said that the transport industry plays a significant role in breaking the supply chain of the animal trade.

“The world is in a global poaching crisis and everyone has to do their part to stop this before it is too late,” he told The National.

In addition to its work with United for Wildlife, Emirates is also working with other organi-

zations to train and equip its staff to identify illegal wildlife products in transit. The airline

also provides wildlife protection stories in its inflight magazines, and has integrated wildlife related podcasts and movies into the inflight entertainment choices.

Even though the UAE is not a major destination for illegal wildlife and ivory products, it is still a major transport hub and therefore has a crucial role to play in the fight. This campaign is just one part of the mix. Further steps must be taken to link transport com-

panies with authorities to really help combat the problem of illegal wildlife trade. While

the UAE may not be able to single handedly solve the problem, proactive steps such as this can definitely slow down the trade.

www.ziwira.com

december Issue 12 2015

Americans not too concerned about global warming – Report

Will Smith’s Son Wants to Heal the Planet

A new poll by the Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

indicates that the American public, despite being aware of global warming, are not too concerned about it.

The poll was done in mid-October this year and reveals that most Americans know that the climate is changing, and even acknowledge that human

beings are part of the cause, but they just don’t worry about it that much.

Based on this report, climate scientists at the helm of trying to find a solution

to the climate change problem, are now saying that this lack of concern is a major factor in the slow pace at which changes are being made to

prevent a global warming crisis. They argue that without a genuine attitude

of concern from the public, insufficient action will be taken and we could reach crisis levels sooner than we hope.

Only 36 percent of Americans see global warming as a moral issue, not surprising, since it has not really been a voting issue among the population over the past few years.

However, out of the 1,058 people who participated in the poll, less than one in four Americans said they were extremely worried about climate change.

One out of three participants said they were moderately worried. But the

highest percentage of those polled, 38 percent, said they were either not too worried about it, or not worried at all. When interviewed further, some

people expressed that they were not worried about climate change in their own lifetime, but did worry for future generations.

Seventeen year old Jaden Smith, son of Hollywood icon Will Smith (best known for Men

in Black, Independence Day and Ali), has big plans to save the world. He was recently identi-

fied as one of TIME magazine’s Most Influential Teens in the world, and said upon receiving the title, that his goal in life was to “heal the planet”.

Jaden made his on-screen debut back in 2006

when he starred in the movie In Pursuit of Hap-

Antibiotic Awareness Week The World Health Organization held the first-ever Antibiotic Awareness

Week from 16-22 November. The message at the heart of the campaign was to “Handle Antibiotics with Care”, as is often not the case in so many

places across the world. The misuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic re-

sistance and the rise of superbugs, an issue which has been raised on few occasions in the media, but never before been given this kind of global attention.

WHO called on all governments, health professionals, and agriculture professionals to take positive action in addressing the issue of overuse of antibiotics to prevent further spread of diseases.

“Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health today. It

is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. It is compromis-

ing our ability to treat infectious diseases and putting people everywhere at risk,” said the Organization.

“Working together, we can ensure antibiotics are used only when neces-

sary and as prescribed. Antibiotics are a precious resource that we cannot

pyness alongside his father. He then went on to

make his own mark in the movie business with Karate Kid, and the 2013 blockbuster, After Earth. But for young Smith, Hollywood is not his

end destination, it is just the beginning of greater work.

He told TIME magazine: “Being born was the most influential thing that’s ever happened to me, for myself. As far as people, what they think

is influential -- like I said, the thing that you can make the most fun of and laugh at the most is

whatever would be the most influential to the pop culture of the world.”

The young star has a mysterious plan to disap-

pear from the spotlight in 13 years, and secretly

release products that will help to save the world.

“My job is going to be to balance out the whole

planet so that everyone can be working together to make things better,” he said.

continue to take for granted—we need to handle them with care.”

www.ziwira.com

news & events

12

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict On 5th November, the United Nations Environment Program

(UNEP) hosted an International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment during War and Armed Conflict. This special day of awareness was initially created by the United

Nations in 2001 and has since then brought the topic to international attention. Understanding the growing vulnerability of the

natural environment to armed conflict is an important part of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

nents and the environment suffers the unfair collateral damage.

According to the UN these damages can range from air pollution to deforestation, destruction of protected areas and the

collapse of environmental governance structures such as waste management. These damages also continue far beyond the actual period of the conflict and can extend to future generations, even beyond borders. Wherever there is conflict, UNEP contin-

ues to provide environmental expertise to the affected countries

In the last 60 years, at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts

have been linked in some way to the exploitation of natural resources. UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, “While

we have not been able to resolve conflict or environmental ex-

ploitation, today we better understand the complex interactions between them, particularly the way they cut across the core UN

mandates for peace and security, human rights, sustainable

to help restore the natural surroundings.

“This International Day not only provides an opportunity to remember the environment as a silent victim, but also that natural

resources can play an important role in conflicts themselves,

as well as in post-conflict development and peace building,” said UNEP.

development, humanitarian assistance and international law.”

This was the fourteenth observation of the International Day

A day such as this is crucial in current times as situations of

Armed Conflict.

war and armed conflict are raging throughout different conti-

for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and

San Diego Orca Shows Come to an End San Diego will witness its very last Killer Whale show at SeaWorld in 2017.

The California theme park is said to be phasing out the controversial shows,

after they received much criticism in the media. The announcement was made by Chief Executive of SeaWorld California, Joel Manby last month.

Manby said the decision was part of the company’s strategy to salvage is

damaged reputation after it received strong public reproach from animal rights activists who claimed that the park was cruel to keep the whales,

also known as orcas, in captivity. Pop singer Harry Styles of One Direction also called for his fans to boycott SeaWorld in July this year. Since then,

company shares dropped drastically across all 11 parks in the US. In 2013,

a documentary called Blackfish highlighted the impact of captivity on the

animals. In response, SeaWorld dismissed the film as inaccurate and misleading.

The Orca shows have for years been the main attraction at SeaWorld but the park has recognized the need for this to change in order to improve

their image among the people. The move also comes after Californian au-

thorities banned SeaWorld from breeding any animals in captivity this October.

However, fans could still have something to look forward to, as some officials have hinted that the San Diego show will continue to feature an Orca

experience, but in a “more natural” setting. The details have not yet been revealed. www.ziwira.com

Seize your opportunity at the biggest biodiesel event of the year.

Register today at

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coMMunity

14

littlePeople with

big, green Hopes This young, vibrant group of people are doing wonders for the environment and greening the mindsets of people in the UAE.

www.ziwira.com

december Issue 12 2015

“

The devastating effects of climate change induced global warming are being felt across the world,” says Kehkashan.

“We, the future generations, must lead the way..

b

ig things have small beginnings… an apt saying to introduce Green Hope UAE, a

small group doing important work for the

environment at grassroots level. Green Hope is a youth organization in the UAE whose sole aim is

eco-responsibility. The group can be commended for their work in raising awareness of climate

change, global warming and all other issues re-

own COP Dubai event, an imitation of the United

Nations Conference of Parties and in lead up to the COP21 that will be taking place in Paris. At the event, the youth who were present brainstormed

innovative ideas on how to tackle the climate change problem and performed their very own song on climate change.

lated to sustainability.

Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots organization is

The group was founded by 14-year old Kehkashan

tant accolades to their name and such notable ef-

Basu who has been an environmental and social

activist from a very young age. She has been ac-

tively involved in UNEP since the age of 12 and is currently the organization’s Global Coordinator for Children & Youth. Basu was born on June 5th,

which coincidentally happens to be World Envi-

ronment Day. She believes it was her destiny to grow up to be an eco-warrior. In September this

year, she published a book called The Tree of

one of their key sponsors. And with such impor-

forts to spread good, it’s no wonder that anyone would want to become involved with this group or at least offer some support in whatever way is

possible. Another inspirational activity initiated by

Green Hope UAE is the food distribution to labor-

ers in UAE. Their work includes hosting environment academies, road shows, social upliftment projects, social media campaigns and more.

Hope, which tells the story of eco-warriors making

They initially began targeting schools, but are now

UN headquarters in New York.

tailor made environment workshops, which they

Green Hope UAE is essentially a networking plat-

shops they are sharing information on how to live

the world a better place. It was launched at the

form for children and youth in the region to connect and share information, ideas and skills in

environmental preservation. With the support of DEWA, they are able to hold regular workshops

and public events surrounding the topics of re-

cycling, waste segregation, biodiversity and pre-

also being approached by corporates to run their

do in partnership with KHDA. Through these worka zero carbon life, the benefits or renewable energy and sustainable consumption and production

habits. With a little imagination, creativity and hard work, they even raise funds for charities, disaster victims, laborers and local communities.

venting land degradation among other things.

These young people are truly amazing in that they

They recently planted 70 saplings to celebrate the

the work of these dedicated youth the UAE is inch-

70th anniversary of the United Nations, and also

organized a beach cleanup. Group members also participated in a workshop on Sustainable Urban Development, hosted by the Emirates Green

Building Council. And of course, climate change

was the focus of discussion at the group’s very

take a hands-on-approach to each task. Thanks to ing closer and closer towards becoming a green-

er nation, in line with the government’s vision of sustainability. The members of Green Hope UAE believe in what they are doing and boy are they doing a fantastic job!

www.ziwira.com

“

cLiMate cHnage

16

CoP 21:

is tHe world serious about Climate CHaNge?

by Nasreen Rasool As we wait, baited breath to hear the outcomes of COP21, it’s worth looking back on this past year to see who has taken real action to counter climate change, and seriously ponder where we are heading.

i

t seems the world has been preparing all year for the

year, the United Nations has invited countries to pledge

UN talks on climate change, to be held in Paris. Now

come into effect from 2020, though some have already taken

21st Conference of Parties, or COP21, the biggest ever

that December is finally here, it’s time to assess exactly what the event hopes to achieve and how worldwide attitudes towards climate change have shifted, if at all.

One report stated that the plans submitted by 150 countries

would only result in a 3C global temperature rise, instead

of the 2C target by the end of the century. Throughout the

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their plans to reduce global warming. These plans should

commendable steps in reducing their carbon footprints. But

the real task is to put these plans into practice and adhere to the pledged commitments. If current trends continue,

global warming will increase by 5C, which according to

scientists, is beyond the limit of safety and will spur much more devastating effects of climate change such a floods, droughts and storms.

december Issue 12 2015 reduce its CO2 emissions by 37% from 2005 levels by 2025.

This was one of the biggest commitments made so far from a

developing country. The EU has committed to a 40% reduction, and US pledged for 26-28% but made a contradictory move this year by allowing Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic region.

Probably the most heated debate at COP21 will be between the developing and developed nations. This has been an ongoing

discussion, as the poorer countries are unfortunately the ones who have to face the wrath of climate change the most, as they

don’t have the resources to make drastic cuts in emissions. The

more developed nations are not only accused of being the top polluters but also for failing to effectively reduce emissions or

assisting the smaller countries in doing so. It will be interesting to see the outcomes of these talks.

On the corporate side, the international call for companies to divest from fossil fuels definitely had some impact. Some companies that made headlines were Nestle and Ford for their sustainability initiatives within the company, and BP for its long

awaited payout for the 2020 Gulf oil spill. The Bank of America moved away from coal financing and international audit firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers has publicly recognized that climate change is real. Climate change is also catching up with the

fashion industry, as we have seen H&M and Marks & Spencer adopt sustainable product lines. Starbucks was another major

brand to go green this year. The bad apples were of course, Shell and Adani, who have vicariously pursued oil and coal

exploration, as well as the Gates Foundation and MIT, who

refused to divest despite calls from scientists, the general public and environmental activists.

Finance will be a major impediment at COP21 if the tug of war

continues between the World Bank and the private sector, for if

each one continues to assert that the other should spend, there will be no spending at all and no goals will be achieved.

One of the major influencers of the year was the Church of England after it announced its divestment from fossil fuels.

Looking toward the future, The Guardian has put it perfectly: “If So far, we have seen positive changes in some of the world’s

worst polluters such as India where solar power is taking off, and even in China, notorious for its smog. The Chinese have

been making remarkable strides in adopting renewable forms of energy. The UAE has also pledged to become one of the greenest countries in the world and is working tremendously towards renewables innovation and implementation. Costa Rica

has also experienced a surge in renewable energy and in March

went for 75 days entirely on renewable energy. Brazil, the world’s seventh biggest greenhouse gas polluter recently pledged to

nations can meet and agree on equitable goals on the climate,

on economic development, on social and environmental issues, and do so in a spirit of cooperation, it will be a huge achievement.”

But global negotiations on climate change have been going on

for more than 20 years. Let’s not forget what happened with the

Kyoto Protocol - it was a wonderfully articulated agreement, but its goals were never realized, and no action was taken against

the countries who failed to meet their targets. Will COP21 be any different? We certainly hope so!

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18

ProvidiNg a voiCe For tHe voiCeless According to PETA, every year more than 100 million animals are tortured and killed in US laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, and experimentation; or for drug, food, and cosmetic testing. We spoke to Shanti Ahluwalia, a Campaign Officer for SAFE, New Zealand’s leading animal advocacy organization, who shared his perspective on the current status of animal cruelty.

“

Chickens for meat production are bred to grow very quickly, and suffer a widerange of health problems as a result.

“

– Shanti Ahluwalia Campaign Officer for SAFE

Cruelty oF aNimal testiNg The use of small animals for experimental purposes has been met with mass protesting and vigilant campaigning,

most of which occurred as a response to increased

awareness around the issue, thanks to the likes of PETA (People for the Ethical treatment of Animals), SAFE (Save Animals From Exploitation), and the Humane Society.

As more companies emerged throughout the mid-tolate 19th century, the number of animals used in tests

increased, along with the number of tests themselves. This

rapid increase in animal testing led to the development of numerous agencies aimed at halting animal testing, while

also sharing their sentiment with the greater public. Abuse

of animals during testing was well publicized throughout the 1990’s, creating a movement, and garnered public anger in response to the practice. The increased attention

led to the ban on animal testing for cosmetics in the UK in 1998.

In late May, following heavy campaigning by SAFE and the Green Party, New Zealand became one of the first

countries to amend the Animal Welfare Act to make it illegal for companies to test finished products or their ingredients on animals in the country.

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december Issue 12 2015

In addition to New Zealand, already a number of countries have taken progressive steps to stop the unnecessary suffering of animals used in tests for personal care and household products,

The government must follow the European Union’s example and ban the importation of products tested on animals too.”

including: India, Brazil’s Sao Paulo region, Israel, Norway, and

New Zealand already has a reasonably clean reputation around

consideration.

contributes to the positive image. While no known testing

“The reaction has been tremendously positive,” Shanti told

ensures that it never will. A recent poll found that 89 percent

the European Union; with Australia, Canada and Taiwan in

us. “On social media, we had the largest swell of support we have ever had. In the media, many outlets reported the victory.

However, the ban only applies to testing done in New Zealand.

the world for its treatment of animals, and this new law further is currently taking place in New Zealand, the new measure

of New Zealanders were against animal testing in cosmetics,

because of the cruelty that has been exposed by the likes of PETA and SAFE.

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20

“In the Draize test, rabbits can be restrained and have

chemicals poured into their eyes, mouth, or face,” says Shanti.

“This can cause severe pain and distress. Animal testing includes the worst cruelty imaginable, and there is absolutely

no reason to do it for cosmetics. Many companies don’t test on animals, so products will still be available.”

The abuse of animals for experimental purposes has driven the emergence of many high-profile individuals to publicly condemn the practice. PETA has an enormous amount of

support from the celebrity community, with concrete support

from the likes of Khloe Kardashian, Alec Baldwin, Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Paul McCartney, Pamela Anderson, and Kesha (just to name a few).

In a recent video for Humane Society USA’s #BeCrueltyFree campaign, Kesha sends a clear message to her fans about animal testing for cosmetic products, by getting ready for a

night out using makeup products that are strictly free from

it has chosen to enter this market anyway,” PETA wrote on

their website about Victoria’s Secret. PETA commended the label’s fellow Limited Brands subsidiaries, including Bath & Body Works, for not expanding into China and “remaining committed to their cruelty-free policies.”

But cruelty to animals doesn’t just stop at cosmetic testing.

PETA recently released an exposé of luxury French handbag label Hermès, revealing evidence of reptiles put through

unimaginable suffering at a leather farm in Texas. The animals are allegedly forced to live in dirty, dark pits, before they are

dragged out by workers and placed on a table, struggling desperately to escape, before being brutally slaughtered.

The Fur Trade is another issue, one that Shanti feels particularly passionate about. He feels that there is no kind way of ripping

an animal’s skin off its back. He also strongly opposes factory farming, a practice that has no place in the modern world.

animal testing. At the end of the video, she leaves a message on her mirror written in lipstick to #BeCrueltyFree.

Pamela Anderson also recently spoke out about the issue, writing a strongly worded letter to MAC Cosmetics, expressing

her outrage that the company does in fact test products on animals in countries that legally require it for imported

cosmetics, when for so long, MAC has prided itself on providing cruelty-free products.

