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Ecological News From the Middle East

Had a busy week? Well, why not stop and sample the delights of Sunday’s news nuggets It’s been a busy week here at Green Prophet headquarters and we’ve all been hard at work highlighting the green and not-so-green news of the Middle East. Personally, finding out that Mekkah wouldn’t be replicating the mistake of building […]

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Twirling for Tripoli’s Car Free Day

Spinning for a car-free day in Tripoli, Lebanon. Though not clear of cars, the streets were considerably less congested and polluted. Like in many Middle Eastern cities, walking the streets of Tripoli in Northern Lebanon is an assault on the lungs. Battered, old taxis dart and crawl along the cramped roads, oozing billows of pungent […]

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Lebanon Loses Out on 7 Natural Wonders

Guest writer and Oxford student Will Todman describes the mood in Lebanon following the announcement that Jeita Grotto failed to secure a spot as one of the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World. Lebanon’s hopes of having its candidate, Jeita Grotto, declared one of the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World were crushed […]

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Is Bicycle Sharing Coming to Beirut?

Could a bike sharing system work in Beirut? Bicycle sharing has become all the rage in certain cities in the past few years, ever since the Parisians got the trend going with the Vélib’ shared bike rental system approximately three years ago.  In the Middle East, Nicosia implemented a bike sharing system a few weeks […]

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Tripoli Goes Car Free, If Only for a Day or Two

Walk in a car-free Tripoli this Sunday. Be prepared for some carbon monoxide withdrawal in Tripoli: Air pollution is Lebanon is getting bad. Local youths have appealed to the Environment Ministry to close the city to cars this coming Sunday. While it is documented that car-less cities and suburbs like Vauban in Germany may bring […]

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Cousa Mahshi, Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini

A specialty of the Middle East, stuffed zukes are favorites with young and old. In a Tel Aviv supermarket, I watched a mother soothing her tired, hungry little boy. “Just another few minutes, and then we’ll go to Grandmother’s house for lunch!” The little boy sniffled, looked up, and asked, “Are there going to be […]

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Q&A With Greenpeace Campaigner Raefah Makki

We speak to Greenpeace campaigner Raefah Makki about nuclear power, the Arab Spring and what she would do if she were president for the day Greenpeace is one of the most recognizable green organisations in the world and the fact that it has branches scattered across the globe is part of the reason why. Greenpeace […]

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Could Israel Join With its Arab Neighbors in Medgrid?

Could sharing a transmision grid for renewable energy bring Arabs and Jews together? Invited to speak by the Israeli branch of CIGRE in Israel, Jean Kowal, executive vice president of Medgrid suggested that the road to Middle East peace could be a shared and interconnected electrical grid that facilitates the addition of more green energy. The […]

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Car Use in Lebanon Increased by 538% in 24 Years

An architect in Beirut illustrates how a small splash of color can completely transform a concrete environment. But trust us, that is just the beginning of this city’s problems. I judge a country by its public transportation, and Sandra Rashini, an architect who held a magnifying glass over Lebanon’s colossal urban problem for Mashallah, will tell […]

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Mimes Point the Way for Safer Driving

Green Prophet’s own Green Sheikh posing with a mime. Could the Caracas model of street miming reign in bad Middle East drivers? Drive anywhere in the Middle East and you are taking your life in your hands. Whether you are in a car, bus, train, or just walking on a sidewalk or riding your bike, […]

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Green Christians Fight For Climate Justice

Whilst Christians make up a tiny minority of the Middle East’s population, their faith does have a lot to say on climate change From Jews celebrating Sukkot in green style, Muslims promoting a green hajj and Baha’is working to promote sustainability, the Middle East is something of a green faith haven. However, the role that […]