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Hi all,

There was a good article in 7 Days today with some tips for living in a more environmentally friendly way here in Dubai.

http://www.7days.ae/lifestyle/it-s-the- ... world.html

Its the small things that save the world
Monday, 20 February 2006
7DAYS

Amid yet more warnings of the dangers of global warming, it’s time to think again about how green you and your family are.

The declining environmental quality of planet Earth and the apparent increase in strength and frequency of natural hazards such as cyclones, floods and droughts is sending a shiver of fear up ‘environmentally conscious’ spines.

The future of our planet is not looking good. The level of weather-related disasters has climbed to astonishing rates in recent years and most experts link this to climate change due to human-made emissions.

Global warming shows no signs of slowing down and its potential to wreak havoc on weather patterns over the coming decades seems guaranteed.

According to some striking findings from the United Nations Global Environment Outlook report, more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s land surface could be affected by the impacts of roads, mining, cities and other infrastructure developments in the next 30 years - causing severe environmental damage, as a result of rapid and poorly planned infrastructure growth - unless urgent action is taken.

Meanwhile more than half the people in the world could be living in severely water-stressed areas very soon - with the Arabian Peninsula likely to be the worst affected by 2032.

Declining environmental quality is also a rising health risk. Sewage pollution of the seas has precipitated a health crisis of massive proportions, according to a United Nations report.

Over the next 50 years scientists predict our supplies of fossil fuels will run out. The cost of getting the oil out of the ground is going up, the amount of water in it is increasing, and there’s less and less of the really good oil down there.

So ultimately the oil is going to run out, but who has thought about what they will do for energy once oil is exhausted? How will you cook your dinner? Power your car? Light your house?

Everyone is vulnerable to some extent to environmental threats and it is a pressing issue that cannot be overlooked, but unfortunately here in Dubai, too many people are not worried enough about the damage they might be doing by how they live, eat, travel and consume energy.

The blame cannot however solely lie on individuals. If you want to be environmentally aware and proactive, it’s fair to say Dubai isn’t the easiest place to put your principles into practice.

“One of the most basic ways people can help the environment is to simply re-cycle, but unfortunately here in Dubai actually finding a recycling bin is a rarity, says Jaizul Pilathoddadhil, co-ordinator at International Environmental Group (IEG) in Dubai.

“IEG have installed a complete recycling unit at the Beach Centre on Jumeriah Beach Road, where you can separate bottles, aluminium cans, paper and plastic.

We have also placed recycling bins in up to 75 schools around Dubai and Sharjah. But this is not enough; we need to provide people with the means to recycle.”

If the thought of melting ice-caps and large-scale sewage pollution, which is predicted to cause a health crisis of massive proportions concerns you at all - then there is something you can do, and it starts at home.

It doesn’t involve turning into a full-blown eco-warrior, but it will make a difference - for the better.

>> Turn your TV off at the mains. Sets left on stand-by are still using 25 per cent of their power. Don’t leave your computer on standby. A PC left on for a year uses the same energy as an average household.

Leaving the monitor on at night wastes enough power to microwave six dinners. For computer scanners, printers and other devices that are plugged into a power strip, simply switch off the power strip after shutting down your computer.

>> Baths are twice as costly in energy and water. So have a shower. Simply reducing the lingering time in the shower by a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month.

Cutting your showers in half will reduce your water heating costs by 33 per cent. Even better, use a water-saving shower head and save 70,000 litres of water over a decade.

>> Change all the light bulbs in your house to energy saving light bulbs. Energy saving light bulbs produce the same amount of light as an incandescent light bulb, but they are responsible for the emission of 70 per cent less carbon dioxide.

By using less electricity, you’ll now be doing your bit to help protect the environment. They also save money and last up to ten times longer on average than a normal bulb. Find energy saving light bulbs conveniently at Ikea, Carrefour or Spinney’s outlets.

>> Clean your house ‘on the cheap’ and with fewer chemicals by using lemon juice to remove lime-scale and bleach your chopping board.

Use soda crystals and bicarbonate of soda to shift stains on your work surfaces and to spin out your washing detergent - all for less than the cost of an all-purpose kitchen spray cleaner.

>> More than half of our household waste is biodegradable. Don’t bin it and send it on a long journey by lorry to a landfill to create pollution. If you have a patch of land, turn it into compost.

>> Eliminate wasted energy by turning off lights in unoccupied rooms. Unplug a spare refrigerator if you don’t truly need it - this seemingly convenient way to keep extra drinks cold adds ten-25 per cent to your electric bill. Turn off ventilating fans after they’ve done their job.

>> Despite the lack of available recycling units in Dubai, try to make that extra effort to recycle, recycle, recycle. Bins can be found at various Emirates petrol stations and certain Spinney’s outlets.

Gas guzzlers rule