It was extremely interesting and informative to hear Antonios Vouloudis speaking about the economic stimulus program launched within the UAE (Ghadan 21). I really enjoyed how he touched upon the welfare and human satisfaction aspects of sustainability. I had prior knowledge regarding the reflective/absorptive properties of certain colors (eg. black and white) but I never thought past their simple properties. Antonios mentioned how reflective colors were used in his project in order to prevent black materials absorbing and emitting the heat at night.
During the talk another interesting point that was mentioned was the fact that the sustainability standards within the UAE were mandatory which I find to be extremely commendable. I love the fact that it is not a bragging right (for a lack of better words) but rather the status quo. By this I mean to say that things such as fair trade add value to a product because they are not universal or found within all products which is not the case for the sustainability standards within the UAE.
I asked Antonios about what should be done regarding our consumption of single-use plastic which also came up later on in the class discussion. Since this class started (literally yesterday) I have been more conscious of all the plastic I make use of during my daily life. After submitting this journal post I will be making my way to the Market Place (one of our dining facilities) to see if they’ll offer a loyalty scheme for bubble tea if individuals come with their own cups (finger crossed).
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