The Ecology & Environment Reviews

Un-Halal Treatment of Animals - WARNING: GRAPHIC

2008-08-12T15:04:00.010-04:00

This is not what islam teaches us about how to treat animals.

Source:GoVeg.com

In fact, many of these practices deem the meat none-halal for Muslim consumption.

Check out these references:

Animals that are diseased and/or eat feces are not Halal.

Note for our Judaeo-Christian readers who are unaware of what halal is. Briefly, Halal means "permissible". In the context of foods for human consumption, Halal means "permissible to eat". It is analogous, but not equivalent to kosher. There are many ways that food is considered Halal. For example: dead land animals are NOT Halal, while dead sea animals ARE Halal. Animals that are properly drained of their blood are Halal, while animals that are treated like the some of those in this video are NOT Halal. Some animals in general are not Halal for consumption, such as pigs, animals with talons, claws, or that are scavengers, or carnivores. Also, anything that would harm you, or intoxicate you is deemed none-Halal. Oh, and the proper term for "none-Halal" is Haraam, which you may come to conclude means "un-permissible" or "un-lawful". This, by no means, is the full explanation of Halal. You'd be better off checking one of these links.

Eco-Friendly Bags - a users guide

2008-07-19T02:12:00.003-04:00

You have probably already seen that nearly every grocery or department store is offering eco-friendly bags made of recycled material, such as post-consumer plastics, or fabric. These bags can be rather stylish, and in many cases cost less than a dollar. The use of these bags is a good alternative to the use of plastic bags, which have been a heavy burden on the natural environment. Here are some of the facts about plastic bags:

Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute.
Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade— that means they don’t breakdown into harmless components, they just breakdown into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.

Using high quality reusable bags for taking your groceries home has the potential for reducing thousands of plastic bags per household. These bags have become quite a fad in the current eco-chic era. The question is though, how committed are we to trying to make a difference rather than just making a fashion statement?
In many cases we tend to buy eco-friendly bags to tame our desire to be eco-conscious, and lead a green style of living, but we then forget to bring the bags along with us to the grocery store. We end up either using plastic bags, or even worse, buy a new eco-friendly bag. Now its probably a good idea to have a few eco-bags to hold all the groceries we have, but when we are buying them at the same rate as we would normally use plastic bags, then there is a problem. And here lies the flip side of using eco-friendly bags; they are only as useful as the number of times they replace plastic bags, and reduce the amount of waste we generate.

Don’t fret too much if you’ve forgotten your eco-bags and feel that it has to be one way or the other and give up on eco-bags. If you find that you’ve forgotten your bags and need to use plastic bags, you can take them to some of the large grocery stores, such as Loeb and Loblaws, where they have receptacles for recycling plastic grocery bags.
The underlying message should be that we should actually lead moderate lives and try not to accumulate too much stuff, thus generating a lot of waste. Buy what you need and suffice yourself with that. There is an old Arabic proverb that states: Contentedness is an everlasting treasure.

The Beauty of the Reefs (NG Slideshow)

2008-06-20T16:30:00.001-04:00

Lets try not to destroy these beautiful spots around the globe

"The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And yet you understand not how they declare His glory! Verily He is Oft-Forbear, Most Forgiving!" Quran 17:44

Where Do Your Gadgets Go?

2008-06-05T14:25:00.015-04:00

A couple of entries ago I wrote about a then newly released eco-friendly MacBook Air for my fellow tech enthusiasts out there. The new MacBook Air, boasted a new standard of tech eco-friendliness beyond the energy-wise approach by building the MacBook Air with less toxic components, and reducing harmful chemicals.

Not that you are ready to throw out your brand new MacBook Air, but here's a quick slide show of what's happening with yesterday's nasty waste today.

“And do not cause ruin on the Earth after it has been ordered, but call on Him with fear and longing: for the Mercy of Allah is (always) near to those who do good. ” - Qura'an - Al-A'raaf 7:56

The reality of some "eco-friendly" alternative energy sources. A Muslim Perspective.

