Super Adobe by Cal-Tech and Nader Khalili
Want to make a low cost home from natural, local materials that last? Try a Super Adobe invented by Nader Khalili.
Country: Palestine
Israeli and Palestinian fashion entrepreneurs unite as a single brand
Aren’t you sick of negative news? Does information that pushes us back into our respective corners on any topic serve any positive purpose? Bear with me on this. It explains why I like stories as promised in this headline. I’d like to learn if you feel the same.
Middle Eastern artefacts looted by 95-year-old “Indiana Joan”
The Australian government is investigating the case of a 95-year-old Perth woman accused of looting artefacts from Middle Eastern countries including Egypt. Joan Howard – now dubbed “Indiana Joan” – lived in during the 1960s and 70s with her husband, a senior official with the United Nations.
8 groups that turn your cash into a better planet
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.
Gazan farmer is a role model for urban agriculture
Palestinian Said Salim Abu Nasser is on a mission to make urban farming more sustainable. He transformed a derelict lot in Gaza City into a 200 square meter micro-farm that produces safe and affordable food in a maximally sustainable way.
Israeli artist raises a ghostly bride from the Dead Sea
Dip a dowdy dress into one of the world’s saltiest lakes and see what happens. Artist Sigalit Landau did, and ended up growing a crystalline gown straight out of Frozen. Take a look at these images. It’s unlikely you can “Let it go”.
Beirut architect designs bulletproof Kevlar keffiyeh
People are often defensive when it comes to headscarves, which have strong links to specific religious and cultural beliefs. Now a Beirut-based architect has designed a headwrap that uses defense as the justification for wearing it: this updated version of the classic Arab keffiyeh (allegedly) deflects bullets! Functional fashion takes a remarkable turn in the hands of […]
NASA calls Middle East drought “worst in 900 years”!
A recent study released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) concludes that the current drought that began in 1998 in the eastern Mediterranean Levant – which includes Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey – is the region’s worst dry spell since 1100 C.E.
Water, Wars and an Uncertain Future
As the world awaits the release of the final draft agreement emerging from the COP21 climate talks – expected this morning – longtime expert in water policy, Dr. Sundeep Waslekar explores one specific aspect of climate change in the following article, providing clear insight into the future of water, not only as a critical resource for all […]
Experience the (new, artificial, and made-in-America) Middle East! Coming to Dubai in 2018
American media giant 20th Century Fox has teamed up with United Arab Emirates Al Ahli Holding Group to build a theme park in Dubai, set to open in 2018, that will feature attractions based on blockbuster movies such as “Aliens,” “Titanic,” “Ice Age” and “Planet of the Apes.” So the UAE builds another resource-guzzling folly for audiences […]
Free training for Levantine green entrepreneurs
Are you a green entrepreneur? Need to grow a business model that creates environmental and social value? Want to launch your new green service or product but don’t know where to begin? A new entrepreneurship program is seeking participants from Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan for their November training event. It’s free – but you need […]
Massive sandstorm swallows Amman’s airport!
A massive sandstorm swooped down on Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan today – a small part of an extreme weather pattern descending on the region. Strong winds sent desert sand airborne, darkening skies across the kingdom and causing near blackout conditions in Jordan’s capital city.
Crime doesn’t pay! Israeli antiquity thief agrees.
Two 2,000-year-old sling stones were mysteriously dropped in the courtyard of the Museum of Islamic and Near Eastern Cultures (MINEC) in Be’er Sheva last week. Also called “sling bullets”, this ancient ammunition dates back to Neotlithic times, famously used by David in his romp against Goliath. The bag packed with these particular stones included an anonymous note that read, “They […]
Restored Galilee home adaptive reuse in mystical setting
The design team of Henkin Irit and Shavit Zohar have converted a centuries-old building in Safed into a thoroughly modern home, strategically introducing new glass windows and doors to the old stone structure, flooding the interior with sunshine that paints the rooms with a changing wash of light and shadows. Construction of the 175 m2 […]
Jupiter and Venus meet in Middle Eastern skies
A celestial tryst between the CEO of Roman gods and the Roman goddess of love and beauty? This seems hardly a match made in heaven. You might even say this relationship is star-crossed. But watch the western sky just after sunset on Tuesday, June 30th and you’ll see a rare conjunction between a beautiful bright […]