Although the main commercial fish species in the Mediterranean and Black Sea are still over-fished, pressure has reduced over the past years, raising hopes – for the first time – for the recovery of fish stocks, according to new FAO-GFCM report launched today. The percentage of overexploited fish stocks decreased by 10 percent – from 88 percent […]
Seeing both forests and trees is about to get easier, thanks to a new open-access tool developed by US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with support from the Google Earth Engine Team and the US Government’s SilvaCarbon Program – allowing anyone to track land-use and landscape […]
Urgent action is needed to address soil pollution and contain the multiple threats it poses to global food safety and food security, said FAO today marking World Soil Day. Thousands of chemicals, which are commercially produced on a large scale, plastic and electronic waste, non-treated wastewater can all become a source of soil pollution, paving […]
The most striking feature of Israel’s landscape is its variety. This tiny area has a dramatic desert in the South and the green Galilee mountains in the North. Two areas that are so different, but you can drive from one to the other in less than 3 hours. Israelis love their country and love to […]
Save the Tigris Campaign and partners announce the first alternative civil society forum for water in Mesopotamia: the Mesopotamian Water Forum will be held from 5-7 April 2019 in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and will involve civil society actors from the states of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria. It will be an open space to give voice to those who are marginalized […]
New research presented by the American Chemical Society at their August meeting warned of the damage disposable contact lenses cause after they’re flushed down our home plumbing, a daily habit of many of the 45 million Americans who wear them. Those flimsy, flexible lenses easily pass through sewage treatment plant filters. Sinking to the bottom of rivers and oceans, the impacts […]
Positive news for a change! The Reef & Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC), a non-profit enterprising Australian organization, has reported substantial signs of recovery for corals affected by mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. A milder 2017-18 summer as well as cooperation between science, industry and government is supporting the recovery of the Reef […]
Not so long ago the dream vacation included a sail around Italy or a cruise around the Greek Isles. As adventurers become better travelled they look to novel destinations not covered widely in travel books or in Hollywood movies. One of those secret places, unspoilt nature, lovely locals, with a European vibe is Croatia. There […]
Utah with its towering mountains, deep canyons, and enchanting valleys is completely stunning. The geological wonder continues to lure tourists from all across the country and world. International tourist arrivals are still growing at a higher rate with many more people exploring new destinations and countries. With endless year-round outdoor activities and recreation facilities, it […]
New research by Hebrew University of Jerusalem details the complex mathematical calculations that animals perform to locate their next meal. Turns out that even the simple earthworm constantly computes new scent data to see if they are on right track to food. Can humans learn from these tubular hermaphrodites?
Pucker up, Cairenes (and, soon, visitors across Egypt’s capital). The nation has begun an epic tree-planting initiative that will introduce fruit-bearing trees across Cairo. Soon citrus fruit will be freely available to anyone willing to pluck it.
Where will you get your drinking water if it is polluted? How will a father to teach his children to hunt and fish if thousands of acres of forest are bulldozed to make room for shopping malls? Without children who have been taught how to preserve our ecosystems, we will lose all of the beautiful […]
Beyond staking its claim as one of the most innovative countries in the world, Israel has made significant contributions in the realm of environmental conservation and protection. Most notably, Israel has taken the lead in water conservation solutions. From drip irrigation to desalination plants, Israel has made waves in a largely stagnant field of research […]
Tel Aviv is a relatively new city, but its older sister city next door, to which it shares the same municipality is home to dozens of hundreds of ancient trees, some which the city of Tel Aviv is hellbent on cutting down. Since 2002, the city has proposed a light rail train to traverse the […]
Activists dressed as penguins by the Dead Sea in Israel, asking for an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary on Penguin Awareness Day 2018. Of course animals don’t live in the Dead Sea, except for maybe a strange bacteria that can tolerate the high salinity and mineral content. If so what were penguins doing at the Dead Sea […]
The growing threat of plastic pollution in the world’s seas and oceans has been a great concern for marine environmentalists and oceanographers. These include Dr. Sylvia Earle, a world famous American oceanographer and marine biologist as well as an undersea explorer. Dr. Earle has spent much of her life conducting research and exploration of the marine environment in […]
If a tree falls in the forest, does anyone hear? Does your artificial intelligence-driven software even ponder this philosophical paradox? With so much of our world out of whack these days, I mean, you know … you are reading the news. The ice caps are melting. The North Pole is warmer than Bucharest, and famines in […]
A Kuwaiti meteorologist warns said the tiny coastal country on the Persian (Arabian) Gulf will witness a significant rise in temperature and relative humidity in the second half of August. Could be a good time to plan that trip to Iceland. Weatherman Issa Ramadan told Annahar Daily that extreme weather conditions would increase airborne dust and exacerbate air pollution across Kuwait. He […]
It’s World Water Day, celebrated annually on March 22. The day is about focusing world attention on the importance of clean water and how we can collectively protect and preserve water quality, and as importantly, quantity.
The world’s largest indoor waterfall is under construction in Singapore’s new Jewel Changi Airport extension. Designed by Safdie Architects, the spheroid-shaped dome will be a new luxury lifestyle destination at one of the busiest airports on the planet, featuring 134,000 square meters of facilities including airport services, indoor gardens, shopping and leisure attractions – including a […]
I’m sitting in Vail, Colorado, with a view fairly identical to the stock image above (my iPhone camera broken thanks to an especially poor run). Cracked phone aside, it was an epic week of skiing within a spectacular natural backdrop. I return to reality tomorrow, and was enjoying a few moments while the clothes wash […]
The United Arab Emirates, the UAE, has embarked on a long-term national initiative to build a green economy for sustainable development. The initiative extends to every aspect of life in the UAE – green buildings that consume renewed energy and minimum electricity and a clean and pollution-free environment. This initiative is also targeting tourism, and […]
With your green wedding in the planning stages, you probably have very little time to do anything but plan and prepare. While the whole occasion is extremely exciting and you feel like you are on Cloud 9, you have probably forgotten all about your honeymoon. This should be the trip of your lifetime and one […]
In the wake of the 2016 American presidential election, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) observed an unusual and muscular increase in online political action by people concerned about conservation and the environment. Especially noteworthy is an uptick in financial support to environmental NGOs by citizens willing to back their beliefs with cash.
Planting trees gives all of us humans a connection to something bigger than ourselves. We also know they suck up greenhouse gases, create habitat for wildlife and other plants and organisms, and simply beautify our world. To counter deforestation and climate change, there has been a trend for social innovation projects and NGOs to offer […]
