Islam’s ban on alcohol and how it’s applied
Those attending the World Cup in Qatar may be culture-shocked into learning that alcohol is banned in Muslim countries. Why is this?
Make a conscious click through a Connected Butterfly
A new app helps consumers and stakeholders trace ESG policies and practices of luxury goods
Food waste activism art from Israel
An Israeli artist demonstrates against food waste through snail mail and an elaborate feast he created from food bin waste
Lebanon in a time of cholera
Cholera always sounds like an epidemic of the past, but it's becoming a public health emergency in Lebanon and Syria as the bacteria spreads.
Labne/Labaneh added to official French dictionary
Le Petit Robert, the popular single-volume French dictionary, has added the word “labné”, also pronounced as “labneh” or "labaneh" to its latest 2023 edition.
Dubai’s new Vertical Forest skyscraper
An Italian architecture firm has presented a Vertical Forest skyscraper plan for Dubai. The same firm built the two towers of Bosco Verticale in Milan. Vertical Forest Dubai, rendering by Stefano Boeri Architetti
Mayor offers $6 dead dog bounty in Hebron
The mayor of Hebron needed to get rid of stray dogs and win favor before the elections. His idea? A $6 bounty for every dead dog's body.
Mushroom trade group unites Quorn and fungi protein companies
Mushroom companues unite Quorn, Mush FOods, Nature’s Fynd, Enough, The Better Meat Co., The Protein Brewery, Prime Roots, Mycotechnology, Aqua Cultured Foods, and Mycorena, plus NGOs ProVeg and The Good Food Institute.
Iran denounces women skater for losing her head covering
The Islamic regime in Iran has lost its head and control over women who refuse to wear the Islamic state's stringent dress codes, and the hijab.
Historical tourism begins in AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Since Saudi Arabia's prince and prime minister decided to expand Saudi Arabia's tourism to include westerners, desert and historical tourism was top of the list.
All electric passenger plane from Israel sees over $2B USD in pre-orders
Eviation Aircraft, an Israeli-American venture of for an all-electric aircraft, announced this week that it has surpassed $2 billion USD in orders for its 9-seater all-electric Alice airplane.
Desert kites are massive death traps built by the ancients
The ancients used desert kites, or a sort of mega-trap to catch their prey. The structures seen from up high in the sky were named 'kites' by aviators in the 1920s.
Better Cotton urges leaders at COP27 to show support for farmers on the frontline
The world’s leading sustainability initiative for cotton, Better Cotton, has issued a stark warning to leaders during COP27.
Saudi Arabia’s Ceer EV Brand with China and BMW
The prince of Saudi Arabia wants his very own car company and just announced Ceer, the country's first electric vehicle company, which should attract over $150M foreign direct investment and is expected to be available by 2025.
Even crickets can’t get romantic under city lights
Artificial city lights are a "turn off" to crickets who sing love songs to their mates. A new study from the University of Haifa in Israel has found that even low levels of artificial lighting at night cause an interruption in the biological clock of male crickets. This may lead to extinction of the species, the researchers speculate.
Developing nations want the rich to pay for climate change
So the world's largest climate event, COP27, now happening in Egypt meets the usual challenges. A few key points stick out.
These ancients built graveyards for travellers
Why did the ancients, our ancient ancestors mark major byways with thousands of burial monuments? Why are they shaped like pendants and what stories do they tell?
7 Ways to Make Your Home More Sustainable
As the earth feels the effects of climate change and energy bills continue to rise, taking steps to make your home more sustainable and eco-friendly can save you money and help protect the planet.
6 Biking Tours That Are Perfect for Fall
Fall is a great time to go biking. Some trails have bike paths through beautiful foliage. Find out the best bike tours that are perfect for this fall.
The teaching tree offers a Saudi view on Mother Nature
Multidisciplinary artist Muhannad Shono has been selected to represent Saudi Arabia at Biennale Arte 2022 in Venice with his installation, The Teaching Tree
Environmental Awards and Prizes
List of global environment prizes.
Merkin’s $400,000 prize for health startups
MIT and Harvard are hosting the Merkin Prize, supporting innovations in healthcare. Have a dream company to share? $400K in prizes.
Advertisement// HY Summit is green hydrogen event from the heart of industrial Germany
A short train ride from Cologne or Dusseldorf, the first international NRW HY Summit 2022 will take place in Duisburg and Essen in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany from November 8th to 10th. Attendants can immerse themselves in the world of hydrogen onsite as well as virtually and learn everything about the future of the planet’s smallest element.
Leading lab-grown diamond companies
Blood diamonds, or diamonds mined from countries that use slave labor and low wages to harvest diamonds are out. Vintage diamonds are in, but if you want maximum bling and want to buy a few carats, your best bet in style and cut will be a lab-grown diamond.
Two tons of microplastics on Israel’s Mediterranean Sea coast
A new study shows that the Israeli part of the Levantine coastline of the Mediterranean Sea is contaminated with over two tons of micro-plastics
Plastic pollution in the ocean as storm sewers vomit onto Jaffa beach
The Jaffa storm sewer was openly washing onto the sea bringing with it a mass of oily pollution and plastic bits that have built up over the city during the last 6 months
Did The Line copycat this floating city of Iran?
Copycat? Back in 2018 Heirati envisioned a linear city for Iran. Unlike Saudi Arabia's The Line, Heirati considers the needs of the locals in his design
Video reveals 150-mile-long mirrored skyscraper The Line in Saudi Arabia
This video shows the design for The Line, a 550 yard-tall, mirror-clad skyscraper designed to house nine million desert-dwellers in Saudi Arabia.
Meet Aliph, the first all-women venture fund in the Middle East
All-women Aliph Capital secures $125 million USD investment from ADQ
Arab activists sail into Cop27 on Greenpeace ship
Youth climate representatives from the Middle East and North Africa have arrived at the port of Alexandria onboard a Greenpeace ship to put climate justice high on the agenda at the 27th UN climate summit taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh in November.
Plastic bags clog storm sewers, killing man in Lebanon
A man dies from flooding in Lebanon. Authorities blame plastic bags choking storm sewers.
Davos in the Desert? See what’s happening along The Line
The Future Investment Initiative, nicknamed Davos of the Desert, is opening Tuesday today, but US officials will be absent.
The Line has started construction, Bedouin protestors evicted sentenced to death
Drone footage of The Line underway. Meanwhile Bedouin who live there are sentenced to death for protesting eviction.
Lucid Motors opens factory in Saudi Arabia, tightening energy ties with China
Lucid is a Chinese and Saudi Arabian owned EV company floating on the NASDAQ. They manufacture electric vehicles.
Only 5% of America’s plastic is ever recycled
Most plastic is not recyclable in America.
Eviation’s all-electric passenger plane takes first test flight in the US
Cheaper and more sustainable air travel is brought to you by an Israeli-founded, American-led all-electric aircraft startup, Eviation
An experiment to test if worms eat plastic
Insect larvae can eat plastic. Time to advance science and start some experiments at home. Which larvae work? What kinds of plastics?
These worms eat plastic
Insect larvae are eating plastic. The secret is in their saliva. Try your own real experiments at home with plastics you find.
How The Great NFTrees, Metaverse & Digiverse Can Change The Middle-East
I believe the Middle East and Dubai would be a perfect place for an incubator project he’s been developing, which is focused on nature based solution and restoration, as well as fit for what I call the DigiReal Multiverse.
Melodea replaces plastic and aluminum coatings in packaging
A company from Israel called Melodea has started working in the US to produce a sustainable barrier coatings for packaging. Israeli super-entrepreneur Oded Shoseyov is on the board.
Can plants grow on the moon?
Can plants grow in a barren landscape such as the surface of the moon? If so, what types of plants? Could enough plants grow to support a future peopled-moon installation?
Learn earthen architecture of the Middle East
This one-month training course will use Al Ain, UAE as an open-air laboratory for participants to learn practical, hands-on methods for preserving earthen buildings and archaeological sites.
The 10 best marathons in the Middle East
Looking for adventure and sustainable travel? Run an ultra-marathon in the sand, or a half marathon around a Holy City. Marathon the Mideast.
Saudi Arabia building $500 billion ski resort for a planet on fire
Saudi Arabia has “won” the bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games at what will be called its Trojena resort
Want to Start Your Own Commune?