2008-05-26T13:09:00.004-04:00

The problem we are facing regarding environmental challenges, such as climate change, is not solely the onset of such dramatic shifts in global trends, but is the ill-devised approach to dealing with these issues. Lets take the example of carbon dioxide emissions that have been linked to climate change and may very well be the amplifier of global warming. The approach that major stakeholders are taking doesn’t seem to be so much as a move to cleaner, more sustainable fuels than it is a move from oil-reliant technologies, and the reliance on foreign energy sources. This kind of mentality seems to be driven primarily by international politics and the fact that reliance upon international energy sources is not politically or economically stable. The question begs, why not resort to alternative fuels that will allow nations to be independent of one another? Well, with that kind of mentality driving innovation we may find ourselves falling backwards in our greenness and the greenness of our energy technologies, by resorting to less viable energy sources, that in fact can be even more harmful to human health and the environment either directly or indirectly. One very important concept to understand before we proceed is that we will not be running out of oil any time soon (just over 42 years - not a lot though). This may come as a shock, but it is true. What we will be running out of is economically viable sources of oil and other fossil fuels. What this means is that oil will still exist past the "oil crisis", but will not provide the desirable return on investment from extracting such fuels as oil, and tar sands. This concept is referred to as the EROI or Energy Return On Investment. In this case, investment not only means financial, but also energy investment. After all, as it costs money to make money, it costs energy to get energy. Lets start off with oil, which has an EROI of 1:20 globally. This means that for every unit of energy spent to extract crude oil, 20 units of energy are gained. This doesn’t seem too dire, but consider that it used to get 1:60 a couple of decades ago. With the current EROI of oil in mind, lets take a look at some of the alternatives to crude oil and how it measures up. Now, you will notice that I will not be discuss wind energy, or solar energy because neither technology is really being given much attention by the big energy companies who hold just short of a monopoly on the market. Because of that, advancement of these technologies is not moving at the speed that would be accomplished had there been a stronger focus on these truly renewable, sustainable, and unlimited sources of energy. As for some of these new technologies that are being labeled as “green”, “environmentally friendly”, or “Eco-conscious,” in fact still derive their energy from not so green sources, or non-viable environmental resources. Lets take ethanol for example, which is an extraction of corn through a distillation process. This fuel source has an EROI of close to 1:1, which is not at all viable. We’d be better off preserving the energy that goes into growing, farming, and cultivation, which by the way is done by machines that run dirty inefficient fossil fuels. In addition to the ill-planned "greenness" of ethanol production, cutting into food staple yields for fuel production creates a tight food budget, driving up food costs, and placing a greater demand on other grains. Not to mention that these grains are often transported long distances consuming energy in the process and affecting fuel prices, and the cycle goes on. But it's a cleaner fuel, well not really. First, as mentioned the processes that are in place to cultivate and produce ethanol are run on dirty fossil fuels. That combined with the fact that the EROI for ethanol is 1:1, not only have we NOT decreased the amount of green house gases, but we are doubling it with this process. Secondly, there is no infrastructure such as pipelines to transport ethanol, so it must be trucked around the country, in diesel operated trucks. I think the picture is clear there. Thirdly, what about the actual combustion of ethanol? Is it really cleaner? Well, No! Yes, the burning of ethanol produces less green house gases, but it also produces Volatile Organic Carbon (VOCs), and Nitrous Oxides (NOx). VOCs, like formaldehyde and acetic acid, both known carcinogens and menthol , a hazardous pollutant are released from ethanol. As for electric cars (not hybrids), this is truly an interesting case, since people tend to see them as pristine machines, that have zero emissions, which is true up until you reach the charging station, which derives its energy from coal and other fossil fuels. In the US, close to 50% of energy production is from coal burning plants. Coal as a source of energy in electrical power plants has been going on for a long time and is trying to be phased out, but because of its high EROI, which is about 1:80, there is such a strong inertia to give up such a highly polluting source of energy in favour of technologies, such as solar (EROI 1:20) or even things such ethanol (EROI; 1:~1). We are actually fall ing back in a carbon heavy energy consumption, after moving from coal to oil, then to natural gas, and ethanol, we are turning back to coal, and tar sands (EROI 1:3), which are very carbon heavy and very dirty, and greenhouse gas heavy polluters. The real solution to our environmental challenges is to focus on truly renewable sources of energy like wind, tides, and solar. We must also understand that we’ve allowed ourselves to dip into such a lazy, wasteful state of living that it will be close to impossible to sustain our way of living, and the mentality that “if I can afford it, its all good” because that will only drive us to be more greedy, and to struggle to upkeep this standard of living. If we looked at things such as our resources, food, water, energy, etc, as being a bounty and a blessing from Allah rather than some thing we have attained through hard work, we will have a more natural view of the world, where things have a nature beyond the dollar amounts we tag them with, and thus we may be more inclined to preserving this earth and the bounty herein for our children and grandchildren to come. References: http://www.eia.doe.gov/ http://www.theoildrum.com/ http://www.energycrisis.net/ASPO-USA/2005/http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ethanol-facts.htm http://www.cleanhouston.org/energy/features/ethanol.htm

Our Garbage, and the amount of food we waste. Enough Said. Now Do something about it!

2008-05-10T20:16:00.005-04:00

"And waste not by extravagance, Verily, Allah likes not those who waste" Qur'an Al-An'aam v:141.

Wireless Fridge: Refridgeration without Electricity

2008-04-06T09:48:00.016-04:00

For hundreds of years a similar type of cooling has been employed by desert dwellers around the world. The concept is explained by a simple law of thermodynamics. When moisture comes in contact with dry air it evaporates. You see, water has this amazing characteristic of having a very high retention of heat (it is used in cooling nuclear reactors after all).

This ancient technology has been used for cooling water for hundreds of years. Mohammed Bah Abba took this idea one step further. By placing one pot inside another and filling the gap in between the two pots with moist sand he was able to create a refrigeration system that requires nothing more than a little bit of moisture.

The moist sand filling the gap between the two pots draws heat away from the inner pot and dissipates the heat through the evaporation of the moisture. The inner pot is filled with perishable foods that would normally last for mere days, but with this system can last for weeks.

