Middle East’s Olympians Exempted from Ramadan Fasting

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Islamic scholars decree that Muslims athletes participating in the Olympic games are exempted from fasting. Throughout Ramadan, Muslims must refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to sundown.  The commitment demand both mental and physical stamina.  Fasting challenges sedentary workers in air conditioned offices.  Imagine the toll on world-class athletes who, depending on their particular […]

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Can CO2 Mobilise Cairo?

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350.org proves that Egypt has an enormous reservoir of young and engaged people. Scientists have determined that to keep the climate stable the average concentration of CO2 in the sky should be limited to 350 ppm, compared to the 400 ppm that was reached in 2012. And while the science of climate change is solid, […]

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Egypt Resists Monsanto’s Genetically-Modified Maize

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When an insect feeds on Monsanto’s genetically-modified MON810 maize plant, it is in for a nasty surprise. Encoded within the seed’s DNA is an especially insidious insecticide called cry1Ab that causes the insect’s stomach to explode after ingestion. Given its brutal assault on pests, the modified crop is pitted by the agri-giant as the cure-all solution to international […]

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Nuclear Updates from Jordan, Egypt and the UAE

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From growing protests in Jordan and Egypt to the first ever approved plant in UAE – we have the latest on nuclear from the region Jordan’s nuclear ambitions, which have faced a particularly rocky time over the years, encounters more drawbacks. Not only was the nuclear programme declared ‘hazardous and costly’ by a parliamentary committee […]

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Biofuel from Plastic for this Young Egyptian Scientist from Alexandria

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Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad was the winner of the 2011 European Union Contest for Young Scientists for finding a new way of turning plastic into biofuel. A sixteen-year-old Egyptian student, Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad from the Zahran Language School in Alexandria has identified a new low-cost catalyst which can generate biofuel by breaking down plastic waste. The idea of breaking down […]

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Wild ways to travel the Middle East

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You can visit travel websites for all-inclusive holidays where you can find week-long or two-week sun holidays in Sharm, Sinai; You can also find loads of ways to  hang out in Agadir, Morocco at exclusive resorts; but not every all-inclusive option can give you the right eco spirit you are aiming for.

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Egypt’s Taziry Ecolodge and the Golden Age

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The golden age is undergoing a quiet revival at the edge of Egypt’s western desert thanks to the Taziry eco-lodge. So much more than just a holiday destination, this peaceful resort located roughly 752 km west of Cairo at the footstep of Siwa’s Red Mountain (Adrar Azugagh) runs a camel and Arabian horse-breeding program as […]

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Off the Gireed is a Sassy Egyptian Furniture Line Made with Organic Palm Fiber

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Although Moursi has worked on satellite cities in Kuwait and interior design for river Nile cruise boats, it is telling that she has switched her focus to creating a sustainability ethos within the Egyptian context. Such leadership is badly needed in this country, although we are happy to report that the newly-invigorated local populace is slowly taking up the mandate to forge ecologically and socially-responsible businesses.

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The Wrath of Global Warming and the Middle East

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Last week global warming’s wrath swept through the United States and hardly anybody took notice. The worst wildfires in Colorado and Utah history  torched hundreds of homes and miles of forest. The Waldo Canyon fire alone, which is still only 45% contained, burned 350 houses right down to the ground. Some residents returned yesterday to […]

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