A pioneering newsletter is still helping the next generation plan their intentional community
Ecotourism in Egypt
In contrast to eco tourism in other countries in the Middle East, such as Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, there is an extremely active Ecotourism Committee in the Egyptian Tourism Federation, which makes eco tourism in Egypt especially diverse, authentic, and unique. You can find high-end, and low end –- all satisfying experiences based on […]
Luxury glamping in Abu Dhabi
Luxury tenting, known as glamping, in Jebel Hafit, UAE
Lebanon’s abandoned Ottoman-era mansions
It’s not unusual for an intrepid foreign explorer to uncover hidden gems in Lebanon.
Elon Musk wants to Starlink Iranian dissidents
Elon Musk is hoping to dodge American sanctions against Iran to help researchers and anyone who wants it, access uncensored internet via his satellite-based Starlink internet service.
Death by modesty police? Iranian women burn head coverings to protest #MahsaAmini
A young Iranian woman, 22, has died in custody after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for improper clothing. Her death sparked anger on social media under her name #MahsaAmini.
Earliest evidence of opium use found in Israel
Found at Tel Yehud, it is the oldest source of hallucinogen use in history to date.
Locals learn to restore mosaics from Bible times
Locals learn to preserve mosaics in the Middle East.
Blank Street is where Middle Easterners do American coffee
Two guys from Dubai build Blank Street into a Silicon Valley funded coffee venture. Not all New Yorkers welcome this venture.
Lebanese install solar panels to survive energy crisis
Lebanon is facing a severe energy crisis forcing people to run private generators for switching on light bulbs and refrigerators. But people have started to turn to the sun.
Marine Pollution in Kuwait and what we can do to protect our ocean
A short primer on the problems with marine pollution in Kuwait: oil spills, dredging, sewage discharge and ballast water from ships.
How to improve IVF success rates
Hyaluronic acid (HA) enhances the ultimate success of IVF.
Confessions of a circumcised Muslim woman
A candid letter by a Muslim woman who shares the pleasures of female circumcision.
September seasonal fruits and vegetables
Look for the exotic jujube fruit in Middle Eastern markets this month.
Invasive species of the Mediterranean Sea
The Med region is changing as hundreds of new species invade. Can you imagine floating in Cefalu with killer jellyfish?
Yemen’s hunger reaching dire state
Yemenis are often overrun by locusts which attack their food supply.
Without a hijab? Iran’s surveillance cameras will track and punish you
Like China who has been using AI and facial detection surveillance to pinpoint people breaking lockdown, Iran's morality police are using cameras to catch women without a head covering –- a moral sin in Iran.
Bats didn’t transmit Covid: new study
Did Covid start in bats? New research from scientists in Israel refute the theory which points to the opposite: bats have a highly effective immune system that enables them to deal relatively easily with viruses considered lethal for other mammals.
Ancients used these bones for fortune telling, games
An ancient cache of animal bones used for divination and games shows how people are just people wherever you roam.
The Line in Saudi Arabia invites you to live like a Borg
A cross between a sci-fi post-apocalyptic city and a Moshe Safdie rendition of Expo 67, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman shows off The Line.
Travelling to Hill Tribes in Thailand
This time we were going to go outside our comfort zone - we’d go outside the Thailand we knew: beaches, floating markets, temples, and beaches of Samui and Phuket. This time we would rely on my husband’s old memories from the early 90s to take us back to the mountains in the north.
Sustainable rubber and latex production
America and the world sees a rubber shortage. A new plan to grow it in America, sustainably.
This gum makes sugar taste like overcooked vegetables
A new gum called Sweet Victory has been created for kids to stop sugar intake in people and children who can no longer say no to sweets.
Ancient mosque found in the Holy Land
A luxurious estate and a rare rural mosque – among the earliest known worldwide (over 1200 years old) - was recently discovered outside the Bedouin city of Rahat in the Negev Desert, Israel.
Palestinian beekeepers make Jerusalem sweeter
Well in the Bronx, honeybee keepers have tasted notes of pollution. In Jerusalem will the sweet bees offer a taste of holiness?
B Corp’s sustainability status slides as Nespresso joins the ranks
Nespresso is now a B Corp. A fair trade organization along with B Corp members are outraged.
Insect radar monitors the web of life
To help understand insect populations, a new insect radar, the first for Israel, has been installed near the Hula Valley nature reserve. The area is a major rest stop for millions of migratory birds moving between Africa and Europe each year.
Hemp solar house highlights vernacular building potential in Morocco
The Sunimplant team developed a concept for the preservation of the environment and cultural heritage in the rural region of the High Rif in north of Morocco.
Money and energy-saving laundry tips
Small changes add up. Here are some tips to doing your laundry sustainably. These tips are good for the planet and for saving money too.
After you swipe right, read this
The researchers looked at how a heterosexual couple's physiology and behavior adapt to each other during that first encounter.
Solar panels driving opium trade in Afghanistan
The Taliban walks between hypocrisy and holiness while trying to figure out how to profit from poppies and not damage its local economy.
This artificial e-skin feels pain in real time
An electronic skin which can learn from feeling ‘pain’ could help create a new generation of smart robots with human-like sensitivity.
Boosting THC in cannabis plant using a virus
Researchers have used a virus and gene editing system to boost the potent aspects of the cannabis plant
Ancient aqueduct of Jerusalem uncovered
Learn from the Holy Land how ancient people engineered water.
What’s in season May
Sour green plums the size of large marbles are in the local Middle East markets now, a seasonal favorite of the Iraqis. Eat them out of hand as a snack, sprinkling each bite with a little salt. The classic Iraqi way to cook them is to pair them with meat in a flavorful stew. And if you want to ask for them in Persian just say "Gojeh sabz!"
Coral reefs and light pollution
Coral reefs are at risk as the City of Eilat plans to illuminate its Red Sea beaches
Qanat, an eco-hotel in Iran’s desert, makes ancient tech new
When you go deep into a desert, whether it's Iran or Sinai, it has a similar effect of being in a forest. The stark nature of the planet holds you. Deserts may offer less distractions in your peripheral vision but the clouds and sand come to life as you feel yourself expanding within the expanse.
Turkey’s all electric Togg EV
Turkey launches its first EV company, an all electric car called TOGG.
Israeli Alt Dairy Startup Imagindairy Raises $15M Seed
Alt Dairy, Alt Meat and Alt Fish are hot trends in the food tech industry. Vegans are pushing for the conversion to non-animal sources of milk, meat and fish, and the planet needs it badly too.
Fly net positive with Saudia
Emirates might be the world's sexiest airline (though we don't suggest joining the Mile High club on a journey to Dubai) but Saudia but be the most eco-sexiest so far. The airline we have never heard of, the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has operated the world’s longest net positive flight in May this year.
Saudi Aramco invests in hydroponics with Red Sea Farms
Saudi-owned and world's largest oil company invests in food, but is hydroponics sustainable?
Scientists call for a plastic cap
Climate scientists call for a plastic diet, asking governments to cap production.
Dolphin bycatch not sustainable
After taking a deep dive in the fishing industry, dolphin bycatch is being ignored and not reported.
Soil health calculator
To help farmers evaluate the impact carbon sequestration and other practices might have on their businesses, the Institute is developing a decision support tool
DuPont to make synthetic salmon from algae
DuPont, the chemicals company that makes teflon, lycra, polyester, and lucite, will now be making artificial salmon, using spirulina, a type of algae.
What’s in season April
April's biggest bargain is fresh, green garlic
Masdar’s developing green hydrogen plants with Egypt’s Sun
Masdar, a renewable energy company that built the net-zero energy city under its namesake, along with Hassan Allam Utilities, are investing in the future of renewable energy. They announced just now that they will develop green hydrogen production plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean coast.
Humans possess intelligence when it comes to selecting a nutritious diet
Studies have shown animals use flavour as a guide to the vitamins and minerals they require. If flavour serves a similar role for humans, then we may be imbuing junk foods such as potato chips and fizzy drinks with a false ‘sheen’ of nutrition by adding flavourings to them. In other words, the food industry may be turning our nutritional wisdom against us, making us eat food we would normally avoid and thus contributing to the obesity epidemic.
Tehran wins “world’s most polluted city” in April
The Iranian city now passes as one of the world's most polluted cities, as smog, dust and smoke overcomes it.
Frankincense resin could slow Covid impact
Plants from the past and used in the Bible may help us against modern ailments. Research studies to produce medicines capable of fighting COVID-19 from frankincense trees in Oman are being jointly undertaken by the University of Nizwa in Oman and the University of Oxford in England
The wild dozen and why you should care about these plants
There are wild ingredients found in your home that are now under threat. Brazil nuts, argan oil, and shea butter are now classified among a dozen wild, threatened and at risk plants known as flagship species that need protecting.
