Although I care about the snakes, I hoped to goodness, when my face was within mere inches of the cobra, that its fangs had been removed. Most nights, Mohammed El Rachidi takes his cobras and vipers to La place Jemâa el Fna in Marrakech, a throbbing tourist attraction in Morocco’s most colorful city. The story […]
These children in Iraq appear to be healthy, but 15% of all new babies born in Fallujah have birth defects. Green Prophet writer Arwa has been hot on the trail of the war’s devastating environmental impact on Iraq. She created a profile of environmental problems caused in part by the war and talked to conservationists […]
The Arab World’s superstar, Morocco’s longstanding exploitation of natural resources in the Western Sahara casts a dark shadow on the country’s reputation. Following unprecendented support (nearly 99%) for a draft constitution initiated by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, the country is being hailed as a model for the rest of the Arab world. And so it […]
Karin goes on a 2-night stay at Kasbah du Toubkal, an eco-lodge in the foothills of North Africa’s highest peak. Soul-shifting is how I’d describe my two night stay at the Kasbah du Toubkal in the high Atlas mountains. From the gut-wrenching heat of Marrakesh, within an hour and a half we were transported to […]
My Berber guide Mohammed on our return journey from Mt. Toubkal, North Africa’s highest point. “You should know that I haven’t hiked in a while,” I told Mohammed, my Berber guide for a two day trek to the highest point in North Africa. He nodded and grinned, understanding nary a word. I allowed myself to […]
Jet fuel spurts into pristine nature zone in Israel. Who will pay for this unthinkable mistake? A month ago, Israeli airlines suffered from a jet fuel contamination, grounding flights, and causing chaos as officials tried to figure out if planes loaded with the contaminated fuel would be damaged. This past Wednesday, there is another chapter […]
War and conflict overshadows the environment in the Middle East, and oceans overlooked, now on brink of catastrophe. At a time when Arab media attention was focused on extended wars, failed states, and austerity measures, a recent report on the world’s oceans failed to gain considerable attention in the region. The news that the marine […]
We speak to the Emirates Diving Association about why they accepted funding from the gas-guzzling car manufacturer Ford Motors The Emirates Diving Association (EDA) based in Dubai has been working hard over the last couple of years to protect the marine environment, collect data to track changes in coral reefs in the United Arab Emirates […]
Abu Dhabi’s Corniche has become the Arabian Gulf’s first Blue Flag beach The city of Abu Dhabi has become the first Arabian Gulf location to gain a Blue Flag environmental award for one of its beaches. The certification has been awarded to the famous Abu Dhabi Corniche, a four mile stretch of coastline which is […]
Concerted cleaning efforts averted major disaster in Eilat, but more serious oil spills are only “a matter of time” say Israeli officials. Two separate oil spills contaminated the waters off Eilat in Israel over the weekend. The Jerusalem Post reports that the initial oil spill on Friday morning came from an unknown source, although officials […]
Explosive phytoplankton “bloom” in Pacific Ocean, caused by too much CO2 infusion. Photo credit: NASA We have written time and time again in Green Prophet about environmental dangers to the world’s seas and oceans. These dangers include pollution by plastic material, chemicals and other debris; from over-fishing; and from global warming. Global warming is […]
HooHa Cyclists’ House in northern Israel gives traveling cyclists a bike-oriented place to stay. Eco tourism has been spreading all over the Middle East, with more and more professionals in the hospitality industry becoming aware of the demand for more sustainable travel. Generally eco touristic options involve sustainable facilities, seeing wildlife, or staying at accommodations […]
Thai workers are hunting for illegal game in Israel to supplement diet on meager income. The problem is they’ve over-hunted endangered animals Illegal hunting of Israeli wildlife is contributing towards further reductions of both wild birds and mammals; and is even pushing species towards the “red line” of being threatened with near extinction. Illegal hunting, […]
It’s hard to believe that Jordan -thought worldwide to be nothing more than a sliver of desert – would have rushing waterfalls to protect. At the end of June, 2011, UNESCO is expected to name Jordan’s Mujib Nature Reserve a protected biosphere reserve. The second such site in this small sliver of country, the Mujib […]
The Palestinian environmentalist Taleb Al Harithi was born in a small town near Hebron called Idna in 1955. After gaining his PhD in 1986, he became a professor for Earth and Environmental Sciences and now works as a consultant for environmental health in the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Hebron alongside his post as a […]