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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Hug a Tree, Kuwait! Kuwait's Environmental Projects

New National Motto: Come to Kuwait! We have no bush.....
tee hee

If Kuwait has plans to plant 1 million trees, why is the municipality cutting down the existing ones? Ok, I know that the municipality is just the hit man, but that someone else is giving the order – a cabinet maybe? Well, come out of that closet and hug a tree!

All over Kuwait, tree murders are taking place at an astronomical rate. Look around and you will find bush whackers. Bayam! Another tree or bush or shrub bites the dust – and I do mean dust because in a short while, that is all that will be left anywhere. I thought Kuwait was trying to be "progressive". What UP?

Powers that be: Puhleeze – make it against the law for the government and anyone else to cut down a tree!

Who has the contract for procurement and installation of trees? Just wondering. I know that someone had the ugly plastic light-up tree contract for several years. Ugly plastic light-up palm trees were everywhere in Kuwait. It looked like a 70's disco around here for a while. All they needed were the plastic lei's (don't get me started).... I can't help it. Plastic lays aren't even real lays. Artificial lays. Go for the real lays. Uh.. I mean lei....

“Thursday, October 23, 2008 - The Higher Committee of the Friends of the Environment Campaign Thursday reported the launch of the second phase of a project, which involves planting one million trees in Kuwait, upon directives of and encouragement of His Highness the Amir. LINK

The first phase of this project was launched November 6, 2007 and ended in December 9. It comprised distribution of a million paper bags made from recycled material to be used at the state's different cooperative societies free of charge.”

The paper bag drive at Kuwait's co-ops was the brainchild of Environment Friends Campaign (EFC). EFC is a project which was coordinated between many local companies by a company called Challenge the Era Company (CEC). It is owned by the Al-Wazzan family/group (incase ya don't know: Mowasat Hospital, Ford, etc).

National Bank of Kuwait has recently started a paper waste reduction program through a company called Green Target Company . (I don't have a link to the article, but it was in Al-Watan's Daily paper on November 3, 2008.) GTC lists INJAZ and RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland??? - Dunno) on their site.

INJAZ has an impressive board of directors and I hope they are all participating in recycling efforts. I hope companies like Agility, which has been forward-thinking in their Corporate Social Responsibility endeavors (they actually HAVE an entire CSR department – way to go, Tarek Sultan!) will take up paper recycling efforts also.

Maybe these companies should also look into tire recycling in Kuwait. This photo was in Al-Watan about the increasing amount of tires building up in Jahra. With 1.5 million cars currently on the road in Kuwait, and 50-70,000 more being added each years, that is a hell of a lot of tires. Plans are underway for tire recycling plants in UAE and Saudi Arabia (don't know the status). Kuwait might be selling tires, but someone could be making a huge ROI through recycled products gleaned from tires: For example, 1 car tire produces 4.3 litres of No. 4 fuel oil, 1.4 cubic meters of syngas, 0.9 kilos of steel, and 3.4 kilos of residual carbon. Microwave technology (although expensive) has zero emissions for the recycling of tires.

While the stock market is crashing around us, the businesses that will emerge in Kuwait will be sustainable like the recycling and environmental industries. Kuwait is a consumer country and these business areas haven't even been touched upon.

Mold removal. (I'm giving you free business development advice.). Is anyone in Kuwait doing mold removal; either residentially or commercially? More and more houses are being built close to water. We have several very humid seasons in Kuwait. On my recent apartment search, I can't even tell you how many apartments and homes I've been in with mold growing on the walls. Tremendous ROI: Labor in Kuwait is cheap. Equipment is cheap (sprayers, fans/ventilation, cheap chemicals, biohazard suiting for the labor, maybe a van or two). The process is simple. The key is going to be educating the Kuwaiti public about how dangerous that black stuff on their wall is to their children. It can cause brain problems, respiratory problems, skin rashes, etc. How many kids in Kuwait already have asthma? How much of that is caused by what is in their bedroom and bathroom? Nobody knows. Sorry, but your kadama can only clean so much.

4 comments:

  1. Go, DG! It's about time someone started talking about the destruction of trees. It makes me sick to see them ripped out and left to die. And while we are talking about hugging trees- how about reminding people that they are supposedly evolved and somewhat educated- so why do you throw your trash everywhere but into a garbage container? I have seen people throw litter on the ground right next to a garbage container. So let's leave the trees and bushes planted, plant some more and pick up after ourselves, people!

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  2. Hey ya'll :)

    Desert Girl - I have spent the last 5 days reading over everyone of your past posts. I have never laughed and cried more with and at one person than I did reading them. You have got some really amazing friends too. Ok so I blogged hopped. LOL I can't wait to read more...so plzzz keep up the great writing. I really do admire your courage and honesty.

    As for "Hug a Tree, Kuwait". I agree with everything you said. My ranch is surrounded by over a 100,000 acres of National Forest. I just read that a large paper company bought a lot of the land and so I am waiting to hear and see the first tree fall. It's a shame.

    Neway.....I hope everyone is having a great week. ~ Amirah ~

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  3. we seriously need a zillion trees in kuwait.. this place looks so bland... with all this money, why don't they green out the city like what they have done in Dubai and Abu Dhabi..
    It is so soothing to see greenery when one drives.. perhaps it might even reduce road rage and slow down people on the roads...

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  4. loooooooooooooooooooool
    RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland??? - Dunno)
    Actually RBS stands for a school in subah alsalem called Al'ruya Bilingual School and the GTC company was created by 24 graduated student for INJAZ and they win in the Kuwait and among the other countries.
    site
    http://www.alruyaschool.org/
    or there online courses
    http://www.rbsinfocenter.com/

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by and it is so nice to hear from you! Just a few words on commenting: Through this blog, I won’t tolerate intolerance, hatred, finger-pointing or personal vendettas. If I even get those types of comments, I will most likely delete them because I believe it defeats the purpose of positive efforts and energy. Stop the hate.