UN climate conference forgets faith, women and youth, say MENA groups
The UN's climate change conference, with the worst names, COP27, will happen in Egypt this year.
Solar shade fabric to light public park in pilot
The city of Tel Aviv has installed a pilot of LumiWeave, a flexible and lightweight solar energy shade and energy system in Atidim Park in Tel Aviv to provide shade during the day and illuminate your path at night.
New mysterious sun waves point to new theories for astrophysicists
These mysterious waves move in the opposite direction to the sun's rotation, which is to the right, three times faster than what is allowed by hydrodynamics alone.
Oman makes first electric car in the Middle East
Prototype from Mays Motors, the first electric car of the Middle East Starts production in 2023. Carbon fibre, has a range of about 350 miles and can accelerate from 0 to 80 in about 4 secs. Mad Max here we come.
Make magical baharat, the 7 spice blend of Middle East cuisine
Baharat is an essential blend you can make at home. It's like a Middle Eastern answer to curry. But distinct.
Food in season in March
If you live in the near Middle East or the middle Middle East, or are just visiting - take this handy guide with you to find and taste what's in season for the month of March.
Super Adobe in Jericho, Palestine
Want to make a low cost home from natural, local materials that last? Try a Super Adobe invented by Nader Khalili.
Why green potatoes are toxic
I love potatoes (especially in Moroccan cooking like mafroum) and coming from an immigrant family from Holland and Scotland, eating potatoes was basically a part of every meal, like bread and butter. But my mother was always afraid of potato “eyes” and the green bits and she and my dad would prune the unwanted bits […]
Holding back the deserts with a saxaul tree
Africa is getting its Great Green Wall, meanwhile Saudi Arabia is also suffering from climate change-induced draught and is starting to do something about it by planting more local trees that love the desert.
Anti-virals freshen up a woman’s eggs for IVF
"Within a decade, I hope we will be able to increase fertility among older women using anti-viral drugs," shared Klutstein.
Future Crops gets $30M investment for hydroponics with substance
Gary Grinspan of Future Crops. Aiming to make hydroponics more closely resembling nature.
Yemen is starving, Ukraine war is making it worse
Ongoing conflict, poverty, and draught have millions of Yemenis in the crossfire. They are starving.
Iran’s going solar with half a million solar panels
Each house will generate more than 100% of its energy needs and the rest will feed back to the household as a monthly check.
Your baby and air pollution
Your baby's birth weight is affected by air pollution finds a new study.
Ukrainian Waldorf friends moving to Israel? The Spring School wants to help
Are you are family, teacher or practitioner from a Waldorf community in the Ukraine? Are you coming urgently to Israel to settle? If yes, we are 400 families from the Tel Aviv- Jaffa community who want to help.
How to grow roots in the air
Want to learn how to grow roots in the air? This research team figured out how the plant does it.
Microplastics are pairing up with pollutants. This is bad news.
More worrying is that microplastics themselves are not inert, and they have the ability to pull along other environmental toxins with them, amplifying the toxicity effect, finds a new research study.
Microplastics found in baby poop
But plastics - why should you care if you don't care about turtles choking? It turns out microplastics are terribly bad for you if you consume them and can amplify the effects of other toxins in the environment by clinging to them, found a recent study out of Israel.
Big Data invention saves wildlife using movement, GPS
Bats, whales, bugs, fish and all creatures big and small move to stay alive. A new invention can track animal movements to avoid bird flu epidemics and help give wildlife an easier path to survival.
Indigikitchen shows the young and indigenous their food roots
Mariah Gladstone’s childhood laid the perfect foundations for the work she does these days, breathing new life into Indigenous Peoples’ food traditions through her online cooking show Indigikitchen.
Oman’s first solar energy power plant launches with $417 M USD investment
The Ibri II solar power plant, Oman will supply power to 30,000 households. It's the first large scale solar power plant for this Middle East country.
Jeff Bezos’ Altos Labs to Defeat Death
Jeff Bezos founds Altos Labs so the wealthy can live forever.
The plants our ancient ancestors ate
Finding bones at an archeology site reveals the kind of animals our human ancestors would eat. But plants? Remains in the kitchens and pots of our ancients and their plant matter is much more elusive because plant remains disintegrate over time.
Scientists say keto diet can repair broken brains
A keto diet is based on meat. Scientists say the diet improves spatial memory and visual memory, lowers indices of brain inflammation, causes less neuronal death and slows down the rate of cellular ageing
Wind powered freight and travel ship retrofits to set sail
Want to travel and order online guilt free? A new kind of freight powered by the aims needs your funding support for eco travel and reducing carbon emissions
Offshore wind energy deal between Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy and ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia held a groundbreaking ceremony for the 240 MW wind power plant that ACWA will build in the Asian country, with an investment value of $300 USD million.
Exploding star hunter on the nature of supernovae
Exploding stars happen more often that you might think. Turns out you just need to know how to look for them. New research on "stars" gives us insight into looking for a new career, a romantic partner or friend, or even happiness in general. Read on.
Microplastics you breath in the desert
Plastics from dollar store products, packaging for our every day lives and industry have been a problem for decades, and the more scientists learn about plastic pollution the more serious the problems are shown to be for the environment and the health of all living things.
Lebanon’s water problems explained in 15 minute video
Lebanon is a country naturally endowed with plenty of clean water. But unregulated industry, farming, garbage disposal along other activity has rendered the water undrinkable and in some areas, dangerous to people’s health, making Lebanon among the most water vulnerable countries in the world.
Vegetable, vegan maqluba
Soul-satisfying makluba, an Arabic dish with our vegan twist.
Electric cars and lithium for batteries? Serbs revolt against Rio Tinto
But as always the case, lithium batteries that are good for your Tesla in Oakland or Montreal might be terrible in someone else's backyard. As we speak the Serbians are heavily fighting against lithium mining by Rio Tinto, and are calling out the government for its corruption.
Solar power for 10 mosques
Muslims are also environmentalists and a group of them from a few NGOs want to help 10 mosques in the world go green. As part of the activities of the Ummah for Earth alliance during the UN Climate Change Summit (COP26) Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa announced a new initiative aimed at reducing the carbon […]
Abraham Accords gets real in Tel Aviv
Just before the Covid-19 variant Omicron shuts down Israel's borders to foreign visitors, Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, the Minister of State Entrepreneurship from the United Arab Emirates, visited Israel for a whirlwind tour.
Cook Shulbatto, a vegan Druze bulgur pilaf
Bulgar wheat, or burgul as it’s known in the Middle East, begins as husked wheat grains. Farmers – or more likely, their wives – boil the grains for one hour, then dry them. The processed wheat grains are then take to the local mill for grinding into fine, medium, and coarse-sized particles. Each burgul quality has […]
Desalination investments from unlikely business partners
Just around the beginning of Covid something remarkable happened. After years of cold shoulders, the Arabian Emirati nations which make up the United Arab Emirates declared peace and friendship with Israel. It was a first from the Arab world to thaw out decades of boycotts and sanctions. While Israel has official peace with Jordan and […]
Adrian Pepe’s Lebanese culture, craft and identity through local sheep
A textile artist from Beirut explores the local sheep as culture and identity that he weaves into his creations
Dispelling the Myth That Women Behind Hijabs Are Submissive and Weak
“She’s completely covered. I didn’t expect a woman wearing a hijab would be able to speak openly about these subjects for your book.”
Milk alt lab Imagindairy gets $13M seed funding
Imagindairy imagine a future of milk without udders and methane gas. Using fermentation, the company creates the same kind of milk protein found in cow milk but without the animal.
Why your business needs a chief sustainability officer
A corporate sustainability manager is responsible with social responsibility for everything that happens in the company that may have an environmental impact. We give you reasons you can't refuse one in your business.
Saudi Arabia’s oily lies at COP26
Saudi Arabia plans to be carbon neutral by 2060, and says it will use carbon capture and storage technologies to get it there. Greenpeace calls its bluff.
Slow Food rallies against fake meat and techno fixes at COP26
The same old corporate solutions of a tech fix such as hydroponics and fake meat (see Leonardo Dicaprio and meatballs) will not save us from climate change.
Your incense may be killing you
You might find yourself starting a rest asana when your yoga teacher lights an incense stick. A new retrospective study from Taiwan shows that incense use might just be as bad for you as smoking. Unborn babies are especially at risk.