“We’ve known each other for a long time, and I’ve always admired you for embracing MAC Cosmetics as a pioneer in

cruelty-free makeup,” Anderson wrote in the letter. “That’s why I was so proud to be a Viva Glam MAC girl in 2004. But the buzz is much different now, and you know I can’t bite my tongue.” Anderson urged the company to stop selling to China (where animal testing is required), noting that she still had “faith” in the brand.

Further to big-brand shaming, PETA has now stricken lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret from its list of cruelty-free companies, as

“Pigs and chickens get the worst of it,” says Shanti. “Sows

in mainland, China. Although the Chinese Government has in

Their piglets are taken away from them and kept in fattening

types of cosmetics that are produced and sold in the country,

kept in cages, with about as much space as an A4 sheet of

the company recently confirmed its deal to sell beauty products

are kept in crates, unable to turn around for weeks at a time.

recent years, relaxed its animal-testing mandate for certain

pens, with very little space. Chickens for egg production are

the new rules don’t cover imported or specialty products.

paper per hen. Chickens for meat production are bred to grow

American-based companies have been eager to capitalize on

result.”

China’s $15 billion cosmetics market, but in doing so, many

very quickly, and suffer a wide-range of health problems as a

companies, most notably Avon, Mary Kay, and Estee Lauder,

For now, SAFE’s largest endeavor is the Stop Factory Farming

now face the consequence of losing a strong customer base

banning sow stalls in New Zealand, and conventional battery

reverse decades of “no animal testing” policies. They must

campaign. Shanti says that they have so far been successful in

who appreciate the cruelty-free aspect.

hen cages will also be phased out. They are also campaigning

“Although the company fully understands the Chinese

animal cruelty. Without the likes of PETA and SAFE, our world

Government’s requirements for tests on animals for cosmetics, www.ziwira.com

against duck shooting, and many other issues that involve would be a cruel and unsustainable place.

december Issue 12 2015

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22

Business

BaemBu

Trendy Eco T-Shirts catching the mainstream of Ethical Fashion Ethical fashion is going granola. Organic clothing can be more than just basic tees or itchy fabrics. Dubai based BaemBu has successfully evolved by stepping up their game and creating trendy t-shirts without sacrificing efforts to make the planet a cleaner place.

S

potted recently at the sustainability fair

Speaking in length about the unique brand, Mr. King

the BaemBu stall was worth stopping by.

to King, BaemBu is founded on a strong ethical

organized by Dubai Chamber of Commerce,

Some innovative t-shirts were on display and gave us reason to explore the brand in depth.

It’s not hard to guess that the brand name BaemBu

was derived from the fact that their t-shirts are sourced from bamboo fibers. But it wouldn’t have been that easy for its founders, Matthew King and

Aimee Changco, to launch a new organic clothing company amidst the high competition from unethical fashion brands. www.ziwira.com

shared some insight behind the concept. According and ecological theme - the first t-shirts in the UAE which are made of bamboo and organic cotton. “We

spend a lot of time ensuring our products can trace an ethical and sustainable path back to their origins,

right through to the bamboo and cotton being organically grown and sourced through certified, fair trading schemes. Even the ink and printing process has to be ecologically as good as you can get”, says King.

december Issue 12 2015 Bamboo is a renewable resource: it’s naturally pest-resistant and grows fast, so it doesn’t require fertilizers or pesticides to

grow, and to ensure this is the case, the company has chosen

a supplier that is accredited by the Soil Association. To turn the bamboo into fibers, the plant is pulped using chemicals: 10

years ago, this process generated harmful waste, but now, King says the production is a “closed loop”. This means the same

chemicals are reused over and over, and very little is released into natural ecosystems.

The t-shirts have certain properties which are passed on from

the bamboo plant itself, for example, bamboo is Hypoallergenic, making t-shirts ideal for wearing next to the skin without irritation.

They are also anti-bacterial and UV resistant, as 90 percent of

the UV rays are blocked from passing through the t-shirts. The t-shirts are simple, but they do have a few USPs. According to

the company, the bamboo-fiber fabric is softer than cotton; it wicks sweat away from the body and allows perspiration to pass

through it. The bacteria doesn’t get to sit on the body and cause

Matthew King and Aimee Changco

an odor.

Speaking about the impact the BaemBu tees have on the

environment, King says, “The source of the t-shirts, which is

the bamboo plant itself, has a lot to do with that. It gives out 35 percent more oxygen than a hard wood tree and comparatively matures early, which means that you can sustainably manage and grow the crop. Besides that, the use of organic cotton in the

production process is a sheer contribution towards minimizing the environmental impact.”

To turn the fabric into clothing, BaemBu uses one of a few factories in Turkey adhering to the Fair Wear Foundation and

Confidence in Textiles benchmarks, then appropriate retailers are chosen to sell the finished t-shirts, which are also available online.

The first batch of stock was sold at the Dubai pop-up market, Outside the Box, a year ago where the t-shirts sold out the day before the event ended – much of it to Emirati women looking

for a base layer to wear under their abayas. Currently, the

t-shirts are stocked at the fitness studio, Urban Yoga, and The Change Initiative, the sustainable store in Al Quoz.

The entrepreneurs declined to share investment and profit

figures, saying that they didn’t think it would reflect where they

would be by the end of the year. But it’s the brand’s ethical focus that the entrepreneurs have used to market their company.

Using their blog, which posts updates on ethical consumption, they posted instructions on how to turn a shoebox inside

out and reconstruct it, then fill it with gifts that could be of

use to low-income migrant workers. Suggested items were international phone cards, toothbrushes, sachets of electrolyte powder, coffee and tins of tuna.

After sharing the page on social media with the hashtag #ShoeboxLove, the campaign went viral within hours. Just over

600 filled shoeboxes were left at BaemBu’s drop-off points, which the business duo handed over to workers at a mosque.

Giving credits to Dubai Chamber of Commerce for organizing

the sustainability fair and providing an opportunity to sustainable

startups to showcase their products, King also extended his gratitude to the Dubai government for supporting sustainable companies like BaemBu.

Both King and Changco are confident BaemBu lives up to the country’s standard of green living. “Sustainable products are

not just a fad,” King adds. “There is a growing consciousness about these things, and I don’t think it will die.”

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24

Kingspan’s

James Kelly

shares his expertise on sustainable building solutions

Business Development Manager James Kelly opened up to us about Kingspan Group: Who they are, what they do, and how they cater to environmental sustainability by means of sustainable building solutions.

Kingspan Group For five years, James Kelly has worked for Kingspan, having

worked in the roofing/cladding insulation industry for 9-10

years. Most of what Kingspan represents is geared toward sustainability: High insulation, solar energy, and overall reduced energy consumption through their products by reducing air leakage and improving thermal efficiency.

Kingspan Group was founded in Kingscourt, Ireland. It began

as a small engineering business, with roots in the manufacture

of steel framed buildings. The business broadened its scope in the 1970’s, with a move into the small-scale manufacture of environmental products. The Group comprises four divisions: Insulated Panels, Insulation, Access Floors, and Environmental.

Kingspan Insulated Panels, the largest division of the four, is

the global leader in the design, development and delivery of advanced building envelope products and solutions.

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Kingspan has seven long-term sustainability objectives

which include: Sustainable product stewardship, carbon management – beyond carbon neutral, optimization of

resources, sustainable building design, ethical procurement and supply chain management, stakeholder engagement,

and social responsibility. The company accounts for all site waste with associated deliveries, which has resulted in saving the company of around £150 per ton.

People don’t always understand the need for insulation in the

UAE, often following the belief that you only need insulation to heat a home. When in fact, improved insulation means that

costs for air conditioning will be low – something that would certainly benefit those in the Gulf region where temperatures could reach up to 50 degrees Celsius.

december Issue 12 2015

James Kelly

“

“

Our sudden presence in Dubai is because of the DEWA implementation of this net metering system – the push towards photovoltaics – people are very keen on putting solar panels on their roofs.

Sustainability Consulting In a quiet café in Dubai, James Kelly eagerly updated us on Kingspan Group, and how the company is evolving into

a major contributor toward sustainable building solutions.

Kingspan’s main clients are building owners, developers, and

architects. However, Kelly doesn’t see the company as simply a manufacturer – yes Kingspan manufactures products, but they also provide consultancy and technical support.

“When it comes to a building energy model, we look at things

holistically, and our thirst to find new ways differentiate us

from others,” said Kelly. Kingspan have introduced a whole new insulation type – it has better thermal performance, and is

thinner, which means it’s easier to handle and easier to deliver

developments.

Kelly

has witnessed a major

increase in interest, and says that real estate in

Dubai seems to be shifting toward sustainability.

“However, it’s still a very

cost driven market in Dubai,” he said. “Developers of buildings still seem to just look at capital costs rather than long term

investment. If they can build it for nothing, then they will try to maximize their profit.”

on site, contributing to reduced emissions.

Kelly explained Kingspan’s building energy modelling team,

“We train our clients through proven studies – for instance, if

can advise the best sort of insulation to reduce energy costs,

we go to an architect or owner, whatever the situation is, say

with a requirement for a 1 mega-watt PV system to be installed on the roof, we’ll take the roof design, and add our own design

who can assist architects by offering expert consulting. They and tell the customer about their expected annual energy consumption.

work, for example the number of modules,” Kelly explained.

“Then when you start to apply energy costs to that, you can

issue the client the proposal with everything broken down to

explained. “ It’s really good to have clients who are interested

saving over a 25-year period.”

no, no, I’m not spending this much” from day one. But what

On another note, Kelly mentioned how Kingspan has

is constructed, he’s already spent the extra of what he could

“This all goes into Kingspan’s cost structure, so that they can

show some real savings down the line of 10-20 years,” Kelly

say “this is the cost” and then present how much they will be

in knowing how that works, rather than a client who says “no,

experienced increased business since the Dubai Municipality

made Green Building Regulations mandatory for all private

clients doesn’t realize is that 6 months from when his building have saved if he had spent a bit more on long term wise investment.”

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26

Kingspan as a company is very much focused towards

“We’ve implemented a zero landfill policy - any of the

as a manufacturer by the year 2020. Effectively, by 2020,

said Kelly. “In the UK, when we deliver materials to sites,

renewable energy solutions. Their goal is to be net zero

Kingspan will be a power generator rather than a consumer.

That means that all their factories around the world will have PV systems, or wind turbines installed.

manufacturing waste or packaging, etc., will be recycled,” we collect the debris after. It’s a very important topic to us –

we’re advancing our technologies all the time, very much so in the local region.”

Solar Implementation Another area that Kingspan is involved in is solar power, which is still relatively new to the GCC. Throughout the

region, mainly ground mounted systems are installed, like the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Solar Park. This is a cheap and easy way to build a solar system, as a generator.

With the building legislation where building owners can effectively put solar panels on their roofs which are

otherwise not being used, that is where Kingspan comes in as a specialist to say, “We’re a manufacturer, contractor and consultant of a solar UPC.”

“Our sudden presence in Dubai is because of the DEWA

implementation of this net metering system – the push towards photovoltaics – people are very keen on putting

solar panels on their roofs,” said Kelly. “Since January, the inquiry level has shot through the roof. The retrofit market

is expanding, because Dubai has very large buildings in

abundance with sizable roof space, and lots of sun. As long as the actual structure of the building can bear the weight of

the system, the client or building owner will start looking at it as an investment.”

Is implementing solar panels an expensive process? It really depends, says Kelly. If you look at it as an investment, he

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says no. “Typical projects we’re currently looking at are

about 2 and a half mega-watt systems,” he said. “The cost would be near to 12 million dirhams. If the building owner

has that much of capital to spare, then 12 million dirhams seems like quite a large sum, however, the pay back you see is about 6-7 years for a system with a lifespan of about 20-25 years.”

What Kingspan tells their clients is that over the period of 14+

years having the system, the client will generate revenue out of it. The current legislation at the moment is a bit murky for developers. If a developer owns a building and is leasing it

to someone, back in Europe or UK, they will actually put the

PV onto the roof of the building at their cost, and they will later sell back the cheap electricity to their tenant to benefit them for a marginal saving.

“Currently this is not possible as the contract with DEWA has to be with the building owner – but I think we’re going to see

this change in the future,” said Kelly, referring to the UAE.

Overall, the future looks bright for Kingspan Group. Kelly feels confident that solar power, as a clean form of energy,

is certainly on the rise in the UAE, and will only increase in use as more residential and commercial owners familiarize with the long-term benefits.

REAL Estate

28

How do Green Buildings Scale Up? High-profile representatives from Masdar, Ministry of Public Works, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Etihad ESCO, and UNEP gathered at the EGBC 4th annual Congress in late October at Dusit Thani Dubai. Esteemed speakers addressed an important question facing the sustainable real estate community: How do green buildings scale up?

What do we know?

In the UAE, a smart and sustainable environment is a central pil-

“This is our fourth year of the congress, and we’ve elevated the

lar of the development vision of the country and other regional

theme to go beyond just green buildings, and how we can scale

bon footprint, thanks to initiatives such as Shams Dubai and the

is important, with the coming climate change negations coming

governments. We have seen streamlined efforts to reduce car-

Sustainable City, and more efficient energy and water use, for securing a greener UAE for the future generations.

up green buildings, in order to achieve sustainable cities. This up in Paris, and green buildings and green cities is a very critical aspect of that,” said Saeed Alabbar, Chairman of EGBC. He announced that the Technical Guidelines for retrofitting existing buildings would now also be available in Arabic.

In true spirit of this green vision, the Emirates Green Building

Council (EGBC) gathered professionals in the realm of sustainable infrastructure to commence their 4th Congress session held under the patronage of H.E Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Public Works. The event addressed the chal-

lenges and opportunities of bridging the gap between green buildings and sustainable cities. www.ziwira.com

Eng. Dr. Thani Ahmed Al-Zayoudi, UAE Permanent Representa-

tive to IRENA and Director of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directed the crowd’s attention to the recent announcement of the new Sustainable Development

Goals adopted by the United Nations. Number 11 on the list is aiming to ‘Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.’

december Issue 12 2015

Taher Diab, Senior Director of Strategy & Planning/Secre-

tary General of the Emirates Energy Award at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, emphasized the need to uphold

standards for building regulations, in order for the UAE to

remain on its current trajectory. He mentioned the possibility of looking into green loans, and energy efficiency build-

ing ratings. Such ratings, although initially expensive (owners would have to increase tenants’ rent in order to afford

retrofitting), would benefit tenants in the long-run because of decreased energy use, therefore saving on costs.

Regulations have proven to be a good way to push the UAE

to adopt green infrastructure. Diab explained the alignment

of interest that helped government regulations to keep up with sustainable building regulations.

“The government has an interest, then you also have tech-

nology providers, and the private sector, and investors who all have an interest. Bringing them together under government sponsored initiatives can later down the line translate

into real programs. These programs would then assist with managing sustainable building regulations.”

green building of the year Al-Zayoudi lauded the UAE for already shining through as a na-

tion dedicated to sustainable development, with ten times the

number of green building projects than Singapore and 850 projects that have been registered for LEED certification to date.

This certainly demonstrates the UAE’s commitment and movement toward efficiency for built environments.

“It’s not difficult to spot remarkable achievements in the UAE toward green buildings,” said Al-Zayoudi. “For example, the UAE has been ranked among the top ten nations for adopting green building practices by the US Green Building Council.”

In addition, he highlighted the IRENA Headquarters in Masdar

City, deservingly named Green Building of the Year by the Emirates Green Building Council. The building was inaugurated in June this year, and offers approximately 1,000 square meters of

rooftop photovoltaic solar panels, which supply over 10 percent of the electricity to the building. Because of IRENA HQ’s outstanding design and smart energy management systems, the

building demands 50 percent less water than other commercial buildings in Abu Dhabi – solid proof of the UAE’s progress as a nation supporting sustainable buildings.

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REAL ESTATE

30

An insight from Etihad ESCO Stephane LeGentil has since 2013 worked as Chief Executive Officer at Etihad Energy Services Company (ESCO), a DEWA venture, set up to upgrade the existing buildings of Dubai so that they consume less energy.

Comprehensive energy efficiency projects can be complex and difficult to set up, and Etihad ESCO was established to assist

with the implementation of such projects. LeGentil believes there is much room for improvement, as many of the buildings

located throughout Dubai are not performing well in terms of energy efficiency.

“In terms of projects, we start with audits to closer look at buildings; for example, what can be done, and what can be im-

proved,” he said. “From the audits, we define the measures that can be implemented to conserve energy.”

The company looks at everything that consumes energy, which

is most often electricity, water, and lighting. LeGentil said they also focus on air conditioning, because it is undoubtedly the major energy cost in the UAE. He hopes to include more resi-

dential properties in the future to improve water efficiency, because of its scarcity in the region. This could definitely be

achieved in the near future, seeing as retrofitting is becoming www.ziwira.com

more efficient.

Commenting on retrofitting, LeGentil said, “We focus on all types of buildings. At the moment, our first target is government buildings, such as offices, and we are also working on free zones as well. We are looking into pursuing residential buildings, and will soon be starting a project on 2,000 villas.”

