Kuwait property firm inks recycling pact

Kuwait-based Al Massaleh Real Estate said it has signed an agreement with Istidamah Holding to help recycle and reduce waste at its headquarters for a better environment. A specialist in waste management and recycling solutions, Istidamah said its goal is to use professional expertise and the services to assist companies in developing their recycling programs. Announcing the deal, chairman and managing director Najeeb Al Saleh, said: 'Messaleh is committed to managing its business in a responsible fashion, which includes considering the impact on the environment of all our operations.' 'This agreement means that we will now be able to ensure that paper waste at our headquarters at Universal Towers will in future be recycled properly and reused, rather than dumped or burned,' he stated. “We know that the consumption of paper has increased significantly
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Green Is Gold For State Builders

Tamil Nadu Developers Grab Business Opportunity As Eco Buildings Get Popular; Clients Save On Energy, Water Bills Today's monoliths of concrete, glass and steel will soon be replaced by green, selfsufficient buildings and towns. Eco-friendly blueprints are off the drawing board, hauled onward by energy-saving rafters and photovoltaic louvres on gigantic cranes, as the cities of the future rise from the grime of urban sprawl. While these new cities are taking shape in China, the United States and various European countries, builders in Tamil Nadu are getting into the act too, constructing ecologically sustainable buildings that generate their own power, stay cool with cornices covered with native plant species that require little water and save electricity with occupancy sensor-fitted lighting. According to the Indian green building council (IGBC), there has been a sharp
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With 42 green buildings, city leads the pack

CHENNAI: The state may be hobbled by a severe power shortage, but its capital is home to more green buildings than any other city in the country. Chennai is home to 42 of the 212 structures in India that are certified as eco-friendly by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). One of the Green Buildings in Chennai Chennai is followed by Mumbai, with 29 green buildings, and the National Capital Region (28), among cities awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by IGBC. Hyderabad and Bangalore are tied in fourth place with 24 each and Kolkata is sixth with eight. Tamil Nadu tops the states with 47 green buildings and 57 more have been registered for certification in 2011, a big increase over previous years. Sriperumbadur has three green buildings ,
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Reaffirm your green values by saying no to plastic

Disposable plastic is a myth and hence it's imperative that anti-pollution campaigns are able to get more people to stop using it altogether Next time you go shopping and carry your purchases home in a plastic bag, think and realize that you are contributing to toxic plastic pollution. The type of pollution caused by plastic has irreversible ill-effects that will affect many generations to come. Plastic is one of the major toxic pollutants of our time. Its repercussions are expanding at a catastrophic rate. Composed of toxic chemicals and most importantly, being a non-biodegradable substance, plastic causes pollution at every stage of its existence: manufacture, use and disposal. Disposable plastic is a myth. It is a material that the Earth cannot digest. Once plastic is produced, the harm introduced is almost permanent. "When you recycle
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Bahrain firm inks Indonesia water contract

PT Moya Indonesia, a subsidiary of Bahrain holding company Moya, has signed a 25-year build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract with the Indonesian Municipal Authority for the country's biggest fresh water treatment complex. Moya, co-founded by Gulf One Investment Bank and Bushnak Group led by Dr Adil Bushnak, is a GCC-based joint stock company focusing on providing water supply and related infrastructure in the GCC and Southeast Asia regions. Its other major shareholders include Energy and Environmental Solutions Company, Tamimi Company and Hoshanco from Saudi Arabia. Moya said the contract with the Indonesian municipal authority PDAM Tangerang includes design, build, upgrade, uprate, operate and transfer of a fresh water treatment complex and associated network development, thus providing clean water supply for Tangerang City, Indonesia. The Tangerang project will be divided into three zones, each with a
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Grand Hyatt plants flowers at school

Grand Hyatt Doha organized the planting of a large number of plants and flowers at the Bonaparte School yesterday (Feb.20,2012). The hotel is known for having large and well maintained gardens throughout the property, and has been working to promote greener thinking among young people here after working with institutions such as Doha English Speaking School to take part in a planting session last year. Director of engineering at the hotel, Yannick Jernival decided to repeat the initiative this year, and yesterday he expressed his belief that “it is essential that kids have access to the outdoor environment, giving them a first-hand experience of the natural world”. Jernival said: “Being a father of a four year old son, I think it is important to create a beautiful multi-sensory play environment with creative choices
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Bahrain's new power, water plant starts operation

The Al Dur Power and Water Company's plant in Bahrain achieved full commercial operation earlier this month, it was announced today. Al Dur is the largest independent power and water desalination plant in Bahrain, producing 1,234 MW of power and 48 MIGD of water. The announcement was made by partners IPR-GDF Suez Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Gulf Investment Corporation, the Social Insurance Organization, Capital Management House, Bahrain Islamic Bank, First Energy Bank and Bunyah, an Instrata Capital managed fund. The Bahraini Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) is the sole off-taker of the plant output as stipulated in the 25-year Power and Water Purchase Agreement. Al Dur was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries and uses General Electric turbines for the two power blocks. The plant utilizes Reverse Osmosis (RO) as its water desalination technology.
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Deal to provide key services for Pearl-Qatar