Muslims and COP26
Listen to what 70,000 Muslims want from COP26
Copy wedding rings of the ancients
Most eco-conscious women and men know that diamonds and luxury goods are passe. They waste resources, cost money and create heartache for those that don't have. Make a ring that will create a lifetime of sustainable joy.
Crab legs overturn fishing industry pest into new export
An invasive species introduced into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, the blue crab threatened the artisanal fishing techniques used along the Tunisian coastline, specifically damaging the gillnets and traps used in the Charfia (a traditional, fixed fishery system that blocks the path of fish and leads them to traps). Now they are for export.
Dead Sea Museum, first renderings revealed
The Dead Sea is dying. A new museum is being built to hold onto what we are losing.
Spencer Tunick nudes pose to save the Dead Sea
Imagine creating a garbage dump in the middle of the grand canyon or scaling the top of off Mount Everest? In effect that's what mineral mining is doing at the Dead Sea. And where politics and money can't intervene Ariel Fruchter is hoping art will help.
Floating windfarm riding waves off Scotland’s coast
The world's first floating windfarm is now fully commissioned and delivering green electricity to Scotland’s grid. It is called the Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Ltd. (KOWL)
Looking for divine intervention at COP26
Religious leaders of northwestern Nevada held a collective multi-faith prayer-vigil at Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church in Reno on October 17, seeking divine intervention to save the planet and for the successful outcome of upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.
Will climate change affect baby birth weights?
Due to increasing temperatures resulting from climate change, the researchers stress that public health organizations are advised to develop strategies to address these challenges on a national, as well as a community, level.
Leonardo DiCaprio invests in cruelty-free meatballs
Leonardo DiCaprio, known in his movie roles for What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Titanic –– and for dating Bar Refaeli – has invested in not one but two alternative meat companies, Aleph Farms, based in Israel, and Mosa Meat from the Netherlands.
8 Eco-Friendly Dorm Essentials for the Sustainable Student
Tell your dorm mates you are "upcycling" an old mattress into a luxury organic mattress, one made with sustainably harvested hevea milk.
CBD oil puts Brit in Dubai jail for 25 years
Forced to confess in Arabic, Billy Hood a 24-year-old from Kensington England was charged with crimes and 25 years in jail for possessing harmless CBD oil.
3 of the Best 2021 Eco-Friendly Vehicles
If were living on Mars I'd probably have my eye on the Tesla Cybertruck. But since I am still on Planet Earth here are some more earth-grounded eco cars to look out for this year.
Archeologists unearth ancient winery in Israel
Children and adults alike used to drink wine in the Holy Land and from this winery just unearthed in Yavne, that made at least half a million gallons of wine a year.
Why men like it cooler
My son kicks off the covers. Yet my daughter wants a thicker duvet. My husband wants the air conditioner, and I want it off. It seems that men and women really do feel differences in temperature. A new study believes that the answer is evolutionary.
Green Development Reviews the Social & Economic Benefits of Carbon Reduction
Green Development LLC is at the forefront of combating the social costs of carbon emissions through its large-scale renewable energy projects in Rhode Island.
Murdered for saving the land they loved in Turkey, the UN wants an appeal
Ali Ulvi and Aysin Büyüknohutçu were a loving couple who cared about their land, their forests and the planet. They were murdered five years ago in Antalya, Turkey while challenging mining in a stone quarry. The couple were shot on 9 May 2017 in their home in the Finike district of the Antalya Province in […]
Sea lions and fishers battle at sea
Globally, conflict between recovering seal and sea lion populations and fishing communities has been escalating.
Kids with nicotine in their hair!
We already know how processed food is degrading our kids' bones. And while smoking seems so 70s, people are still doing it around their kids and the effects are showing up in their hair.
Watch out for Frankenchickens says watchdog group
KFC, Nando’s, Greggs, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose are among the 250+ companies in the UK and EU to have committed against Frankenchickens, but supermarkets including Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Lidl are refusing.
Algae against IBD
IBD for inflammatory bowel disease can cripple, even kill a child or grown up. Treatments and operations are limited but researchers and a commercial group are now funded with about $9 million to investigate the promise of algae as a treatment. Back in 2007 algae was heralded in as the next biofuel on earth and […]
Ancient farmstead with winepress and chandelier found in the Holy Land
Along with the likelihood that the people in the area north of Tel Aviv practiced regenerative organic agriculture, the people back then were farmers with culture!
Nature’s Path and regenerative agriculture: interview with Arjan Stephens
Today we speak with Arjan about the business his parents started, Nature’s Path, and how his company is shepherding the the food industry into the path of regenerative agriculture.
Southern California’s largest orchid producer Westerlay sets sustainability standards
Westerlay is undertaking three significant efforts in 2021 to reduce its carbon footprint by 43 percent from 2020:
We need larger buffer zones around protected marine areas, finds new study.
Even protected oceans and seas are severely affected by "edge effect"
Bats also like the food diversity of cities
A new Tel Aviv University on bats study found that, like humans, bats living in Tel Aviv enjoy the wide variety and abundance of food that the city has to offer, in contrast to rural bats living in Beit Guvrin, who are content eating only one type of food. The study was led by research student Katya Egert-Berg and Prof. Yossi Yovel.
Dog poop DNA needed for pet license in this city
It was talked about in 2008 and we reported on it –– that dog inspectors in Tel Aviv were going to track you down by your dog’s poop if you don’t stoop and scoop. Finally the great idea to clean up the city is taking effect. The city will start a bylaw that will make […]
How to make your deck sustainable
We know that the wood industry is causing deforestation, harm to animals and people and climate change. A new UN project to track illegal timber is now set up, but play your part by making "smart wood" choices when building a new deck this summer, or winter if you are in temperate climates.
Is wood from your new deck killing monkeys and the fish?
Up to 30% of the wood sold in markets globally is harvested illegally, according to international agreements. This deforestation causes habitat loss and extinction and a new UN initiative wants to track the bad guys, or rather tell you about the source of your wood, through a new app.
Device restores the sense of touch
A new device developed in Tel Aviv inspires hope among people who have lost their sense of touch in the nerves of a limb following amputation or injury.
EarthX and a blueprint for sustainable investing, 2022
Trammell S. Crow, a Dallas-based businessman and father of four, is focusing his efforts on impact investing, and media that focuses on saving the planet through EarthX.
Butterfly Pea Flower Latte recipe
This Butterfly Pea Flower Latte is a delicious alternative to coffee in the morning and can be enjoyed later on in the day to help unwind. The blue butterfly pea flower tea has a woody and earthy flavor, and it has a similar taste to that of fine green teas and a lightly sweet aroma.
This milk alternative cares about the bees, smallhold farms, and recycling from cap to carton
So how do you find a brand to carry in your cafe or to drink in your coffee? I like the new environmentally fit label Better Than Milk for a number of reasons and my top list of whys is because the company sources simple ingredients and doesn’t try to thicken its milk with artificial gums and thickeners that aren’t good for us
Boiling lobsters alive to be banned by the Lords?
More like a spiritual council than lawmakers themselves, British Lords are putting pressure on their parliament to make it illegal to boil lobsters and other crustaceans alive.
Medical cannabis and children? University opens new unit
A team of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) has completed a first-ever meta-analysis of pediatric patients treated with medical cannabis to understand better the risks and benefits of cannabis use among young patients.
Chinless, missing “source” between humans and Neandrethals found in Israel
The Nesher Ramla Homo type was an ancestor of both the Neanderthals in Europe and the archaic Homo populations of Asia
International cannabis conference comes to Israel
Along with plenaries and presentations on a broad range of cannabinoid-related topics, including autoimmune disease, epilepsy, pain management, PTSD, obesity and cancer, the event will host a 90th birthday celebration for Prof. Mechoulam on Thursday, June 24, now at Hebrew University.
Egypt is protecting its people and its economy from the devastating impacts of sea-level rise
Children run after each other with kites flying along Egypt’s Nile Delta. Families and friends enjoy the scenery as they enjoy an afternoon picnic. Just a few miles away, farmers work in their fields of green. These diverse crops will feed millions of Egyptians. Throughout the region, cities buzz with people coming and going from […]
Peacemakers save the Red Sea with science
The Red Sea is in danger of environmental degradation. Saudi Arabia is building its so called eco city Neom on the Red Sea, tourism in Sinai is ruining reefs and an oil and gas pipeline using cargo ships is planned from Saudi Arabia up through Israel. Catastrophes can strike at any moment.
