http://blogs.edf.org/greenroom/2008/11/07/tell-us-why-you-chose-to-invest-in-edf/

Tell Us Why You Chose to Invest in EDF

November 7, 2008 | Posted by Heather Shelby

December 2nd, 2008 at 1:21 pm

My family live in US. I was in Saudi last month when I heard the good news about the winning of elected president Obama. I am the only one in Saudi who had received a congratulation email from the elected president OBAMA at Wednesday 5th, Nov. 2008. I forward his email and your congratulation email to hundreds of engineers and environmental consultants in Saudi.

I copied his email in my web site and included his ideas for green building and renewable energy recourses. Please check:

hussein_obama_-green_building_and_global_warming

We must support elected president Obama to make his promise to fight global warming true. The people in Saudi, Arabian Gulf and middle East were happy with the latest Obama victory, especially the green building members.

All of them were unhappy before because the President Busch had refused to sign the Kyoto protocol. They noticed that the high level of CO2 emissions had increased since President Busch announced that he was unwilling to spend any money to fight global warming.

As a board member in Saudi green building Council and a member in both US and Emirates green building Council, I try to encourage US, Emirates and Saudi public and private consultants to use local green building materials to reduce carbon foot print and to reduce CO2 emission in the Gulf.

I try to arrange green building seminars or workshops in USGBC, Saudi GBC and Emirates GBC. See : green_building

I attended many seminars about Green and sustainable Building in Dubai and USA. I explained to many engineers and consultants the important of using our local materials from renewable resources not imported materials to reduce carbon foot print.

Please check : my_role_in_gulf_to_reduce_global_warming

Many consultants and labs had agreed for the first time in Arabian Gulf States to do some tests in local natural pozzolana. I showed many of consultants few samples of natural pozzolana rocks and mortars from Princess Zobeda resort built with 2 bonds from more than 1200 years near Taif, Saudi Arabia. I kept some samples at approved lab. at Dubai to do x-ray and other tests to check the chemistry of the sustainable building materials. Please check:

1st_green_building_in_sa_from_1200_yrs.

natural_pozzolana_projects_in_usa/

I presented few seminars in Saudi and Dubai to encourage them to use renewable source (Natural Pozzolana) in their projects. According to Natural

pozzolana source, using natural pozzolana in a building will give at least 26 Leed green points.

I received a request from green building and heat insulation Dept. in Dubai Municipality to make some seminars in different cities in Emirates about the

environmental benefits of natural pozzolana in soil, concrete, blocks and other industries.

After my seminars and my interviews in different Saudi news papers, Ministry of municipality, Ministry of interior and saline water treatment Dept. had approved the use of our local natural pozzolana in concrete constructions. After many trials on local IP cement at Al-Tawi RMC in Saudi he become the

first Saudi RMC who agreed to pour local IP cement for a huge project in Saudi.

With my encourage and with the approval of a British consultant from Halcrow, The red sea extension project had used local natural pozzolana for the first time in Saudi History in a mass concrete project. I thank all officials and consultants in the red sea project for their first time approval for local IP cement.

The other advantage is that ALTAWI RMC is the only one in the world who had both ISO 14001 and US-GREEN STAR.

See details at:

1st_mass_concrete_from_natural_pozzolana/

The use of 100,000 tons of local IP concrete in this project will save 20% from virgin materials for our generation. It also save 20% of energy used in

Cement factory and help in reducing 20% of CO2 emission.

Using our local IP cement will reduce carbon foot print by using materials from a local source within 300 km.

The use of natural pozzolana in soil and concrete will save 20-60% of water used. By reducing w/c ratio, It help us reducing the curing time.

IP cement had high durability and workability, that will leed to longer service life and sustainable building.

1st_green_building_in_sa_from_1200_yrs/

The energy and electric agency in Saudi had recommend the use of natural pozzolana in the block to save 50-70% of energy.

My Involvement with Sustainable Practices and type of Involvement:

I worked as Consultant and Design for public and private projects in Saudi Arabia.

I had included green building and green star in my web site. I had 700-900 hits to my web site every month. I receive 20-30 telephone calls every day

asking about the green building materials.

I visited 50 ready mix concrete and block plants in Saudi last year and encouraged them all to have nice and clean plant with less impact for the community and environment.

I invited my instructor the green star auditor (001) from US last month to make an intensive course and seminars for the first time in

Saudi at JEDDAH and RIYADH about the US-GREEN STAR and GREEN BUILDING. The main title was ( How we can reduce pollution and noise at ready mix concrete). Many ready mix concrete and hundreds of engineers and owners had attended the seminars last week. Please check:

green_star/