He added that financing for green projects is a very important

factor in the equation, because you could have a great project idea that would ultimately fall flat if there are no interested in-

vestors. He believes that there is great opportunity for green projects through green Sukuks and green bonds.

Etihad ESCO has a number of goals to achieve. One of them

is to contribute to achieve energy demand reduction targets

set by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030. The question that seems to be

on everyone’s mind since the release of the strategy is: How

likely is it that Dubai will reduce energy demand by 30 percent by 2030?

“It’s not how likely, it’s how fast we can achieve it,” said LeGentil. “I think we can definitely reach the target. Plans are being

made so that if we follow the plans, the target will be met. There will of course be hiccups, and things that stop progress, but I am confident we will reach the target.”

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32

Buying back the bombs

In 2008, during her trip to Laos (the most heavily bombed country in history), Elizabeth Suda’s desire to create a social business was born. The New York based designer founded ARTICLE22, a brand that designs accessories out of Vietnam War bombs. She created an online funding appeal and listed the help of family and friends. Project Peace Bomb assisted artisans who melt bomb metals into bracelets with the distribution network of ARTICLE22, a sustainable fashion company - they call it “buying back the bombs”.

by Imran Khan

I

nscriptions like “love is the bomb” and “dropped +

the Vietnam War era, a “Secret Air War” was being

on modern slang in which “bomb” means “cool,”

tons of ordnance, averaging one B-52 bomb load every

made in Laos” are engraved into the metal, a play

not just a lethal weapon of war.

“We want the jewelry to be conversational pieces,

when you see someone wearing a bomb, you’re going

to ask, what’s it all about? Why? In a very literal way, it tells a story,” says Elizabeth Suda, co-founder of Article

22, which is named after the universal declaration of human rights, which states everyone’s right to social, economic, and cultural security.

The story of a bracelet is just a beginning, behind it there is a legacy of a secret war waged by America

on Laos, which is the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. Between 1964 and 1973, during

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conducted on Laos. The US dropped over 250 million

8 minutes, 24 hours a day, for 9 years. Approximately 80 million failed to detonate. The majority of unexploded

ordnance (UXO) in Laos are cluster bombs, the size of a fist or a soup can. They often remain buried in the ground undetonated, and prevent countries and communities from redeveloping UXO littered land.

ARTICLE22 collaborate with the expert demining organization MAG and also provide risk education to

the local population about the clearance of UXO from farmlands and the safe collection of scrap metal. At the current rate of removal, it is estimated that it will take

approximately 800 years to completely remove the bombs that did not explode and are still embedded in the land of Laos as UXO.

december Issue 12 2015

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34

“

The value of personal relationships and nature is more than things like power, money and technology. I still can’t understand how the most technologically advanced species can torment the nicest people on earth, the poorest people on earth for no reason.

“

Fred Branfman, writer and activist.

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december Issue 12 2015

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cover story

36

It all started with a spoon… Essentially the idea was the villager’s

In one of the villages, Elizabeth encountered some artisans who

in translation, in Ban Naphia, which is also known as Spoon

in their meals each day. On closer observation, she found that

innovation and initiative. While the exact details are a little hazy Village, in 1975 a lone traveler journeyed through the Plain of

Jars in northeastern Laos, a landscape covered with ancient stones and scarred with thousands of bomb craters. He settled there and taught one of his neighbors the art of converting

bomb scrap metal into aluminum spoons. The war scrap metal is melted in an earthen kiln by these creative artisans, cast in hand-sculpted molds of wood and ash, and finished by hand.

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were making spoons - the same spoons used by Laos citizens

the spoons were made from a pile of scrap metal being melted and contained shrapnel from US bombs that read “ROCKET MORTAR”. This sparked the idea of turning something as

negative as war into something useful, and she started forming business alliances with the artisans on her first ARTICLE22 design: The PeaceBomb bangle.

december Issue 12 2015

ARTICLE22 is now based in New York and operates as a sustainable fashion company. Suda is both the

founder and designer of the beautiful and meaningful PeaceBomb Jewelry Collection. With the collection,

she seeks to intimately give shape to her ideas.

Pieces are designed for those individuals who are concerned about authenticity and quality, those curious to discover. Made from PeaceBomb metal, the ARTICLE22 Collection is essentially a mix of

different types of aluminum scrap metal including the

stabilization fins of cluster bomb casings and rockets,

flares, certain fuses and parts of fighter jets, and other military hardware.

The jewelry is hand crafted by creative artisans in rural Laos and collaboratively finished in Vientiane and New York. The collection started with the Exterior

Story PeaceBomb Bangle and has expanded

to necklaces, rings, and home accessories with additional items allocated as pieces become set with

more precious metals and stones. Each piece tells a powerful story of transformation of bad into beautiful

and helps to give a useful meaning to the still bomb littered landscape of Laos.

ARTICLE22 cultivates the untapped talents of artisans

in forgotten or off-the-beaten-track places, promoting entrepreneurship

and

community

development.

Artisans are paid a minimum of four times more than the local price of a spoon. For other products that

take longer to make, the artisans are paid more than 100 times the price of a spoon, and for even more

time-consuming products, they are paid up to 200

times more. Today, 15 Artisan jewelry making families earn supplementary income working from earthen

kilns behind their homes and have the freedom to

work from, part-time, per order and still look after their families and tend to their land. Equally, men and

women in each family are part of the ARTICLE22 story.

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cover story

38

“

I am married and I have children, but when I saw the sufferings of children and families in Laos, my heart filled with grief.

“

John Mcfarland, bomb clearance expert, Mines Advisory group.

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december Issue 12 2015

ARTICLE22 helps support income generating activities

as sterling silver, rose gold, and black rhodium.

next generation can build upon the foundation set by

“The first collection is all about working within the limits

economic development, protect culture by capacity-

totally handmade—it’s so of the earth,” says Elizabeth

and the creation of sustainable businesses so that the

their parents. The approach is to cultivate sustainable

of whatever can be done in the village. Everything is

building upon preexisting skills and use local resources.

animatedly, proudly whipping out a picture of the

Part of the proceeds from each purchase help rid the land

melting discarded bomb material. “The second collection

of UXO, from one square meter up to 30 square meters

depending on price. The Exterior Story PeaceBomb

Bangle demines 3 square meters of land so Laotians

can utilize their land safely and make it sustainable for

homemade kiln where a Laotian woman sits, smiling, is really about saying, OK, we’re going to take what the

artisans can do in the village and extrapolate upon it in New York.”

future generations. Additionally, ARTICLE22 donates to

Though Suda currently designs all the pieces herself, she

Helvetas, a further 10% on top of product orders to benefit

diverse interpretations of the story. “The best part is that

to micro-financing livestock investments.

everywhere can support that. If we invest in their culture,

Over the years, ARTICLE22’s collaboration with the

with their culture, instead of just having it in a museum.

the Village Development Fund, supported by Swiss NGO

is interested in working with other artists so as to see the

the entire community, from electricity in communal areas

this was their idea—and their innovation—and people

artisans has contributed to making the village one of the most exciting eco-tourist attractions in the province. This

allows villagers to generate income through the sale of other crafts.

Today, Article22 has evolved into a full-range accessories

brand comprised of luxury bracelets, necklaces, rings,

and earrings that are sold at more than 100 boutiques

throughout the world, including The New Museum of

Contemporary Art and Curve in New York City. The

that will bring their culture to us. They can continue to live And it kind of benefits everybody because consumers get really unique and authentic pieces that tell stories,” says Elizabeth.

As of 2014, PeaceBomb customers have contributed to

helping clear more than 65,000 square meters of bombs littered in Laos. ARTICLE22 jewelry are the perfect

pieces for sharing a story and engaging with the wider community.

company currently offers two lines: Article 22.1, story-

ARTICLE22 PeaceBomb Collection is available for

abstract pieces that mix in other precious materials such

Boutique – ByeByeRascal.

driven jewelry with lower price points, and Article 22.2,

purchase in the UAE, through the Pop Up and Online

Co-Founders Camille Hautefort and Elizabeth Suda.

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green PersonaLity

40

w iNNie byaNyima Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director at Oxfam International understands the pain of migration better than most, having journeyed from Uganda to the UK at a young age to escape conflict.

She firmly supports investing in lasting improvements that tackle the root causes of conflict, inequality, poverty, and climate change.

eQuality advoCate Winifred “Winnie” Byanyima, has built a life for

a chance to fulfil my potential,” Winnie writes in an

in. In 1978, at 18-years-old, Winnie escaped the

Manchester, and years later, have been brought full

herself far from the conflict she was brought up brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin in her home country of Uganda. Her family chose to relocate to the UK

because, according to Winnie, the country had a reputation for opening their doors to people like her,

article for Al Jazeera. “I studied at the University of circle back to the UK to serve a great movement, which started in the UK, called Oxfam.”

Before joining Oxfam, Winnie was an engineer, and

who just wanted a fair chance at life.

then Director of the Gender Team, in the Bureau

“This was a European country where I safely had

Development Programme (UNDP) from 2006. In May

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for Development Policy at the United Nations

december Issue 12 2015 2013, she was appointed as Executive Director at Oxfam International. She admits that her story would have panned out quite differently had she not had

access to the UK forty years ago. The memory has quickly turned into a calling for her, to assist the current Syrian

migration crisis in whatever way she can.

In her article, Faith in Humanity Should be

Restored,

perspective poverty,

and

on

Winnie

shares

her

change.

She

conflict,

climate

inequality,

references United Nations estimates that 59.9 million people fled from their homes

at the end of 2014 – an increase of 63 percent compared with a decade ago, and the highest number since World War

II. The UN also found that the majority of

people fleeing their homes and arriving

in Europe by sea were fleeing from war, conflict, or persecution. Half of them were from Syria and Afghanistan.

According

to

Winnie,

conflict

is

asked of international political leaders who are initiating or prolonging these

conflicts, but are unaware or unwilling to

take responsibility for their humanitarian consequences. Winnie also strongly believes that funding is crucial to meet

the day-to-day needs of those who have

fled, so that aid can reach desperately underfunded refugee programs. Only 37

percent of total umbrella funding for the Syrian crisis has been met so far.

lasting

improvements

that tackle the root causes of conflict, inequality, poverty, and climate change, rather than building more fences and walls,” Winnie writes.

Climate

change

is

concluded that climate change and environmental degradation was a key trigger in

the conflict in Darfur a few years ago. It would be misleading to say climate change

‘caused’ these conflicts, but the evidence suggests it would also be wrong to say it didn’t play a contributing role.

During her time as Director of the gender team at UNDP, Winnie co-founded the Global

climate talks last year, she led a mass march under a “polluters talk, we walk” banner,

particularly frustrated by the idea that ‘clean coal’ might be suggested as action on climate change. Winnie has also recently acted as a spokesperson for Oxfam’s work on unpicking the role of the food industry as emitters of greenhouse gases.

But as troubling as the threat of climate change may be, Winnie remains positive that

the world is not yet condemned, as knowledge flows much more easily across borders, and as a result, we see innovations around development and poverty reduction happening faster than ever before.

“What is positive is that there is growing awareness of planetary limits and a growing understanding that we can’t keep producing and consuming the way we currently are.

It is unsustainable,” she says. “Governments, businesses, and citizens are becoming more aware of these limits.”

“In the long-term, it crucially means in

in North Africa that fueled food price hikes ahead of the Arab Spring, while a UN report

Gender and Climate Alliance in response to the threat of climate change. At the Warsaw

inevitable. But critical questions must be

investing

Scientists have suggested that climate change may have played a role in the drought

What concerns Winnie most, is an anti-migrant language that seems to place a hierarchy on the value of human life, leaving migrants as unequal bystanders. She

believes that the time has come for solidarity with migrants. Her main call is to people

and civil societies everywhere to join her in humanizing the voices of migrants around the world and restore collective humanity at all levels of society; because how can we

work together to solve the threat of climate change looming ahead, if we can’t even undoubtedly

a

contributing factor in the equation, seeing as developing countries (many with hot dry climates), such as Jordan,

Turkey, and Lebanon, are bearing

the brunt by hosting 86 percent of the

work together to aid those in desperate need?

“At Oxfam, we believe – without blemish – that all human lives are of equal value and

full potential,” says Winnie. “A human life crossing the Mediterranean, or through the Balkans, carries no less value than a human life does in the wake of an earthquake, or war.”

world’s refugees. Jordan, for example, is

Winnie will be speaking at COP21 in Paris, where she will launch OXFAM’s the

maintain its enormous count of refugees.

anticipated and respected at the Paris convention.

facing water shortages, and struggling to

new climate and development agenda. Her experienced perspective will be highly

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LifestyLe

42

Have a merry

greeN CHristmas!

We’ve all heard of a white Christmas, but this year, we’d like to introduce you to something new… A green Christmas! With these eco-tips, Christmas doesn’t have to be a burden to the environment and you can experience a more heartfelt, enviro-friendly holiday season, no matter where you are in the world. That said, Ziwira wishes you a Merry Green Christmas and a blessed New Year!

tiP 1: buy less Christmas is a time for giving, so it’s the act of giving and the thought behind it that counts much more that the size of the gift or its price tag. Often a handmade gift or card can be much more meaningful than something store-bought.

Remember that each time we buy mass produced goods, we contribute indirectly to the pollution of the earth. Rather give a service instead of goods, for example, a massage at an organic spa, or give your spouse a voucher for an eco-car wash.

tiP 2: BUY LocaL If you do buy gifts or food produce, try your best to buy from local suppliers to reduce CO2 emissions from transporting goods over long distances. Try shopping at local flea markets or second hand shops to support local trade.

tiP 3: BUY green Make this a truly green Christmas buy giving 100% eco-friendly, sustainable gifts. Antiques and collectibles can

make for really meaningful gifts, and each one usually has a story behind it, making it all the more special and unique.

Try vintage shops or arts and craft markets. You could also buy gifts that are made out of recycled materials or ecotech gadgets such as solar-chargers that will make a positive difference to the earth in the long run.

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december Issue 12 2015

tiP 4: connect WitH natUre Do something different this Christmas and make it a nature-inspired holiday. If you live in a moderate climate, why not get the whole family involved in a nature walk, or have an outdoor picnic?

tiP 5: USe LoW iMPact LigHting We all love the sparkle and glow of Christmas lights, but with energy resources running scarce across the world,

it’s now imperative that we use LED lights and reduce usage as much as possible. This year, how about going

for the minimalist approach to lighting and keeping the environment in mind as we plan our lighting decorations?

Save energy by turning off the decorative lights at bedtime. Saving electricity is a great way of giving… back to the earth!

tiP 6: USe a LiVe tree Many people opt for plastic Christmas trees, and granted, they do last long. However, research shows that many of these decorative trees are discarded and are adding to the mounting pollution in landfills. Eco-experts

recommend that you use a live tree instead, as they cause less harm to the environment in the manufacturing process. Plant a tree together with family and friends to offset the act of ‘taking’ a Christmas tree from the earth.

tiP 7: reUSe & recYcLe Go green this Christmas by reusing and recycling as much as you can. Each year, millions of tons of wasted gift wrap

are generated. There are a few alternatives to this, such as reusing wrapping paper, or choosing biodegradable gift

bags made from hemp or recycled materials. Reuse those Christmas decorations from last year, or why not make your own decorations out of recycled cardboard and plastic bottles.

tiP 8: green cHriStMaS Dinner When it comes to Christmas dining, make sure to avoid food waste, by cooking carefully sized portions, and giving

your guests little food parcels to take home. Also, economize on energy used while cooking and use fresh, organic fruit and vegetables. Cut down on the meat and processed foods!

tiP 9: green YoUr WarDroBe Recycle that favorite outfit you wore last year or wear vintage, and make sure your Christmas fashion has zero environmental impact. Your Christmas outfit doesn’t always have to be brand new, sometimes a 1960s dress can be much more interesting and special to wear, plus you will feel good about wearing something that did not harm the environment. Wear your gran’s old clip on earrings or search online for sustainable fashion stores.

tiP 10: giVe to cHaritY Another great idea to really get into the spirit of giving, while actively protecting the environment is to collect old clothing, household goods and toys, things you normally would have thrown into the trash, and donate them to a local charity. This will bring a gift of joy to the needy, and also divert unwanted items from landfills.

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lifestyle

44

Addicted to soft drinks?

Try something new!

This is an article for all of you suffering soda-holics. Growing up as a kid, it’s easy to get hooked on the stuff. Coca Cola, Sprite, Fanta – you name it, kids love it. But a single can of soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This actively contributes to obesity and diabetes. We caught up with Nico Lau, Director of New Age Beverages to discuss how her brand provides a healthier alternative.

New Age Beverages When it comes to food and beverages, we live in a world that favors taste and convenience. Fast food branches have turned soda drinks such as

Coca-Cola into essential items to accompany a fattening combo meal. New Age Beverages (NAB), established in the UAE in 2010, strives to provide customers with a diverse range of high quality, natural, healthy drinks.

As a company that only distributes beverages that are healthy, we asked the

company’s director, Nico Lau if she finds it difficult to encourage consumers

to choose New Age Beverages over other sugary drinks like Coca Cola and Red Bull.