More than half of Dollar Store products contain toxins that can hurt you
new report finds that 54% of all the products tested at Dollar Stores contain hazardous chemicals linked to cancer, learning disabilities and serious illnesses.
Being happy helps you live longer
Happiness might lead to better health but does it help you live longer? That’s a question that researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) took on in a longitudinal study they began back in the 1990s.
Water investments between an oil nation and a startup nation
A first-of-its-kind agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi on June 1 to launch a joint Israeli-Emirati Water Research Institute. The institute is being established as part of a strategic commercial collaboration between Watergen, an Israeli water-from-air technology company, and Baynunah, a sister company of Al Dahra Group, an Emirati agriculture group that specializes in food security.
Mudhif, an Iraqi guesthouse, from reed grass connects American veterans to their trauma
Mudhifs have traditionally been used for town meetings and ceremonies. At the Roxborough site, it will serve as a gathering place to share experiences of war through storytelling, healing and recovery among U.S. Veterans, Iraqi immigrant communities and the public.
Avocados, pistachios. A natural Prozac?
A natural food supplement found in avocados, pistachios, walnuts and canola oil can reduce anxiety, finds a new study.
Cultivated Meat Likely to Make Up 40% of Future Meat Intake, say Americans polled
Consumers envision cultivated meat to be a significant part of the meat market; Study reveals compelling support among young Britons and Americans.
Covid’s triple threat
Severe symptoms of COVID-19, leading often to death, are thought to result from the patient’s own acute immune response rather than from damage inflicted directly by the virus. Immense research efforts are therefore invested in figuring out how the virus manages to mount an effective invasion while throwing the immune system off course. A new […]
Smart reason to like mosquitos
Can a protein found in a mosquito lead to a better understanding of the workings of our own brains? Prof. Ofer Yizhar and his team in the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Neurobiology Department took a light-sensitive protein derived from mosquitos and used it to devise an improved method for investigating the messages that are passed […]
Real life genie lamp found in Jerusalem
Disney makes genies sound like fun and games but genies, or jinns, in the Middle East are serious business. Especially if one has moved into your house and won't leave the couch.
This sweet pea is smart when choosing bacterial partner
Researchers have shown that pea plants are not only capable helping up with solar energy and making a good alternative meat burger like Beyond Meat but they able to help us with sustainable agriculture too. Scientists at Oxford have found that peas are selective with choosing symbiotic bacteria as partners.
Fireflies use music as armor against bats
A new Tel Aviv University study reveals a possible defense mechanism developed by fireflies for protection against bats that might prey on them.
Man arrested in Dubai for cannabis possession – in his blood!
Cannabis use is widespread and acceptable in Canada where it is legal, and in the United States where it is legal to use in at least half of the US States. Federally it is prohibited but state by state law makes it possible to consume in states where it is legal. for some people it […]
Our kids have junk inside their bones
Kids and the food they eat. Parents know that junk food affects their teeth, their BMI and their mood –– and now scientists see worrying and long-lasting effects on the bones of children who consume junk food.
Boxed Water, the natural step to weaning ourselves from plastic bottles
With Covid times and one-time use more in demand, Americans consume 70 billion plastic water bottles each year on planes, at offices, at resorts, at school, at home –– only 8% of the U.S.’s plastic waste is recycled. Boxed Water is Better, a company that proposes an interim solution is better for the planet.
Oxford scientists find worrying link between COVID-19 and mental health
Sometimes you want evidence to show your friends and loved ones to help them make the decisions about getting vaccinated. A new study from Oxford, England has found a serious link between surviving a COVID-19 infection and brain health.
Svenn wooden watches are the sign of our times
Svenn wooden watches are the sign of our times
Three bacterial strains discovered on space station may help grow plants on Mars
Artificial Intelligence is used by Karin Kloosterman in this biodome to grow bio-organic food with zero waste. Hydroponics and growing food this way might be the only chance for colonizers of Mars.
Chronic constipation linked to Parkinson’s
Had Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox been able to go back to the future he might have discovered that constipation is an early sign for Parkinson's Disease. The new observation means catching it earlier and treating it faster.
Ocean hero killed on electric scooter
Eco-entrepreneur Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, 45 and a mother of 3 girls, was killed on the streets of Tel Aviv while riding an electric scooter this week. The streets of Tel Aviv are dangerous and deadly for drivers and pedestrians.
The SEC launches ESG task force for catching climate misconduct in the financial world
Have you invested in a company that consistently pollutes? The SEC is looking for you. New whistleblower unit seeks to penalise polluters and corporations that deny climate change.
Eco Wave Power tests pilot at Israeli seashore
Jaffa gets a renewable energy collection device installed at sea.
How bankers can invest in the ocean, new UN guide
If you want to make sound investment decisions for your clients, consider the sea.
Mediterranean oil spill cleaned by EU ambassadors
EU Ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret was joined Friday morning by more than two dozen envoys from EU member states, including 10 ambassadors, at a large-scale beach clean-up operation at the Beit Yanai National Park near Netanya, Israel. A suspicious and deadly bitumen oil spill appeared washing up on the Israeli and Lebanese coast a […]
Iran accused of eco-terrorism as oil coats the Mediterranean Sea shore
Two weeks ago one of the largest oil spills in the Mediterranean Sea washed up globs of carcinogenic bitumen tar known as dilbit onto the Israeli and Lebanese coasts. A gag order on the tanker’s identity confused the public, as over 10,000 people went out to the shores to collect the tar from rocks, turtles, […]
Digging into chickpea family for less pesticides in the United States
The chickpea has played a significant role in the vegetarian diet for thousands of years. It is high in protein and rich in important carbohydrates and minerals. And vegans love it.
Organic date syrup via Israel and Dubai show fruits of peace
Date honey is lower on the glycemic index than bee honey,” he said. “For people watching their sugar, dates are a healthy source of anti-oxidants and fiber. My father, for example, can eat date products but not table sugar. Unlike bee honey, it’s safe for babies—and it’s vegan.
Dubai’s dead plastic camels
A new scientific study showing that desert camels are dying from mistaking plastic bags for food has lead pioneering plastic pollution researchers and others to call for a radical shift in how we discuss the problem that's harming life in all environments on Earth--on land, not just in the sea.
Oil tanker dumps black plague on Israeli beaches, and denies link
Give Israelis an emergency and you will see what kind of stuff they are made of. The recent crisis is a large oil spill which is currently washing mounds of goopy tar onto every inch of beach along Israel’s 170-mile coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
How your home garden helps the bees
Home gardens are by far the biggest source of food for pollinating insects, including bees and wasps, in cities and towns, according to new research.
Most of us are urbanites, new UN study
A town in the Faroe Islands. Rural, but pushing on urban, finds new UN study. Most of the world isn't as remote and disconnected as you'd think
Ancient coffins found with the elephants at the zoo
While building a wildlife hospital at a zoo in Israel, developers came across an interesting find: two ancient stone coffins called sarcophagi.
The Pope supports pulses
Pulses can change the world for good. They are a good source of protein and are the most sustainable form of protein humans can produce. To mark World Pulses Day, the United Nations hosted a virtual event, where the Pope endorsed pulses.
Lebanese eco-activists tell Iraq to keep their stinky oil
Greenpeace has released a global report that the estimated average number of premature deaths in Lebanon as a result of fossil fuel induced air pollution.
See-through worm repairs brains
A team of Hebrew University researchers have successfully used genetic engineering as a first step to what one day may allow scientists to genetically repair damaged brain circuits.
Slaughter free ribeye steak meat grown in a lab
Aleph Farms and its research partner at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, have successfully cultivated the world’s first slaughter-free ribeye steak, using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology and natural building blocks of meat – real cow cells, without genetic engineering and immortalization.
Smarties at Oxford says cycling impacts the planet
Cycling, e-biking or walking can help tackle the climate crisis – even if you swap the car for active transport just one day a week - according to a new study led by researchers from the University of Oxford’s Transport Studies Unit.
Are olives a fruit? The history of olives and olive oil
Olives are a key component of the human diet, culinary culture, and economy of the Mediterranean region. Archeological findings and written testimony shows that olive oil was used extensively for consumption, lighting, worship, hygiene, and cosmetic purposes in ancient times. However, the date when olives began to be eaten has remained a mystery. Until now.
Women and men in sync hormonally in January and August
Our minds may be affected by winter’s long nights or spring flowers, but what about our bodies? A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel reveals that our hormones also follow a seasonal pattern.
