Edgelands are the spaces outside of towns and cities that play host to a rough element. Largely considered no-man’s-land, they too deserve attention, Marion Shoard argues. Two poets respond to the call. The term edgelands was coined in 2003 by Marion Shoard. She wrote, “The expanses of no-man’s-land which have sprung up on the margins of […]
With forty days left till the latest climate conference held in Durban, South Africa, faith leaders are preparing to fight for the environment I think we can all agree that Copenhagen was a bit of disaster but rather than giving up on international climate conferences, faith leaders are insisting that we need to double our […]
When Steve Jobs died, the world mourned. But the Arab World is throwing a party at news of Gaddafi’s violent end. How are these two men different and how can we prevent the rise of future Gaddafis? Tafline explores these questions in the following opinion piece. After Steve Jobs died, the world poured out their […]
Regional Etsy shops unite to form old-fashioned collaborative studios, online. Etsy, the online handmade and vintage shopping platform, has done amazing things to help people buy handmade, eco-friendly and local products. Artisans who are marketing their own products can easily set up online shops on the site, and on the buying end, Etsy has made […]
H.R.H. Princess Alia Al Hussein (pictured right) is known around the world as an advocate for animal rights. She is currently on a mission to end the inhumane slaughter of animals for halal meat. Just in time for Eid al-Adha! Jordan’s H.R.H. Princess Alia Al Hussein – sister to King Abdullah II – believes that […]
Bono’s ONE organization advocates inviting hungry people into your sukkah this holiday time. Bono and Sukkot. These are two words that you have probably have never seen in the same article, let alone in the same sentence, but the U2 frontman is breaking ground by drawing connections between between important social causes and Jewish symbols. […]
Mosaic artist Ruslan Sergeyev and the “My Wave” recycled ceramic art creation on Netanya promenade. Festival includes a mosaic of lost socks. Photo by Igor Sarni Israel’s eight-day Sukkot festival, now ongoing, often includes a number of motifs and local themes which give emphasis to projects that help preserve the environment. This year is no […]
While the political debate on the future of a Palestinian state fails to make any progress towards peace, local grass root initiatives, led by the overlooked Arab women, are quietly making a difference on the ground. The story of “Kayan”, Arabic word for ”being”, offers inspiration and insight on a small but growing movement that […]
Hipcycle, a new online marketplace for upcycled products, shows mainstreamers that upcycling can be hip. Shopping local and sustainable is always best, but when you can’t find locally made, sustainably made, or upcycled products around – sometimes the internet is the best way to go. Online marketplaces such as Etsy, Mideast ecostore Ekotribe, or the […]
For this month’s column, the Green Sheikh suggests that giving children a sound, stable, kind upbringing in turn cultivates their relationship to nature. When we are talking about environmental domains, who among us would not be happy to have his body in natural harmony? This naturalness creates self-esteem and satisfaction and generates in each person […]
Stephen Gardiner argues that climate change is a combination of the ‘prisoners dilemma’ and ‘tragedy of the commons.’ Stephen M. Gardiner regards climate change more or less as an ethical failure on the part of the human race, something that implicates our institutions’ moral and political theories alongside ourselves as supposedly moral beings. He employs […]
Ever wonder how the ancient Jews lived during their 40 years of wandering in the desert? When the Jews left Egypt, God commanded that they wander in the desert until the original slave generation had died out, leaving mature younger people with the free man’s mentality. Making and breaking camp often, circling the arid Sinai desert […]
This week marks the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Jews will build small huts and live in them for a week. Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, couldn’t come at a better time than now. After the heaviness of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot joins Passover and Shavuot as a Jewish holiday which […]
Iranian environmental activists and artists are getting bolder. Recently, “tree huggers” planted these stumps on a street in the city of Kerman to protest against deforestation. Sometimes environmental activists are visionary people who take enormous personal risks. Ashley Fruno from PETA was arrested for parading around Jordan covered in nothing but lettuce. Bill McKibben and […]
Expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates may not be ready to don his kandoora just yet – an ankle-length white shirt woven from wool or cotton – but they do lean heavily on Ali Al Saloom’s friendly inside scoop. The man behind “Ask Ali” – a weekly column in The National’s M Magazine – this young […]
As the Jewish holiday of Sukkot approaches, it is only natural for us to reflect on the state of the planet’s health and well being. After all, it is harvest season in the Holy Land and Sukkot is a holiday that for some raises the consciousness about our environment. Jews live in huts thatched with […]
Yemeni activist Tawakul Karman has become the first Arab woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Today, Yemeni activist Tawakul Karman was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her role in the Arab Spring along with two other Liberian women who mobilized a women’s ‘sex strike’ which ended a 14-year civil war in their […]
Ken Finn is a passionate man. Sitting with him in his Brighton kitchen (which he built himself), our conversation ranges from his book, ‘My Journey With a Remarkable Tree’, to the current state of the economy: “We’ve got to decouple the juggernaut [of economic meltdown] that is hurtling towards us” is a memorable quote from […]
We already know what plastic bottle trees look like, how will 10 newspaper trees look? For Christmas last year, Israeli artist Hadas Itzcovitch gifted her city of Haifa a tree made from 5480 upcycled plastic bottles (pictured above). Constructed immediately after the disastrous Carmel region fires broke out and destroyed so many trees, Itzcovitch’s tree […]
Whilst Christians make up a tiny minority of the Middle East’s population, their faith does have a lot to say on climate change From Jews celebrating Sukkot in green style, Muslims promoting a green hajj and Baha’is working to promote sustainability, the Middle East is something of a green faith haven. However, the role that […]
Green Prophet’s eco-hero Bill McKibben tells activists to become more confrontational. Is that a safe thing for us in the Middle East? And would you do it? Take the poll. There are a number of camps of thought on how us humans should go about protecting Planet Earth. There are radicals from Greenpeace who sabotage […]
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, KSA's Minister of Interior has approved the world's first Hajj security plan which will provide pilgrims basic services and shelter centers in the event of any emergencies.
During the Sukkot holiday, visitors will be able to learn how to make olive oil, sweet wine, bread and cheeses the old fashioned way. Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, is a time when Jews attempt to get closer to nature. They live in make-shift huts covered with thatched roofs, sleep outdoors, and celebrate fruits of […]
I speak to the recently arrested environmental author Bill McKibben, who insists that campaigners need to be more confrontational about their demands (and start wearing ties) I think it’s fairly safe to say that Bill McKibben has had an eventful couple of weeks. As well as being imprisoned for three days at the end of […]
Green It is Tel Aviv’s new one-stop-shop for green urban living. As the ecological movement becomes mainstream, more and more businesses cater to the green lifestyle. We’ve seen this trend develop in the Middle East, with eco-friendly shops popping up in Beirut, fair trade shops in Masdar City, and even specialty stores focusing on one […]