“There is definitely that barrier,” she said. “You have to understand that the UAE market, and certainly the Arabs, are entrenched into indulging sweeter

food and drinks than their counter parts in Asia, Europe and the US. Don’t forget that Coca Cola has been around for a century and that is influencing over two generations of family.”

It’s true that some people feel like they cannot live without the fizzy drink, as it has become ingrained in our global culture. As society is becoming more and

more technologically advanced, more people depend on gadgets and cars, so we exercise less compared to 50 years ago. The UAE in particular has a mounting obesity issue which has surfaced lately in the media.

“We need to constantly remind consumers how to read the label, how to eat healthy, and more importantly, these healthier foodstuffs need to be available

to consumers as well,” said Lau. “I have definitely seen the trend getting healthier in the UAE. People are more aware these days, thanks to our

government’s support and health initiations which have been apparent over the last five years.”

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december Issue 12 2015

enthusiasts to form forums in advocating the topic, but often

finds it difficult to get the groups together as everyone is so busy. But Lau is up for the challenge! We asked her which, out

of all the beverages that NAB sells, for example aloe vera juice,

honeydrop tea, iced coffee, soy, and coconut water, is the most popular.

“All of the products are different,” she replied. “They all have their own attributes. For example, coconut water is very rehydrating. Aloe Vera is good for the skin and digestive system.

Honey is great for the immune system and throat soothing. Soy

is great for lactose intolerant people, including some post-natal So, what are the health benefits that come with giving up

the sugary sodas? We asked Lau to compare her New Age Beverage products to high sugar content beverages, in terms

mothers. Our iced coffee comes from Austria where there are

more cows than humans, and the iced coffee is lower in sugar and calories than some of the other brands.”

of the immediate benefits.

It’s a fresh, fun range of refreshing products that New Age

“Wow. Where should I start?” she exclaimed. “Our drinks are

your soda-holic diet. Overall, Nico Lau hopes that New Age

natural, free of preservatives, no artificial anything, no artificial

coloring, and gluten free. Think about it in the sense that it’s less processed. There are no artificial additives – this is as natural as it gets.”

Beverages has on offer, and the perfect way to fight off the

Beverages will cater to a wide range of customers, as a

delicious range of healthy, enticing alternatives to break the trend of unhealthy sodas available today.

As part of the brand’s identity, being healthy and organic is clearly high on the agenda for New Age Beverages. That’s what makes it stand out, and is also how the brand wants to attract

a customer base. We asked Lau how she goes about sourcing suitable products, and whether or not it is a difficult process.

“There are so many products abroad,” she said. “Every year

there are new products coming out that all claim that they are

healthy or “good”, with nice packaging. Part of our selection

process is that products must be high quality, look good, taste good, and we also look at who are the people behind the product. This translates to integrity of the brand and quality of the product.”

Aside from sourcing appropriate products, educating people

about the benefits of organic beverages, compared with drinking regular sugary sodas is equally important, as often people are unaware.

“We try to get into events, group chats and offer sampling,” said

Lau. “I believe that these days social media is a very powerful tool. Sampling is still paramount. While sampling, we always interact with consumers. That is the best time we can engage with them.”

Lau assured us that she is constantly seeking out opportunities

to partner with active sports personalities, chefs, and health

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lifestyle

46

Majid Al Futtaim:

The Green Star of Retail & Leisure Majid Al Futtaim, one of Dubai’s leading retail and leisure pioneers in the Middle East, received the highest Green Star status for the second year in a row from the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) for excellence in international best practices in sustainability.

Majid Al Futtaim’s Mall of the Emirates in Dubai

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december Issue 12 2015

From indulgence to prosperity The glittering city of Dubai is known for its indulgent culture and many of its inhabitants enjoy a lifestyle of

decadence. But the city is increasingly proving that it can be both luxurious and sustainable, thanks to new green policies and awards that incentivize sustainable best practice.

Often labeled the Las Vegas of the Middle East because

of its stunning infrastructure and vibrant energy, Dubai is host to some of the largest, most exciting shopping

malls. In fact, Dubai hosts over 70 shopping malls, with more on the way. For consumers, this presents a mighty challenge in choosing where to shop. Now, that

choice can be based on sustainability ratings, as Majid Al Futtaim Group of malls has emerged as some of the

most sustainable in Dubai. The Group was awarded

with the highest Green Star status from the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark at the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Week 2015.

Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, and Deira City Centre, and just some of the

spectacular malls owned by Majid Al Futtaim Group, headquartered in Dubai. They operate an indoor ski

resort with 22,500 square meters of indoor ski area at Mall of the Emirates, in addition to 18 Magic Planet

family entertainment centers, 129 cinemas, and indoor skydiving at Mirdif City Centre.

What sets them apart, is that not only does Majid Al Futtaim offer a fun range of activities and an awesome shopping experience, but they also do it sustainably, all the while maintaining enviable performance. In

2015, the company increased its performance to 67

percent, having achieved 56 percent in 2013, while

outperforming the global average performance rate by 12 percent. But the real achievement is that the company also managed a score of 100 percent for management of sustainability practices.

“Sustainability is at the foundation of our business strategy,” said Alain Bejjani, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim.

“By embedding it in our business, we operate as an

organization that focuses not only on profitability, but on making a positive social impact on the lives of

those we serve. Our Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark rating allows us and our stakeholders to

better understand our performance in comparison to

our peers, and we hope that in applying international best practices, our commitment to sustainability will encourage other organizations to follow suit.”

The Benchmark that Bejjani refers to is a survey that measures the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios globally. This year, the survey compared 688 companies on a range of measures from energy reduction

performance,

building

certifications,

stakeholder engagement, to quality of sustainability policies, new constructions, and major renovations.

According to Majid Al Futtaim’s 2014 sustainability results which were recently released, 73 percent

of its original targets were met. Amongst them was committing AED 7.3 million to community investment,

and 7 of its assets were awarded with green building

certification in 2014. Furthermore, the company’s Green Star rating system was implemented, setting

a sustainability design criteria for shop fit-outs in its malls, which is now also a mandatory requirement for all lease renewals.

Majid Al Futtaim, unlike many other major corporations,

has established an admirable core of sustainable operations, having set ambitious goals for 2018 to deliver results across three key areas including:

Developing and managing high performance assets

that support prosperous communities, and in doing so, deliver pioneering standards across its business.

“At Majid Al Futtaim, we are focused on sustainable

development in real estate through the implementation of international best practice across our portfolio,”

said Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi, Head of Sustainability at Majid

Al Futtaim Properties. “Obtaining a GRESB Green Star has become more challenging each year as companies

now see the value of addressing their sustainability performance, and are becoming more efficient and better at managing sustainability. Therefore, for Majid

Al Futtaim to continue being a sustainability leader in

the region, we must further embed sustainability into our business processes and focus on key areas of improvement.”

With more leisure companies following suit, Dubai

can safely say it’s on track to reaching its sustainable

development goals and becoming a world leader in green luxury living.

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beauty

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48

december Issue 12 2015

Embrace your

natural

locks S

top! Before you reach for that hot iron or

chemical straightener. While many hair stylists advise that these methods are “perfectly safe�,

long term use can lead to hair breakage and dullness,

as it interferes with your natural texture and oils. Instead of fighting the force of nature and bullying your hair into looking the way it just wasn’t meant to look, why not try

going with the flow? It will save you mountains of stress,

irritation and ultimately frustration, when your hair just seems to have a mind of its own! Here are some

guidelines to rocking those natural curls, using the most gentle and nourishing products.

Curly hair is often dry, so any treatment should include moisture rich natural oils like Argan, coconut, olive or avocado. While choosing your oils, however, make sure

they are organic and sustainably sourced! Avoid overwashing as it strips your hair of its natural oils. Stick to once or twice a week, use a wide toothed comb or your

fingers to ease out knots while your hair is sopping wet.

Massage a little natural oil through your hair and allow

the curls to dry naturally. Brushing curls is a big no-no, as it will just cause major frizz and breakage. Use an upcycled hair clip or band to tame those wispy strands or just let them loose and enjoy the freedom.

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beauty

50

HiPPie butter Hippie Butter was created by a former chef and rock ‘n roll sound engineer. He discovered the benefits of hemp seeds through his travels and felt the need to share it with others. Hippie Butter creates all sorts of hemp seed products,

both for edible use and beauty care for those who want to live a healthy life for a healthy planet. The Hippie Butter hemp seed shampoo and conditioner is an ideal alternative to synthetic mass produced hair products.

aNdalou Naturals Andalou Naturals has this

moisture rich shampoo and conditioner made from Argan

oil and sweet orange. The brand uses fruit stem cell science to repair at cellular level, hence each hair follicle is given renewed vitality from root to tip. The Vitamin C

in sweet orange facilitates healthy circulation and the Argan oil replenishes deep moisture,

preventing

ends and frizz.

split

Home remedy If you’re up for something different, try a simple wash with baking soda and

orgaNiC virgiN CoCoNut oil Don’t be fooled by

regular hair treatments that say “with coconut oil”, as it might only contain a small

percentage. Rather go for the pure organic

coconut oil, to avoid GMOs and other

unnecessary chemicals.

After washing, just rub a little on your finger tips and work through the

hair for a soft, nourishing

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water, followed by a vinegar rinse for extra shine. Sounds crazy, but its super economical and 100% natural. Some have sworn that it works wonders!

fasHion

52

dgrade turNs PlastiC waste iNto ClotHiNg

With a sub-theme of sustainability, Expo 2020 has been positioned as a landmark in Dubai’s sustainable development, prompting a ‘zero waste’ economy by 2030. To make this a reality, two creative recycling entrepreneurs have joined forces to create a market for materials currently being disposed of in landfills. We spoke to DGrade CEO, Kris Barber.

“

We are textile people and we understand textile processes and have spent years in researching and developing systems that can repurpose this material back into polyester in order to create an eco-alternative to conventional fabric.

“

– Kris Barberi CEO at DGrade

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december Issue 12 2015

Closed Loop & DGrade Plastic, as convenient as it may be, is causing a crisis. Invented

The Plastic Challenge (engaging with 30 regional primary

nowadays cheaper to manufacture than it is to reuse. More

reprocessed back into the production of school uniforms.

year, killing as many as 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine

major retailers through brand licensing agreements, and have

still in existence today.

plant from bottle to yarn using local raw material. The facility

in the 1960’s as a reusable and recyclable material, plastic is

and secondary schools), where plastic collected can be

than 45,000 tons of plastic are thrown into the oceans every

DGrade use this process to manufacture finished garments for

mammals; and more than 90 percent of plastic ever created is

plans to build the world’s first vertically integrated production

These statistics were provided by DGrade, a UK and Dubai-based

will be based in Masdar City.

company developing eco-friendly clothing and accessories from

Masdar, along with big brands like Nike and Coca Cola, have

part to create a ‘zero waste’ UAE economy by 2030.

using recycled materials. However, in the past the quality

Closed Loop takes discarded bottles made from polyethylene

performance of recycled fabrics against conventional fabrics,

recycled PET. They, along with Closed Loop, are playing their

terephthalate (PET) and high density polyethylene (HDPE),

and recycles them back into food-grade plastic. The resulting

used DGrade fabrics, because they recognize the merits in

has always been an issue for DGrade when comparing as would be expected in a competitive, fast market.

rPET and rHDPE is then used to make new bottles and food

“Having pioneered some of the advances in technical

35,000 tons of bottles each year.

that is comparable, if not better than regular polyester which

The organization’s approach to resource recovery and waste

and accessories,” Kris explained. “We have over 150 fabrics

packaging. Their facility in Dagenham, is capable of recycling

management is based on the principle of controlling material inputs to maximize recycling and recovery of materials, therefore minimizing waste to landfill whilst reducing the environmental

development of certain fabrics, we are proud to offer quality can be blended with other fibers to make all types of clothing we have sampled, some with technical attributes including drifit and water/wind-proof qualities.”

footprint. Based on extremely high usage of PET per capita

The company has successfully sampled and produced for

the private sector, and assist with creating a local market and

been 10-20 percent higher than regular fabric due to the

in Dubai, Closed Loop’s partner, DGrade, extract PET from

many major worldwide brands, but until recently prices have

infrastructure for it.

lengthy production process. By constructing the world’s first

DGrade has successfully run recovery programs for the

that they can compete against virgin polyester, and welcome

past three years in the UAE for PET drinking bottles, such as

vertical manufacturing plant, DGrade aims to reduce costs so investors who may be interested in joining them and sharing their vision.

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FASHION

54

The DGrade Solution DGrade has been aware of the surge in plastic production over

the years, especially in ‘single use’ plastics, meaning plastic that

is only fit for purpose for one-time use, as is the case with water bottles and food-grade packaging. The process uses a huge amount of energy and the product itself is simply discarded

after use, which is ultimately detrimental since plastic is nonbiodegradable.

According to Kris, DGrade as a company consists of textile professionals who understand the processes and have spent years in researching and developing systems that can

repurpose PET materials back into polyester to create an ecofriendly alternative to conventional fabric. Operational in Dubai

for four years now, the company’s growth in Dubai has led to

an increase in environmental awareness among the fashion conscious.

“Dubai is amongst the world’s highest consumers of single use

plastic (per capita), however, collecting this waste is still a major challenge due to regulations and low landfill costs,” said Kris.

“As part of our strategy to build and operate a fully integrated manufacturing plant here in Dubai (plastic bottle-to-yarn), we

All of DGrade’s collections are made using materials spun or woven from recycled plastic bottles. They call this the ‘DGrade Solution.’ Plastic bottles are collected from recycling plants,

then washed, flaked, and sorted by type and color, and finally compressed and bailed. Once in a crushed state, the recycled

plastic flakes are heated until melted to produce both long and short fibers for yarn production. Their brands include Dirtball, a youth/menswear label; and Spiked, an active sportswear label consisting of t-shirts, shorts, jackets, fleece and other accessories.

DGrade originally started producing out of China back in 2009,

but after the financial crash, the textile industry suffered through increases in labor and factory costs, so they looked to Asia in order to remain as competitive as possible.

“We had to develop relationships with companies who were

prepared to work with us and our customers, who demand rigid

audit trials throughout the process,” said Kris. “Plastic pollution

is a global environmental crisis and the beauty of our business model is that it is entirely scalable.”

have recently partnered with Closed Loop (Australia) to develop

The process itself requires less energy and produces fewer

bottles locally and divert this resource from landfills, which

used in the washing process, and 95 percent of this is recycled

up to Expo 2020.”

the entire process is far more energy efficient than conventional

a regional recycling initiative that will enable us to collect plastic

carbon emissions than creating polyester from oil. Water is only

perfectly aligns with government plans for zero waste leading

as greywater. Plastic melts at a relatively low temperature and

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polyester.

r kesh Baof Lu a or itirect D An

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56 fasHion

december Issue 12 2015

tHe real deal witH lusH

We caught up with Anita Baker, the Director of Lush

Fresh Handmade Cosmetics for the MENA region and learned some of their secrets to success.

ethos and values of the company. I’m passionate about Lush’s

fight against animal testing and the fact that we are one of the

leading companies in finding alternatives for animal testing in

the cosmetics industry. Of course, Lush is involved in several causes including human rights, animal rights, and protecting the environment.

Lush is also constantly innovating and launching new

products, all with great benefits to anyone who uses them.

The ingredients are ethically sourced and our buyers are

highly conscious about quality ingredients. We have the SLush Fund that supports permaculture farming to offer sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture. But I’m just scratching the surface, as there are so many reasons I love working at Lush. I feel inspired every day!

Q. Can you tell us a bit about the history of Lush? Who came

up with the idea and where did it all begin before coming to the UAE?

Lush was founded by Mark Constantine in 1995 in Poole, a coastal town in England. Prior to this, Mark and six other co-

founders developed a mail order business called Cosmetics to

t

Go. During this time, unique inventions like the solid shampoo

here is hardly a beauty conscious person out there

bar and bath ballistics were being formed. The mail order

100% handmade, vegetarian and chemical free. Walk

too much for the business to handle. This inspired them to open

purpley-blues, pinks and greens. Candles, scrubs, creams and

now carries ranges including skincare, haircare, sun care,

aromas! It’s no wonder that why Anita Baker, the Director of Lush

of the brand is Lush Spa. Currently Lush runs 104 shops in the

who doesn’t love Lush cosmetics. Lush products are all

business was skyrocketing at an exponential rate that became

past any Lush store and your senses will awaken to the bright

the first shop on 29 High Street in Poole known as Lush which

soaps like you’ve never seen before, with the most sensational

body care, gifts, perfumes, and many more. A sister concern

MENA loves her job so much. She tells us more…

UK and over 900 worldwide across 52 countries including 24

Q. You’ve been the director of Lush MENA for four years

and Lebanon).

now, but your career at Lush began way before that. Can you elaborate?

My career at Lush started 8 years ago in the UK. I joined Lush as a Group Accountant and eventually became part of the International Business Development team. We played an

integral role in the selection of new business partners, country openings and potential commercial opportunities. Eventually, I

decided to move to the UAE and take on the role of Business Director to develop Lush in the region, manage the relationships with all the MENA licensee partners, and maintain the brand’s core principles whilst being responsible for the market sales and profit growth.