Bethlehem’s Patron Saint of Puppies
If you’ve traveled to India, Mexico, Amman, Jordan –– you see that dogs don’t have it so good. They are kicked, wounded, abused, and in some places poisoned or shot on sight, nursling puppies killed in front of their mothers and then left to rot in a garbage dumpster. Or litters of puppies and kittens tossed out of the windows of speeding cars. Or puppies kicked around like soccer balls. This is what happens in holy cities like Bethlehem, says Diana George Babish, who cries about the state of animal rights in her home city, run by the Palestinian Authority.
King David’s Purple Cloth Unearthed
“The color immediately attracted our attention, but we found it hard to believe," one of the archeologists said.
Winter floods out Syria’s displaced
Taking cues from the tiny home movement, we are sure colleges and design schools around the world, along with architects, can start planning some better solutions for temporary shelter for the world's displaced – millions from the civil war with Syria, and millions more who end up in countries like Greece from Africa, seeking refuge or maybe just a better life.
Bee-free honey to satisfy vegans and save the bees
Engineering a bee’s stomach for vegan honey? This is the latest in the foodtech trend from Israel. The idea that technology can solve any problem we are in.
Make your own Bernie Sanders’ Recycled Mittens
The sign appeared to me in Bernie Sanders' clunky upcycled mittens.
Like tree rings, desalination heavy metals now mapped from seashells
Princeton grad Prof. Sigal Abramovich has a mission. She wants to convince global regulators to include regular monitoring of the geochemistry of a certain type of shell of marine organisms as an indicator of pollution in the ocean.
The Emirates plan to live on Mars
The UAE are looking far into the future and making to colonize Mars.
Arab men get a fashion week in Dubai
The Dubai-based Arab Fashion Council has pioneered the first men’s fashion week in the Middle East. But will it be eco? Presented by Arab Fashion Week in partnership with Facebook, Arab Fashion Week- Men’s will run from January 28 to 30. Thereafter, it will take place twice a year each January and June in line […]
Who was Maria, who lived an immaculate life 1400 years ago?
Ancient Greek burial stone discovered while clearing paths for nature park in Israel's Negev Desert
Superadobe Homes Built Of Sandbags Rise Around The Planet
The SuperAdobe technique for sustainable building with the most basic materials is in use around the world.
Israeli air purifier could bring Japan’s karaoke back to life
Aura Air signs $30 million deal to supply Japanese market with air purifying system, which has proven to be 99.99% effective in killing COVID-19
Saudi women take to the skies
Barely able to drive, Saudi women might be ruling a cabin near you. If we ever get to fly again.
Feijoa muffins with jelly recipes
Some spoon the flesh out to eat, some peel the fruit. It's also known as the pineapple guava.
Meet the Mountain People of the Middle East
A joint study found that mountain ecosystems are becoming increasingly fragile, under pressure from changes to land use and climate, overexploitation, pollution, demographic shifts and other factors which threaten livelihoods and food security.
Human’s built mass equals planet’s biomass
We have created a concrete jungle, heavier than all the world's real, living jungles.
1 in 7 cosmetics products contain asbestos?
If you or a girlfriend is using cosmetics there is a significant chance they are being exposed to a deadly carcinogen –– asbestos. About one in 7 products tested contained asbestos.
Seasteading: utopian floating cities or safe haven for western pirates?
The Seasteading Institute argue that the ocean can become home to sustainable new societies in cities that float.
DIY Solar – Pros and Cons
Solar panels sound like an amazing idea for a home or cottage. And it can increase the resale value. But Can I install the solar panels myself? Here are the pros and cons.
Ontario Green Savings on What to Know When Updating Appliances
Is your kitchen running on energy hogs? Save money by going green. A Comprehensive Rundown of Some Things to Keep in Mind When Replacing Old Home Appliances With Newer, More Environmentally-Friendly Models
Ancient grotto projects Ivo Bisignano’s human forms
The ancient caves at Beit Guvrin in southern Israel opened for the first time in 25 years with an art exhibit by sculpture Ivo Bisignano.
Plastics and leather from wasted meat
Israeli designer Shahar Livne creates old plastic and industrial slaughterhouse waste into sustainable materials to be exploited.
Refugees code their way to assylum
A new project by the City of Tel Aviv is offering a coding course to selected refugees, giving them a jumpstart to a new career path. And in my eyes a chance to influence the machine.
$8 million fine and 10 years jail for cutting a tree in Saudi Arabia?
The kingdom announced the launch of 'Let’s Make it Green' - a plan that seeks to plant 10 million trees across the country by April 2021. But cut one down and pay a heavy price.
Japan builds desalination plants for Bahrain and the Emirates
Two dry Persian Gulf countries are amping up their desalination capacity: Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Both have access to Persian Gulf waters but very little freshwater access inland.
The blueprint for Noah’s Coral Ark
If Noah would have had the challenge, this is what his living ark might look like to save the coral reefs.
Infarm raises $170 million to add “farm” to cities
Infarm, a company that grows fresh produce inside supermarkets, has recently announced a $170 million USD funding round to help the company expand across Europe. Their environment-controlled and automated growing chambers grow food such as leafy greens inside the supermarket, so it's fresh, without your food accumulating food miles.
Estée Lauder shows the planet beauty is more than skin deep
The niece of a Hungarian chemist, Estée Lauder, nee Mentzer, was trained in the art of face creams at an early age. She founded what is today a global brand, still run by the family. And now, carbon neutral.
Hard Kombucha, The New Eco-Cocktail
Hard kombucha, a healthy alternative to beer and wine.
Student exposes fake news propaganda machine in Macedonia
One student goes to the heart of the Macedonian fake news industry. She is asked to pay for her research interview in sex or money.
Israel approves 30% renewables goal for 2030: Revolution or low bar?
Israel lays down a plan to produce 30% of its energy by 2030 by renewables. Energy experts say this aim is too low.
10 Soups For Winter 2020
Here are 10 comforting soups to get you through the winter. One or two may be a pleasant surprise.
Secret oil pipeline deal revealed between Israel and the Emirates
A new deal in the wake of a blooming love story between Israel and the UAE has led to a landmark oil deal allowing UAE crude oil to be transported through the Indian Ocean and Red Sea by tanker, then shipped by pipeline through existing infrastructure in Israel.
This ancient Arab irrigation system invented before Rome’s aqueduct
An ancient water management system engineered 3000 years ago is still keeping farms and oases green in the UAE and Oman.
Wind turbine power company nixed for biosphere risks in Israel
Israel is known as a solar energy pioneer, but wind in some locations, is not lacking in the small Middle East nation. But after seeing the research and the environmental impacts of wind energy companies, offshore wind turbines, and on land turbines, the Israeli government has rejected a plan for a local company Energix which works with wind turbine energy suppliers such as Vestas and Siemens.
The Cedars of God are dying
Greenpeace is promoting a new film about the trees, the ‘Cedars of Lebanon’. This is the second film that was produced to document and highlight the devastating impact of global climate change on precious and unique ecosystems in the Middle East.
At the Four Seasons Casablanca? Learn about desert oases at risk
You are having an adventure of a lifetime. But if you weren't at 5 Star Four Seasons Casablanca or Marrakech - what would you know about the local people in Morocco? A video produced by Greenpeace helps show some of what happens as a byproduct to climate change. The deserts are getting even drier.
Getting cadmium out of my chocolate through the roots
Simran Sethi is a writer and activist who writes about protecting food we love like chocolate and wine. Scientists too are working to food we love safer through more sustainable agricultural practices.
Vegan cheesemaker eyes IPO
It's a sign of the times: a vegan cheesemaking company in Israel is considering listing on the TASE - or Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Two meat or animal product substitute companies already list there and now Vgarden, which makes vegan cheese is looking to raise capital.
US oil giant Chevron buys Israel’s natural gas
Israeli offshore gas fields are now under control of one of the world’s biggest energy companies, Chevron. It irks activists, but might spark a pan-European pipeline, one analyst suggests.
Dubai’s Sustainability Pavilion for Expo 2021 revealed in real
Dubai will host the World Expo 2020 in 2021. We show off first look of the Sustainability Pavilion.
Nature study: Bacteria could be best vaccine against Covid-19
Bacteria can be added to fashion, as living eco-couture, those working with Eshel Ben-Jacob discovered. A team at an Israeli university find that bacteria might play a role in a vaccine against Covid-19.
Flip flops take over shores of the Seychelles
Your tuna is contributing to more than 80% of the plastic waste clogging up the Seychelles Islands. It would make David Attenborough cry.
