Comments on: Podcast: Interview with Yara Al Wazir on The Green Initiative in Kuwait http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/ Thinking Ahead Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:46:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mina http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23689 Mina Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:14:20 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23689 Hey Yara, thank you a lot for your interesting answer! I think it's interesting how weather conditions and status can help determine what is deemed acceptable or not. Over here, of course a lot of cars are used as status symbols, like unfortunately in most places, but at the same time, especially for the educated middle class, it has become some kind of status symbol as well to say that certain things (like owning a car) aren't done anymore, like you can afford to not do them (for example living in a city where this is possible is more expensive than living in the countryside). Bikes used to be for lower classes over here as well, at least in certain regions, but it is even 'chic' now to use them - and some people have really fancy bikes! We don't have to deal with weather that is that hot, you're right about that - we do have to deal with the other side - rain, wind, snow.... But of course it's a lot easier to protect yourself from than from a burning sun! Once people ask more for certain facilities, those will start to be created! What you do for that, for changing the mind set, is probably the most important step! I would be curious to know what you think about the use of nuclear energy. This is a very debated topic here and people have lots of different ideas about it. Is this being discussed in Kuwait at all? Hey Yara, thank you a lot for your interesting answer! I think it’s interesting how weather conditions and status can help determine what is deemed acceptable or not. Over here, of course a lot of cars are used as status symbols, like unfortunately in most places, but at the same time, especially for the educated middle class, it has become some kind of status symbol as well to say that certain things (like owning a car) aren’t done anymore, like you can afford to not do them (for example living in a city where this is possible is more expensive than living in the countryside). Bikes used to be for lower classes over here as well, at least in certain regions, but it is even ‘chic’ now to use them – and some people have really fancy bikes! We don’t have to deal with weather that is that hot, you’re right about that – we do have to deal with the other side – rain, wind, snow…. But of course it’s a lot easier to protect yourself from than from a burning sun!
Once people ask more for certain facilities, those will start to be created! What you do for that, for changing the mind set, is probably the most important step!
I would be curious to know what you think about the use of nuclear energy. This is a very debated topic here and people have lots of different ideas about it. Is this being discussed in Kuwait at all?

]]> By: Nissim Dahan (Israel/USA) http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23688 Nissim Dahan (Israel/USA) Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:04:47 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23688 Yara, I will be getting in touch with you shortly. Thanks for the website. My partners and I are putting the details of our project together, even as we speak, and I will keep you posted as to any progress. We are in the process of trying to secure a Palestinian partner, and will know something in a few days. Wish us luck. Yara, I will be getting in touch with you shortly. Thanks for the website. My partners and I are putting the details of our project together, even as we speak, and I will keep you posted as to any progress. We are in the process of trying to secure a Palestinian partner, and will know something in a few days. Wish us luck.

]]> By: Yara http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23687 Yara Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:00:22 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23687 Nissim, TGI's website is: http://thegreeninitiative.wordpress.com Mina, honestly speaking, I can't imagine Kuwait without a car (unless i consider taxis!). Public transport in Kuwait is limited to buses. Some of the lower-class migrant workers (i.e cleaners, office cafeteria people, etc) do ride bikes. I totally get what you mean about gas and taxes; we don't have taxes and gas is cheaper than water. That's why the streets are filled with SUVs, 4X4s and hundreds of other fuel inefficient cars. But I get where you're coming from and how you don't own a car. I spent a month in England this summer and the only time I got in a car was from the airport to home - aside from that I relied on trains and my trusty feet! The town was small, everything was within 40minutes walking distance and it was all fine, but I'll admit the weather encouraged walking, unfortunatley walking in 45C + weather in Kuwait isn't always fun. As far as I know, the government doesn't offer subsidies for green business/homes/thinking. Maybe with time, and with them realising how great it would be they'll start :) Thanks for the encouragement! TGI's (temporary) website is: http://thegreeninitiative.wordpress.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/yaraw Nissim, TGI’s website is: http://thegreeninitiative.wordpress.com

Mina, honestly speaking, I can’t imagine Kuwait without a car (unless i consider taxis!). Public transport in Kuwait is limited to buses. Some of the lower-class migrant workers (i.e cleaners, office cafeteria people, etc) do ride bikes.
I totally get what you mean about gas and taxes; we don’t have taxes and gas is cheaper than water. That’s why the streets are filled with SUVs, 4X4s and hundreds of other fuel inefficient cars.