Q. What do you love most about working at Lush? It must be

shops in the Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar,

Q. How was the brand first received in the UAE? Is your consumer base growing?

Customers have responded well to our products and are always interested to learn about the new innovative ranges. Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner, for example has been a best-selling product

in MENA over the past few years since we opened. Rub Rub Rub shower scrub is also very popular, as well as Honey I Washed

the Kids soap. Our customers love our haircare range, The Comforter bubble bar and Bubble Gum lip scrub are constantly on our top ten lists. We’ve recently introduced the oud-based

Zen Ring soap to our shops that was exclusive to Lush Oxford Street. Currently the Middle East is the only other region that is

selling this soap beside the flagship shop in London because

a great feeling to be a part of a good cause.

we knew it would appeal to this region with its rich fragrance.

There’s so much to love about working at Lush. I believe in the

across the region.

We are expanding and our customer base is definitely growing

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58

Q. Why do you think people love your products?

every year for their fins to make things like shark fin soup, we

People love our products because they are simple and

against shark killings. Proceeds from this soap go to the Fin

effective. Our Customers receive one-on-one consultations about products. We deliver excellent customer service and

ensure that each customer understands the products, how to

use them, and we provide options that meet their requirements and budget. We also provide samples to our customers so they can try a wide range of products besides the ones they are

purchasing. Our products deliver great results, and people are really convinced and spreading the word of mouth to all their

developed Lush’s Shark Fin Soap in support of the movement Free movement that aids in shark conservation. Without sharks

in our oceans, the food chain would be disrupted. By selling this soap, we hope to raise awareness about this cause.

Q. What can fans expect in the future from Lush? Any new product lines coming out or plans for new shops?

We are always rolling out new products. We’ve just launched

family and friends.

new products from the worldwide flagship shop in Oxford Street.

Q. Are all the products really handmade? Is there literally a

region including The Experimenter bath bomb, an eclectic and

a bowl?

for the holiday season with the new winter collection of products.

All our products are handmade – we wouldn’t be able to have

season as well as limited edition Christmas gifts.

factory somewhere where people are mixing ingredients in

the sign above the door saying ‘Fresh Handmade Cosmetics’

These exclusive products are now in Lush shops all over the multi-coloured experiential bath soap. We are also gearing up

We have about 100 new exciting products for the Christmas

if they weren’t! Our factories are filled with people peeling fruit,

We are expanding existing stores in Mercato Mall and Deira

products to dry, and sticking labels all by hand. We hand wrap

Mall branch to look more like the Oxford Street shop. We just

molds to shape our products by hand. We have 7 manufacturers

be opening the very first shop in Oman very soon. We currently

Croatia, Germany, Brazil, Canada, and Japan.

Lebanon and over the next three years, we plan to open 50 more

Q. Do you use Lush products and do you have a favorite?

Bahrain, Egypt and Iran.

mixing and pouring ingredients by hand, transporting racks of

City Centre over the next year and refitting shops like the Dubai

gifts with our 100% recycled ribbon and use cookie cutters and

recently opened our new shop in Al Ain at Bawadi Mall and will

worldwide – 2 in the UK with the first one in Poole, as well as

have 24 shops in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and

Of course! I’m a huge believer of the products and use them for my hair, skin, face, and feet. It’s so hard to pick just one favorite,

but I absolutely love the Roots scalp treatment. It helps my fine

hair feel softer and thicker. Combined with Rehab shampoo and Veganese conditioner, my hair is healthy, shiny, and smells so great.

Q. Describe the ethics behind Lush products?

Our products are made out of the highest quality ingredients with freshness policy as our top priority. We use the whole fruit

and vegetable as much as possible and minimize the use of safe synthetics in our products. Our products are 100% vegetarian

and we have options for vegans as well. All our ingredients are ethically sourced to ensure freshness and quality. We don’t

stock pile our ingredients and our products are manufactured

on order so they reach customers when they are fresh. We always have our customer’s benefit and environmental impact

in mind and that is why we are passionate about delivering the best products.

Q. Is Lush part of the Fin Free movement and why?

Yes we are. After learning that over 100 million sharks are killed

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shops in the region. We are looking into locations in Jordan,

december Issue 12 2015

Organic

Foods & Café

by Imran Khan

Stocking more than 10,000 hormone-free and chemical-free products, from food and supplements to skincare, cosmetics, household cleaning products and baby items, the family-run supermarket has excelled in creating a resonating buzz for healthy living in Dubai.

A

re your foods being doused in harmful chemicals?

created such a stir in the organic food market of Dubai.

organic stores like Organic Foods & Café. While

“Organic Foods and Café is a family run company that runs

Chamber of Commerce on October 23, my attention was

biodynamic food, supplements, skincare products, cosmetics,

Probably so, if they are not sourced from certified

attending the Sustainability Fair organized by the Dubai

organic supermarkets and cafés selling fresh organic and

drawn to a table loaded with some incredible organic

baby items and household cleaning products. The brand,

products. For foodies believing in healthy eating, Organic Foods & Café is an ardent choice. Being an organic food lover, I could hardly resist visiting the stall and getting to know more about the brand.

It was not easy to steal

Valery

Starr,

head of marketing for Organic Foods & Café, away from the

crowd surrounding her

stall,

but

I

managed to get a

chance to talk about

the brand that has

which first opened its doors in Satwa in 2005,

now operates across UAE. We have three

shops in Dubai - on Sheikh Zayed

Road, in the Village in Jumeirah, and in the Greens, as well as a

store in Masdar, Abu Dhabi, and a store in Bahrain.

On 1 November 2014 we opened our latest

store in Abu Dhabi, at

on

says

Galleria

the

Mall

Corniche,”

Valery.

The

company also offers

a

online

comprehensive store

and

delivery service for all

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FOOD

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62

december Issue 12 2015

its products across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Muscat.

the UAE for sale and label them as

“The products are not sourced from

the open market, nor from traders.

Some selected handpicked farmers,

having the same values as we have,

harvest the organically sourced items,

for which they are handsomely paid,” says Starr. The company sells organic

foods that are grown without chemical fertilizers,

pesticides,

herbicides

or

fungicides and there are no hormones, growth promoters, antibiotics, chemical preservatives

and

dyes,

chemical

coatings or irradiation and absolutely no genetic engineering.

products, Valery says, “It’s a big problem

now that many multinationals have got

their grubby hands on organic. They’ve bought out a lot of the companies and products. In fact, most of what we’re doing now is not only organic, but also

bio-dynamic. Biodynamic farming is a

holistic approach to agriculture in which vitality has the highest priority. Its origin

lies in the agricultural course held by Rudolph Steiner in 1924.”

return more to the soil than they remove in the process of cultivating crops and The farm is considered as

an organism in which plants, animals human

beings

are

integrated

together. Demeter is the international

brand for products from Biodynamic Agriculture. According to Starr, only strictly

controlled

to understand this but we want to make sure we’re not buying into that,” says

Valery. While the public’s acceptance of the industry norms may seem to stack

the odds against businesses such as Organic Foods & Cafe, there has been a slow but notable rise in people turning towards the wholesome option.

Since Organic Foods & Café is well established in Dubai for ten years and with the increasing awareness towards

healthy living, the scope and market for

and

a great response from people visiting our store. There are more reasons than one

to visit our store, as people have become very much conscious about their health

and prefer consuming healthy and

organic products in order to stay fit and reduce their visits to the doctor,” says Valery.

Organic Foods & Café’s mission is to

provide

warm,

homely,

friendly

lifestyle outlets for those who care

about their health more than just the

According to Starr, biodynamic farmers

and

organic? It takes a lot of time and effort

organic products is increasing. “There is

Talking about the reliability of organic

animals.

and sodium nitrate, and fly them to

contractually

bound partners are permitted to use the brand. A comprehensive verification process insures strict compliance with

the International Demeter Production and Processing Standards.

“Did you know that you can grow

strawberries in a plastic tunnel, using

certain chemicals such as oxychloride

price and educating customers about

the differences between organic and conventional products.

The brand

encourages consumers to know the full story behind each product.

If you haven’t done it already, pay a visit to Organic Foods & Café for something

unique and wholesome. Breakfast is

served all day, although come lunchtime you’ll probably be more tempted by the

hormone-free burger, tofu and vegetable

stir-fry, or any of the daily specials. The budget-priced Friday brunch (Dh65) is

a good alternative to the usual boozy gluttonous affair. Kids can make new friends in the play corner, and every 3rd

Saturday of the month the store has a sale on food items.

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FOOD

64

Breakfast breakthrough Labneh, hazelnut and honey toast Ingredients: Hazelnuts Olive oil Salt and pepper Seeded bread Labneh Honey

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Instructions: Chop hazelnuts and toss in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper for taste. Toast a slice of thin, seeded bread and spread with Labneh or Greek yogurt.

Finally, sprinkle with hazelnuts and add a drizzle of honey. Enjoy a healthy, protein packed breakfast!

Recipes

december Issue 12 2015

Marvellous Mushrooms Mushrooms are rich in selenium and good for your bladder.

They are also low in calories. Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable source of Vitamin D. All mushrooms are packed

with essential nutrients and promote immune function. So pucker up and enjoy this delicious mushroom recipe for healthy, eco-eating!

Grilled Mushrooms and Carrots with Sesame Ingredients: 12 oz. Maitake mushrooms 4 oz. Shiitake mushrooms About 6 small carrots scrubbed and halved lengthwise 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger 4 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Instructions: Set grill on medium-high heat. Toss mushrooms and carrots with 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning mushrooms and carrots until tender and lightly charred in spots, about 4 minutes for mushrooms and 5–8 minutes for carrots.

Let it cool slightly on a cutting board.

Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large bowl.

Cut carrots into 2 long pieces, tear mushrooms into bite-size pieces. Add to bowl with vinaigrette along with scallions and sesame seeds and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

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Business

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december Issue 12 2015

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HeaLtH

68

ebola: two years oN In December 2013, West Africa succumbed to one of the most deadly virus outbreaks in recent history. Guinea was the first country to experience the wrath of the Ebola virus, which, by human transaction, quickly spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and even across the Atlantic to the United States.

On September 2, Liberia was officially declared Ebola-free by the World Heath Organization (WHO).

Is Ebola on its way out, or should we still be worried?

“

A growing volume of data from careful clinical observation and testing of people who have recovered from acute Ebola virus disease indicates that the Ebola virus can persist at various sites in the body for many months in some people.

“

World Health Organization

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december Issue 12 2015 The virus was first described in 1976 in two simultaneous

outbreaks in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The current outbreak in West Africa is the first Ebola outbreak in the region. Extreme poverty, dysfunctional

healthcare systems, mistrust of government officials, and years

of armed conflict have been attributed to the cause of the Ebola

outbreak in West Africa. Throughout the outbreak period, the governments of the infected countries have been highly criticized for their delayed response to the outbreak.

“The Ebola epidemic ravaging parts of West Africa is the most

wHat do we kNow?

severe acute public health emergency seen in modern times,”

The first case of the current Ebola outbreak has been traced

United Nations for not taking better action.

back to a 1-year-old boy who died in December 2013 in the

WHO said in a statement on September 26. Others blamed the

village of Meliandou Guéckédou Prefecture, Guinea. His

“Six months into the worst Ebola epidemic in history, the

thus, soon perished.

Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) President on

mother, sister, and grandmother soon contracted the virus, and

On March 25, 2014, WHO reported that Guinea’s Ministry of

world is losing the battle to contain it,” said the Médecins September 3, concerning the lack of assistance from the UN.

Health had described an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in four

But regardless of who was to blame for the outbreak, deaths

countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone. It was official. An Ebola

that this substantially understates the magnitude of the

southeastern districts, with suspected cases in the neighboring

due to Ebola reached 11,312, as reported by WHO, believing

outbreak had surfaced and was terrifyingly active.

outbreak. Tourism in West Africa diminished, as countries

Detecting the disease was the first hurdle for affected

between countries increased.

communities, because like any disease, the symptoms can

issued warnings against traveling to the region, and borders

often at first appear to resemble those of a common stomach

flu or food poisoning. However, after ten days of infection, signs of Ebola become prominent and visible.

From day 7-9, the patient will develop headache, fatigue, fever, or muscle soreness. By day 10, he will develop a high fever,

and could potentially vomit blood. By day 11, nose and eye bleeding can occur, and also there is a high risk of bruising and brain damage. By day 12, there will be loss of consciousness, combined with seizures, and massive internal bleeding, which commonly leads to death.

risk oF resurgeNCe Since the outbreak in 2013, signs of hope have emerged.

from “an unusual late complication.” Somehow, the virus was

were no confirmed cases of Ebola in West Africa, making it the

initial infection and recovery.

For the final week of October 2015, WHO reported that there second consecutive week without any cases. But, as history

once again raging through her system, nine months after her

has shown us before, deadly viruses don’t simply vanish…

The incident is certainly alarming, but not necessarily

Chelsea Leu for Wired, writes about how getting rid of a once

is over, but the virus will continue to reappear. The New England

rampant disease isn’t as easy as we might think. For example,

London’s Royal Free Hospital recently announced that it was

treating Pauline Cafferkey, a Scottish nurse who served in

Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak, and has since suffered

unexpected. It’s safe to say that the worst of the Ebola outbreak

Journal of Medicine (NEJM) announced that Ebola patients still

housed traces of the virus’s RNA (ribonucleic acid, a polymeric molecule made up of one or more nucleotides) up to nine months after they first showed

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HeaLtH

70

symptoms. “And even if they’re not wracked by the disease anymore, Ebola survivors suffer a whole range of maladies that come from the lingering virus,” writes Chelsea, which include, “back pain, hearing loss, meningitis, and seizures.

The virus is known to attack those parts of the body where the immune system doesn’t patrol well, including the eyes, brain, testes, placenta, breast milk, and semen. In these areas, it can

lurk for months before replicating and causing problems for its host.

In a study by NEJM, scientists found that Ebola can be

transmitted through sex, which presents a whole new range of risks. It’s still unclear exactly how long the virus can exist and

remain infectious in a host body, which is why signs of Ebola are still prevalent in West Africa.

A preliminary study conducted by WHO on Ebola virus

persistence in the semen of male survivors in Sierra Leone found that some men still produce semen that tests positive on real

time for nine months longer. According to WHO, these results

are from “baseline” samples provided by 93 men participating in the study being jointly conducted by the Sierra Leone Ministry

of Health and Sanitation, WHO, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study showed that all of the men who were tested in the first three months after their illness began were positive (100%).

More than half of the men (65%) who were tested between four

to six months after their illness began were positive, while one

quarter (24%) of those tested between seven to nine months after their illness began also tested positive.

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“It is still not known how long the virus can persist in semen, but this study will yield more information about how long it takes for men to clear Ebola virus from semen,” said WHO.

The organization recommends that male survivors should be offered semen testing at three months after onset of the disease,

and then, for those who test positive, every month thereafter until

their semen tests negative for the virus twice with an interval of one week between tests.

“Until such time as their semen has twice tested negative for

Ebola, survivors should abstain from sex or use condoms, practice good hand and personal hygiene by immediately and

thoroughly washing with soap and water after any physical contact with semen,” WHO recommended in a statement. “A

growing volume of data from careful clinical observation and testing of people who have recovered from acute Ebola virus

disease indicates that the Ebola virus can persist at various sites in the body for many months in some people.”

But don’t let this morbid information scare you into a

hypochondriac-state-of-mind. The outbreak has proven to be deadly, but it has also shown how human resilience and

scientific progression has managed to push back a major health threat.

As Chelsea writes in her article, “the current Ebola relapses have a silver lining: When people used to get Ebola, they would

likely die.” Now, with high-profile survivors like Cafferkey and

other health workers, scientists are better able to examine the disease, which in the end, might lead to effective cures.

HEALTH

72

Why Are We

Still Hooked On Tobacco?

In the UAE smoking is a common habit among men, women and even the youth. As rest of the world wakes up to its health risks, isn’t it time the region followed?

S

moking kills. This is not news. It’s been plastered all over the media and written boldly on cigarette boxes for decades, yet we still have a lust for it, especially here in

the Middle East. Why then is it so hard to kick this habit, and are cigarette alternatives really healthier?

Back in 1980, an urgent conference was held in London to discuss the topic of “Smoking and Health in the Middle East”.

The British American Tobacco (BAT) company sent all of its

partners from the Arab World to this conference. Their agenda was focused on the Middle East government’s efforts to reduce

smoking in the region and raise awareness of its harms. BAT was concerned that business would be threatened by public health concerns.

This meeting proved two things: that tobacco posed real

health concerns, which the Middle East governments were

determined to address, and also that it was backed by big, powerful business. When cigarette advertising was banned,

the industry took a bit hit, but somehow, it still thrives due to the human addiction to tobacco. The scary part is that this

affinity to the tobacco industry still exists both by end users and big business, even though its harmful consequences are

widely known. Despite being out of the spotlight, it remains one

of the most lucrative business ventures to get into. Cigarette companies portray themselves as good corporate partners and

have innovated some ‘low risk’ smoking alternatives such as e-cigarettes and other variations of conventional cigarettes.

hard to let go It has been 60 years since the connection between tobacco

and cancer was medically confirmed. So why are we still

hooked? Last year BAT reported that its annual profits slipped by 0.98 percent in Western Europe, but rose by 9.1 percent in

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the EEMEA region (Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa).