Mohammed Bah Abba's invention awarded him the Rolex Award for Enterprise, and has been recognised as a very important contribution to societies with limited energy resources, or where energy costs are prohibitive. Many families no longer rely on their children to "rush sell" their food goods and can now sell when the demand arises due to the reduction of spoilage. Many children can now continue going to school because their families need less of their time to sell their produce.

Mohammed is a a lecturer at polytechnic college in Northern Nigeria, and comes from a family of pot makers. He drew on his childhood experience and invented his Pot-in-Pot cooling system in 1995 and received the Rolex Award in 2000. He has been recognised by the United Nations and has worked as a consultant with them.

Plant a tree for $5.50, & see it on Google Earth

2008-03-28T14:16:00.011-04:00

This is one article from my blog. To see this and other articles click here!

If you are the kind of person who doesn't like to get outside too much, and abhors the idea of getting your hands dirty, but are still concerned with how little you are doing for the health and beauty of our planet, consider this. You can, for as little as $5.50, have someone plant a tree for you in Indonesia, and watch it grow.

The program offered at MyBabyTree.org allows you to simply and securely pay to have as many trees you as you want to be planted on your behalf. On top of that, you will receive a note indicating that you tree will be planted and the exact coordinates where it is located. Through integration with Google Earth you can then watch your trees progress, as well as receive information about the forest it is now a part of.

This is the response I received when I donated to have a tree planted in Borneo:

Alternatively, you can participate locally with you municipality or local organization when they go out to plant trees. Organizations in Ottaawa, such as Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, and even the City's Municipality offer programs for planting trees locally. Even MAC and MYO have organized programs to initiate tree planting in and arround Ottawa.

Besides, if you plant a tree locally, yourself, you get this personal connection to it, plus you can go out and give it a hug whenever you feel like it.

DON'T FORGET EARTH HOUR

Snow in Saudi Arabia, Global Warming or Global Cooling? PART 2

2008-02-01T14:06:00.013-05:00

For PART 1 and other articles click here!

Now that we've established the way the Earth works, and a bit about what climate is, we can now talk about the occurrence of snow in Saudi Arabia as one point of data that can contribute to the hypothesis of climate change.

As we've established that global climate is an average measure of temperature and precipitation, we can also interpret these abnormal conditions that we are seeing in Saudi Arabia.

The simplest explanation would be that the increased temperatures of the globe overall have increased the rates of evaporation of the Earth's water bodies. This increase in evaporation would cause increased moisture in the air. The added moisture coupled with the cold air, which is not unusual for Saudi Arabia this time of the year would produce SNOW! See how snow works.

In general there is another way of looking at the phenomenon of global warming, and that is as climate change. As mentioned in the previous article about snow in Saudi Arabia, the Earth is one system of climatic changes that over the bigger picture can be viewed as having a long time line of climate changes. What is happening in the world right now is that certain places are undergoing local climatic changes that are affecting the overall climate trend of the Earth. Places that are usually very cold are now not as cold, while places that used to be very hot are also less hot. But when trying to balance the changes in temperature in the colder regions of the world with the changes in the temperatures in the warmer parts of the world we find that there is still a positive gain. That is that even though some places are getting cooler the change in their temperature is smaller than the places that are getting warmer. For example:

Lets say that Saudi Arabia's average temperature in the winter is around 4 degrees. With the recent drop in temperature lets say that the average will now be 3.9 degrees (This is a serious exaggeration, not to mention the use of a single data point).
Here in Canada (Ontario) lets say the average January temperature is -14 degrees With the recent increase in temperature over the last couple of years it is now -13.5 (These are not real figures, and are used for explanation only)
If you do the math you find that the change in temperature in Saudi Arabia is -0.1 While the change in Ontario is +0.5. The net change being +0.4 degrees.

Now this is not really the case. The example I've used, if true, would cause a lot of problems in the world as we know it. I'm sure you've all heard of the worries of sea level rising, and polar bears becoming extinct. But be certain that if we don't heed these signs, we will be heading for something very serious. Take a look at some of NASA's videos on these factors.

The the Coolest, Greenest 4D Building in Dubai

2008-01-23T20:29:00.007-05:00

Snow in Saudi Arabia - Global Warming, or Global Cooling? PART 1

2008-01-16T10:45:00.004-05:00

This is one article from my blog. To see more articles on my full blog click here! For PART 2 and other related articles click here!

