Ra3ee_Vtc

Summarize Johann Haris' opinion

2008-06-03T00:58:00.000-07:00

Summary:

This article was written by Mr. Johann Hari who is one of the fighter against the people who dont care about the affect of their carbon footprint and reduce the environment's pollution. In fact he blamed some governments where didn’t do anything with this problem. Because they have to put strong rules and laws. In addition, he has been developed several solutions and ideas green to protect the environment from pollution. I agree with him when the government put strong rules and regulations but when they do it, they have to put a solution for it. I think there are some people don’t want to change their thoughts about some bad activities such as using fossil fuels because those people are the same people who take profits from fossil fules.

Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) 2

2008-06-03T00:33:00.000-07:00

Sure it will make Abu Dhabi as a cool city but if it will cover all the city around it, because most of this developments are away from Abu Dhabi. Moreover, there is a chance to change the lifestyle of the people there to reduce their carbon footprint and starting a new healthy and happiness life. It could happen if don’t just concentration on one point which is increasing their economy.

Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC)

2008-06-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Visit: http://www.tdic.ae/Default.aspx

* Which development do you think is the coolest (most interesting)?
- In my opinion the coolest and the most interesting city is building the villas on the beach in front of Saadiyat Island.

Really, it’s a good step to find solutions for the climate change and to develop our country. In fact, it will help to increase our economic by attracting tourists to visit our city and they can also buy private land for investment, so I think these developments aren’t for local people to solve their problem. It’s only for business and how to get money and also to share the world with their problem which is global warming and how to avoid that. Moreover, some foreign tourists come to vacation and look for some places outside the city center to enjoy the wonderful nature.

Describing a Cool City

2008-06-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

From the start of the industrial revolution, human's life began to change by time to time which helps them to have easy life or in the other word it give to them a health and happiness. In fact the world is crossing to another way, our earth has benefited from this industrial revolution, but it has a pollution which helps to destroy our planet by causing global warming. All human activities are producing CO2 which is the main source to make an climate change.

If we don't solve these problems which we made it by our hands, so our earth will be in the danger zone while if we doing something to change or to decline the percentage of carbon footprint. In addition, there were some people who try to let people aware about this situation. By the year, they have taken up challenge and created a new technique to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide by building a Cool City where everything is eco-friendly to our environment.

This type of city will help to decrease the percent of CO2. Because of their building are build from green and all types of equipment or life stuff is green, which is friendly for the earth. Moreover, there will be three types of transportation there friendly to our planet for instant solar ships, light rail transit and hybrid cars. Over all, it will help to reduce the amount of electricity, waste and water. In other words, it helps to save our money and energy.

To sum up, these cities are the best solution to save our earth and to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and it also will affects for all who have carbon footprint on this earth which will rise the pollution in the future and cause the global warming.

Living in Masdar city

2008-06-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

Would you like to live in Masdar City? Why?
absolutely, I want to live there, who would like to live there with a quiet place, free from any source of contamination and healthy, safe place.

Why!! There are all things which we want to live without damaging our environment and I will be one of the people whom wants to reduce his amount of carbon footprint and change his lifestyle to safe his earth from any source of pollution and to reduce. In truth, the best thing I like about the city in that I can walk in the city without feeling hot. They will create a green system as an air condition to give the city cool air and also, I don't have to drive any car more.

Masdar is going to be developed using these 10 principles.

2008-05-28T03:45:00.000-07:00

One planet living

If everyone lived like an average North American we would need 5planets.

If everyone lived like an average European we would need 3planets.

If everyone lived like an average Emirati we would need 7planets.

Our global footprint grew by 150% between 1961 and 2003. It is now 25% above the planet's biological capacity to support life on earth.

1- Our climate is changing because of human-induced build up of CO2 in the atmosphere.

2- Waste from factory products and packaging creates disposal problems.

3- Travel by car and airplane is effecting and makes climate change, air pollution and noise pollution.