The Middle East contributed 28% of the company’s total

revenue, more than any other region. According to the World Health Organization, almost 6 million people die every year from consumption of tobacco products.

With the cheapest brands in the UAE costing as little as 3 Dirhams per pack, this is one of the reasons why tobacco is popular and easily accessible. Medical experts have called for the price to be raised to deter smokers.

december Issue 12 2015

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74

HeaLtH

e-Cigarettes aNd sHisHa In response to the growing health concerns

surrounding

tobacco,

cigarette companies have introduced

e-Cigarettes as a supposedly safer innovation. It has caught on in some

Health Organization states that one

hour of smoking shisha is equivalent to

smoking 100 to 200 cigarettes in terms of the volume of smoke inhaled.

countries, but scientists are divided on

Tobacco companies will attest to the

to tobacco. Some even fear that they

emerging markets such as the Middle

the youth. The UAE has banned the

growth, economic expansion and fewer

precaution.

decreasing in mature markets where

•

Increased risk of

East, Asia and Africa due to population

•

Risk of strokes is much higher

regulations such as taxes, while it is

•

Temporarily raises blood

•

Places strain on the arteries

•

Causes chronic lung disease

how healthy they are as an alternative

fact that consumption is increasing in

may be an in-road to smoking among sale of e-Cigarettes in the country as a

But

there

is

one

unshakeable

phenomenon in the Middle East –

shisha. Many young people here are under the mistaken belief that shisha is

there are much tighter regulations. The

Middle East and UAE in particular could definitely benefit from such regulations along with increased public awareness.

safer than smoking cigarettes because

But the problem lies mainly in the hands

through water. The truth is that it still

is not ready to give up production.

and nicotine that are found in normal

tobacco industry sadly overpower the

both

sector, and since there is big money

the tobacco is flavored and passes

of the huge tobacco business, which

contains all the regular carcinogens

Insurmountable profits gained by the

cigarettes. Medical experts say that

pressing concerns from the health

ways to glamorize and normalize the

involved, it’s a dirty battle, far from

e-cigarettes

and

shisha

are

unhealthy habit of smoking. The World

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wHat smokiNg does to tHe body?

being won.

cardiovascular disease

pressure

whereby lungs lose their

elasticity and oxygen intake is severely impaired.

•

Toxic particles become

trapped in the lungs and can cause cancer.

Business

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december Issue 12 2015

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INTERVIEW

78

“

“

Awareness doesn’t reduce pollution or grow food. That takes doing.

– Manoj Bhargava

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december Issue 12 2015

meet tHe billioNaire wHo is revolutioNiZiNg tHe develoPiNg world Not one to flash about his fortune, Indian-American billionaire Manoj Bhargava, the man behind the 5-Hour Energy drink, spoke to us about his latest project, Billions in Change – a movement addressing pressing global issues we face today, including fresh water scarcity, lack of electricity, and disease. Through specific technical solutions, Bhargava’s Billions in Change is revolutionizing the developing world.

tHe maN beHiNd billioNs iN CHaNge The man behind Billions in Change grossed his

billions from a business concept quite different from his current endeavors. Manoj Bhargava is the man behind 5-Hour Energy, the incredibly

successful ‘healthy’ energy drink label, which

famously boasts zero sugar, tons of vitamins,

and lots of energy. From the success of this brand, Bhargava made billions – and he plans

to give majority of it away to benefit the lives of others. Got your attention?

creates things that meet the basic needs of

those who don’t have the basics, thus enabling them to provide for themselves, their families,

and their communities. These basic needs,

according to the Billions in Change website,

include fresh water for drinking and agriculture;

clean electricity to power homes, schools and businesses;

and

healthcare

solutions

that

prevent disease. Did Bhargava always plan to

Bhargava, a boy who moved from Lucknow, India to the United States at 14, went on to score

prestigious scholarships, and a placement at Princeton University. From there, he went back

to India, where after a spiritual quest, he built a

few companies like Living Essentials and 5-Hour Energy.

During

Billions in Change – a movement that essentially

use his wealth from 5-Hour Energy for a good cause?

“The answer would be no. I had no idea,” he told us. “I didn’t think, ‘when I get there, I’m going to do this, or I’m going to buy a car, or I’m going to buy a house.’ All I was doing was working hard to make sure 5-Hour was successful. When we

his

time

undertaking

numerous

successful endeavors, somewhere along his path, Manoj Bhargava developed a keen interest

in philanthropy, funding hospitals in India, and more recently, the organization that he calls

became successful and rich, then the question

arose, ‘what can we do with the money that is useful?’ And the only thing you can do that’s useful, is to create something to help people in need.”

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Free Electric | Rain Maker | Limitless Energy Creating something people need is just what Bhargava has done. In his film Billions in Change, Bhargava goes public with his concepts, which for quite some time have been kept in the

interested, they are welcome to contact us, and we will work with them.”

dark. The film is a documentary about Bhargava’s Stage 2

Desalination is already in use as an alternative to sourcing fresh

of 100-or-so scientists, Bhargava has created several practical

claims to be a much more efficient alternative. Aside from

water.

address water scarcity? We asked him this, as well as whether

To address this issue, the Billions in Change team came up

operate on a larger scale.

Innovations laboratory in Farmington Hills, Detroit. With his team

water from rivers and lakes, for example. But the Rain Maker

inventions. One of the issues he has addressed is lack of fresh

this concept, what other ways would Bhargava and his team

with the Rain Maker machine, which essentially mimics the

he has any further plans to develop the Rain Maker concept to

sun’s process of evaporating seawater into rainclouds, able

“First, while the Rain Maker doesn’t create water, it can clean

into fresh water suitable for drinking or agriculture. The concept

but for brackish water or any water that’s contaminated. So it

is a looming threat due to an arid climate and an increasing

scale, the Rain Maker has already been designed to take on

anytime soon?

Rain Maker can operate in line with thousands of units. If it’s in

“So far, we’ve been focused on refining the technology,”

village might only need a single unit. The Rain Maker offers a lot

to convert 1,000 gallons of seawater or polluted water an hour

water of any kind,” he explained. “It’s not just for desalination,

could be revolutionary for the UAE, where fresh water scarcity

actually addresses most water issues. To your question about

population. Can we expect to see the concept in the region

needs of any size. If you’re looking to supply water for a city,

Bhargava explained. “We have Rain Maker to a point where it is working better than any current system for cleaning or

a resort somewhere, you just need two or three units. A single of advantages compared to the current technology.”

desalinating water, but have not yet begun distribution. At

Continuing on his quest for world betterment, the next issue

there are companies or governments in the UAE that are really

secondly pollution as a result of burning fossil fuels. According

this point, we expect to deploy it first in California. However, if

Bhargava addresses is energy – firstly the lack of it, and

Free Electric

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december Issue 12 2015

Rain Maker to the United Nations, about 80 percent of global energy output is supplied through the combustion of fossil fuels, which releases

carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere. At the same time, energy demand is growing along with expanding population. The simple solution that Bhargava passionately presents in his film, is to source energy from below.

Below the surface of the Earth, endless energy lies waiting to

be harnessed. That heat can create enough clean energy to power the world, and help keep things cool above. Bhargava directed his scientists to develop cables made from graphene, a form of pure carbon, 100 times stronger than steel, and a

better conductor than copper, that can be conducted to the

surface of the Earth to run turbines and generate electricity – all without burning anything. He calls the concept Limitless Energy, because the potential of energy below Earth’s surface

won’t give the machines away, because he says people won’t take care of something that is free. Instead, he would prefer

to incentivize distributors with profits. He says a village can

also pool its resources, buying one bike but multiple batteries that can be swapped out to power individual homes. So where exactly does Bhargava plan to distribute the machines, and how likely is it that they will reach those in need?

“The Free Electric is going to be manufactured in mass quantities,

first in India, and on a smaller scale in the US,” he explained.

“Eventually we expect to have manufacturing and distribution

partners all over the world that we can license and supervise.

We do not want anyone making a substandard product, and

we don’t want anyone overcharging. With this type of franchise program, we think we can reach the entire world fairly quickly.”

is essentially limitless, and with reduced emissions, the concept

Bhargava’s story is inspiring to say the least – a humble Indian

energy will take off commercially?

of world betterment. So aside from developing solutions for

“With the graphene work, we’re at a stage where we know the

looking into?

is also clean and sustainable. But how likely is it that this type of

technology works, we know it is relatively inexpensive, and we

man who has transformed his good fortune into an active means clean water, clean energy, and health, what other areas is he

know it will be relatively easy to deploy,” Bhargava explained.

“We have other projects that we’re working on related to

engineering challenges. The next step is a proof-of-concept.

“But I’m not talking about them yet, because they’re not ready to

“But we’re still in the engineering stages and are solving some

farming, food, deforestation, and other poverty issues,” he said.

When that’s done, this will be the easiest and most cost-effective

be implemented in the world. When we have those ready, we’ll

way to generate energy.”

announce them.”

Basically, the Free Electric machine gives people the power

Billions in Change has gathered a momentum of support, so

pollution free. The machine is small, light, and simple. It requires

finally, what advice would he give to aspiring entrepreneurs who

to generate electricity themselves – and most importantly, it’s

where does Bhargava see the company headed now? And

a single person to pedal a hybrid bicycle. It’s the “coolest of

want to make a positive difference in the world?

our inventions,” says Bhargava. The wheels drive a flywheel,

which turns a generator, charging a battery. What makes the contraption so efficient, is that pedaling for just one hour yields

electricity for 24 hours, with no utility bill, no emissions, and also promotes healthy exercise.

Bhargava believes the concept is going to “affect a few billion

people,” noting that the main challenge will be distribution. He

“Make something useful,” he suggests. “If you can make

something useful for those who are suffering without it, or for those who are in need of it, then that’s what you need to do if you want to make a positive difference. Other than that, if you can, then just make a business. It’s hard enough to make a

business successful. Make your business successful, then take that success and make a difference for those who have less.

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Business

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december Issue 12 2015

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auto

84

tHe Next stage iN solar veHiCle evolutioN EVX Ventures, a company based in Melbourne, Australia, is an early stage venture focused on the Research and Development (R&D) and commercialization of high performance solar and electric vehicle technologies. With the experience of world solar challenge racers, and expertise in engineering theory and practice, the Immortus was born; a sleek and modern, half ton 40kW solar vehicle.

tHe immortus There’s been a lot of doubt thrown at the electric vehicle industry. For one, critics often

dismiss the idea of an electric vehicle as being eco-friendly, because it still requires

electricity that is commonly sourced from fossil fuels. But what about a vehicle that

doesn’t need to connect to the grid? What if it could be powered by an element that we have in abundance?

With a design inspired by vehicles portrayed in post-apocalyptic films, the Immortus, originally influenced by solar race car technology, particularly Australia’s Aurora Solar

Car Team, who have competed in numerous solar race events around the world, is an electric car built to generate its own power through some seven square meters of solar photovoltaic paneling. The car is capable of charging its battery from the grid if

necessary, but if conditions are sunny, the inbuilt solar panels enable it to drive at more than 60 km/h for an unlimited distance. www.ziwira.com

december Issue 12 2015 Unlike solar racers which it was based on, the Immortus is designed to approach practicality on the road, with

a 1-100 km/h time that will be less than seven seconds,

and a top speed of over 150 km/h. It’s a two-seater with

car without the crash testing and the 5-10 million dollars

you’d have to raise to do that. We plan to sell those cars in low volume.”

modest luggage capacity for daily driving. Creators of the

The concept was designed to be exceptionally simple to

should handle like a well-balanced sports car.

monocoque frame with two large tubs. The new design

In the realm of electric vehicles, it’s difficult to avoid the

shelf carbon fiber tubing, with 3D-printed nodes to connect

Immortus, EVX Ventures, even list fun as a priority, saying it

comparison between the Immortus and the Tesla Model S, which has a massive 85 kWh battery. Where the Immortus

is different, is that the self-replenishing system uses only a

assemble, abandoning early ideas to use a carbon-fiber

features an ultra-lightweight space frame using off-thethe tubes. The frame of the vehicle is effectively like a big Meccano set.

10 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery. The Immortus uses

“This simplifies the manufacturing process, as well as

rear wheel hub, each with a peak output of 20 kW, for a

“The plan is to have these cars assembled by custom car

sound like much, but the entire car has been designed to

shops can source their own carbon fiber tubing, and we

lightweight, at only 550 kg, giving it the power-to-weight

over the designs so they can print them locally.”

twin DC motors mounted on the uprights leading to each

reducing transport costs,” said technical lead Clint Steele.

total peak output of 40 kW. For auto experts, this might not

builders close to wherever the customer is. The custom

make the most of its power. The vehicle is astoundingly

can either send over the 3D-printed node parts or send

ratio and acceleration time similar to a Mazda MX5.

The company isn’t expecting to sell more than 100 of

The only downside of the Immortus when compared to

the Immortus vehicles, intentionally keeping the concept

specifically designed for solar races – very thin wheels with

depending on specs, the Immortus is a boutique, high-

Because these racing tires aren’t very attractive, they’re

wealthy early adopters. But with this breakthrough

so there’s no need to worry about physical appeal. Thanks

hopefully filter out into a range of other projects to be more

the MX5, is road stability because of its tires, which are

bespoke for the meantime. At an estimated US$370,000

low friction that prioritize low rolling resistance over grip.

priced technology platform that will only appeal to extremely

hidden away behind the aerodynamic wheel arch covers,

technology, the ideas developed through the project will

to exceptionally low weight, low-drag aerodynamics and

consumer focused.

low-friction, low-contact tires, EVX expects the Immortus vehicle’s 10 kWh battery pack to be good for just under

400 km worth of range, even at night, when there is no solar assistance topping it up.

EVX is currently looking to raise about US$1.5 million to

get the Immortus production ready, and will be taking a scaled-down, remote control version of the Immortus to

SEMA in Las Vegas, which will be a great chance for the

“We’re not trying to be Tesla,” said Barry Nguyen, CEO at

public to experience the concept in all its glory. It truly

designers of boutique custom electric cars and aftermarket

practicality – a vehicle where you no longer have to think

allow for individually constructed vehicles. Essentially what

solves the controversial issue of CO2 emissions. As

the designs and components, you can build a road legal

improve, similar concepts could become a lot more viable.

EVX Ventures. “Tesla is a mass manufacturer of cars, we’re

is a revolutionary concept, in both stylistic design and

products. There’s regulations in the US and Australia that

about where the next charge point is, and that ultimately

that means is that if you contract a custom car builder with

battery technology and photovoltaic efficiency continues to

CAD view of the Immortus,

showing the location of the solar panels, the hub motor and the

carbon tube/3D-printed titanium node space frame

(Credit: EVX Ventures)

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86

mobile app assists with discovering new species

Thanks to the innovation of Esri’s Collector for GIS (Geographic Information System), an app used by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), the people of the UAE can now help to discover new species of wildlife in the realm, or even species that were once thought to be extinct. One thing is for sure, if Charles Darwin had a smartphone, it’s likely that he would have downloaded the app himself!

smart way to Discover new species Geography is at the heart of a more resilient and sustainable

Many organizations have a primary responsibility of maintaining

enables organizations to create responsible and sustainable

and wildlife. More than ever in history, there is a need to

future, according to software company, Esri. Their technology solutions to problems at local and global scales. Esri’s GIS

software is designed to capture, manage, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information. It allows us

to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize our world in ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. www.ziwira.com

authentic records about the status and change of geography

manage, preserve, and restore our natural resources, and

decision makers who must take action need to have a complete picture of the issues. Esri’s GIS platform helps to provide a

deeper understanding of the challenges we face and brings accurate information and less guesswork to the table.

december Issue 12 2015 the app on their phones for use. She sees citizens visiting areas with the help of the app and contributing to a growing number of resources. Ms. Al Blouki believes that the app isn’t limited to just people who have spotted new animals, for it can also be wildlife that they run into on a day-to-day basis.

“Take a photo, send it to us, you never know, you might discover a new species,” she said. “The app can be used while you’re

having fun or just taking a walk, at the end of the day you are helping us protect the biodiversity and to manage our job.”

The information provided is checked and validated to confirm

the presence of the specimen, and is then recorded in the

database and used for policy-making and conservation efforts.

According to Mr. Kumar, data will be collected every week and analyzed to provide users with a real-time experience. In addition, the usage isn’t only for organizational purposes, as

users will also be able to see what others with the app have caught.

“

There is definitely the possibility of one of the users discovering a new species, or an observation of a species that we thought went extinct.

