Within Islam there are many herbs, plants and fruits that are believed to have medicinal and healing properties. Olive, pomegranate, dates and figs are amongst those that are directly mentioned in the Quran as blessed foods. However, there is only one that can stake a claim as a super food and that is black cumin, fennel flower, or 'Habbat ul Sawda' as it is known in Arabic.
Syria’s livelihood is going down the drain. Unless the country learns to conserve, their future will be painfully dry. The Euphrates River, which meanders diagonally through the top quarter of Syrian territory, was once a source of agricultural bounty. Expatriates recall a time of lush plenty: orchards blooming with fruit, healthy cotton fields, and sparkling […]
Traveling sandstorms force Middle Eastern countries to cooperate, despite former water disagreements. Approximately two thirds of the Middle East is comprised of desert, including as it does the largest continuous expanse of sand (in Saudi Arabia) known as Rub’ Al Khali or the empty quarter. With so little moisture there are no hovering clouds, and […]
A new “crop” of 70 turbines is slated to be planted in the contested Golan Heights. Earlier this year, we reported here about a partnership between the Israeli company Multimatrix and the U.S. energy company AES to build a wind farm on the Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the state’s blessing to […]
Syria’s building its environmental research infrastructure one Masters at a time In addition to de-congesting its markets, albeit at the expense of certain locals, and improving local and foreign knowledge about Syria’s extraordinary biodiversity, the country appears to be taking important steps to educating their public about environmental issues. Often the unsung heroes spend their […]
This environmental group is bringing all kinds of eco-goodness to the people of Syria. Syria doesn’t always get it right, but we have to give them kudos for trying. On the one hand, certain citizens are making an effort to spread their environmental message even though, during one eco-event, they sent balloons into the atmosphere. […]
A heat wave in Russia topples its wheat supply, leaving Egypt in the lurch. And threats of shortages, have international media in a panic. Due to the weather in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan’s wheat production will drop by as much as 27 per cent in 2010/2011. And recently, a wheat fungus in Iraq due to […]
Syrian’s police and vegetable vendors play a game of cat-and-mouse; will authorities find a way to let the market prevail? With its campaign against plastic bags and its shiny new renewable energy plan, Syria’s environmental esteem is rising high. Moshe’s weekly flight to the greater Middle Eastern blogosphere demonstrates all kinds of awareness from Damascus […]
Based on the ancient “emmer” a new strain of pest-resistant super-wheat emerges from Israel. Perhaps harking back to biblical times, or resonating with Israel’s interest in growing crops in the desert, Israeli scientists have cultivated what they believe to be the world’s best pasta wheat. It’s touted as having the best nutritional quality, yield, pest-protection […]
Syrian celebrities took to the streets of Damascus to promote green living. Releasing balloons, were they drawing attention to the environment or to themselves?
Natural disasters are expected to rise in the coming years in the Middle East. The UN supplies a quick DIY list of tips to keeping developing communities risk-free from floods. While it’s not exactly flash flood season in the Middle East, now is the time to prepare: Floods have got bigger, droughts in countries like […]
God “Thoth” or the northern bald bis negotiates its way back from extinction in the Middle East Syria is toiling to improve its environmental record. An internet service provider there is educating the public, and they have created a Master Plan for Renewable Energy. However, conservationists are unable to resuscitate the critically endangered Northern Bald Ibis […]
Figs come into Middle Eastern markets twice a year, in July and in September, but their seasons are always short. There are about 750 kinds of figs in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey and Iran.
Moshe continues his weekly look at the Middle East eco-blogging community, in Arabic. This week he flies to Syria and looks at how an Internet Service Provider is educating the public. Last week, we looked at Mazen Abboud’s environmental blog from Lebanon. This week, we are flying to Lebanon’s next-door neighbor, Syria, and to a […]
Wind farms, like this one in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, may soon be common in Syria. About 90 percent of Syria’s electric power comes from thermal power plants fueled by heavy fuel oil and natural gas; and the country is now looking into using forms of renewable energy to provide its increasing need for energy. […]