Strong crop yields, higher productivity and slower growth in global demand should contribute to a gradual decline in real prices for agricultural products over the coming decade, but nonetheless, prices will likely remain at levels above those in the early-2000s, according to the latest Agricultural Outlook report produced by the OECD and the United Nation’s Food […]
Here’s a story about ingenuity and creativity. About a man who uses a solar cooker to prepare meals. If you wish, you can see it as a testament to how the human spirit prevails even under the toughest conditions. If you’re willing, you can see it as an opportunity, a mutual interest, or a proposition […]
In the same space as the American agtech company flux, built on Israeli R&D to help people grow food in cities, another Israeli-founded, American-managed company is taking a stance and big investment dollars in agtech and food production. They call it CropX. The company announced this week that it closed its $9 million Series A financing. This […]
If you’ve never been to a Gulf-region country – be prepared to scratch your head over the deadly past-time called drifting. The idea is to take your cars out of their carports and then drive your car as fast as possible on the highway, slam on the breaks and then attempt to frighten onlookers and […]
Most people in the developing world need to produce their own food, and most of these people do it inefficiently, making food security far out of reach. People buy a cow, or camels for milk, goats or even sheep to get a daily, fresh supply of dairy. There is virtually no way to preserve it […]
Hookah, shisha, or smoking the nargila is a staple of any Middle Eastern experience. But more and more research suggests that this form of smoking is more damaging than regular cigarette smoking. Send this one to all your pipe smoking friends. Hookah pipes don’t use filters so you are potentially inhaling a lot more particulate […]
The unveiling of Dubai’s rooftop solar project during March 2015 is one of many steps the emirate is taking in order to grow a domestic market regarding solar technology and usage. It is clear from these actions that the emirate is setting out to be greener and cleaner. At the same time, it is obvious […]
Saudi Arabia is a dangerous place to drive. It’s the world’s most dangerous, according to recent media reports. Drifting, that past-time where young Saudi males drive their skidding cars into crowds is one cause, but camels, are to blame for about 97% of all accidents and fatalities that occur in the Kingdom, a new study […]
Earlier this month mothers everywhere reeled over hearing about the baby who died from his neighbor’s unlaw pesticide use. While it’s an extreme example, it’s very worth remembering that just because you are inside does not make you free from air pollution caused by cars, industry, and by pest control. On a darker level, indoor air […]
With the weather heating up more people are going to be heading to the sea for a big cool down. Boating, jetskiing, sailing, paragliding at sea. Spending the day at sea is a very low-carbon footprint activity, and it can be greener – especially if you make your own natural tea sunscreen (check out our […]
The Middle East is seeing the worst rising weights of obesity in the world: but a new Biggest Loser contest in Dubai, is showing that locals there, and children, are taking on the challenge for losing weight. If the prize is gold coins for every pound you’d drop, you’d want to lose too! Consider this […]
It’s a first for Palestinians in the West Bank – a planned city that from the ground up has been modelled to be a sustainable home for future generations of Palestinians in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority. Last week the city Rawabi was officially hooked up to its lifeline, Israeli water support, and soon will […]
In a bid to make the future of the United Arab Emirates more sustainable Google has recently sponsored a local community project called Innovation Hub. While the UAE is far from being a Startup Nation like its Middle East neighbour Israel, the new UAE hub will train young people and teachers in the region in […]
There is a new precedent being set in Australia where the National Bank, the country’s biggest agribusiness lender, is changing policies to encourage more farmers to adopt sustainable practices. It’s not only private and public companies that face pressure to go green; banks now face greater pressures to include sustainability as part of their lending policies. […]
Being an eco-entrepreneur allows you an opportunity to wear many hats. This can be both a blessing and a curse. Being in complete control of your work life means taking it by the reins and really going for it. One important element of being self-employed is to make sure you are capitalizing on every branding […]
Cyanide – a highly-toxic chemical compound – is being used by mining companies in the extraction of gold from the soil. While the compound is safe for humans wearing protective coverings, the same cannot be said for the environment that absorbs traces of the chemical that are left in the process of extraction. The hazardous […]
Asbestos poisoning, exposure to chemicals or dangerous situations at work which put you at risk, or worse in the hospital and out of work. In the United States laws are pretty defined on how people can approach the law and their rights. In the Middle East our basic rights to be protected from environmental […]
Arabs eat hummous with religious fervour. And it’s true: mamma usually does best. As this Arab American in this video points out, if it comes in a plastic container, it is not hummous. Not the kind you want to eat any way. For a great laugh watch the video above. And for a great hummous recipe […]
You might meet snake charmers in the square of Marrakech and also storytellers who tell a good tale. But there is one thing always true about Morocco: the sun always shines. Foreign firms are eager to bank on Morocco’s attractive feed-in tariffs and catch some healthy profits from our sun. Solar energy companies like Martifer […]
You know you should have done it. The DropBox folder is there, the extra hard drive is on the shelf. Hey, your partner even set up a wifi link to help you back up your files from any room in the house, without cords. But you have fallen into the trap of laziness. You are […]
I had an opportunity to conduct a series of green workshops for Imams, or Muslim clergy throughout Jordan. The workshop was funded by Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung based in Jordan. Here are my thoughts from the workshops which focused on sustainability and energy conservation issues. In many instances we blame the “other” for not understanding our discipline […]
Parasites need to adapt to continue living off their hosts. Almost every type of organism on earth faces parasitism, including us humans. Ecologists have assumed that the parasite has influenced the DNA evolution of its host, and some new science from Israel explores how this relationship works at the gene level. In the course of […]
Jerusalem’s been boiling over with violent and deadly conflicts over the last half a year. But faith leaders intent on ecological ideals as a peace bridge have met again at the the Faith and Ecology conference in Jerusalem last week. Green Prophet has attended meetings in the past (see our coverage from 2011) and a […]
All round the globe and most importantly the business world, the use of barcodes has been emphasized in areas other than the traditional stock identification. Barcodes are more than just codes anymore. They can help us trace materials, sources of production and pollution, and even help sustainable businesses manage stock. But the way we use […]
Some advocates of eco architecture say that for preserving the urban space the higher up you build, the better. But with an astonishing amount of desert landscape all around us, in Asia, in the Middle East, Africa and even in the United States, we’re thinking – let’s showcase the buried homes, the sustainable buildings that have […]