“

– Anil Kumar, Director of Information Management at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency, essentially committed to

“Basically, we want people to contribute to environment

biodiversity of its desert and marine ecosystem, hopes that

people go out in the field on holidays or trekking, which is easy

protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater, and the

conservation. One of the ways is to provide information when

people will use the app both for the possibility of discovering

for them, but hard for us to gather,” said Mr. Kumar.

the UAE. The Collector for GIS app allows users to document

But the app doesn’t only record data during field visits, as it also

whatever information they know about it, and then upload it to

city. “Any wildlife information is important. Recently the foxes in

new species, and to involve public in conservation efforts of instances of specimen, be it animal or plant, in real time, record

has an urban wildlife option for those who want to use it in the

the EAD for analysis.

the Saadiyat area is something to note. We want to be able to

“There is definitely the possibility of one of the users discovering

still around despite the urban development, or if there are any

capture this information to see if there are any native species

a new species, or an observation of a species that we thought

exotic animals who have been released,” added Mr. Kumar.

Management at EAD. “That’s the idea behind the app, for

Occurrences of certain specimens in the urban environment

went extinct,” said Anil Kumar, Director of Information people to help us in science.”

could indicate the presence of invasive species brought in

With pleasant weather coming up, combined with the increasing

possibly prevent an ecological disruption. The app is available

Public Engagement Manager at EAD, envisions people installing

and become an undercover environmentalist!

popularity of hiking and camping in the UAE, Khansa Al Blouki,

intentionally or unintentionally by city dwellers, and could for download in both Android and Apple devices. Give it a try,

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88

SALt lamp

a sustainable alternative to kerosene based lighting in the Philippines Aisa Mijeno and her brother Raphael, are the founders of a Philippine-based startup called SALt (Sustainable Alternative Lighting). The siblings have received international recognition for their incredibly innovative SALt lamp, which lights up with just one glass of water, and two tablespoons of salt. It’s a big step toward a sustainable future.

The Issue The Philippines is scattered over 7,000 islands. The stunning

severe respiratory diseases if inhaled by humans or animals.

holiday destination. But what about living there? With a

Kerosene is highly toxic to human and animal life. Even limited

need a reliable source of electricity. Many developing countries

membranes. Long-term exposure can cause advanced

kerosene lamps as a cheap source of light at night, and as a

becoming fatal in the case of prolonged exposure to high

tropical climate, and ethereal beaches make for an awesome population nearing 100 million, the people of the Philippines

exposure can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and mucus

around the world, from Africa, to Asia, to South America, use

toxicity symptoms like vomiting, nausea and headaches, even

fuel for cooking.

concentrations or ingestion. Unfortunately, kerosene lamps are

But kerosene could be detrimental in the long-run, both

widely used throughout the Philippines.

chemically, and as a potential hazard. Although favored by

The island nation is also extremely disaster prone. The United

gasoline and cleaner-burning than coal, kerosene as a fossil

country in the world. Typhoon Koppu ripped through the

of kerosene releases heavy concentrations of particulate

20,000 residents homeless. In such situations, the people need

and sometimes available in low-sulfur mixtures that at least

This is what Aisa and her brother Raphael wanted to change.

still contains significant particulate emissions and can cause

the lives of fellow Filipinos in any situation.

some public health experts for being less combustible than

Nations ranked Philippines as the 3rd most disaster prone

fuel still has significant environmental impacts. The combustion

archipelago in October, killing two, injuring five, and making

matter. Although cleaner-burning than fossil fuels such as coal

a reliable lighting source, and generally they turn to kerosene.

reduce the toxicity of particulate pollution, kerosene smoke

Together, they created a simple product which would brighten

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december Issue 12 2015 replacing, which is much simpler than what is required for

regular refills of a paraffin lantern. The finished product also generates enough power to charge smartphones via USB port on the side of the device.

Aisa Mijeno and Raphael Mijeno, founders of SALt The concept is very safe, and ideal even for children. There are no materials and components inside the lamp that may cause

fire accidents, which is one less thing to worry about for families that rely on kerosene lamps. What makes the product so unique

for the Philippines (surrounded by ocean), is that the salinity of ocean water operates the lamp. Families could simply take daily trips to the seaside to collect enough water to power their lamp.

Salinity is measured by the amount of salt found in 1,000 grams of water. The average ocean salinity is 35 parts per thousand.

With their simple, but game-changing design, the SALt team have been spreading the word about their new product,

A Social Movement

ensuring that it reaches those in true need. They are currently

in the mass production stage, with priority to build lamps for

The founders of SALt have labeled their lamp concept as a “social

their target communities and for the communities of the NGOs

designed lamp powered by tap water and table salt.” With her

to a remote island in Carles, Iloilo, where they met the tribes of

came up with this idea after spending time with native Filipino

composed of 590 households who still live in the dark. They also

after dark. She envisioned replacing this hazardous light source

top of mountains, and do not have access to electricity.

movement.” A sustainable and cost effective, “ecologically

and foundations they have partnered with. The SALt team went

experience as an engineer, Aisa, a Greenpeace volunteer,

kagawad of the barangay, Ka Dionilo Atienza. His constituent is

tribes who relied on kerosene lamps to perform everyday tasks

sought to reach the people of the Buscalan Tribe, who live on

with something the Philippines has in abundance: Saltwater.

Since they are still in the early stages of production, the SALt

According to Gizmag, the SALt LED lamp relies on a galvanic

team will launch the product and focus on the Philippines first,

salty water, into which two electrolytes are placed. This is an

and developing the design further before venturing outside.

LED lanterns, and is the basis of grander visions of a source of

the recipients of a number of prestigious awards including

cell-battery, containing and electrolyte solution consisting of

sending out thousands of units for field testing, improving

approach that has been used before in battery designs for other

In recognition of their concept, Aisa and Raphael have been

renewable energy.

the Asia Entrepreneurship Award 2015, Japan; the Ideaspace

Like other batteries, the electrodes that carry the charge won’t

Sustainability Commitment – ACSSA 2015, Philippines. The

last forever. The team says that the lamp can be used for eight hours a day, for around six months before the anode needs

Foundation Award 2014, Philippines; and the ASEAN SME

simplicity and usefulness of the SALt lamp, is what will project the developing world to a sustainable future.

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90

An architectural marvel to assist the refugee crisis With the whole world now fixated on finding a solution to the terrible humanitarian crisis in Syria, solutions to the crisis are welcomed warmly. Architect and Designer, Abeer Seikaly, developed a remarkably sustainable tent concept that could provide safe havens for refugees who have had to flee their homes.

Inspiration For over ten years, Abeer Seikaly has built a

foundation of interdisciplinary skills that span

architecture, design, art, fashion, textile design, and

curation. She received her Bachelor of Architecture & Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design

2013. The Syrian Civil War has made 7.6 million

people displaced in their own country, while another 3.9 million have fled abroad, most to neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and now Europe.

in 2002, and has since become a recognized

Such statistics are difficult to comprehend, and it’s

video artist.

so often, someone comes along with an awesome

In 2012, Abeer’s “The Chandelier” design won The

in Amman, Jordan, applied her expert design

Production Manager of Adel Abidin, an Iraqi/Finnish

Rug Company’s Wall-hanging Design Competition.

Then in 2013, Abeer was recognized for her awe-inspiring sustainable tent concept, called

“Weaving a Home”, which has been praised by

environmentalists, and those wanting to provide a safe haven for refugees. The concept was selected for the prestigious Lexus Design Award.

The concept couldn’t have arrived at a better time, as Syria has become a land of civil war. According to a UN report, the number of people displaced by

war, conflict, or persecution reached a record high

of nearly 60 million around the world in 2014. The

document by UNHCR, says the number of people forced to flee their homes rose by 8.3 million from

www.ziwira.com

easy to feel helpless about the situation. But every solution that springs new hope. Abeer, based

knowledge to a new kind of shelter that allows

refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity. She certainly has the right background for designing

dwellings for refugees, as Abeer’s ancestors in Jordan probably toggled between nomadic and sheltered life in the desert for centuries.

“The movement of people across the earth led

to the discovery of new territories as well as the creation of new communities among strangers forming towns, cities, and nations,” says Abeer in

her design brief. “Navigating this duality between exploration and settlement, movement, and stillness is a fundamental essence of what it means to be human.”

december Issue 12 2015

“

In this space, the refugees find a place to pause from their turbulent worlds, a place to weave the tapestry of their new lives.

“

Abeer Seikaly

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Weaving a Home The problem is, many people are forced to relocate.

Therefore, they are not prepared for relocation, and

need somewhere to live that is safe and habitable.

Abeer’s “Weaving a Home” design, reexamines the

traditional architectural concept of tent shelters by creating a technical, structural fabric that expands to enclose and contracts for mobility while providing

the comforts of contemporary life (heat, running

tent allow users to take quick showers. Water rises to

the storage tank through a thermosiphoning system (a method of passive heat exchange based on

natural convection, which circulates a fluid without

the necessity of a mechanical pump) and a drainage system, which ensures that the tent does not flood.

With the help of internal battery, the energy of the sun

water, electricity, storage, etc.)

enables the tent to run on its own power supply. Solar

The lightweight, mobile, structural fabric used for

a pipe by conduction. High efficiency solar absorber

the tent, could potentially close the gap between

need and desire as, “people metaphorically weave

their lives back together, physically weaving their

built environment into a place both new and familiar, transient and rooted, private and connected,” Abeer writes.

What

has really

captured

the

interest

of

environmentalists, is how the tent concept is exceptionally sustainable. For one, the outer solar-

powered skin absorbs solar energy that is then converted into usable electricity, while the inner skin

provides pockets for storage – particularly at the lower half of the shelters.

radiation falls on the tent, which is then transferred to material is in direct contact with tubes. Heat from

the hot absorber surface moves toward the tubes by natural convection, moving up by thermosiphoning.

The tents are well ventilated and lit, able to open and spread out in the summer, and create a cosy atmosphere in the winter by folding inwards. To

create the durable material used for the tent, Abeer conducted tests trying to master the most durable

and flexible material she could, that would enable the tents to be sustainable, flexible, and efficient. If

you’re struggling to understand all of this, then be sure to check out Abeer Seikaly’s website www.

abeerseikaly.com which provides awesome images

In addition, a water storage tank on the top of the

to familiarize you with her concept.

Model illlustrating collapsibility of structural fabric for mobility and transport www.ziwira.com

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HigH HoPes For tHe CleaN eNergy busiNess CouNCil With the threat of climate change increasing, organizations like the Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC), are striving to bring environmental change now more than ever. We caught up with Claudio Palmieri, CEBC’s CEO, who shared his thoughts on energy consumption, Dubai’s integrated energy strategy, clean energy financing, and the future of clean energy in the MENA region.

“

“

The Clean Energy Business Council believes that Dubai’s target to reduce primary energy consumption by 30 percent by 2030 is possible through private sector’s support to the government’s vision.

– Claudio Palmieri CEO, CEBC

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december Issue 12 2015

Clean Energy vs. Fossil Fuels In a recent Emirates News TV Special Feature, CEBC’s previous CEO

Alice Cowman was invited to speak about the status of clean energy in

the UAE. The feature followed a recent United Nations report, stating that

in urban areas, climate change will increase the risk of storms, flooding, and drought, which would lead to major economic shocks, and increase the risk of violent conflicts.

What does this mean for the UAE? The UN has urged governments to act

now, particularly when it comes to the economic side of things. The good

news, according to Cowman, is that the problem has not much to do with economics anymore, but more about where money is being spent.

“In energy right now, I think they’ve estimated $600 billion worth of

subsidies for fossil fuels, against $90 billion of subsidies for clean energy,” said Cowman. “We need to change that balance if we’re going to move to a low-carbon future.”

Cowman further mentioned that approximately $1.6 trillion is currently spent in the energy sector as a whole, and more than half of it is used

for fossil fuels. “We need to change that balance,” she said. Cowman expressed the need to redirect financing so that clean energy has a fair chance to compete against fossil fuels.

Palmieri’s Perspective To add fuel to this discussion of clean energy, we spoke to Claudio Palmieri, who has brought more than 20 years’

experience in the power and renewable energy sectors and has worked in commissioning,

engineering

project

management, service, sales, project development, and business development

for power, renewable energy, oil and gas.

Registered as a non-profit organization

in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, CEBC represents the private sector involved in the clean energy across the MENA region.

According to Palmieri, CEBC supports

the green energy sector by providing the industry with a forum that brings together all stake holders such as developers, investors,

technology

providers,

regulators, off-takers, utilities, and the relevant government entities to discuss

all matters related to the successful implementation of “renewable energy,

energy efficiency, smart grid, energy storage, and environmental projects.”

Dubai in particular, has set a target to reduce energy consumption by 30

percent by 2030. How likely is this goal, and how does CEBC encourage the

private sector to become more involved?

Palmieri believes that Dubai’s target to

reduce primary energy consumption by 2013 is possible, provided that the private

sector is supporting the government’s vision sufficiently.

The organization also actively supports

“To achieve this target, the financial sector

research in the MENA region.

enable the private sector to finance the

green energy initiatives, projects, and

has to develop financial instruments that implementation

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96

of technology that improves energy

efficiency and generates clean energy from

renewables,”

said

Palmieri.

“Ultimately, it requires close cooperation between all stake holders.”

In the lead up to Expo 2020 to be held

in Dubai (with a sustainability theme), Palmieri believes that it was a wise step

by DEWA to diversify fuel resources and

to reduce dependence on gas imports by

introducing alternative energy solutions.

However, Dubai’s integrated energy

strategy clearly goes beyond Expo 2020 and contains a vision that works towards a more sustainable energy mix.

“Dubai is unique in the sense that it has started, through Shams Dubai, to mobilize the private sector to participate in the implementation of its integrated Energy Strategy,” said Palmieri. “This is

only possible because Dubai has been

developing the required infrastructure

and the legal and commercial framework

over the last decade. Based on the

current retail energy prices in most of the neighboring countries, such an approach is commercially just not feasible – yet.”

Palmieri believes that the successful

development of the clean energy sector in the UAE is dependent on the financial sector to provide suitable financial

solutions such as green bonds and green

sukuks. Initiatives such as Shams Dubai, for example, require suitable finance assistance to make the implementation of solar roof systems affordable to home owners.

“The successful development of green bonds to make them more mainstream requires the development of a suitable legal framework, and policies supporting

it,” Palmieri explained. “This is a process that develops over time and requires a fair level of interaction between all

parties involved. It is part of our mission

to support this process by providing

a forum where such topics can be discussed.”

Bloomberg New Energy Finance has been a great supporter of CEBC in www.ziwira.com

terms of financing renewable energy.

They are a current Board Member and have contributed greatly to CEBC’s events and initiatives. In return, CEBC

looks forward to supporting Bloomberg

New Energy Finance regarding their FiRe program (Finance for Resilience), which recognizes powerful ideas and

actionable interventions for clean energy, climate, sustainability, and green growth.

In addition to seeking new ways of increasing

investment

in

renewable

energy, CEBC values events such as Solar Middle East, which promotes

awareness and investment in clean

energy. According to Palmieri, as a matter of principle, CEBC supports all events and initiatives in the MENA

region that promote development and

such as solar and wind power have

matured to a point that innovation no

longer comes with big breakthroughs, but rather constant small improvements

in, “efficiency, performance, and more

cost effective designs,” says Palmieri.

“The areas where we can expect

breakthrough innovations are related to

energy storage, fuel cell, and smart grid related technologies.”

Unfortunately, many parts of the MENA

region have been slow to adopt solar and wind energy as part of their energy mix. But Palmieri is confident that with many encouraging initiatives currently underway, like Shams Dubai, it marks the

beginning of a “clean energy evolution,” at least in some areas.

investment in clean energy.

“Clean Energy Business Council is here

“We consider these events crucial as

of a strong, clean energy sector,” said

they create a vital forum where all stake-

holders come together to exchange

information and ideas, where the industry

can engage with the public sector, regulators, and present studies and best practices.”

But

awareness

isn’t

the

only

way

that clean energy can spread as a

norm throughout the MENA region.

Breakthrough

technologies

in

clean

energy are essential for it to move forward and progress. Over the last 25 years, renewable energy technologies

to actively support the development Palmieri. “The region has great potential to create its own clean energy industry

that covers the entire value chain

including R&D, manufacturing, project development, and implementation.”

Palmieri is positive that clean energy marks unprecedented opportunities for the MENA to transform into an efficient,

sustainable region, that in the future, will no longer have to rely on destructive resources for energy consumption.

wiLDLife

98

tHe elusive, eNdaNgered

sNow leoPard This endearing animal, also known as ‘the ghost of the mountains’, has become vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss.

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december Issue 12 2015

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wildlife

100

T

he startling beauty of the snow leopard can make anyone forget that it’s actually a carnivorous hunter.

They are the swift acrobats of the mountains, leaping

onto their prey and landing silently on their strong, furry paws.

No human should ever dare to get too close to this animal.

However, the least we could do, is to save this species from extinction, and help restore its habitat by reversing the effects of climate change.

According to a recent report released by the WWF, the snow leopard population has been reduced by 20% in the past 16

years. The number of remaining snow leopards is estimated at 3000 to 4000, and this is expected to decrease even further due

to climate change. Illegal hunting is also pushing them closer to extinction each day, as there is a huge demand for their fur and other body parts.

Their habitat is the mountainous area of Central Asia, which

also happens to be a major water source for some 330 million

people. That means that if this habitat is threatened, it will also affect the water supply to these people who depend on it for survival.