It has been a while since I’ve read an article that really surprised me with the amount of ignorance that spews out of some people. Newsbusters just published an article supposedly exposing the bias of climate change alarmists by not reporting on the “global cooling” that’s happening in Saudi Arabia. The recent snow fall and sub zero temperatures have disrupted the countries functioning in affected parts, and caused the death of two people. Besides the absurdity of the idea that “global” change of any sort is limited to a particular locale, in this case Saudi Arabia, these “liberal investigator” are absolutely ignorant of the way climate change works. This doesn’t really matter to them since the average person doesn’t know who climate change works either. So they don’t really need to understand anything beyond their own view point in order to propagate their anti-liberal slurs. (For the record I’m neither conservative nor liberal). That being said, the one thing that the “reporters” at Newsbusters were right about was that there was no reporting of the anomalies in Saudi Arabia’s weather by the North American News Media until a few days after. This is not to say that the “liberal media” is trying to hide the facts, but simply that the media in general is not a perfect entity in reporting on the happenings of the world. Before we start, I think we can safely establish that snow in Saudi Arabia doesn’t mean the entire world is going to freeze. No where in the hypothesis of climate change or global warming, or any science for that matter, do we rely on a single point of data for testing the truth of a phenomenon. To explain a bit about how Global Change happens we need to lay down some principals on how our world works. First of all, The source of the energy on Earth is oil, right? Wrong, the source of the Earth's energy is the Sun. The Sun's heat reaches the Earth driving the basic mechanism of converting this energy into organic life in plants, all the way to driving the movement of the ocean current and the atmospheric currents. Now, when the energy from the Sun reaches the Earth a large portion is reflected back to outer space and a portion is absorbed by the atmosphere. The Heat that does reach the Earth's surface is absorbed during the day and is re-emitted into the atmosphere over night (and is why it is cooler at night). As you may know the gases that make up the atmosphere are responsible for retaining some of this heat so that the ambient temperatures are tolerable for life (otherwise it would be too cold to live on Earth, like Mars). Credit: NASA Secondly, the atmosphere is contiguous. That means that all geographic parts of the atmosphere are connected and are dynamic in their interactions with each other. In other words it’s all one bunch of air that moves around depending on the over all climate, and the weather at the time. It’s important to clarify that climate and weather are too different things. Climate is the average temperature and precipitation of a particular part of the world all year round for many years. While weather, on the other hand is a short snap shot of the temperature that occurs in a day or a few days, in a small area of the globe. So when we talk about global warming, we are referring to the global climate, since you can’t have a one uniform weather condition all around the world for an extended period of many years (at least not yet). What you can observe is a global climate; an average of temperature and precipitation over a long period of time all around the world. This is what we refer to when we talk about climate. Thirdly, there are dynamic mechanisms in the oceans that play an important role in maintaining the global climate. These mechanisms can be offset using the right magnitude of change. What is known as the Oceanic Conveyor Belt, is driven by salinity changes in the oceans' waters, as well as temperature gradients. These current distribute heat to different parts of the world. Credit: NASA To be continued...(coming next how climate change works, and how snow in Saudi Arabia can be reason for concern)

Environmentally Elegent Tech - A Greener Apple

2008-01-15T14:00:00.004-05:00

This is one article from my blog. To see this and other articles please click here! The new MacBook Air has a few environmental tricks up it's very slim sleeve. I know I haven't spoken, on this blog, about tech from an environmental point of view. But it should be know that I am a gizmofreak. Steve Jobs Keynote at macWorld 2008 just ended with some awesome news for environmentally minded technofreaks. To begin you need to know a bit of background about the hazards of technology. No, I don't mean the dangers of using your cellphone while driving. I'm talking about the environmental hazards that are associated with the components of the various electronic equipment and gadgets that we use on a daily basis. Besides the space that all these gadgets (and their packaging) take up in landfills and garbage dumps, there are a plethora of chemical hazards to be concerned about. For instance, some materials that go into the making of electronics, and pose a major environmental hazardous are as follows: Arsenic, Beryllium, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Zinc, PCVs and PCBs. Some may argue that these materials are extracted from the environment in the first place, so why are they hazardous when we dump it back in? It has to do with the form in which they are present. Most of these chemicals are trapped in rocks and in a different chemical form that is not harmful to the environment or human health. Once we extract these chemicals and process them they become highly toxic to wildlife and humans. Once our 20inch CRT monitors, and our once latest-cellphone-on-the-market are no longer our favorite possession, and are condemned to the junk pile these chemicals begin to leach out of the electronics. Everything from the plastic casing and glass, to the circuit boards contain these chemicals. Some leach at a higher rate than others, but the end result is the same. These chemicals are leached into soils, water reservoirs; taken up by wildlife, plants; biomagnified through the food web, and then bioaccumulated into our diets. It's not a pretty sight. But it's not all gloom and doom just yet. We can still do things about it. There are a number of e-waste recycling programs where they will reuse certain components of your discarded electronics and safely dispose of other parts. The other option is to opt for an environmentally sound piece of beautiful engineering in the hottest outfit in town. Here I'll let you know about some of the outstanding features of the MacBook Air. A totally wireless laptop in Mac's line of outstanding laptops. By totally wireless, I mean totally wireless including the use of optical drive through remote drive. It also boasts, and I mean boasts in every sense of the word, to be the thinnest laptop ever made. Compared to the previous title holder the Sony TZ series, which is between 0.8 inches at the front to 1.2 inches at the hinge. The MacBook Air, current title holder, measures in at a phenomenal 0.16 inches to 0.76 inches The thickest point being thinner than the thinnest point of the competition. Here's where this Apple turns its greenest. The aluminum casing is fully recyclable. This is great because the aluminum we get comes from tropical soils, and is becoming scarce. It is also "the first" to use a mercury-free LCD display with arsenic free-glass. The circuit boards are BFR- and PVC-free. To top it off, and intuitively so, the packaging uses 56% less materials than their sister macbook products. Now that's a piece of hardware I'd gladly carry around with a happy environmental conscience. But a sore pocket at $1,799US. Check out the MacWorld website for more details about the MacBook Air. Keep the peace, Photos are form http://live.gizmodo.com/