4- In construction and manufacturing, increases environmental damage and reduces benefits to local community.

5- Industrial agriculture produces food and may have high transport impacts.

6- Local supplies of freshwater meet human needs, due to pollution.

7- Loss of biodiversity due to development in natural areas and natural resource.

8-Local cultural heritage is being lost throughout the world, resulting in loss of local identify and knowledge.

9- Some in the world live in relative poverty, while many in the developing world cannot meet their basic needs from what they produce or sell.

10- Rising wealth and greater health and happiness increasingly give us longer healthy live.

* which principles do you think will be difficult for Masdar City to maintain ?

- Zero Carbon and Sustainable Transport.

* The goals of our One Planet Living Programme:

1. Build a world-wide network of One Planet Living Communities and other exemplary projects to demonstrate One Planet Living in action.

2. Establish One Planet Living Centres in each One Planet Living community as a focus for education.

3. Promote the imperative for One Planet Living and its guiding principles to catalyse change with governments, business and individuals.

* Masdar is one of the Emerging One Planet communities, where are the others?

1- Panyu Jinshan in China.
2- Sibaya in South Africa.
3- OPL London in UK.
4- Montreal.
5-Masdar City in United Arab Emirates.

* Where are the Officially Endorsed One Planet Communities?

1- One Gallions in UK
2- Sonoma Mountain Village in Canada & USA.
3-Mata de Sesimbra

American Cool Cities

2008-05-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Charlotte North Carolina
The government has changed the fuel of cars to a hybrid gas.

Washington DC

Has changed their buses to natural gas which is less than the diesel fuel to improve air pollution and cut global warming pollution.

St Paul Minnesota

Providing electricity by using a renewable resource as its primary fuel.

Houston – Texas

The government has started to reduce emissions by using hybrid vehicles. By the year 2010 they will have no petrol cars. A hybrid vehicles are produce about 43 tones of carbon less than the average of other cars.

Seattle

They have replaced old vehicles with a “ clean and Green fleet and have sett strict rules about CO2 emission. They have already reduced green house gases by 60 percent.

Fort Collins

Fort Collins uses renewable energy wind to reduce global warming and has reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 472,000 tons.

Waverly Lowa

Waverly Lowa municipality has used wind energy to reduce the emission of CO2 in the city. This method who helps provide local economic development.

Twin falls-Idaho

They reduce energy costs and cut pollution by increasing the energy efficiency of its 11 schools. This include the lightning, ventilation and air condition systems by this the city saved $3.5 million in energy savings.

A film produced by me about Global Warming

2008-05-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

Summary of An Inconvenient Truth Film

2008-05-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

This movie provides information the beginning of the environment changes. It explains the meaning of the global warming. As the film shows, the sun’s radiations fall in the earth. Some of the radiations are absorbed and others stay in the atmosphere. That atmosphere is becoming thick due to this, atmosphere and temperature goes up in all countries. The film also explains the measures of Carbon Dioxide levels from 1995 to 2005.

Then we found the effect of global warming. One affect of global warming is melting the snow which covered most of the Kilimanjaro. In addition, 40% of people get drinking water from rivers and springs by the melt water from glaciers. Those people will suffer shortage of this melting.

Variation of the earth’s surface temperature for the past 140 years and for the past 1000 years was discussed in the movie. It’s clear from the graphs that the temperature has been increasing; the hottest of all was 2005. These heat waves killed more than 30,000 people in Europe. Overall, the most of the cities around the world are facing high heat waves, including ocean’s temperature.

Global warming affects also caused flooding in china. Not only this but the movie explains the infections disease global warming brought such as mosquitoes and 30 other new diseases such as Avian flu, SARS and WEST NILE VIRUS which has spread across the continent.

Reaction to Inconvenient Truth Film:

I think that people must be educated from their government around the world must take global warming more seriously . The movie made me think about more about the environment and the movie also opened my mind about the danger of global warming which it’s coming to destroy our world if we didn’t control it.