As temperatures rise, farmers are making their way into the cooler mountains, imposing on the natural habitat of the snow

leopard and tempting dangerous interactions between humans

and these wild cats. Climate change also affects smaller

indigenous animals of the region, which means that if it worsens, the snow leopard will soon have no prey. The WWF report

reveals that other problems are also arising, such as poaching

and urban development, which in addition to climate change are

collectively threatening the existence of these creatures. Hotter

temperatures will also melt the snow and permafrost, which will

ultimately dry up the mountains and cut off the water supply to the people and other wildlife in the surrounding environment.

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The snow leopard is listed on the IUCN (International Union

for Conservation of Nature) red list of endangered species. It was first placed on the list in 1972 and remained there after a

reassessment in 2008. In fact, 2015 has been designated as the International Year of the Snow Leopard to bring attention to their near extinction. With their beautiful thick white fur, they

are perfectly suited for the cold habitats in which they live. As

with all wildlife, the snow leopard was made to inhabit a certain

environment, this is all he knows and all his body can cope with.

Without a favorable habitat, the snow leopard’s very existence is threatened.

Rishi Kumar Sharma is the WWF Global Snow Leopard Leader, and is coordinating WWF’s first ever global strategy to conserve

the iconic species. He says, “Urgent action is needed to curb climate change and prevent further degradation of snow leopard habitat, otherwise the ‘ghost of the mountains’ could

vanish, along with critical water supplies for hundreds of millions of people.”

Snow leopards can be found in places like Afghanistan

and Russia in the north, and India and China in the east.

Unfortunately, the snow leopard population in Mongolia has been entirely wiped out.

Despite the dreary fate ahead for these mountain cats, many environmentalists are striving hard to save them from extinction.

Just like the Giant Pandas and certain tiger species were increased in number, there is hope that breeding programs

and habitat protection programs could flourish with international

support and future generations may just be lucky enough to witness a growing snow leopard population.

december Issue 12 2015

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Business

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102

december Issue 12 2015

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enterainMent

104

outdoor art meets

sustaiNability Attractive art pieces made entirely from washed up beach plastic are saving the oceans.

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december Issue 12 2015

a

group of artists in the community of Oregon, USA, have created these amazing outdoor art pieces out of washed up plastic.

The art collective is called Washed Ashore and is both visually appealing and sustainable. They aim to draw attention to the horrendous problem of plastic waste that is polluting the world’s oceans and threatening marine life.

Over 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the oceans every year, and it never completely disintegrates. It takes thousands of years

for plastic to begin breaking up, but even when it does, it simply weathers down into tinier pieces of plastic that are often swallowed by marine animals and pollute our natural environment. The artists behind Washed Ashore hope that their sculptures will help people

to realize just how much plastic is collecting in the oceans. Over the period of one year, they collected 7000 pounds of washed up plastic and have created 18 sculptures with the help of dedicated volunteers in the community.

The artworks are thought provoking and creative, and have been commended for their attention to detail and quality of design.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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106

Damon Gameau’s

december Issue 12 2015

exposé of “healthy food” While shopping at your local supermarket, it’s encouraging to find food that is labelled “healthy” or “fat-free”. You feel as if you’ve made the right choice for being healthy. A company would never lie to a consumer… would they? In the documentary feature That Sugar Film, actor and director Damon Gameau reveals the secret behind false food labelling, and the detrimental effects of a sugar-fueled diet.

That Sugar Film

S

ugar hides within most of the packaged foods we

consume today. It’s everywhere – even the food that you probably think is good for you. Damon Gameau’s

That Sugar Film is basically one man’s journey to discover the bitter truth behind excessive hidden sugar consumption. He did extensive research to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body, initially inspired to create the film following

a decision he made three years prior to eliminate refined sugar

from his diet. Therefore, the slate was clean for him to test the consequences of returning to his previous diet - one filled with

they consume and believe. Digitally animated segments show

Damon climbing inside his own liver and brain to illustrate the effects of sugar on the body. He demonstrates the aesthetic

of sugar through a playful, saturated, Willy Wonka style. The vibrant playfulness of the film almost mimics the kind of tricks that food and beverage companies use to sell their products.

Damon approached such companies to be interviewed, but they declined.

“Coke weren’t interested. We pursued that early on,” said

hidden sugar.

Damon. “I think a lot of them thought it was going to be Michael

The twist is that Damon didn’t just devour typically unhealthy

haven’t gone that way.”

foods such as cheeseburgers, chips, and chocolate; but also

Moore style, quite fear-based and slanderous. I hope that we

consumed the typical Australian’s 40 teaspoons of sugar a

There’s a definite strength to the film, as Damon didn’t shy away

of his regular diet. In fact, what makes the film so interesting,

he regards as a sugar epidemic to that of nicotine addiction,

to be “healthy” from advertising, such as cereal, muesli bars,

community in the Northern Territory of Australia, where he visits

advertising campaigns built on extolling their supported virtues,

deceased people.

day, also doing regular exercise, and the same kilojoule intake

from provocative images and big statements. He links what

is that Damon consumes foods that are typically considered

and argues that consumption of it devastated an Aboriginal

and non-fat yoghurts – the kind of products at the heart of

a graveyard and associates blame with high sugar intake of

using falsified science, and deceptive packaging.

Like in many recent films trying to initiate change and awareness,

“If I’d gone and consumed Mars bars and Cokes the whole time,

such as The Cove, and Food Inc., That Sugar Film concludes

said Damon. “Where people have been duped is around the

to understand that they can make a difference. In fact, food

products in the supermarket with a sunset on them, or words

around.

I think it would have had serious consequences on my health,”

with an empowering message encouraging the audience

lack of integrity and accountability in labelling. You often see

companies should be at consumer mercy, not the other way

like Mother Nature, and a bee, and a flower or something. And people believe it.”

“We’ve been led to believe these companies have all these powers and are very persuasive in their advertising,” said

With a star-studded cast, including appearances from actors

Damon. “But at the end of the day, you make that movement

eye-opener, urging consumers to be more careful about what

signals they are giving you.”

Hugh Jackman, Stephen Fry, and Isabel Lucas, the film is an

from your hand to your mouth, and you can override all the

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ENTERTAINMENT

108

The

Jungle Book Everyone’s favorite story, The Jungle Book, coming to live action movie theatre screens soon.

R

udyard Kipling’s classic tale of The Jungle Book will

Walken is the voice behind the King Louie character.

this time as a live action movie. Audiences who saw

Actor and filmmaker Jon Favreau is directing the film, and has

be brought to life once again by Walt Disney Pictures,

the animated feature film, will be excited to see their favorite

confirmed that it would have some mythic elements to it. We have

characters given a 3-Dimensional revival.

already seen from some of the visuals and artistic impressions

The Jungle Book is a story of Mowgli (played by newcomer Neel

even the animals look quite realistic. The film has everything to

Sethi), a little boy who has been raised by a family of wolves and his known by the animals in the jungle as the man-cub. When

he finds out he is no longer welcome in the jungle, he is forced to abandon the only home he has ever known and ventures out

on a journey of self-discovery, meeting some interesting jungle

released that the natural surroundings are breathtaking and to give it a real jungle feel and epic adventure story that Walt

Disney is famous for. It’s the kind of the movie the whole family can look forward to.

Disney’s original musical animated Jungle Book taught us all

creatures along his way.

about the “bare necessities” when it was first released in 1967.

All the popular characters in the movie are played by prominent

on stage and screen countless times, but somehow it never

Hollywood actors. Idris Elba is the voice of the fearsome tiger

Sher Khan, Ben Kingsley does the voice for Mowgli’s mentor,

Bagheera, and Bill Murray will be the playback voice of the

much-loved Baloo, a free-spirited bear who befriends Mowgli.

Other big names in the movie include Lupita Nyong’o as Rakcha, Scarlett Johansson as the python named Kaa, and Christopher

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Since then, the story has been so captivating that it was retold loses its luster. It will be interesting to watch the film produced

with current technological advancements. With a star-studded cast paired with the Disney name, The Jungle Book will be a

sure success in theaters. Filming began in August last year and the film will be officially released in April 2016.

december Issue 12 2015

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travel

110

christmas in

Budapest December is magical in Budapest, at least this is what the locals say. So if you’re looking for an enchanted Christmas vacation, Budapest, Hungary is nothing short of a suitable destination. The city hands you history, culture, natural scenery, and fantastic food all on a wondrous platter. We offer you some green guidelines to help you to enjoy sustainable travel to Budapest.

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december Issue 12 2015

b

uda and Pest were originally two separate cities

and Sofitel. All of these are 100% eco-friendly, with solar

arrival of the Hungarians in the 19th century,

water saving credentials.

on either side of the river Danube. Following the

the cities were unified in 1873, into what we now know

powered water heating systems, as well as energy and

as Budapest, the capital of Hungary and a globally

There’s plenty to do in this romantic city, like attend the

city in Europe. However, with 4.4 million tourists travelling

the Basilica or try the ice skating rink at the City Park,

minimum impact to the environment.

crisp air and gorgeous sights. You can simply hop on

When planning your trip, make your stay sustainable by

and temperatures of around 19 degrees Celsius in

recognized city. It is known as one of the most beautiful

Budapest Christmas Market and the Christmas Fair by

to Budapest every year, it’s important that we do so with

or simply roam around, map in hand, experiencing the

looking out for green hotels, and there a few to choose from, such as Gold Hotel in city center, Intercontinental

the metro to take a city tour. You can expect snowfall December.

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travel

112

Budapest Zoo & Botanical Gardens

Built in 1866, the Budapest Zoo is the largest and oldest zoo in all of Hungary. With its 11 hectares of beautiful vegetation and open spaces, the Budapest Zoo was the first of its kind until the 1950s. In 1986 it was declared a natural preserve. Tourists can see 3,500

species of plants, and 750 different animal species. It’s also home to some commendable pieces of art, such as the Elephant House built in Art Nouveau style at the Zoo’s main entrance. You will get an opportunity to experience the virtual wildlife. The Zoo also accommodates for the blind and disabled.

Budapest Thermal Baths Budapest is known as “the city of spas” for its

relaxing hot water spring baths, some of them dating as far back as the 1500s. It has over 100 medicinal and geothermal spring baths, more than any other

capital in the world. The Romans were the first to enjoy these thermal waters in the 2nd Century, but

the practice became popular after Turks occupied Hungary in the 16th Century.

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december Issue 12 2015

PlaCes to visit The green area of Budapest is proportionally the largest in Central Europe and there are countless parks to visit. From Budapest you could also enjoy a boat cruise on

the river Danube or take a drive to the Danube Bend, which is also known as the

town of art. This is a delightful excursion into Hungary’s history comprising of an

unforgettable tour along the “Blue Danube” with stops in Visegrád, Esztergom and Szentendre. At Visegrád you can walk on the 750 year-old stones of the formal Royal

Residence, learn about life in the middle ages and enjoy the fascinating panorama

on the Danube valley. Szentendre is a small baroque city at the entrance to the Danube Bend, and is the place where the river Danube meets the Pilis Mountains – a

prime opportunity to soak in the beauty of the natural environment. You can also visit the museums or village shops to support local, handmade crafts and antiques.

HuNgariaN deliCaCies Turo Rudi is one of Hungary’s favorite chocolate bars. It comes in a red and white polka dot wrapper and is a dark chocolate filled with cottage cheese. It comes in different flavors like apricot, strawberry, and cherry.

Organic food lovers will be spoiled for choice, with markets loaded with organic products and numerous green restaurants available, such as The Hemingway restaurant, located at

Lake Feneketlen, where you can get traditional Hungarian food, international cuisine and healthy, macrobiotic meals. There is also the Ecocafé, BioCafé and Zelefant: Organic &

Sushi Bistro plus much more to be discovered in this gothic city. Budapest is as rich in its cultural tastes and culinary experiences as it is in its fascinating history and architecture.

From greenery, to rivers, islands and underground caves, Budapest is an intriguing destination and sure to whet the appetite of any sustainable traveler.

You can also read more about how to pack greener for the holidays at www.ziwira.com www.ziwira.com

travel

114

Sustainable luxury at

Al Bustan Rotana Al Bustan Rotana Resort has 15 reasons to choose a stay with them … 15 awards that is, all in 2015, as recognition for the resort’s outstanding performance. One of these awards was 1st place in the 5-star category of the Dubai Green Tourism Awards 2015, organized by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

5-Star Recognition In 2009, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al

strong commitment towards sustainable operation and the

his vision of a sustainable city, launched the Dubai Green

efforts, and we share this award with the thousands of guests

Maktoum, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in line with Tourism Awards to recognize companies within the tourism sector that have demonstrated favorable practices to reduce

environment. We are proud to be recognized for our green who support our environmental goals.”

carbon footprint, and promote sustainable operations and

Founded in 1992, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation

recognized in this regard, paving the way for the hotel to win

the Middle East, combined with the collective expertise of

awarded first place.

experience in the service industry. The Rotana brand-mark

“Attaining first place in the 5-star category of the Dubai

only in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. It was chosen because of the

development. Al Bustan Rotana Dubai has been highly

offers the best of both worlds; a unique understanding of

the prestigious green accolade, and in May this year, was

an executive team contributing over 35 years of international

Green Tourism Awards is a very important award for us,” said Hussein Hachem, Cluster Manager of Al Bustan Rotana

Dubai and Al Murooj Rotana Dubai. “Following our ISO certification last year, this is yet another manifestation of our

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symbolizes the very rare phoenix dactylifera palm tree, found similarities between the palm tree and Rotana. Found in a desert oasis, it provided nomadic Bedouin tribes with food

and shelter from the relentless sun, and an opportunity to socialize with other visitors to the oasis.

december Issue 12 2015 In addition to its comfortable appeal, Rotana has managed to

adhere to international environmental standards, outcompeting other remarkable 5-star hotels in Dubai and emerging on top.

The entire process entailed implementation of strict sustainable and environment-friendly initiatives across the hotel’s busy

operations throughout the year, requiring active involvement from the management, colleagues, and guests.

definitely a tedious process. There are vital factors to consider and lots of groundwork to be implemented,” said Muhammad

Ihsanullah, Cluster Director of Environment, Health and Safety at Rotana. “However, being green, eco-friendly, and sustainable is a main priority for us and we sincerely appreciate

that our efforts are recognized by the Dubai Green Tourism Award Programme.”

The initiatives were submitted as main components of the

nomination, which were evaluated and assessed by Dubai Tourism, DEWA, and Dubai Municipality, based on main criteria

results, education, training, and awareness, as well as awards and recognition.

rotaNa eartH To acquire the prestigious Dubai

Award,

Green an

Tourism

Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD). For their campaign #MyGreenResolution,

Rotana

Earth

proudly

supported

EAD’s commitment to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater, and biodiversity in the desert and marine

In addition, Rotana Earth recognized Earth Hour on March 28, by dimming the lights in several Rotana establishments for one hour, to help raise awareness of climate change. On Earth Day, April 22, Rotana celebrated by organizing campaigns to support and protect the environment, and selected Rotana establishments offered green Earth Day menus, drinks, and cookies, using organic products.

Furthermore, in partnership with Dubai Municipality, Dubai

Police-Rescue and Transport Team, and Filipino Scuba Divers in Dubai, Rotana took part in supporting World Oceans Day. The hotel colleagues collected a total of 27 bags of mixed

“

Attaining first place in the 5-star category of the Dubai Green Tourism Awards is a very important award for us.

“

strategies, performance and

assisting a range of environmental initiatives, such as the

ecosystems.

“Planning and executing our environmental strategies is

which include environmental

Rotana Earth has been in full-swing this year, supporting and

Hussein Hachem, Cluster Manager of Al Bustan Rotana Dubai and Al Murooj Rotana Dubai.

organization

trash from under the sea and shoreline of the Jumeirah Beach.

Kindness

and

community

is at the heart of Al Bustan Rotana alone, has

Dubai.

not

the

only

sustainability range

of

In

2015

company

supported

through

a

environmental

initiatives, and meeting the sustainability

requirements

a

of the Dubai Green Tourism

initiatives.

support the community by

Rotana’s Global Corporate

2015 providing education for

comprehensive

framework

a fun day for the Dubai

and social sustainability to be

AED 5,000, plus 21 boxes

operating

Nepal following the horrific

must

submit

itself

to

sustainable

Award, but also managed to

Rotana Earth is Al Bustan

supporting Walk for Action

Sustainability

a

children in need, organizing

that addresses environmental

Autism Centre, and donating

implemented at all new and

of clothing from the hotels to

apartments and residences

earthquake earlier this year.

full

range

practices

of

and

Platform,

hotels,

under

the

guide

their

brand.

resorts, Rotana

Some resorts offer ultimate

Earth’s goal is simple: To sustainable

transition

luxury and comfort, while

to

some offer stunning views

development

and set fundamental values and principles for building a just, sustainable future for the community of life on Earth.

and a fun time. Al Bustan Hussein Hachem receiving Green Tourism Award, Dubai World Trade Centre.

Rotana Dubai offers all of this,

while

wholeheartedly

supporting the environment, and the local community.

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