Animals

Knit giant sweaters for rescued elephants!

Knitting for elephants: The wildly colored garments will help the rescued pachyderms, several of whom are handicapped, brave the region's freezing cold winter weather. 

Venomous creatures adapt their sting when it doesn’t work

Many animals use venom to protect themselves from predators and to catch prey.  Some, like jellyfish, have tentacles, while others, like bees and snakes...

Botoxed camels disqualified from Saudi beauty contest

Owners are also required to swear on the Quran that they are telling the truth about camel appearance and ownership. Judges report that this is proving to be te best tactic to weed out cheaters.

Poultry poop could be a renewable energy source

Coincidental with millions of Americans mummifying their leftover Thanksgiving turkey in cling film, a new study by researchers from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the...

In Canada, PieBird gives honeybees sanctuary

Honey is a magical elixir. Mystical even. And our love for it goes way back to the earliest signs of advanced civilization. Archeologists have...

Turkey takes harder stance on animal abuse

Some might say Turkey is overrun with stray dogs and cats. These strays and their good treatment by mosques and business owners have become...

Flying with falcons?

Because of restrictions on the number of birds he could fly with, a Saudi prince boarded 80 of his own birds onto a commercial flight,...

The Sixth Mass Global Extinction has arrived

Whether it's disappearing elephant herds in Botswana (or ones smuggled in suffering at the Abu Dhabi zoo), dying coral reefs in Australia, or near...

Alligator sneaks into Iranian gas facility “no man zone”

Hey, it says 'no man', not 'no alligator' says this crocodilian creature caught on film by security at an Iranian gas production facility this...

5 ways to stop animal trafficking

Animal trafficking is not just for the rich and the weird like the Tiger King. The Middle East has a history. Learn about how you can stop it.

Farmer swears his billygoat produces milk

A farmer in Al Ain, the very green, flowery emirate bordering Dubai, claims that after three years of impregnating legions of nannies on his farm,...

Could new rules finally curb shark finning in the UAE?

The United Arab Emirates has passed resolution 500 in an effort to curb shark finning and protect endangered species. Currently a hub for the shark trade, the United...

Should ancient bones be up for sale? Shoppers in Dubai say yes!

But the story inside this story is that anyone with a full wallet can buy a full dinosaur (or downgrade to specific bones, teeth, or fossil imprints).

Raw honey from Yemen’s sidr and sumar trees

Terrorists and Houthi pirates probably come to mind long before honey when people think of Yemen, but the raw Yemeni honey Balqees had for sale at the recent Masdar Festival in Dubai we visited was far and away the yummiest honey I ever put in my mouth.

Israel’s wild pigs travelled from Europe

Wild boars look more or less the same in Israel as they do anywhere else: stalky and hairy with big heads, long snouts, and...

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Saving Gourmet Wild Plants For The Future

Think of truffles, a gourmet wild food. The European...

Climate change traced in sea turtle shells

It's sea turtles which may in the end save islands in the Seychelles. They may also better help us understand climate change. Like rings on a tree, scientists have found a way to read sea turtle shells and how they are impacted by climate change tells a story. 

Sámi shaman drums: why owning one could get you killed in Scandinavia

For centuries, the Sámi shaman drum was one of the most powerful sacred objects in northern Europe, and one of the most feared by church and state. If ISIS looks bad to us today for its religious fundamentalism, Christians were just as fervent. 

Flying the friendly skies… but can we get out in 90 seconds?

In a real emergency, romance takes a back seat to physics, panic, and how fast 150 people can squeeze through a narrow tube. The Federal Aviation Administration says every aircraft must be evacuated within 90 seconds. That’s the gold standard. But new research suggests that in the real world,  especially as we age, that number might be more aspirational than achievable.

Most of the world’s marine protected areas are polluted by sewage

Research from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Queensland, published in Ocean & Coastal Management, found that nearly three out of four marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide are exposed to sewage pollution.

Topics

Saving Gourmet Wild Plants For The Future

Think of truffles, a gourmet wild food. The European...

Climate change traced in sea turtle shells

It's sea turtles which may in the end save islands in the Seychelles. They may also better help us understand climate change. Like rings on a tree, scientists have found a way to read sea turtle shells and how they are impacted by climate change tells a story. 

Sámi shaman drums: why owning one could get you killed in Scandinavia

For centuries, the Sámi shaman drum was one of the most powerful sacred objects in northern Europe, and one of the most feared by church and state. If ISIS looks bad to us today for its religious fundamentalism, Christians were just as fervent. 

Flying the friendly skies… but can we get out in 90 seconds?

In a real emergency, romance takes a back seat to physics, panic, and how fast 150 people can squeeze through a narrow tube. The Federal Aviation Administration says every aircraft must be evacuated within 90 seconds. That’s the gold standard. But new research suggests that in the real world,  especially as we age, that number might be more aspirational than achievable.

Most of the world’s marine protected areas are polluted by sewage

Research from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Queensland, published in Ocean & Coastal Management, found that nearly three out of four marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide are exposed to sewage pollution.

Adamah in Los Angeles wants to make Jewish climate action local, practical and spiritual

At a time when climate anxiety can feel abstract and overwhelming, and being Jewish something people may need to hide in big cities, Adamah Los Angeles is trying something different: turning Jewish values into local climate action with dirt-under-the-fingernails practicality.

How to safely remove astroturf and plastics from your backyard

For families with kids, pets, or anyone trying to build a cleaner outdoor space, removing old astroturf is one of the simplest ways to reduce unnecessary exposure to plastics and heat. Some past studies suggest that if kids have played on these surfaces you need to wash their hands. 

Is artificial turf bad for your health?

Artificial turf, the green plastic stuff that is supposed to look like grass, was sold to many home-owners as a clever compromise: a green-looking surface that makes you feel homey, but which needs no mowing. It survives heavy use, and in dry places like Middle East deserts, and in California or Texas, it can replace thirsty lawns. But it is toxic.
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