Jordan imports 94% of its oil and gas (fossil fuels) to meet its energy needs, leaving it vulnerable to variations in fuel price. Jordan's demand for energy is growing at a rate of 3% annually. In response, the government set a target of obtaining 10% of its energy needs from renewable energy resources by increasing electricity generation share from the present 1.13 GW-1.8 GW by 2020. The sources of generation include abundant solar, wind, and biomass resources, which also enhance economic growth and reduce pollution. This article analyzed the current energy situation in Jordan and assessed the available renewable energy resources potential for direct investments. The actual contribution of clean energy is still moderate at roughly 7% of total energy demand, despite the efforts placed on the development of alternative energy resources. The national electricity supply and demand are presented, and the government initiatives, financial incentives, and tax exemptions to encourage investments in clean energy are also discussed. The renewable energy policy generates future opportunities for investors with an ambitious $20 billion energy plans as does its strategy to improve energy efficiency. This article will benefit interested clean energy investors and developers and plans for 2,000 MW investments in wind and solar energy are ready for bidders. Such an endeavor and model will also benefit neighboring countries in the region.
Cultivation of olive trees and olive oil production have been considered as a legacy for the Mediterranean region. This custom represents a very important benefit for many nations in terms of wealth and health. However, huge amounts of by-products and waste are generated during olive oil production. This represents a serious environmental impact on land and water bodies if not properly handled. Olive oil extraction generates two waste streams, a solid waste called pomace and olive mill wastewater (OMWW), which has been considered as highly pollutant and phytotoxic waste. These wastes have high disposal costs and predominantly generated from small-scale enterprises that have limited financial resources to treat them properly before discharge to the environment. Besides being a serious environmental problem, OMWW has potential economic value that remains to be utilized such as: fertilizers, valuable antioxidants agents and fatty acids needed in human diet. Also, Olive pomace is a valuable renewable energy source with an energy density of 23 MJ/kg and has become an inexpensive alternative for fossil fuels. Aiming at adding value to the olive production sectors and potential valorization options for byproducts in the MENA region, international practices applied in olive mills wastes management’s and treatment methods used in major oil producing countries are presented.
Olive mill wastewaters (OMWWs) are a significant source of environmental pollution, especially in important olive oil producing countries such as Spain, Greece, Syria, Jordan and other countries in the Mediterranean. Due to cost issue no treatments plants are currently available at the mills; therefore, OMWW is normally discharged into the environment causing serious environmental problems such as: coloring and pollution of surface and ground waters, soil surface, and foul odors problems. Approximately 209,000 tons of olives have been processed in Jordan in 2017, which generated 175,000 m 3 of OMWWs. They generated rougly 3,069 tons of BOD 5 , 7,956 tons of COD, 149 tons of residual olive oil, 2.07 tons of phenols, 3,753 ton total suspended solids and 4.2 ton of phosphorous. The OMWW is rich in organic matter expressed as BOD 5 and COD with COD/BOD 5 of 2.6 indicated that OMWWs is not suitable for biological treatment and therefore must be treated before discharge to the environment or sewer system. Cleaner production options and proper environmental waste management systems at the mills are needed to reduce their environmental impact. This may include the adoption of the two-phase mills to reduce water use to less than half the quantities used in traditional and three phases mills.
We aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological reactions (depression, anxiety, and stress) and their correlates among Jordanian nurses. This study was conducted using an online survey from March 22, 2020, to March 27, 2020. The Arabic version of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) was used. Depression, anxiety, and stress were highly prevalent among nurses (57.8%, 42.4%, and 50.1%, respectively). Those who had close contact with a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient showed stronger psychological reactions than their counterparts (partial = 0.264, part = 0.254). Moreover, female gender and number of children were the main significant predictors of depression [(B = 0.176), (B = 0.232), (B = 0.255)], anxiety [(B = 0.155), (B = 0.232), (B = 0.268)], and stress [(B = 0.148), (B = 0.218), (B = 0.258)]. Hence, the mental health status of nurses should be given priority, especially those who are in contact with COVID-19 patients, female nurses, and those who have children.
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