Despite having no plans to move away from fossil fuels and continuing to engage in destructive mining practices within its own borders, Turkey is signing one agreement after another with African countries to explore for oil, natural gas, and minerals.

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Turkey is increasing energy and mining cooperation and trade agreements with African countries.

Having signed agreements with nearly 20 African countries on mineral exploration, oil, and natural gas cooperation, Turkey most recently sent the Oruç Reis research vessel to the Somali coast of the Indian Ocean last week. Oruç Reis will conduct seismic research to explore for oil. At the end of this year, Turkish companies will begin gold exploration in Niger.

In the early 2000s, Turkey launched an "Africa Initiative," which was transformed into the "Africa Partnership Program" in 2013. The first results of these steps were seen with military and defense cooperation agreements. In recent years, energy cooperation, especially focused on fossil fuels, has come to the fore.

According to a BBC compilation, Turkey has begun to implement concrete cooperation processes with nearly 20 countries, including Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Angola, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco, Djibouti, Egypt, and Algeria, with which it has signed agreements in the fields of mining and energy. Turkey's claim: We are not colonialists, we will establish equal relations

The African continent, with its hydrocarbon resources and rare minerals such as diamonds, gold, uranium, cobalt, and lithium, has attracted the attention of major economies like the US, Russia, China, France, and Germany. While competing with these countries, Turkey emphasizes that it has no colonial past and that it establishes equal relations with African countries.

Somalia: Oil exploration and production Relations between Turkey and Somalia intensified with the visit of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the country in 2011. Deep relations have been established between the two countries since that visit to a country that is one of the poorest and most insecure in the world. The Defense and Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed in February 2024 gave Turkey the right to "contribute to the development of marine resources" in return for protecting Somali waters for 10 years. Subsequently, a "Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Agreement between Turkey and Somalia" was signed between Turkish Petroleum Corporation and the Somali Petroleum Authority, and the Oruç Reis research vessel docked at Mogadishu Port on October 25."

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated, 'In the upcoming process, the participation of international companies in these operations may be possible. Both we and the Somalis have expressed their openness to this. In other words, no one should feel left behind. We are taking on a pioneering role.' Turkey, which will conduct three-dimensional seismic activities in a 15,000-kilometer area in three blocks off the coast of Somalia, will also have the authority to produce any oil found. The agreement includes drilling not only in the sea but also in terrestrial regions where oil is expected to be found. In October 2022, Somalia had granted a petroleum exploration license to the American company Coastline Exploration in seven blocks. Energy experts predict that Somalia may have around 30 billion barrels of oil and natural gas reserves, according to geo-seismic surveys.

Niger: Gold Production Niger is another important country in terms of Turkey's investments in Africa. Last July, a high-level Turkish delegation consisting of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, National Intelligence Chief İbrahim Kalın, Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün, and Deputy Trade Minister Özgür Volkan Ağar visited this country and met with officials of the junta government that seized power in a military coup in 2023. Niger is a country rich in natural resources such as gold and uranium. While no clear statements were made regarding the results of the discussions on cooperation in the military and defense industry during the visit, the two countries signed a declaration of intent on oil and natural gas cooperation. The energy ministers of the two countries also signed a cooperation agreement in the field of mining in Istanbul on October 22. In 2019, Niger licensed three areas with high potential for gold mineralization in the southwest of the country to MTA International Mining Inc. (MTAIC). Production in these areas is expected to start by the end of this year. It is stated that the security of the sites will be provided by Niger soldiers."  

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Egypt and Nigeria: Hydrocarbon Cooperation

Turkey signed a "Concession Agreement for the Exploration and Operation of Gold and Related Metals" with Sudan in 2018. However, technical studies have not yet reached the stage of concrete production. Mining agreements have also been signed with countries such as Morocco, Djibouti, and Nigeria, but no concrete developments have been recorded yet. In Libya, one of the world's leading oil producers, significant licenses have been granted to Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) in both onshore and offshore areas. The maritime jurisdiction agreement signed between Turkey and Libya in 2019 disrupted the balance in the Eastern Mediterranean and drew criticism. Turkey also has plans for liquefied natural gas trade and finding new production fields with Egypt and Algeria. The latest agreement with Egypt was signed during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's visit to Turkey on September 4. This 17-article agreement aims to strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries, develop joint projects in areas such as electricity infrastructure and trade, renewable energy, energy efficiency, hydrogen, and nuclear energy. The three separate agreements with Nigeria also include energy efficiency, renewable energy cooperation, and hydrocarbon and mining cooperation. Nigeria has approximately 3% of the world's oil reserves. Turkey and Angola also signed a cooperation agreement on hydrocarbons and mining in 2021. Angola has approximately 13 billion barrels of oil reserves."

