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Spiffy New Tramway Connects Casablanca’s Hot Spots

King Mohammed VI rode with French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and head of Moroccan government Abdelilah Benkirane on Casablanca’s spiffy new tramway during its debut run, which traversed the distance between United Nations Square and Mohammed Square on 12 December, 2012. Designed to reduce air pollution, ease vehicular congestion and increase economic development in what […]

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Blücher’s Wallpaper Cleans Sick Buildings

Though wallpaper is not popular in the Middle East, this wallpaper can help repair sick building syndrome. I grew up in a duplex, my mom warned us that the walls have ears.  Now the walls can have lungs too. Germany-based Blücher Technologies has created a material called Saratech Permasorb Wallpaper that removes toxins embedded in wall […]

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A Dustier Planet, Your Dustier Lungs

Earth’s dust storms and sand storms are becoming more frequent. How does that affect your health? Here in the Middle East, powerful hot winds sometimes drop fine yellowish sand  down from the sky, coating the skin and lips irritatingly and making it hard to see across the street. It’s the lashing tail of giant storms […]

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Pesticides Causing Brain Damage to be Banned by Israel

Down side of crop dusting is pesticides that cause neurological damage:  photo by Alberto Denkberg/Haaretz Air and water pollution in Israel from insecticides, oil and other petroleum-based residues from older gas stations; and other chemicals are feared to be causing neurological damage to people according to new studies. Various forms of insecticides, especially the use […]

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Lebanon Carpet Fire Causing More Atmospheric Pollution

Black plumes go airborne from burning Byblos Carpet Factory fire in Lebanon. Lebanon has had more than its share of various air and surface pollution issues in recent years. Some of these issues have included dumping loads of garbage straight into the Mediterranean; as well as a giant garbage mound in Sidon that is so […]

Strange Chlorine Gas Smell Takes Over Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv’s mysterious gas smell is nothing compared to Cairo’s annual “black cloud”. Tel Aviv is Israel’s largest city, and at times has been so saturated by car exhaust air pollution environmentalists have sometimes said that people run a serious risk of brain damage if they ride their bicycles there during heavy air pollution days. […]

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Alon Tal Paints a Picture of Israel’s Environment Wrongs and Rights (INTERVIEW)

Joshua interviews Israel’s most influential and accomplished environmentalist, Dr. Alon Tal.  Where is Israel at in terms of environmental protection?  Get the scoop here. Israel has introduced several environmental protections in the last few years, but many problems remain.  Although massive social protests swept Israel over the summer, environmental issues were not at the fore. […]