2007-11-25T22:57:00.000-05:00

Greenhouse Gases from Your Broccoli - Buy Local - Support the Environment and the Community

2007-11-17T19:49:00.006-05:00

This is one article from my blog. To see this and other articles please, click here! Greenhouse Gases From Your Broccoli “Buy Local” Support the Environment and the Community (Appearing in the Muslim Link newspaper - by Omar Mahfoudhi) On average the fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat and poultry we consume travel between 2,400 to 4,000 kilometers from the farm to your home. This long-haul transportation of our food is quite energy intensive considering the volumes being transported and the required refrigeration of perishable goods during transport. This is referred to as the food carbon footprint. The concept of reducing our food’s carbon footprint is becoming a commendable endeavor that communities can collaborate on to reduce greenhouse gas emission from their daily practices. The carbon footprint of our food is the amount of carbon dioxide produced from processing, transporting, and storing the food we eat. Buying local is a simple concept, but in practice it may not be that attainable on an individual level. Soon you will understand why this needs to be a community endeavor. Buying local means committing to buying produce and meats cultivated within 100 kilometers of your city. Not only does this reduce environmentally harmful emissions, but it also reduces the waste generated from packaging, the food remains fresh, and of course reduces the cost, which is passed on to the consumer. So why don’t we just buy from our local farms? Well this is where it gets interesting. On a broad scale the evil of globalization has masked the true cost of the food we eat, and most large cities are ecologically dead since they no longer produce the goods needed to sustain themselves. On a more manageable scale, there are challenges that can be addressed with social awareness and community collaboration, which is the case here in Ottawa. As it happens, Ottawa has the largest local agro-economy of any major Canadian city. But there are some hindrances to committing to a dynamic market of locally produced meat and vegetables. Some salient hindrances are: • Inconvenience/not consistently available • Lack of awareness - where/how to access the food • Lack of variety • Lack of consumer support/demand • Labour and financial constraints There are already local organizations who are committed to promoting and facilitating the distribution and sale of locally grown produce. Community Shared Agriculture (CAS) is an approach to growing and purchasing food products in which the farmer and consumer are working cooperatively. Along with CAS is the Ottawa Buy Local Project, which also supports and advertises the wholesale component of the Ottawa Farmers’ market with businesses. Moreover, the Ottawa Buy Local Project delivers “Buy Local” presentations that highlights what is needed for a healthy food system in Ottawa. A quick survey of some of our local halal grocers yielded that most of the halal grocers already provide locally raised meats and some provide locally grown produce. There was also a willingness of grocers to place signs that their foods are locally cultivated. Here is where this endeavor becomes a communal effort. Encourage your local grocer to buy locally grown produce, and make a commitment to buy your fruits, vegetables and meats from them. This way the grocers can offset the cost and effort it takes to seek out locally grown produce with a committed market for this environmentally righteous source of food we would be buying anyway. This will also, create this demand that will motivate other halal grocers to enter the market of locally cultivated foods. In this way we can support both environmentally righteous consumerism and our local Muslim businesses.

Tracking foxes and squirrels in Ottawa

2007-03-14T22:27:00.002-04:00

This is one article from my blog. To see this and other articles please, click here! The other day I had an interesting experience in the woods near the Rideau river. I was on the train going back and forth enjoying the scenery, as I often do with the hour before the radio show, when I happened to spot a couple of foxes sitting on the snow. I regretted not having my camera with me for the sight was worth capturing. Not to be defeated, I jumped off the train at the next stop, and ran down the tracks towards where I had seen the foxes. Surly enough, they were still there, but had realized my presence. They looked on at me with intrigue as I walked closer. The encounter, through brief was beautiful. The two rusty coloured creatures against the contrast of the silvery snow was simply beautiful. I crept closer only to induce them to dodge into their den. I walked on, finding my self at the edge of the woods at a local park on the bank of the Rideau river. There I also happened upon a crowd of ducks and loons. They walked along side me as I walk along side the river, as if in anticipation of some food. I had nothing regrettably. I continued onwards to cross paths with a couple of birds that took no offense to my presence and hopped but a few feet away from me to peck at some seeds strewn on the snow by some previous visitors of this park. They were truly bold in their manner as well as their appearance. A soft blue breast with an outline of brown, crowned with a black mask across their eyes giving them the appearance of police scouting the area. I trekked on to come across a family of red squirrels. What seemed to be the youngest of the three was all alone. As the other two bickered on about what seemed to be who got to be on a particular branch, the youngin' nestled at the base of a near-by tree. The fighting went on until the youngster built up the courage to scurry over to the other two and join in on the action. At this point it was nearing the time for my radio show and I had to run through two feet of snow to the nearest road in soggy shoes to the radio station; a 30 minutes walk away. I most definitely recommend to anyone, if you see, or think of something exciting, go after it. Have fun with the little time in your life. Forget routines, and live as life was meant to be. As a passage.