Translated from Türkiye, fosil yakıt ve vahşi madencilik politikasını Afrika'ya ihraç ediyor - Yeşil Gazete

In the production of paper cups and plastic cups, which is worse for the environment? Which uses more chemicals? Which uses more energy and water to manufacturer?

Do paper cups cause trees to be cut down, or are they only made from fibers that are “scrap” from wood production?

I’m only asking about the pre-consumer impact, not about the harm from a landfill/litter standpoint. It’s my understanding that virtually no paper cups are compostable due to their plastic lining.

Essentially, if I have to choose between buying paper or plastic disposable cups, which is overall better for the environment?

Hi all! I plan on adopting a dog in the new year so I am looking at all the stuff I will need. So far I see plastic toys, plastic poop bags, dog food/treats in plastic. Any recommendations on how to be/buy sustainable products for a pet?

recently came across some staggering numbers: when Windows 10 reaches its End of Life in October 2025, it’s estimated that around 500 million devices won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11 due to hardware limitations like unsupported CPUs, lack of TPM 2.0, or missing Secure Boot.

This got me thinking—is Microsoft effectively forcing perfectly good hardware into obsolescence? 🤔

•	Is this a fair move to enhance security and performance, or does it place an unnecessary burden on consumers and the environment?
•	How do you think this will impact users who can’t afford new hardware?
•	What are the broader implications for e-waste and sustainability?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this. Do you feel pressured to upgrade your hardware, or are you considering alternative operating systems? Let’s discuss!

I need to replace the deck on my house. I have been going back and forth on the environmental pros and cons of wood and composite decks. For our situation we are between pressure treated pine and Trex composite decking.

Wood:

Pros: Renewable, biodegradable

Cons: impact of forestry, pressure treating, staining, won’t last as long

Trex Composite:

Pros: claims less carbon emissions, lasts longer, made from recycled plastic bags and waste sawdust

Cons: mixture of materials, likely not able to be further recycled so will go to a landfill. Spreading microplastics in cutting and weathering

So Wood is natural, renewable and biodegradable. But with composite, using landfill recycled waste instead of new materials sounds like a pretty big pro. Plus the extra longevity. The ending up in a landfill aspect seem like the biggest thing against composite, but the plastic was going to head there anyway unless there was another use (know now it’s a mix of materials).

It doesnt seem like a clear cut answer but hoping for some thoughts from others. Sorry for the long post and thanks!

Trex page on environmental impact:

https://www.trex.com/why-trex/eco-friendly-decking/

Pro wood site:

https://www.thinkwood.com/blog/why-lumber-is-the-better-environmental-choice-than-composite-decking

Wont they release chlorofluorocarbons too?

Hey everyone,

I’m working on lowering my environmental impact and living more sustainably, but one thing I’m struggling with is actually understanding my personal footprint. I know the average American emits around 16 tons of CO2 per year, and while I try to make conscious choices, I really have no reliable way to measure how I’m doing.

I’m interested in a service or app that can help me get an accurate estimate of my emissions and guide me in reducing them over time. I’m not just looking to donate to a charity without knowing where my money’s going—I want something that lets me track my progress, ideally with a subscription that allows me to offset or reduce my impact on a regular basis.

It’d be a huge relief to have a clear, reputable way to manage this without stressing over every little thing. My goal is to focus on areas I can control, like reducing waste and lowering my footprint gradually, so I can live a bit more sustainably while still enjoying life.

Does anyone know of any apps out there that do this, ideally one that’s well-reviewed or recommended by people here? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

clothes that are too worn to donate/sell. i have some shirts with holes and bras with the wire sticking out, but i don’t want to just toss them. would appreciate any ideas for where to recycle them 🩷

I keep seeing posts discouraging individual actions toward sustainability and placing all the blame on corporations. While corporations certainly play a huge role, I believe our individual actions significantly impact the system as well. Our habits and consumption choices create the market demand that corporations respond to.

Did you know almost 70% of the GDP is made up of personal consumption expenditures? Our spending habits play a big role in shaping the market, and ignoring this makes the problem feel untouchable and out of our control. Corporations produce goods to meet demand, and when that demand shifts, so do production practices and pricing. It’s basic economics, right?

