Russia and Ukraine were insignificant wheat growers until the end of the 20th century. But as the world has warmed, the conditions have improved for farming wheat at higher latitudes. The region now provides 30% of the world's wheat.
ARC works with major religions like Islam, Christianity and Judaism to develop environmental programs. Now they look at food. It might have something to with the fact that it’s almost Eid al-Adha, where halal slaughter is carried out en masse, but it feels like everywhere I look halal is getting a hard time in the […]
Is marketing Egypt as the next hot spot for high-tech architecture the right way to deflect Dubai’s failure? From an ecological perspective, Dubai is heading towards failure. From an economic perspective, some argue that it already has. How will this improbable city pick up the pieces? Todd Reisz, an architect based in New York City, […]
If temperatures continue to increase and icecaps melt, scientists say a one meter rise in sea level will swallow the Nile Delta. In order to protect the good life: big cars, up to three or four or more in one family, massive homes, fancy food, and five star trips to the Bahamas, (all unavailable to […]
If you can’t import them, make them! That’s the sentiment behind Nadia Shalaby’s plan to spur a solar manufacturing industry in Egypt. Egypt is keen to embrace solar energy. And there is no good reason not to. With steaming solar resources and enormous human capital, 80 million strong depending on who is counting, and an […]
The new species, marivagia stellata, previously not known to science, doesn’t sting but is symptomatic of the environmental woes facing the Mediterranean Sea A new species of jellyfish found off Israel’s coast the summer poses no threat to bathers but should serve warning to the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea about the dangers posed by […]
Leafminers tunnel their way through Middle Eastern tomato leaves. Can Jordan’s crops “ketchup” in their wake? It is difficult to imagine a Middle Eastern home without tomatoes. It is a crucial ingredient in virtually every popular dish, including shakshuka. But lower income families in Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Syria and Lebanon are having to acclimate to […]
With a skype account and a compelling plan, Phil Aroneanu contacted organizers in just about every Middle Eastern country to amass an enormous 350.org following. Tafline asks him how it’s done: Until now, few people would have lumped community-centered environmental activism and the Middle East in the same sentence. But that stereotype is being flipped […]
The plot thickens as dolphin dealer holding dolphins in filthy swimming pool, allegedly attacks Animal Planet/The Cove’s Richard O’Barry (above). Even environmental and animal welfare activists are not immune from attacks by Egyptian thugs. According to the Earth Island Institute’s Facebook page, The Cove’s Richard O’Barry was “attacked by [Egyptian] thugs” in Egypt’s Red Sea […]
We may not realize it, but palm oil, made from both coconuts and palm nuts, is one of the main causes of the wholesale destruction of rainforests in many parts of the world, especially in Indonesia. The Indonesian rainforests, or what’s left of them, are home to some of the most threatened animal species on […]
The warmer colors (red, purple) represent parts of the planet that are likely to experience the worst drought within the next few decades. In some places, 2010 was the hottest year on record. Saudi Arabia – with its enormous swath of desert – was particularly hard hit, while Egypt stewed during a series of blackouts […]
Lacking sufficient water to grow enough wheat for its burgeoning population, Egypt (above pic of Suez Canal farm) looks to other Nile Basin countries for land and water. During the heat of this year’s scorching summer, Russia’s wheat supply took a serious hit and the country scaled back its exports. One of their main wheat […]
In Tunisia last week, Islamic ministers meet to set a precedent on tackling water scarcity in home countries. In the Middle East and across the Muslim world, water scarcity is becoming one of the most pressing issues related to climate change- but what is actually been done to tackle these problems? Last week, the conference […]
“Spill and run” on the Nile could lead to legal action. Only a few days ago we described the Egyptian government’s failure to enforce better maintenance and safety standards for various vessels that travel along the Nile. As a result, untreated waste is routinely dumped in the river, as well as other pollutants such as […]
Certain Egyptian Ministries are finally noticing that the Nile River is not healthy. For 17,000 children a year, they are a bit late. One of the most popular tourist activities in Egypt is to travel along the Nile River, and there is no shortage of options for doing so. Hundreds of eager men are ready […]