Tuesday January 23, 2007 5pm. Salam Ottawa. 93.1FM ckcufm.com click “Listen live”

2007-01-23T00:50:00.001-05:00

This is one article from my blog. To see more articles on my full blog, including this one, click here!

Recap: First week: Islam’s attitude towards the Environment:

balance
purpose
relationship:meditation, sustainable, utilization, care and nurture
Stewardship ( خلافة)

Second week:

Ecology: Water, Air, Land and Soil.
Conserve: DON’T waste – Allah says: “In deed those who are wasteful are the brethren of devils”
Justice and goodliness: DON’T harm – Allah says: “Do not cause ruin in the Earth after it has been developed”‘What may lead to a prohibition is prohibited itself’

This week: Animals and Plants in the Ecology of Islam.

Living resources of enormous benefit.
All with a purpose and in balance.
Part of a balanced ecosystem.

Plants:

"Then let man consider his nourishment: that We pour down the rain in showers, and We split the earth in fragments, and therein make the grain to grow, and vines and herbs, and olives and palms, and gardens of dense foliage, and fruits and fodder- provision for you and your cattle."

Sustenance and nourishment for animals, and humans.
Plants enrich the soil and protect it from erosion
They conserve the water by impeding its runoff.
Habitat for other living things.
They moderate the climate and produce the oxygen, and store CO₂.
Medicines (Periwinkle childhood leukemia, yew tree à anticancer), oils, perfumes, waxes, fibres, timber, and fuel.

The prophet Mohammed peace be upon him said: “If on the day of resurrection, and there is in the hand of one of you a sapling, then let him or her plant it”

It is forbidden to cut down trees even in the time of war.

“The is nothing in this Earth except that it exalts Allah with His Grace, but we do not comprehend their praise (of Him)” - Al-Issra’ 44

“See you not that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawab (moving living creatures, beasts, animals etc.), and many of mankind? But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily! Allah does what He wills”. Al –Hajj 18

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاء

Al Hajj - 18

Animals:

Provide sustenance for plants (fertilizers), for one another, and for man.
Pollination, and distribution of plants.
Provide food for one another and provide mankind with leather and wool, medicines and perfumes, and means of transportation, as well as milk, and honey and other by-products.
aesthetic functions of these creatures
ECOLOGICAL balance – keystone species,
Worshiping Allah – Spiritual INTRINSIC VALUE – WHALES Singing

“The is nothing in this Earth except that it exalts Allah with His Grace, but we do not comprehend their praise (of Him)” - Al-Issra’ 44

"There is not an animal on the earth, nor any being that wings its flight, but is a people like unto you." – Al- An’aam 38

Absolute destruction of any species of animals or plant is unjustified; harvesting rates should not excess the rate or its natural regeneration.
This applies to hunting and fishing, forestry and wood-cutting for timber and fuel, grazing, and all other utilization of living resources.
It is imperative that the genetic diversity of living beings be preserved--both for their own sake and for the good of mankind and all other creatures.

The prophet Mohammed peace be upon him said: "The merciful are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Show mercy to those on earth, and He Who is in heaven will show mercy unto you."

Taught mercy to animals:

The woman who was sent to Hell for torturing a cat to death.
The prostitute who was granted forgiveness and paradise for giving water to a dog.
The practice of sharpening and hiding the blade when slaughtering and being quick to ease the animal.
Forbidding killing for sport. Cursed who ever used living things as a practice target.
Not to startle a mother bird by taking its young
Forbidding the killing of livestock in the time of war.
Animals have a sacredness of life similar to that of humans.

"The rights of livestock and animals with regard to their treatment by man: These are that he spend on them the provision that their kinds require, even if they have aged or sickened such that no benefit comes from them; that he not burden them beyond what they can bear; that he not put them together with anything by which they would be injured, whether of their own kind or other species, and whether by breaking their bones or butting or wounding; that he slaughter them with kindness if he slaughters them, and neither flay their skins nor break their bones until their bodies have become cold and their lives have passed away; that he not slaughter their young within their sight; that he set them apart individually; that he make comfortable their resting places and watering places; that he put their males and females together during their mating seasons; that he not discard those which he takes in hunting; and neither shoot them with anything that breaks their bones nor bring about their destruction by any means that renders their meat unlawful to eat."

في كل كبد رطب أجر The Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him said: “and in doing good to any living thing there is a reward”

Islam looks upon these created beings, both animals and plants, in two ways:

1. As living beings in their own right, glorifying God and attesting to His power and wisdom;

2. As creatures subjected in the service of man and other created beings, fulfilling vital roles in the development of this world.