People also must try not to destroy the environment and produce things that will not hurt our environment and decrease pollution.

An interview with my friend about ' Global Warming'

2008-05-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

MY CARBON FOOTPRINT

2008-05-15T01:59:00.000-07:00

Carbon footprint is the amount of the carbon that every person on this earth affects the environment. They call it carbon footprint because the bad habits or behaviors which come from people and put their mark on this earth I thought that I am very environmentally but I was really disappointed when I saw my score which was 4.09. It means that if all people will do like me we will need four planets to live. For food the percentage was 12%, home 9%, stuff 24% and the biggest percentage which I scored 55% and it’s horrible.

First of all, let’s turn our attention to the lowest percentage in my life which is just 9%, because I am living in a flat with my sister’s husband. However, I eat meat once weekly; my score for it was 12%. But the problems started from the two other activities such as stuff when I scored 24%, because every two months I change my mobile phones with the fashion. In addition, last month I bought eight AC because our problem is each person must has his own room with an AC and they turn it on for long time daily even nobody is at home. The most dangerous factor which affected my score was the transportation. Having a 4x4 petrol car will cause the biggest percent in the carbon footprint when I got 55% in my quiz. Moreover, I am using the car more than 25 hours weekly which makes increasing in the carbon footprint because my house is away from my work. In addition, each one from my family has his own car and some of them have two cars.

Now, let’s turn our attention to some solutions. Possible response to this issue is I should eat meat once monthly to reduce the percentage of food. A further idea concern for stuff which I must keep my mobile phone for long time without changing it and we don’t have to switch on all AC and lights if there no one at home. . One last way to approach this predicament which was the major one is I have to sell my 4x4 car and buy small car and I think it will be a good idea to share one car with my brother to go to work which could may help to reduce our carbon footprint.

In conclusion, the carbon footprint calculator is a good example for getting new information of our carbon footprint which I didn’t care about before. I think also each person must take this exam to know his carbon footprint maybe after that we will live with an earth without any source of pollution.

What should be done in Abu Dhabi to make people more aware of Global Warming?

2008-05-08T04:28:00.001-07:00

- I think most of the people in Abu Dhabi don’t know about this situation and the way to make aware them as Abu Dhabi’s government did when they made the project called “ Masdar” which means a city empty from any source of gas or carbon that could make global warming.

- Another thing I think it will work if we put an advertisement poster in the street or in our local newspaper and magazines which talk about the global warming and the danger of it in our life.

- Doing some lectures about the global warming and invite the people to come and tell them one week before the lecture to have a bigger of audience.

"Why is it called “An Inconvenient Truth”?

2008-05-08T03:57:00.000-07:00

Many people who live on this earth don’t know about something that could happen in the future that will affect their lives. Even if they know about global warming, they still don’t want to change their life even it this case will damage their beautiful earth.

Introduction about Cool Cities

2008-05-08T03:08:00.000-07:00

The Cool Cities is a newest project in the 21th century that hopefully would happen all over the world. What does it mean? It means that the city which is free from any source of pollution like gases or carbon that will cause global warming. This point will help us to solve and find the solution of this problem and lead us to live in a safe and clean earth which will save our planet. In this project I am going to provide the information of the advantages of Cool Cities.

Critical Thinking

2008-05-03T04:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2867241/Critical-Thinking

Illegal logging in the Indonesia rainforest

2008-04-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

Indonesia has a wealth of natural resources such as oil, coal and metals. 10% of the world animals and plants are founded in Indonesia. Also, it has the biggest rainforest in the world called “Papua”, but it’s decreasing nowadays.

Several adverse conditions have contributed to this growing concern. One obvious point to take into consideration is that 2,500 of people were killed because of the flood damage in China. The government of China stopped people cutting down trees in China. Following that, they went to Indonesia to imported the logs illegally because it had many timber and the Indonesian people tried to trade it behind the government with the people in China. China's timber imports doubled between 1997-2002, and it became the world's second largest timber importer after the USA. It is estimated that an illegal log is processed in China every minute.