3D printed plane and test pad for green flights
The team of students from the Technion in Israel. The big mission is a test pad to launch new, greener solutions for aviation.
Desert Kites are how ancient man trapped his kill
The local Bedouin knew about them for thousands of years but in the 1920s, pilots of the Royal Air Force flying over the deserts of Israel, Jordan and Egypt saw mysterious line shapes in the ground that they named “Desert Kites”. Because their outlines, as seen from the air in their planes, reminded them of airborne kites.
Göbekli Tepe built 6000 years before Stonehenge
Göbekli Tepe is an archaeological site in Turkey. The site contains the world's oldest known megaliths, older than Stonehenge.
Middle Eastern vices
Middle Eastern vices are not the same that you find in America or Europe. In the Middle East it's about hashish. Americans and Canadians love cannabis now, and everywhere in Canada, and in more than half of the US States, you will have no problem with this vice. It is even being given out as medicine to help epilepsy, anxiety, pain from cancer.
Turkey researcher gets jailed for revealing pollution cancer risk
Bulent Sik, charged for revealing cancer link to toxic chemicals and pesticides in Turkey
5 Ways To Use Air-Conditioner Water
Air conditioners pull water from the air, literally. It's distilled so not great to drink, but useful in other ways.
Ancient wine exporting city “Elusa” unearthed in Israel
The discovery of the name of an ancient city in archaeological investigations is a relatively rare occurrence. The name of the wine-exporting city of Elusa is well-known from historical sources, however this is the first archaeological evidence of the name from the site itself. A 1700-year old stone bearing a Greek inscription referring to the […]
Mead: The Ancient Wine Is Back
What do you think of when you think of mead? You might imagine Vikings with braided beards quaffing something potent out of cow's horns. Or possibly, jolly Hobbits clinking pewter cups of golden liquid between nibbles of seed-cake and tarts. But mead is no longer the drink of the mythical past.
Rebel, rebel: see Iranian women dance in public
Need a respite from awful news? You can opt to plunk down money for a superhero movie – or better yet – tune in to a few homespun videos viraling online that show the real, and stoppable, quest of Good trumping Evil. Pardon the use of that once-powerful verb. Thankfully, this is not a story […]
Is too much coffee good for you?
Middle Easterns love their coffee and they love it string. Brew it by the spoonful in a cup or boil it in a finjan. It's a great morning treat. And it helps bring on a bowel movement when particulary strong. But how much coffee is good coffee? Can overdoing it ever be bad?
Make zhug the Yemen way
Zhug, sahawiq or bisbas is a hot sauce originating in Yemeni cuisine. There are many names for it. And here are a few more...s'chüg (also called zhoug or schug or zhug - generally meaning “ground”) is believed to harken from Yemen.
Saudi prince loves poaching
Nearly a year on, the Sindh High Court has revoked a federal notification that allowed issuance of permits to Arab dignitaries for hunting endangered species
Ebola and The Hajj to Mecca?
The Ebola virus, already said to be virtually out of control in west Africa, may also be threatening Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East.
Iran’s mosques and architecture in full color
The most spectacular Islamic religious architecture and interior design in mosques is something few westerners have experienced.
Making freekeh with the Druze
I stood in a golden wheat field some five miles north of Acre in Israel. Paul Nirens of the Galileat organization had arranged a demonstration with a local farmer, to show us how the Druze traditionally roast green wheat for freekeh. To reach the field, we’d driven over a ditch of teeth-rattling bumpiness, part of the […]
Peeing Habits of Saudi Men Revealed
Westerners may be confused about Middle Eastern customs and how people, men especially, use the ‘squat’ toilet. How we “go” impacts our environment: sit down toilets, and toilet paper consume more resources. I have received the inquiry below from a Westerner dating a Saudi: ‘I noticed my Saudi boyfriend sits down on the toilet either […]
Thanksgiving and Hanukkah Together This Year – But Will They be Greener?
The American holiday of Thanksgiving and the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah will occur together in calendar coincidence.
As Trees Die, Cyprus Republic Looks to Lebanon for Water Import
Cyprus has one of the worst fresh water shortage than other regional countries, including Lebanon, Israel and Syria. The problem is so bad that reservoirs have gone dry and trees are dying.
10 Free Ways to Feel Happier Super Fast
I’m no Pollyanna, but I usually maintain a healthy screen between my personal life and world events. Lately I’ve been reporting on the disturbing happenings in Turkey, and hanging out with people working with Jordan’s Syrian and Palestinian refugees. It’s been tough to keep a happy face. But research shows you will live longer if […]
Use heroin? Fund Terror
There are many ways to fund terror, and one way is by consuming opium or heroin
Is Pig-fed kosher or halal?
The European Commission (EC) approved a meat-based feedstock for farm-raised fish. Next year, your mullet and trout might contain chicken and pork. Horsemeat in burgers, meatballs and frozen lasagna is startling, but while these products include a “secret ingredient”, they remain as advertised: meat-based foods. But what happens when the fish on your dish also […]
Soaring Vertical Gardens in Lebanon
Anyone who has been paying attention will have noticed that a host of exciting new green projects are popping up all over the Middle East, including the soaring vertical garden at the Al-Sultan Ibrahim restaurant in Maameltein, Lebanon.
Recycle Jordan’s Politicians into Purses
Voting is underway for Jordan’s Parliament. I’m not running, but I have this one in the bag. Hundreds of posters are hanging along Amman roadways; a somber assemblage of Middle Eastern manhood, mostly mustachioed. No wonder there’s tension in the lead-up to election: everywhere I look there are faces scowling down. The signs are made […]
Islam and Garlic (Thūm)
Pungent and bittersweet, garlic is no stranger to Muslim cuisine. Check out what makes it eco-holy and why a clove a day is a needed health top-up.
Animal Paparazzi for Jordan’s Endangered Animals
Researchers turn to high tech cameras to track sensitive animal populations in Jordan’s Dana Biosphere Nature Reserve.
Morocco solar energy deals led by Saudi Arabia
ACWA rumored to win the contract to build a 160 MW CSP project in in the south of Morocco.
Bashing Dune Bashing
Dune bashing destroys nature. Here’s why Ajmal prefers dune walking over dune bashing in the region of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I almost threw up the very first time I went dune bashing. It was in the Margham Desert area of Dubai sometime in 2002 and the driver of the 4×4, Yasser, me and a […]
Raphael Mechoulam, pioneer of medical cannabis chemistry
The most advanced country in the world for "legalizing it" for medical reasons, the main reason Israelis can smoke cannabis to feel better is this man Rafael Mechoulam.
How to avoid food waste on Passover
Jews in Israel and around the world prepare at least a couple weeks in advance for the week-long Passover holiday More than any other Jewish holiday, Passover is all about the food.
America can’t green Jordan’s future
America joins Jordan in a celebration of green, but we are not sold on the deal. The USA and Jordan recently entered into environmental partnership, cosigning a plan to promote four distinct Jordanian initiatives: ecosystem conservation; increased education; improved private sector performance; and stronger environmental law. This agreement wrapped up a one-day forum on Environmental Technical Cooperation […]
Hajj terminal for Mekkah is aviation’s green gem
Hajj Terminal, in Jedda, Saudi Arabia was built only for Mekkah by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, a Chicago-based architectural firm. It stands the test of time as a green gem.
Moroccan love potion Majoun, spiced with cannabis
Be lonely no more. Morocco's "love potion" candy hides a secret high note in its heart.
Why Muslims don’t drink alcohol
Alcoholism creates addiction and affects health. But for Muslims, not drinking is a command from God.
What is an eco wudu?
Wudhu (woo-dhoo) is a Muslim's ritual wash before any act of worship. Wudhu is a control switch, a health check, a reminder of liquid blessings. But how can wudhu make the Islamic faith even greener?
Circumcision and Sexuality in Islam
major world religions including Islam, encourage a snip of a sensitive nature to improve one's quality of life. So how can having less mean having more?
Grow a beard – save a million gallons of water
The eco-beard. Advocated by all three monotheistic religions, the timeless beard has a comeback with Budweiser's "Grow One. Save A Million" campaign in an annual celebration to save water. Read more on why believers should grow an environmentally friendly beard. And women, recruit your men!
5 Spectacular Eco Mosques Of The World – real and conceptual
Explore the world's five most renowned and low-key "eco mosques" - Muslim places of worship - that are either high tech or made from mud.