Hence the binding obligation to conserve and develop them both for their own sake and for their value as unique and irreplaceable living resources for the benefit of one another and of mankind.

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ

وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاء – al Hajj 18

Islamic Ecology - Salam Ottawa - January 16, 2007 5pm

2007-01-15T22:23:00.002-05:00

This is one article from my blog. To see more articles on my full blog, including this one, click here!

As-salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh, If you've been concerned, as many of us have been, about the state of the environment, you can learn more about it and how to become involved. I will be talking on the topic of Environmental Issues as seen from an Islamic perspective, and why it is important for Muslims to be concerned with this issue on Salam Ottawa 93.1FM radio. The second part of a four-part programme will be airing on Tuesday Jan 16 at 5PM for one hour. You can also listen on www.ckcufm.com (click on "Listen Live" - you will need real player). Please email your questions, if you have any, and I will be happy to deal with them during the sessions to come . I will be posting the information provided on a Blog insha'Allah which I will announce later. Please pass on this message to your friends and family, Thank you and Jazakum allahu khairan. "Ruin has appeared on the land and sea, because of what the hands of man have earned, that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from evil)." (Ar-Rum: verse 41) What Is Ecology –> Okios (Greek) –> The House; Think of: • Earth’s condition manifest in seasons, night and day, solar energy input, lunar forces, etc. • Earth materials and any transformation they undergo; physical, chemical, biological • Living creatures of the Earth and the interactions they have with other creatures and the materials around them, as well as changes they inevitably undergo. Specifically, the interactions of the living organisms on the earth with their respective environments (composed of living and non-living) with carful attention to the condition in which the Earth may persist. The complete state of the Earthly system with its various components in a balance of energy and matter. As discussed, of all the creatures on the Earth that were presented the responsibility of the Earth it was mankind who chose to take that responsibility. Allah says in the Qura’an: (and we presented or offered the “trust” (Amanah, responsibility, stewardship) to Heavens, and the Earth, and the mountains, but they declined to uphold it, so we had mercy upon them, so mankind upheld it” Al-Ahzab. 72 As stewards, and representatives we were given guidelines and rules to follow. Generally, against thoughtless consumption; that is, wastefulness and extravagance. Teaching justice, conserve, and preserve. “And don’t be wasteful” and “In deed those who are wasteful are the brethren of devils” etc. “Allah enjoins upon justice” It is within God’s wisdom that His creatures be of service to one another. The balance and measure Allah has placed in everything, all of which with a purpose is above all legal reason to conserve the environment and the resources it contains. (Chines proverb) “We did not inherit this land from our fathers, we are borrowing it from our children” How do these general laws and guidelines translate into our daily activities. 1. In water, energy, fuel, etc. Allah reminds us of the value water: "Have you seen the water which you drink? Was it you who sent it down from the rain cloud , or did We send it? Were it Our will, We could have made it bitter; why then do you not give thanks?" , “and we have created from water everything living” He also reminds us that the waters of the seas, oceans, lakes and rivers are habitat for other creatures of Allah’s creation that must be honored and not transgressed upon. "It is He Who has made the sea of service, that you may eat thereof flesh that is fresh and tender, and that you may bring forth from it ornaments to wear, and you see the ships therein that plough the waves, that you may seek of His bounty ," Realizing the value of water to life makes it clear that to fulfil our responsibility on this earth to honor Allah’s bounties and creatures we must also conserve and preserve this valuable asset. Any action that obstructs or impairs the biological and social functions of this element, whether by destroying it or by polluting it with any substance that would make it an unsuitable environment for living things or otherwise impair its function as the basis of life; any such action necessarily leads to the impairment or ruin of life itself. And the juristic principle is, "What leads to the prohibited is itself prohibited." The Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him said: ruin “Do not waste! Even if you are at a flowing river” Owing to the importance of water as the basis of life, God has made its use the common right of all living beings and all human beings. All are entitled to use it without monopoly, usurpation, despoilment, wastage, or abuse. The Prophet, upon him be blessings and peace, said, "Muslims are to share in these three things: water, pasture, and fire," 2. Air, Importance of “And we send the fertilizing winds. " common use and right for all. 3. Soil and Land: God has made the land a source of sustenance and livelihood for us and other living creatures: He has made the soil fertile to grow the vegetation upon which we and all animal life depend. He has made the mountains to catch and store the rain and to perform a role in stabilizing the crust of the earth. If we would truly give thanks to the Creator, we are required to maintain the productivity of the soil, and not expose it to erosion by wind and flood; in building, farming, grazing, forestry, and mining, we are required to follow practices which do not bring about its degradation but preserve and enhance its fertility. For to cause the degradation of this gift of God, upon which so many forms of life depend, is to deny His tremendous favors. And because any act that leads to its destruction or degradation leads necessarily to the destruction and degradation of life on earth, such acts are categorically forbidden. Finally, the Prophet Muhammad, God's blessing and peace be upon him, declared that "The whole earth has been created as a place of worship for me, pure and clean." Accordingly, we are charged with treating it with the respect due to a place of worship, and with keeping it pure and undefiled. islamset.com

