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I just arrived back from Pakistan a little while ago. By the way my family and I were in Pakistan when the assassination took place and I have to say that I found the media coverage here to be very distorted…but we can discuss this later.
I have not been back for several years and each time I go back I am surprised by the changes taking place. When I was in Pakistan seven years ago businesses had started converting their diesel vehicles (mostly trucks) to use bio fuels. This was due to the high price of petroleum.
This time I noticed a plethora of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations across Lahore. CNG is now being used by individuals and businesses, again due to the high price of petroleum. When people use CNG they do so primarily to save money, but an off shoot of this is cleaner air and less greenhouse emissions (about 90% less as reported by CNG.com.pk).
The International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) ranks Pakistan as second in the total number of CNG vehicles on the road. This might not be the most accurate figure as Green Car Congress reports that some “50, 000 vehicles a month are converting to CNG” in Pakistan.
Another great thing about the current proliferation of CNG is what it has done for passengers of rickshaws.
Two of my cousins and I decided to go for a trek to the Lahore Fort. Unfortunately the vehicles in our household were being used so my cousin suggested going by rickshaw. Having traveled by rickshaw seven years ago I hesitated. “Listen why not just take a taxi” I said. “Then we don’t have to deal with the fumes and the bumpy ride.”
However the new CNG rickshaws emit little fumes, are not as loud, and have a smoother ride. I can’t say the smoother ride or the reduced noise had much to do with CNG. It may have had more to do with the fact the rickshaw was new and was fitted with a better suspension system and a noise reducing device thing-a-ma-giggie.
The use of CNG seems like a win/win situation where people and businesses benefit with reduced costs in fuel, the creation of jobs that helps the economy. Plus many countries have huge reserves of natural gas which eliminates the need for oil transportation (and potential spills). And everyone benefits with cleaner air (unless you really enjoy breathing in diesel and petrol fumes…hey you never know).
The potential downside is that CNG still produces greenhouse emissions (though significantly less). As well, (and this is dependant on what report you read) CNG takes up four times the space of petrol to provide the same amount of energy.
Son of Libyan leader, Moamer Kadhafi, Seif al-Islam Kadhafi will head up an environmental effort to perverse the ecological and cultural make up of the Green Mountain region.
Norman foster, whos firm (Foster and Partners) is well know for other environmental initiatives such as Abu Dubai’s zero emission city, will be developing the plan for this conservation and restoration effort.
The Green Mountain project is multi-fold and will include renewable energy, eco-tourism, conservation of land, plants, and animals, and preservation of local culture through cottage industry development.
Posted by: Editor
The following story was submitted by Mohamad Chakaki and can be found at World Changing.com. The original piece was posted on World Changing and is written by Dawn Danby. ____________________________________________
South Africa‘s Roundabout has devised a way to harness the energy generated by kids playing (ingenious in itself), as they spin on an outdoor merry-go-round. Carrying water several kilometres per day results in hours of lost employment, and widespread use of poor-quality water; this is a win-win alternative.
NPR’s The World recently reported on the playpumps:
“The children push the merry-go-round again and again. As they run, a device in the ground beneath them begins to turn. With every rotation of the merry-go-round, water is pumped out of a well, up through a pipe, and into a tank high above the playground. “
A few feet away from all the fun, students in uniform turn on a tap. Clean, cold drinking water pours out. This is Motshegofadiwa Primary School, 15 miles north of Pretoria. Its in a town called Stinkwater; locals say theres a good reason for that name.
The water around here used to smell. School Principal Peter Banyana says the water supply was also erratic before the Play-Pump arrived… Now Banyana says the children can pump enough water for everyone.
There are 500 Play-Pumps around South Africa, most of them installed at schools like this one, where students live in poverty and resources are few.
The roundabouts also serve to display social marketing on AIDS awareness, and are partly financed by billboard advertisements.
Posted by: Editor
ecoislam.org 