Make Smen: Spiced, Aged, Middle Eastern Butter
Every culture seems to have its ghee. This is smen, clarified butter from Morocco. It gives a flavor to all your food.
Despite Ban, UAE remains market hub for shark fins and their soup
Green Prophet delves into the bloody and murky business of shark fishing and fining in the United Arab Emirates Following the recent shocking incident where a pregnant hammerhead female shark and its forty-five pups were found dead at a fish market in Dubai, we decided to delve a little deeper into the murky business of […]
Bull penis stew recipe
People around the world eat the penises of bulls, sheep, and goats, without a quiver.
4 steps to green your children
The most basic green lessons a mother can teach
Cotton and oil fuel Middle East oppression
It started with cotton and oil: the Middle East oppressed now seek freedom and a future. image via AP The autocratic rule now being challenged in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East has its roots in the state system that developed in the region during the twentieth century. This system is based on […]
Israel sends wrong message about desalination
Construction has begun in Israel on the world's largest reverse osmosis desalination plant. What about water conservation and recycling?
Mecca By Bike
These two pioneered how cycling thousands of miles to Mecca can be done. Every year, millions of Muslims from all corners of the world board a flight heading to Saudi Arabia to fulfill their pilgrimage to Mecca. While there are no figures on the carbon footprint of these flights, they must make up a decent […]
Turkey to Pipe Fresh Water to Northern Cyprus Undersea – A World First
Divided by politics and now water: Turkey to take care of its occupied half of Northern Cyprus by diverting fresh water in a 48 mile undersea pipeline. Turkey seems to be serious about carrying out a project to bring fresh water to northern Cyprus by means of an undersea pipeline, according to Turkey’s Environment Minister […]
Labneh, The Middle Eastern Yoghurt Spread
Labane is easy to make and is perfect with olive oil. At first it seems to sour to be right, then you fall in love with the zing.
How to make etrog jam
The etrog is a stunning fruit. It's also known around the globe as citron ––but it's not to be confused with the French word "citron" which just means lemon. The etrog or citron is indeed a citrus fruit, so cousin to lemon and lime, but it's a world away from that tangyness and in its own class.
Breastfeeding and Islam
Islamic states have the highest infant mortality rate in the world thanks in large part to a decline in breastfeeding.
Syrian celebrities spread green with balloons
Syrian celebrities took to the streets of Damascus to promote green living. Releasing balloons, were they drawing attention to the environment or to themselves?
Towers of Silence let the crows pick at the dead on high
The Tower of Silence, a "green" and ancient burial site in the West of Yazd, Iran.
3 Good and 3 Bad Sunscreen Tips for a Healthy Summer
So summer is here and the timing is right for dancing in the street (socially distanced, maybe), but not without first considering the impact of the blistering sun.
Sustainable Muslims break the terrorism link
Muslims everywhere can be at "peace with the earth and be at peace with heaven" by adopting environment message from the Quran, advocates new UK campaign launched by Muslim convert.
How to make Turkish coffee in a finjan
You can add some milk or oat milk, but typically Turkish coffee is always drunk black.
Pregnancy is the new fountain of youth
Find your inner warrior, and the fountain of youth with pregnancy? Women from the western world put off pregnancy (even green ones!) for as long as possible, making way for career, adventures, or finding that somewhat “elusive” true love. In the meantime, these same women postpone the effects of ageing by becoming gym rats, getting […]
Sustainable coffee and Israel?
Beduin coffee in Israel. Consumption is on the rise, and in demand is the sustainable, fair trade, organic variety.
How lightning in Africa takes the pulse of the sun
Could Prof. Colin Price’s new discovery become a new tool for monitoring the effects of climate change? Sunspots, which rotate around the sun’s surface, tell us a great deal about our own planet. Scientists rely on them, for instance, to measure the sun’s rotation or to prepare long-range forecasts of the Earth’s health. Some new […]
Passive cooling for Syria’s beehive houses
Way before there were electronic ways to condition our temperatures, cooling methods were built into the architecture of traditional Middle Eastern homes. Such as the beehive homes found in Syria.
A breath mint made from coffee
specialist Prof. Mel Rosenberg of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine finds that a coffee extract can inhibit the bacteria that lead to bad breath. New laboratory tests have shown that the extract prevents malodorous bacteria from making their presence felt — or smelt.
Egypt Culls 300,000 Pigs In Response to Swine Flu Virus
At the time of writing this post, there are 6 confirmed cases of swine flu now in Israel. Out of fear that the virus might spread to Egypt, authorities there have ordered the slaughter of the country’s 300,000 pigs, reports the Associated Press. You would assume that Israel being a “kosher” Jewish country wouldn’t be raising […]
Coffee grounds into energy
You know that great smell that tickles your nose when you walk into a coffee shop? The wonderful aromatic smell of roasting beans? Well, if you are a resident of Safed, Israel - where the Elite coffee factory is located - that sweet smell is currently mingled with the harsh odor of the shale oil used to power the factory. Thus destroying the great scent.
6 ways to use your etrog
Just after the Hebrew holiday of Sukkot Jewish people start planning what to do with the ritual fruit called an etrog. It is one of the four species used in the holiday. It is a wonderful smelling fruit that can be put to use in marvellous and creative ways.
An ecomom on playing indoor games
So what can we do with the kids indoors that does not involve TV and video games?
Organic coffee in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, for those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting the city, is a city of coffee drinkers and cafes. (Some would say bums and people who don't work in the middle of the day... but we say coffee drinkers and cafes.) It is not unusual to step out in the middle of a work day and spot people happily sitting out on sidewalk cafes drinking some form of coffee drink.
Hiria: Tel Aviv’s Garbage Dump Turned Eco Park
At 70 hectares big, the Hiria garbage dump is pretty hard to miss.It's literally a mountain of garbage.
Formaldehyde in the baby’s roomFurniture
Chemical burdens in our homes is an issue coming more and more to the forefront of news every day, yet more information comes to light about the threats posed by so many chemicals in our everyday products, from baby bottles to nursery furniture.
Climate change evacuation skirt
Yael Mer's "Evacuation Skirt" was designed tongue-in-cheek. But it can save you in a climate-related flood.
Rawabi offers suburban affordable housing Palestinians
A few weeks ago, we were driving our “tourist” mom from Canada around the country, when we accidentally took the wrong cut-off and found ourselves somewhere in the middle of east Jerusalem. Excited by seeing the children riding around on donkeys and the general sense of chaos, Mom commented on how very different this place […]
When Is It Better to Choose a Villa in Dubai Hills
Dubai can be a calm place to retire or to buy a vacation property. There are plenty of ecological activities outside the city. And buying a place close to the water offers activities for water lovers.
Where to buy a Valentine’s Day Card
Choose a token gift or card made by you. If you are lacking the creative confidence, look for a card made with upcycled materials online.
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Australia
Australia is a treehugger's dream. Nature in every city, around every corner
Learning to ‘Talk the Talk’ Before You ‘Walk the Walk’
Looking for a job in green energy or sustainable systems means you need to understand financials and business as well as anyone.
Ways to Engage Customers in Your Green Efforts
Put your message where you sustainable mouth is - on a reusable canvas cotton bag
Using LinkedIn Efficiently
LinkedIn is like a giant conference that lets you network with everyone in the room
How to Design a Logo for an Eco-Friendly Business
Logos are critical to the success of your business, especially an eco-friendly one. Your logo can set you apart from companies that are not environmentally conscious.
What’s CBD with Delta-9 and what does it mean for my health?
Charlotte Figi, a child who suffered from catastrophic seizures changed her outcome after using CBD. Her physician says that some amount of THC in a high CBD dose is suggested for therapy
Sunglacier collects water from thin air
The SunGlacier Machine is installed on top of the Dutch Pavilion in Dubai.
What is digital sustainability?
Digital sustainability refers to the use of digital technologies that can have a positive impact on the environment. While most startup founders just want to cut a fast back, like those in advertising, the trend has just started with the success rate for digital sustainability initiatives sitting at only 4%. The number is expected to […]
How aerobic exercise eats cancer tumors
Running, jogging, fast walking. Tennis. Aikido, Judo or basketball: A new study found that aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of metastatic cancer by 72%. According to the researchers at Tel Aviv University, intensity aerobic exercise increases the sugar consumption of internal organs, thereby reducing the availability of energy to the tumor. Juice and fasting […]
Tips for Cutting Your Companies Vehicle Fuel Expenses
But what can you do if you own a fleet of vehicles? Check out these five ways your business can reduce fuel expenses when prices are still sky-high.