But I get where you’re coming from and how you don’t own a car. I spent a month in England this summer and the only time I got in a car was from the airport to home – aside from that I relied on trains and my trusty feet! The town was small, everything was within 40minutes walking distance and it was all fine, but I’ll admit the weather encouraged walking, unfortunatley walking in 45C + weather in Kuwait isn’t always fun.

As far as I know, the government doesn’t offer subsidies for green business/homes/thinking. Maybe with time, and with them realising how great it would be they’ll start :) Thanks for the encouragement!

TGI’s (temporary) website is: http://thegreeninitiative.wordpress.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/yaraw

]]> By: Mina http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23686 Mina Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:36:03 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23686 Hi Yara, I think it's very encouraging to see your enthusiasm! It's great to see that there are more and more people world-wide who care and make a difference, even though we still have a long way to go. So keep up the good work and I wish you all the best with it! After reading the comments I would like to know if in Kuwait it is even really "possible" to live comfortably without a car. I live in a bigger city in the "evil West" ;) and here it's pretty comfortable to use public transportation and bikes. So my husband and I don't own a car because we don't need it. Also, gas and taxes for cars are very high, so instead of spending all that money for a car, we spend money on trains and subaways every now and then (+ buy new bikes when the old ones got stolen). On a bike you're one among many, so it's not very dangerous. Still, I have been to cities (for example Cairo or New York) where I really wouldn't want to ride a bike + where it's close to impossible to get around by public transportation. So how does all that work in Kuwait? I've noticed here that people become more environmentally conscious when the government gives incentives. For example there are grants for building environmentally-friendly or for using renewable energies. That way, the government gets people to invest money in for example making their homes energy-efficient. This also seems to work for small things, for example there are nearly no cans anymore since we have a deposit on cans (people don't want to spend that money and are too lazy to bring the cans back to the shops to get their deposit back - so they just don't buy them anymore). Also, plastic bags aren't free - suddenly people don't use them anymore but bring their own bags. (You're probably pretty well aware of these issues...) But I guess the first step is raising people's awareness about these issues.... It's great what you're doing! Hi Yara,
I think it’s very encouraging to see your enthusiasm! It’s great to see that there are more and more people world-wide who care and make a difference, even though we still have a long way to go. So keep up the good work and I wish you all the best with it!
After reading the comments I would like to know if in Kuwait it is even really “possible” to live comfortably without a car. I live in a bigger city in the “evil West” ;) and here it’s pretty comfortable to use public transportation and bikes. So my husband and I don’t own a car because we don’t need it. Also, gas and taxes for cars are very high, so instead of spending all that money for a car, we spend money on trains and subaways every now and then (+ buy new bikes when the old ones got stolen). On a bike you’re one among many, so it’s not very dangerous. Still, I have been to cities (for example Cairo or New York) where I really wouldn’t want to ride a bike + where it’s close to impossible to get around by public transportation. So how does all that work in Kuwait?
I’ve noticed here that people become more environmentally conscious when the government gives incentives. For example there are grants for building environmentally-friendly or for using renewable energies. That way, the government gets people to invest money in for example making their homes energy-efficient. This also seems to work for small things, for example there are nearly no cans anymore since we have a deposit on cans (people don’t want to spend that money and are too lazy to bring the cans back to the shops to get their deposit back – so they just don’t buy them anymore). Also, plastic bags aren’t free – suddenly people don’t use them anymore but bring their own bags. (You’re probably pretty well aware of these issues…)
But I guess the first step is raising people’s awareness about these issues…. It’s great what you’re doing!

]]> By: Sami, the beduin. http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23685 Sami, the beduin. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:45:30 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23685 Yara, <blockquote>We’re always buying things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like </blockquote> That's a great saying !!! It lead me to think that the companies, all the copmpanies, sell you actually not the product itself, but the dream of it.... they have their own psychologists. social researchers, anthropologists to study the society, any society to sell them the dream !! Just like the zionists, deceive us, the gullible arabs and sell us the dream of peace while actually aiming at full surrender and sharing us our money... I dont buy their dreams and live my reality !! Go ahead, and study carefully all the aspect, and the most important dont be deceived by the well canned productes of "peace" and "grean" nature... they are very, very tricky in packing the dream of "peace" with golden and silver ornaments that bewilder the gullibles with their shimmering lights of "peace" "brotherhood" globalism" and the<a href="http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/07/06/mocia-the-tricky-jewish-girl-and-me/" rel="nofollow"> tricky stuff </a>!!! All the best Yara, Sami, the bedouin. Yara,

We’re always buying things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like

That’s a great saying !!! It lead me to think that the companies, all the copmpanies, sell you actually not the product itself, but the dream of it…. they have their own psychologists. social researchers, anthropologists to study the society, any society to sell them the dream !!