Let’s turn our attention to some solutions. A possible response to this issue which China’s government said that they have to grow their own timber. China is starting to plant more forests to sustainably produce timber of its own. UK and Denmark are showing an example in the developed world by only importing timber that is produce from legal sources. Campaigns are raising awareness to encourage change.

After I mentioned the problems and solutions I found that the Chine’s and Indonesia’s government must put and warning advertisements to tell the people about the importance of keeping their rainforest.

Lebanon

2008-03-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

Country Name: Lebanon
Geographical Area: 10,452 sq km
Population: 4.4 million (based on World Bank data, 2002)
Capital City: Beirut
People: Arabs, Kurds and Armenians
Language: The official language is Arabic; however French and English are widely spoken
Religion: Islam and Christianity are main religions
Government Type: Republic

Introduction

The Facts give you basic information while the Travel Essentials list main travelers' hints. Lebanon lies to the east of the Mediterranean, sharing borders in the north and the east with Syria, and in the south with Israel. It is a mountainous country and enjoys an essentially Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and long warm summers. It was called in the bible “The Land of Milk and Honey” and the nickname for Beirut which is the capital of Lebanon is “Paris of the East”. The famous singer is half Lebanese is Shakira .

Modern History

From 1943 to 1984 there were circumstances that contributed to increasing tensions between Muslims and Christians when the Lebanon gained independence from France in 1943. At the time Christian’s balance of power and Lebanese Muslims had little say in the running of their country. This tension reached their peak in 1975, because the members of a Christian group, the Phalange attacked and killed a bus full of Palestinians down town Beirut. “The Green Line” was a result of the tension and served as a way of separate Palestinians from Christian Phalange. In 1982, the Israel army invaded the city to remove the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The peace deal reached in 1989. The human and economic costs of the conflict were:-
· 150,000 – 20,000 people died
· Another 300,000 wounded
· Beirut economy was paralyzed

Lebanon Now

There are some signs of social and economic recovery in Beirut like, building cranes are everyday and US – style shopping malls have sprouted up across the city. On the Cornish, businessmen in Western suits. Teenager girls on roller blades share the wide walkway dressed in black dresses, robes, coats and scarves. Also the Muslim’s girl has Christian boyfriend. Nowadays, there are some current problems in the country such as:
· There are two groups and they have different thoughts for each group.
· Until now the two groups didn’t agree together to choose a president of Lebanon.

Somthing about me :)

2008-03-16T02:37:00.000-07:00

My name is Adel. I am 23 years old. I was born in Al Ruwais which is a small village far away from Abu Dhabi may be one hour and half to reach there. I’m studying in Abu Dhabi Men College as a student in semester two. My major is Food Science. At the same time I work as a food inspector in Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority so I have an experience in my major.
My life when I was child was very simple, but it was better than now because all my family was sit together most of the time. Nowadays my father is busy or has more than one wife and he doesn’t have much time to stay with his children and see what they need for their life.
I have many hobbies. My favorite hobby is taking photos because I like to keep happy memories for the future. Many things in nature attract me like sunsets, sunrises and the beach. As you will see in the picture, I took a picture for the worst day in the UAE which was on the 11th of March 2008 when the biggest car accident in the Arabian Gulf because of the fog. I will let you to see the picture and I will wait for your comments.

The fog in Abu Dhabi from my camera.

Another hobby is camping. I like to go camping with my friends and somtimes I take my family in a trip in the desert. As you will see below, I uploaded some pictures from my trip when I was in Awafi in Ras Al Khaima ( RAK ) and again I will let you to see some pictures fro my trip.

Ra3ee_Vtc

2008-02-27T04:46:00.000-08:00

Nissan Patrol VTC

The car which the most of the local men look for it because it's wanted.

This is my car.