I find it empowering to think that we, as consumers, can influence corporate practices by changing our habits. Every sustainable choice we make adds up, encouraging companies to adopt greener methods. Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts!

Just got my ballot and noticed we're voting on banning fur sales in Denver (Prop 308). I always thought fur was bad because of the animal cruelty thing, but I did some research and holy shit - the environmental impact is actually insane.

Fur farms dump animal waste into waterways, use toxic chemicals to preserve the fur, and the whole process has this crazy high carbon footprint just from feeding all the animals - especially since foxes and minks are carnivores so they need meat-based food for their whole lives.

There's this new study that compared real fur to other materials, and the numbers are wild. 1kg of mink fur has a carbon footprint 25 TIMES higher than polyester. The water usage is even worse. Real fur uses 104 times more water to make than fake fur, and even uses 5 times more than cotton (which everyone knows is already super water-intensive). The fur industry tries to claim it's "the most environmentally friendly material available" but that's straight up greenwashing.

I know what you're thinking - isn't fake fur just more plastic pollution? Yeah that's definitely an issue, but there are actually some cool companies making eco-friendly fake fur from stuff like hemp, recycled materials, and even denim. Plus regular fur uses chemicals that are way worse.

The best part? Some animals escape these fur farms and become invasive species (how does that even happen??). Plus trappers sometimes catch endangered animals by accident when they're trying to get fur-bearing animals.

I'm personally voting yes on Prop 308 because it’s a no-brainer. What do you guys think? Anyone else seeing a fur ban on the ballot in their city?

For anyone wanting sources, here's the study I’m referencing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ht7nOaIkpI

I'm not a chemist, but, it seems to me that the only alternative is natural materials. 100% natural. Wool, cotton, linen, hemp. Most of the Merino wool clothing being made at this point is partially lycra, so that takes some finding. I'm really frustrated by how hard it is to opt out.

I’m curious if there are many products on the market that are made from invasive species in the UK/Europe?

I noticed a few companies in the US producing leather, pet food, etc. but wasn’t really able to find anything similar in the UK/Europe.

Was thinking about fur/pet food from grey squirrels, pet food from signal crayfish, packaging materials/leather from Chinese mitten crabs, paper/packaging from Japanese Knotweed.

Anyone know of producers and why there is not more happening in the space?

Greetings, friends!

My girlfriend and I recently bought a set of candlesticks, and predictably enough the candles we have at hand don't fit too well, causing them to lean and drip, and we're looking for ways to straighten them. I'm familiar with using aluminum foil to fill the gaps, but I'd rather not use and toss this much aluminum for obvious reasons. Using cloth crossed my mind, but i'm worried it'll catch fire.

Thus I turn to reddit. Alternatives to aluminium foil, experience with techniques and any other advice is most welcome.

It's a drop in the ocean of sustainable living, but I find that every measure counts, if only for the mindset it gives us.

BR,

Maggeninc

I was scrolling through my ballot for the upcoming election, and turns out we're voting on whether to ban slaughterhouses in Denver. 

There's actually a huge lamb slaughterhouse in Denver that's been dumping manure in the river for years. It's in an industrial part of the city called Globeville (which is actually the most polluted zip code in the United States and a low-income community of color). The slaughterhouse was just fined $119K by the EPA for multiple violations of the Clean Air Act, including leaking anhydrous ammonia into the air, which can cause serious, often irreversible health effects when inhaled. The facility is also in "significant non-compliance" with the Clean Water Act. 

The thing that really hit home for me was an ad I saw with undercover footage from the slaughterhouse. The workers were kicking and throwing the lambs and one of them had to walk with a broken leg. It’s super inhumane. I never realized how brutal the whole slaughter process really is. Makes me feel bad for the folks whose job it is to work at a slaughterhouse. 

I'm voting yes, especially considering it’s a lamb slaughterhouse (and red meat is really bad for the climate) but I'm curious what other people think about Prop 309. Is this something that could work in other cities?

It feels so wrong and there’s so much! I want to maybe make something crafty out of them or something. Any ideas?

Hello folks,

I respect the input of the good people here. I have just read that trees and land absorbed 'almost no carbon dioxide' last year. I need no one to convince me of the reality of human-driven climate change; indeed, I share this truth regularly! I don’t doubt for one second that humanity's emissions are seriously stretching the planet’s resources. But this sounded bizarre, counterintuitive and a bit impossible. Could you help me unpack this article please? I'm not looking to alarm anyone - just need to get some perspective on a challenging story.

Thanks all,

Is Nature's Sink Failing?