The Pearl-Qatar Central Authority Directorate (Tcad), managed by Madinainova, has signed an agreement with the United Facilities Management Company (Ufmco) to manage and provide key services for The Pearl-Qatar. Ufmco will provide a range of facilities management services to Madinainova, which manages both Tcad and The Pearl-Qatar Master Community, ensuring that the community’s assets, infrastructure and environment are maintained to the highest standards. The services it will render include engineering infrastructure maintenance, cleaning of roads and public areas, irrigation and landscaping, beach cleaning, maintaining fountains and water features, cleaning of the coastal waters and canals, pest control, waste collection and roads and lighting of public areas. Tcad director Abdulrahim al-Ibrahim said Ufmco would ensure the continued smooth running of life on the Island for current residents, future residents and visitors. “As our Island community
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Hanging Balcony Gardens a Beautiful Solution for the Urban Farmer

Urban gardens don’t have to be restricted to rooftops alone – they can flourish on balconies, where everyone can see them. There’s a bit of a paradox within the guidelines for environmentally friendly living.  It is widely agreed upon that dense urban living is better for the environment, but it is also true that it is eco-friendlier to live closer to your food sources (to reduce the polluting transportation that brings your food to you).  And therein lies the grub: it’s tough to be close to your food sources when you live in a dense, urban environment. Which is why urban environmentalists have been trying to find ways to bring their food sources closer to home.  Most of these solutions have come in the form of rooftop gardens, which are an excellent
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New Green Roofed School in Kuwait Will Promote Hands on Agricultural Learning

When we think of Kuwait, not only do we have a hard time getting past the young hunter who killed a wolf and then posed for a series of family shots, but we also envision an unforgivable industrial landscape pocked with oil drilling platforms and desalination plants. While not entirely inaccurate, present day Kuwait belies a fertile past. Educators are hoping to reinvigorate “the Cradle of Civilization” with a new green roofed school designed by Perkins + Will that promotes hands-on agricultural learning. Kuwait used to have a strong agricultural movement, which this new school will hopefully help to revive. The Kuwait Teaching School will double as a K-12 school and a teaching environment for the University students at the nearby School of Education, according to World Architecture News. This new school
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The World’s Most Beautiful Mosque in Malaysia is Vulnerable to Rising Seas

The Malacca Straits Mosque in Malaysia is arguably the world’s most beautiful and it is vulnerable to rising seas. Malaysia is one of the few countries that share Dubai’s obsession with manmade islands and grandeur. We have often cast a critical eye on the Emirate’s core developers for building artificial islands that have wrecked havoc on the Gulf’s marine environment, but the danger doesn’t end there. As increasing levels of greenhouse gases choke the planet and giant plumes of methane fast-track global warming, glaciers and ice caps melt, leaving all low-lying and coastal developments vulnerable to rising sea levels. Take a look at the beautiful Malacca Straits Mosque in Malaysia. It was propped up on concrete pillars, but how will it fare in a few decades when the Strait of Malacca is
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Cycle of life: Who's stealing our bikes?

Dubai's biggest community of bicycle riders cries foul over rampant thefts at Dubai Dry Docks The theft of bicycles in Dubai's biggest community of cycle users, the Dubai Dry Docks workers, has become so common that people have come to accept it as a fact of daily life. A estimated 8000 people belonging to around 60 nationalities work at the docks, one of the world's biggest merchant ship-repair facilities that opened in 1983. Nearly every worker uses a bicycle to travel from their camp off Jumeirah Road to the ships docked for repairs or overhaul, covering a distance of up to 3km. Each change of shift unleashes a constant flow of cycle-clad workers. A cycle helps cut a 20 to 30-minute walk from the docks to the mess hall (workers are provided free food
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Taj Palace Dubai wins EarthCheck recognition

The Taj Palace Hotel Dubai has earned a silver certificate from EarthCheck, a major environmental management programme, in recognition of its commitment to social and environmental sustainability. To be awarded certification hotels have to demonstrate strict environmental sustainability with their performance monitored through regular ongoing benchmarking and audits conducted by an independent third party. “Going through the process of attaining this certification has allowed us to identify areas where we could improve our performance in terms of the environmental impacts of our industry” said Andreas Mueller, general manager Taj Palace Hotel Dubai. “But this is really just the start of the journey for us as we continue to build on what we have achieved over the last 12 months and to build a more responsible tourism model.” The Taj Palace Hotel was benchmarked in
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Shaikh Mohammad launches environment awards

Dh1 million will be dispersed to leaders within the environmental community in five categories Environmental efforts to improve the ecology of the UAE will be recognized through a series of Emirates Appreciation Awards for the Environment rolled out on Wednesday in Dubai. The awards were created by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and is in conjunction with the Higher Committee of the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment. The award will be done every two years and Dh1 million will be dispersed to leaders within the environmental community in five categories with a cash prize of Dh200,000 each, said Minister of Environment and Water Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd in a press conference. "This award was created to stimulate and appreciate all of
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Database to help Abu Dhabi assess emission levels

Abu Dhabi, The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) is organizing a workshop to familiarize entities concerned with greenhouse gas emissions, estimation tools and methods in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines. Representatives of government entities at the local and federal level responsible for overseeing key emitting sectors — namely energy, industrial processes and product use, land use, land-use change and forestry, agriculture and waste — are attending the two-week capacity-building workshop, inaugurated on Sunday. Strategies The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory Project was launched by EAD in 2011 with the aim of compiling an inventory database on greenhouse gas emissions for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The database will help the Abu Dhabi government develop strategies to assess and monitor the levels of emissions as well as the ‘sinks' that absorb
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