TDIC Project

Me and my partner Adel Al Afifi researched the ‘Desert Islands’ project. We made a PowerPoint showing its best features which is embedded below.

The project I liked the most was the ‘Desert Islands’ due to many reasons. The main reason is that this project riches the natural heritage and eco-tourism of the UAE. By the way, this project was a vision of the UAE’s late president His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Although these islands located far away from the capital Abu Dhabi, it considered as a part of the UAE. Many citizens like to take their vacation in a quiet, stress less place and inside the country; that why this point consider as the second advantage. In addition, this location has a free area that let the government build these islands with all facilities people need. Another issue is that each island of the eight islands has a unique design which is suitable to the island. For example, Sir Bani Yas Isalnd will be designed in a way that reflects the island historical heritage.

From my point view, the least interesting project was ‘Qaser Al Sarab’ since it’s in the middle of the desert and there are many others nearby resorts. Another disadvantage is that any natural catastrophe such as sand storms may cause a huge damage in both the island and people. Also, since this island is in the desert it will cost the government a lot of money and workers to fulfill the project.

However, as any project, TDIS projects have advantages and disadvantages, but these TDIS projects consider as an huge advantage step for the UAE development.

Cool cities adaptations:

Good adaptations:

According to the “cool cities” video, the only transportation means will be environmental friendly vehicles such as hybrid cars and rechargeable light trail translate. This action will reduce the amount of CO2 emissions in the air. Another point is that new techniques developed in most of the cool cities decreases the outside temperature. One of these techniques is by butting sea water under the city to help reduce the outside temperature. A further issue is that some cool cities will avoid dissertation by growing solar powered farms.

Bad adaptations:

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages in cool cities. One problem that can occur is water shortage by using some of the cooling techniques. Another problem is that this cool cities cost a lot due to the advance techniques used in it. Many people can not trade some of the things they use in life even if it’s not environmental friendly, so this type of cities is not suitable for all people.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3113683/Desert-Islands">Desert Islands - http://www.scribd.com/upload">Upload a doc

Read this doc on Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3113683/Desert-Islands">Desert Islands

My carbon footprint

First of all, let me start with a definition of carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of carbon dioxide linked to human activities in a specific time period. According to the website http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/, my footprint is 2.35 planets which equals 4.24 hectares in the ecological footprint and my carbon footprint is 9.58 tonnes per annum. In my view, this score is not bad but it’s also not good enough, so I have some problems to solve which I will outline below.

After I did my footprint survey, I found that I have several problems. One point is that I don’t eat enough meat and fish. Another issue is that I spend too much money on some products such as bath and grooming products. It also seems that I have a problem in the area of transport. Frankly, most of the time, I move from one place to another only by car, even if the place is nearby.

However, there are some solutions related to my footprint. One possibility is that I need to buy more seasonal food. Another option is to avoid buying over-packaged products such as on DIY tools and grooming products. Finally, it is better for me to walk instead of using the car to go somewhere close.

To conclude, it is a better to solve my footprint problems to help decrease the total amount of carbon dioxide in the world and I advise all people to work out on their footprint problems.

An Inconvenient Truth: Evaluation


The film “An Inconvenient Truth” presented by the former vice president Al Gore, one of the best I have ever seen. Although Al Gore does a great job presenting, he is not the issue here and he is not the one who makes the film attractive and interesting. Rather, the information that he shows us is the main interesting point.

In this film Al Gore didn’t talk about a political issue but he presents a serious issue that endangers the world. Frankly, he made viewers interested by presenting evidences, statistics and figures about global warming. In addition, the information was shown on a large screen, so every one could see it clearly. The language Al Gore used was simple and not complicated and he organized the information well, so he began in the past, reached the present and moved to the future.

On the other side, I found some negative points in the film. One negative point is that Gore didn’t ask the audiences questions to keep their attention, so his presentation skills were not enough. Also, the graphs and statistics he showed were too much that could confuse the audiences.

Overall, I liked this film very much and if I was told to evaluate it, I would rate it band 3.75 out of 5.

An Inconvenient Truth: summary


In the film “An Inconvenient Truth” produced in 2006, former US vice president Al Gore outlines a serious problem in the world. The film is divided into two parts, the vice president life’s and how he become interested in global warming, and the second part which is the main point, global warming. Gore’s message about global warming is clear: humans are causing global warming and the consequences will be overwhelming if nothing is done.

The film showcases Gore’s life and how he became interesting in global warming. Al Gore was a normal college student at the beginning. Later he became a young senator. Recently, he was a step away from becoming the president of the US. After that, Gore faced his son’s illness and due to what he faced, he decided to help our children to live longer, so he concentrated in global warming issue that may makes their life’s at risk.


Let me turn to the main point of the film, the global warming issue. The presenter, Al Gore, explains that if global warming continues at its current rate, the earth’s coastlines will be flooded, displacing tens of millions of people who live near the coast. It will also increase the strength and frequency of hurricanes and tornadoes. According to the statistics shown, global warming will melts off many of the world’s glaciers and dry up most of the lakes. In addition, it will kill everything from polar bears to birds. All these changes could happen in as short a time as ten to fifty years from now. Gore also shows that the climate changed the most -and for the worse-in the 5 decades up to 2005. However at the end, Gore mentions possible solutions to this issue that may help reducing global warming.


To conclude, Gore asserts that global warming is a serious problem that require cooperate from both government and citizens and he also asserts that every person in the society is responsible for reducing global warming.

Crtical Thinking video

Critical thinking defines as the mental process of activity and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion. It also means as many scientists asserts “thinking outside the box, limitless thinking and higher level thinking involving.”

When some one tries hardly or deeply on thinking to find a solution for some issue or to know the process of something, we may call these kinds of people as critical thinkers. A critical thinker always doesn’t see things as they just seem and visible to other people, he thinks about how dose things work and the process that let it happened such as an a computer, how it works and how it stored data. That’s the way of a critical thinker to think.

Critical thinkers have many specific features; they are always listening carefully to what other people say so they are able to give a feedback to what they hear. Also, they look for evidence to support their beliefs and examine the problems whether if it correct or not. Critical thinkers always simplify the information they have and break them down to the basic so they are able to evaluate and put the alternative for the issue. In addition, critical thinkers usually are curious and they want to know and understand every thing about the issue to solve the problems by the easiest way. If you are not a critical thinker, you can be one by following the features that are mentioned above.

As the Bloom’s Taxonomy “a hierarchical classification of the levels of thinking”, there are six levels of thinking and it is divided into two ways which are opposite, simple and complex. Evaluation, which is the first level in the complex way, means that the critical thinker is able to critique, rate and draw conclusions. Redesigning and recreating which are called synthesis came in second. Analysis came next which consist of taking apart, breaking down and examining. Forth level is application which depends on knowledge to solve problems and it just come before comprehension which means that the thinker is able to understand and paraphrase. The last level of thinking is knowledge that includes naming, recognizing, identifying and reciting. According to these six levels every one should check in which level he is.

Why do we need critical thinkers? And why a lot of people tire themselves and think critically? Many people ask these questions, but the answer is simple. We need critical thinkers to make the life easier. Another reason or benefit from critical thinkers is to make social better due to what they are product to the society such as schools and governments. Critical thinkers also make the technology more advances.

Can you be a critical thinker? Of course you can, each person in the society can be a critical thinker such as parents, doctors, teachers and student, too. Over all, critical thinking is the top level of thinking that may requires you to think outside the box. And every thing that we enjoying in our life is a result of thinking critically, so every person should be a critical thinker.