As peace talks resume, can environmental issues create bridges and links between opposing sides?
JERUSALEM – Every few years, the idea of establishing one state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea rises and falls like a phoenix; a dream of a state where both Palestinians and Israelis live in peace with no borders, no barriers, cultural autonomy and equal citizenship for all.
In the 1940′s this idea was endorsed by leftist Jewish circles; in the 1980′s the PLO called for the establishment of a secular democratic state on the entire land, in the 1990′s it was championed by Palestinian intellectuals who had given up on the two-state solution and most recently this same idea has been articulated with some nuances by people on the right of the Israeli political map like former Defence Minister Moshe Arens.
Continue reading: “One State. One Environment” »
Salt comes in many forms and has many uses. How many are you aware of?
One of the most common features of a set table is the salt shaker sitting neatly next to the pepper grinder. Saltiness is not only one of the basic tastes next to sweetness, bitterness and sourness, it is also one of the oldest forms of seasoning. From simple table salt to the mineral-rich salt of the shrinking Dead Sea, there are many forms of salt available.
Continue reading: “Too Much Salt or Not? 6 Tips for Salt” »
UJIA’s Green Thread aims to make the charity more ecologically and economically efficient
One of the biggest Jewish charities in the UK has adopted a green policy to reduce its environmental footprint. The United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA) decided that moving to new offices in north London last year was the perfect opportunity to examine how the organisation could reduce its environmental impact. This initiative could have a knock-on effect around the world – even the Middle East.
“Being environmentally responsible runs through everything we do at UJIA. Since moving into our new Camden offices, we have been putting our green principles into practise,” explains David Janner-Klausner, UJIA’s programme and planning director (pictured above, left, alongside UJIA chief executive, Douglas Krikler).
Continue reading: “Jewish Charity UJIA Goes Green in London” »
Two men travel throughout 30 America states to discover a whole host of Muslims with a balanced, earthen attitude to life.
We have enjoyed traveling along with Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq on their 30 Mosques in 30 States Ramadan road trip. 30-in-30 is the return of a journey by two Muslims and their quest to green America; they began their trip on August 11th in New York City and are en route to visit 30 different mosques.
They have lit up hidden Muslim communities and the multi-faith integration in the US. The ethnic diversity within American Muslim communities has enlightened the bloggers and readers that despite our reluctance to talk about the environment and waste, we are all still people with concern for one another and ourselves. The word humility buzzes throughout their blog posts.
Continue reading: “30 Mosques in 30 States: USA’s Organic Muslims” »
Foods flavored with honey symbolize the desire for a sweet New Year in the Jewish calendar.
Go the locavore way and pick up some local honey for baking this Rosh HaShanah. Local honey is good for you – and what better way to eat it than by celebrating the holiday with this light, spicy cake?
Continue reading: “RECIPE: Honey Chiffon Cake for Rosh HaShanah – The Jewish New Year” »
Littering and lack of moderation violates important Islamic tenants, according to prominent scholars
With businesses in the UAE slowly beginning to take the environment message seriously, it seems that scholars and imams are now doing the same. During a Ramadan seminar titled ‘Islam and Environment’ organised by the Emirates Environmental Group, the renowned Islamic scholar Ahmad Al Kubaisi launched a campaign asking citizens to moderate their use of water in the country.
According to reports from Gulf News, Al Kubaisi noted that earth is mentioned 88 times in the Qur’an, which highlights its importance, and he added that “The Prophet cursed anyone who muddies a water stream, while he said that he saw a man in the highest ranks of paradise because he removed a thorn from the road.”
Continue reading: “UAE Scholars And Imams Speak Up For The Environment” »
Bristol scientists hope to build an autonomous robot that runs by digesting energy-rich waste products
As we begin to consider alternative sources of energy for the Middle East, where even oil-rich Saudi is developing its solar sector, diversifying our portfolio will take pressure off any one source and generate further safety nets. Technology developed for space missions can clean solar panels and make them more effective, and new mini-turbines are sufficiently quiet and aesthetically pleasing to use in residential applications. But we haven’t yet considered using urine to create fuel cells. Researchers at the Bristol Robotics Lab (BRL) have, and hope to use their Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) already capable of running on other forms of waste for outdoor applications such as music festivals.
Continue reading: “Your Pee Could Power Ecobot III” »
Palm Jumeirah Island room with a view, for only $200 a day
Last year, at the peak of Dubai’s economic crisis, there was a massive expatriate exodus. Fearing debtors jail, many foreigners with unpaid bank loans abandoned their cars at Dubai’s airport parking lot. The New York Times described a policy of silence that forbade critics to discuss the extent of the Emirate’s problems.
Rumors spread that one of the Palm Islands, Palm Jumeirah, was sinking at a rate of 5mm per year, which the government-owned developer Nakheel since disputed, and that World developers were struggling to pay their bills. Nonetheless, despite concerns that the Gulf artificial islands can cause soil erosion and other environmental damage, the Palm islands are in full flux. We’ve been given a rare look at the inside of one of the island’s 8,000 apartments (and villas).
Continue reading: “Marilyn Monroe And “The Salon of Beauty” In Dubai” »
Have you ever looked at vegetables and thought “I can base a whole meal on all of this?”
Seared salmon, braised lamb, sauteed beef: sounds delicious, but what about vegetables? Here in the Middle East we love our kebabs, shawarmas and barbecues, but recently The Food Network aired an episode of Iron Chef America that gave us food for thought – a completely vegetarian menu.
Continue reading: “Food For Thought – Iron Chef America’s Vegetarian Challenge” »
Eco Options Egypt is working on becoming a one-stop shop for resources on leading a green lifestyle in Egypt.
It’s not always easy to be green. Good intentions aside, if you habitually need to go out of your way to be eco-friendly then the chances are that eventually you’ll give up. If you can’t find the green resources easily, then you probably won’t use them. Eco Options Egypt, a blog operated by Donya Desee, understands this and wants to make it as easy as possible for Egyptians to understand all the environmentally-friendly options out there. Being green in Egypt is now a little bit easier.
Continue reading: ““Eco Options Egypt” Makes Egyptian Environmentalism Easy and Accessible” »
