Etihad Airways from the United Arab Emirates has signed an agreement with Masdar (the same group developing the world’s first carbon neutral city), to reduce the carbon footprint of the airline. The company follows in the footsteps (or wings?) of two other Middle East airline projects we know about — one in Israel to green […]
Writing the Green Prophet story on ecomigration got me thinking about a cheesy made for TV movie The Fire Next Time made 15 years ago. (Plus Earth Day is coming up next week, giving us extra reasons to think about our blue planet.) The movie gives a chilling preview of what the world might be […]
You may not believe it, but the green stuff many people have growing as a decorative plant in their garden may become one of main fibers for manufacturing clothing, linens, curtains, and other fabrics that are presently being made from cotton (a very wasteful pant), and various synthetic fibers. Presently a number of fashion designers […]
Why would a prominent Israeli-born professor at Indiana University decide to change his research emphasis from economics and political science to climate change and ecomigration? And to move from Israel to the United States? Ecomigration is not an entirely crazy idea, and some western people have already started planning and moving to the most suitable […]
For those of us who live in the Middle East, those hot dry heat waves known as khamsini (in Arabic) or sharav (the Hebrew term) appear to be becoming more frequent, as well as more intense. They also seem to be occurring during times of the year when they ordinarily are not supposed to – […]
Countries in the Middle East should take notice that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is making great efforts to improve Jordan’s environment as well as that in the region. One of the foremost environmental societies in the Kingdom is the Jordan Environmental Society, which was established in 1988, during the reign of King Ab dullah’s […]
If those of us living in Israel think we have a problem with pollution and beach closures in the Mediterranean Sea, we should take a look on what’s happening north in Lebanon. A recent article in Beirut’s English language newspaper, the Lebanese Star, noted that pollution caused by both the public and private sectors is […]
Eco-Jews are busy now celebrating Passover, while Christians in the Holy Land and the world over ready themselves for Easter. Iranians, we learn had their own celebrations this time of the year, coinciding with the vernal equinox on March 21. Iran’s political makeup and leadership may not be making many friends these days, but one […]
Little publicity appears to have been made in Israel regarding a proposed joint project between Jordan and Syria to construct a dam across the Yarmouk River. The dam, known as the Wihdeh Dam, will be built on that part of the Yarmouk that is shared by the two countries before it reaches an area now […]
Have those people in the Gulf Emirate state of Qatar gone mad? Or have they simply gotten a case of heat stroke while smoking their nargilas in Qatar’s normally 50+ Celsius heat? Well, it appears that neither is the case as plans are being made to develop a giant refrigerated ski slope on the sand […]
(Countries along the Mediterranean Sea basin) Water policy people will like to know about this initiative: Most countries in what is known as the Mediterranean Sea basin have agreed to form a combined group to deal with issues dealing with water reserves for the region. Based on the Mediterranean Water Charter, adopted in Rome in […]
Iraqi boys walk along the Euphrates River New water cooperation could be a new beginning for tensions between Turkey and Iraq: Turkey has promised to give neighboring Iraq and Syria a larger share of water from both Tigress and Euphrates rivers; it was announced by Turkish President Abdullah Gul. Gul, on a state visit to […]
Do Israeli animals in distress have a guardian angel? If a young man named Avi Kuzi has anything to say about this, they certainly do! If any of you Green Prophet readers caught the article in last Friday’s Jerusalem Post, you must have been touched, as well as impressed by the tireless work of this […]
Jordan’s Environment Minister Khalid Irani, RSCN Director General Yehya Khaled, Amman City Manager Ammar Gharaibeh and Wild Jordan Director Chris Johnson hold candles during an event marking Earth Hour on Saturday night (Photo via RSCN) Regional Earth Hour celebrations mixed: On Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. when many people in both Jordan and Israel were […]
Aora Solar Energy Company, formerly known as EDIG Solar, is ready to begin producing clean tech energy at their power station located at Kibbutz Samar in the Arava Valley. The station, which uses a combination of solar generated electricity thermal power and alternative fuels such as bio-diesel, bio-gas, and natural gas, is expected to produce […]
Since its inception, Israeli scientists have always put great efforts into developing solutions to help alleviate their country’s chronic water problems. Beginning with innovated “drip” irrigation systems (companies Plastro and Netafim) for arid regions, and continuing with desalination of seawater in the early 1960’s and recycling of sewage waste water in the 1970’s and ’80s, […]
As if to add to their current misery, the 1.5 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are now facing an acute water shortage due to ground water contamination. These findings were made in a research project recently conducted by three Gaza academics: Dr. Ziad Abu Hein, head of Environment and Earth Sciences Department at the […]
(A Christian woman about to be baptised in Israel’s Jordan River.) Sunday was World Water Day, and lately with all the adverse publicity regarding the cleanliness of Israel’s streams and rivers, I’ve often wondered if there are any that might be considered as safe to drink out of, even if one were in dire straits […]
It seems that the Emirate state of Dubai is continuing to construct projects that are not only grand but totally unique as well (see its wind-powered skyscraper here). Not only do they have world’s first indoor snow ski slope, the world’s most modern and advanced airport, and most luxurious hotel The Dubai Atlantis (with “Bridge” […]
Green Prophet has presented some solar-powered air conditioning technology developed in the Middle East. While we like to support local innovation, the practical ones might come from afar: A company located in Denver Colorado, USA, have developed on of the most practical solar powered air conditioning systems made to date. Named the Coolerado, after the […]
The recent publicity surrounding the emergency landing of U.S. Air Flight 1549 in the Hudson River a few weeks ago, was only the tip of the iceberg in regards to the growing dangers of collisions between aircraft and birds, particularly migratory waterfowl, at major airports around the world. When theses risks have to do with […]
Imagine being able to place an entire farm, complete with crops and livestock, in the same space as is required for one of today’s modern urban skyscrapers. A Columbia University professor, Dickson Despommier, has been involved in such a project that could turn a 30 story glass faced building into a vertical agricultural enterprise capable […]
“So Hiram, King of Tyre, gave King Solomon timber of cedar and timber of cypress according to all his desire.”-Book of Kings vs. 24 A recent article by Ahmed Khatib in the Lebanese Daily Star emphasized the dangers of climate change and global warming to Lebanon‘s remaining cedar groves, which have been a historic national […]
(“Polluted Sea – Bathing is Forbidden.”) The outcome of Israel’s parliamentary elections weren’t a great surprise for many people living in this country of 7+ million people. But now that the coalition government wrangling among the larger parties has begun, the big question among environments is whether any of important “green” issues will be dealt […]
“Water, water everywhere/Nor any drop to drink…” Those immortal words in the poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” by 18th century English romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge only help the emphasize the reality of the water crises that countries in the Middle East and other arid regions are now facing. As annual rainfall amounts become […]