Why the Environment Should be Important to Muslims

2007-01-08T20:27:00.001-05:00

This is one article from my blog. To see more articles on my full blog, including this one, click here! ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُون

Surat Ar-Room, Verse 41

In the book Environmental Protection In Islam, Dr. Bagader et al explain Islam’s attitude towards the environment and the Universe (islamset.com):

All things that God has created in this universe are created in due proportion and measure both quantitatively and qualitatively. God has declared in the Qur'an, "Verily, all things have We created by measure"1 and "Everything to Him is measured."2 And He says, " And We have produced therein everything in balance."3
God has not created anything in this universe in vain, without wisdom, value and purpose. God says, "We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them carelessly. We have not created them but for truth."6
Man is part of this universe, the elements of which are complementary to one another in an integrated whole. Indeed man is a distinct part of the universe and has a special position among its other parts. The relation between man and the universe, as defined and clarified in the Glorious Qur'an and the Prophetic teachings,

A relationship of meditation on, and consideration and contemplation of, the universe and what it contains.
A relationship of sustainable utilization, development and employment for man's benefit and for the fulfillment of his interests.
A relationship of care and nurture, for man's good works are not limited to the benefit of the human species, but rather extend to the benefit of all created beings; and "there is a reward in doing good to every living thing."

God's wisdom has ordained to grant human beings stewardship (khilafah) on the earth. Therefore, in addition to being part of the earth and part of the universe, man is also the executor of God's injunctions and commands. And as such he is only a manager of the earth and not a proprietor; a beneficiary and not a disposer or ordainer. He has forbidden waste and destruction, “Do not cause destruction in the Earth after it has been rectified”

All of the resources upon which life depends have been created by God as a trust in our hands. He has ordained sustenance for all people and for all living beings. " And He has set within it mountains standing firm, and blessed it, and ordained in it its diverse sustenance in four days, alike for all that seek."'1 Thus, the utilization of these resources is, in Islam, the right and privilege of all people and all species. Hence, man should take every precaution to ensure the interests and rights of all others since they are equal partners on earth.

Dr. Mawil Izzi Dien Ph.D., of the University of Wales, UK summarizes why it is "Islamic" to conserve the environment in the following reasons(captiveminds.org):

1. The environment, is God's creation. The creation of this earth and all its natural resources is a sign of His wisdom, mercy, power and His other attributes and therefore serves to develop human awareness and understanding of this creator. (Quran 13: 2-4; 21:79)

2. Muslims should seek to protect and preserve the environment because by so doing they protect God's creatures which pray to Him and praise Him. Humankind might not be able to understand how these creatures praise God but this does not mean that they do not do so:

The seven heavens and the earth, And all beings therein, Declare His glory: There is not a thing, But celebrates His praise: And yet ye understand not. How they declare His Glory! (Quran 17:44)

3. Thirdly, the environment contains God's creatures which the `ulama' or Muslim scholars consider to also deserve protection (hurma).

4. A fourth reason why Islam seek to protect and preserve the environment is that Islam, as a way of life, is established on the concept of good (khayr). Therefore it is expected that Islam will protect the environment once it is understood that such protection is good by itself. The Quran states that:

He whoso do good, An atom's weight, Will see it. And whoso do ill, An atom's weight, Will see it. (Quran 99: 7-8)

5. All human's relationships in Islam have to be based on the concept of justice (`adl), and kindness (ishn), and not on material or economical gain. The Qur'an strongly emphasizes this concept in the following verse:

God enjoins justice; And kindness. (Quran 16: 90)

In Islam, humans are expected to protect the environment since no other creature is able to perform this task. Humans are the only being that God has "entrusted" with the responsibility of looking after the earth. This trusteeship is seen by Islam to be so onerous and burdensome that no other creature would `accept' it. The Quran (33: 72) says:

Lo! We offered the trust; Unto the heavens and the; Earth and the hills, But they shrank from bearing it, And were afraid of it, And man assumed it, Lo! he is a tyrant and fool

Accordingly, not every human can claim this appointment, only those who are aware of this caring pact of respect for life can claim it.

Launching Post

2007-01-06T12:28:00.001-05:00

This is one article from my blog. To see more articles on my full blog click here! Launching this Blog is to coincide with the beginning of the new years ( both Hijri 1428, and Gregorian 2007), my graduation, thus the launch of my professional career, and the new radio segment I will be hosting on Tuesday, January 15, 2007. My name is Omar Mahfoudhi, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Educated at the University of Ottawa, in the field of Environmental Science (Biodiversity Conservation) graduating in December 2006. My interests include ecological integrity, sustainability, GIS, global change, and ecological and environmental education. I come from a family of wonderful people, all of whom I am very proud of and are blooming brightly in their own respect. I share my life with my gracious, inspiring, and God fearing wife of two years (at this time, January 2007). The goal of this Blog is to be a contributing light with the humble knowledge that I've gained to add to the many lights illuminating the way for the betterment of Our world. I stand for peace, equality, justice, knowledge, and above all the reverence of God.