Just like the zionists, deceive us, the gullible arabs and sell us the dream of peace while actually aiming at full surrender and sharing us our money… I dont buy their dreams and live my reality !!

Go ahead, and study carefully all the aspect, and the most important dont be deceived by the well canned productes of “peace” and “grean” nature… they are very, very tricky in packing the dream of “peace” with golden and silver ornaments that bewilder the gullibles with their shimmering lights of “peace” “brotherhood” globalism” and the tricky stuff !!!

All the best Yara,

Sami, the bedouin.

]]> By: Sami, the beduin. http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23684 Sami, the beduin. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:39:24 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23684 Nissim, Am I "troubled"? Fine, rest happy and smile to yourself for this new discovery. My belief cant be shaken that the WEST is the source of all the devils on earth and they, FUNNY, come to teach us how to clean their shit !!! Sami, the bedouin. Nissim,

Am I “troubled”?

Fine, rest happy and smile to yourself for this new discovery.

My belief cant be shaken that the WEST is the source of all the devils on earth and they, FUNNY, come to teach us how to clean their shit !!!

Sami, the bedouin.

]]> By: Yara http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23683 Yara Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:12:51 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23683 Oh, and Sami, check this out: http://www.breathingearth.net/ Oh, and Sami, check this out: http://www.breathingearth.net/

]]> By: Yara http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23682 Yara Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:10:12 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23682 Sami, there are many htings one must consider when claiming 'pollution'; visual, noise, air, water, etc. While New York may be one of the cities with the worse noise pollutions, it actually emits less than 1% of the USA's CO2, despite it housing 2.7% of the population. Mind you, CO2 emissions isn't the most accurate way to measure environmental impact as it only takes into account CO2 emissions and ignores other greenhouse gases and other factors. A more accurate way would be comparing ecological footprints. Kuwait and the UAE have the highest eco-deficit/capita in the world, followed by the USA And fyi, the USA's emissions are about 30% of Africa's :) I do however agree that consumerism has us consuming our resources to death. We're always buying things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't like - there's no denying that. Wars. They're serious issues too. It pollutes the air, water and contaminates the land (not to mention displaces thousands, which leads to urbanisation) Are the west to blame for that? Sure. But who are we to cast blame and point fingers? I applaud your family for not owning a car, kudos to them! Nissim, I find your project very interesting. I just visited the website and I loved the 'buy hope' idea. The red cross in Germany (ithink it was Germany) had a project around christmas of 2008 where they literally sold 'hope cards'! Contact details for me are on the tgi website, I look forward to hearing about your project! Sami, there are many htings one must consider when claiming ‘pollution’; visual, noise, air, water, etc.
While New York may be one of the cities with the worse noise pollutions, it actually emits less than 1% of the USA’s CO2, despite it housing 2.7% of the population.
Mind you, CO2 emissions isn’t the most accurate way to measure environmental impact as it only takes into account CO2 emissions and ignores other greenhouse gases and other factors. A more accurate way would be comparing ecological footprints. Kuwait and the UAE have the highest eco-deficit/capita in the world, followed by the USA

And fyi, the USA’s emissions are about 30% of Africa’s :)

I do however agree that consumerism has us consuming our resources to death. We’re always buying things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like – there’s no denying that.
Wars. They’re serious issues too. It pollutes the air, water and contaminates the land (not to mention displaces thousands, which leads to urbanisation) Are the west to blame for that? Sure. But who are we to cast blame and point fingers?

I applaud your family for not owning a car, kudos to them!

Nissim, I find your project very interesting. I just visited the website and I loved the ‘buy hope’ idea. The red cross in Germany (ithink it was Germany) had a project around christmas of 2008 where they literally sold ‘hope cards’!
Contact details for me are on the tgi website, I look forward to hearing about your project!

]]> By: Nissim Dahan (Israel/USA) http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23681 Nissim Dahan (Israel/USA) Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:32:48 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23681 Yara, I really admire your work, and I especially appreciate how you got Sami in trouble. You're right to focus on the environment. If some of the predictions come true, we are all "dead men walking" if we don't find a way to protect our environment, even if it means re-looking as some of the basic assumptions we've made in our modern lives. For example, maybe it's not so smart to run our economies on fossil fuels? I am working on a project that you may be interested in, and that you are welcome to join, as an equal partner. Several universities in the region and beyond will be collaborating to educate the brightest kids on science, and particularly on the environment. The program will begin with internet based courses, along with face-to-face lab work, and summer programs as well. We will also collaborate on scientific research related to the environmental issues endemic to the region, such as water shortages and the like. For example, my friend at the Technion of Israel just discovered a way to grow fruits and vegetables using 2/3 less water. Believe it or not, his plants look better than regular ones. They are specially designed for drought conditions. As we develop scientific solutions to our environmental problems, we want the scientists to partner with entrepreneurs, so that this research is used to create jobs and profits, for a new Palestine, and for all the countries of the region that want to participate. It is a bold plan, but we're starting to raise money for it. I like it because it is a neutral pathway to peace. It is a way of bringing people together to work on common issues, like the environment, and hopefully, once they get to know one another, they will see that they share more in common than divides them. I would love for you and your friends to be a part of it, and if you wish, I could send you additional information. Keep up the good work. We are all proud of you. And we depend on you, and your generation, to be smarter than we are when it comes to this precious jewel we call earth. Yara, I really admire your work, and I especially appreciate how you got Sami in trouble.

You’re right to focus on the environment. If some of the predictions come true, we are all “dead men walking” if we don’t find a way to protect our environment, even if it means re-looking as some of the basic assumptions we’ve made in our modern lives. For example, maybe it’s not so smart to run our economies on fossil fuels?

I am working on a project that you may be interested in, and that you are welcome to join, as an equal partner. Several universities in the region and beyond will be collaborating to educate the brightest kids on science, and particularly on the environment. The program will begin with internet based courses, along with face-to-face lab work, and summer programs as well.

We will also collaborate on scientific research related to the environmental issues endemic to the region, such as water shortages and the like. For example, my friend at the Technion of Israel just discovered a way to grow fruits and vegetables using 2/3 less water. Believe it or not, his plants look better than regular ones. They are specially designed for drought conditions.

As we develop scientific solutions to our environmental problems, we want the scientists to partner with entrepreneurs, so that this research is used to create jobs and profits, for a new Palestine, and for all the countries of the region that want to participate.

It is a bold plan, but we’re starting to raise money for it. I like it because it is a neutral pathway to peace. It is a way of bringing people together to work on common issues, like the environment, and hopefully, once they get to know one another, they will see that they share more in common than divides them.

I would love for you and your friends to be a part of it, and if you wish, I could send you additional information.

Keep up the good work. We are all proud of you. And we depend on you, and your generation, to be smarter than we are when it comes to this precious jewel we call earth.

]]> By: Sami, the beduin. http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/08/21/podcast-interview-with-yara-al-wazir-on-the-green-initiative-in-kuwait/#comment-23680 Sami, the beduin. Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:52:09 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=5034#comment-23680 Yara, You are great... I am so sorry if offended you in any way !! You are smart girl, sharp and courageous !!! I was all the time talking of the source of the disaster (which you have to study carefully) that relies heavily on the Modern industry and the greedy companies !!! just think how many scandals of cancerous products they export to you happened in the past few years... shall i mention facts of numerous shipments that were retured to their source from the Gulf Sea? Never mind Yara..... No, I dont have no car at all, but my family has some sheep for living and a donkey !! We are very, very downearthy people fighting for our bread and freedom All the best Yara Sami, the bedouin Yara,

You are great… I am so sorry if offended you in any way !!

You are smart girl, sharp and courageous !!!

I was all the time talking of the source of the disaster (which you have to study carefully) that relies heavily on the Modern industry and the greedy companies !!! just think how many scandals of cancerous products they export to you happened in the past few years… shall i mention facts of numerous shipments that were retured to their source from the Gulf Sea?

Never mind Yara….. No, I dont have no car at all, but my family has some sheep for living and a donkey !! We are very, very downearthy people fighting for our bread and freedom

All the best Yara

Sami, the bedouin

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