We’ve only got one life, and one planet. Time to get off your armchair folks and learn a little more about your planet. Green Prophet challenges you to think over a trip to the Middle East for your next eco-holiday. We’ve picked out 7 places worth seeing, and preserving. 1. The Dead Sea See from […]
Divided by politics and now water: Turkey to take care of its occupied half of Northern Cyprus by diverting fresh water in a 48 mile undersea pipeline. Turkey seems to be serious about carrying out a project to bring fresh water to northern Cyprus by means of an undersea pipeline, according to Turkey’s Environment Minister […]
GE’s Nabil Habayeb connects growth and sustainability without a second thought. Is that still the best model? General Electric has long maintained a presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In addition to setting up an Ecomagination headquarters at Masdar City, GE has recently helped connect Turkey’s electricity backbone to Europe through smart […]
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 […]
Global Architecture Development circumvents heat and building codes with this house in Southwest Turkey. There’s all kinds of things you can do with roofs: in the Middle East, we like to party on the roof – that’s for sure, and you can lease it to farmers and electricity generators if you have enough space. You […]
Israeli and Turkish delegations joined European and American counterparts in Spain to draw attention to environmental factors causing a killer disease. Strengthening community will be an integral part of a sustainable future. A “community of angels” in my notes referred to the delegates from more than 20 countries in the European Union, Israel, Turkey and […]
Allianoi Roman baths in better days. Is flooding this site for irrigation a “massacre” or unavoidable water reservoir project? In a planned act that seems to be no different than bulldozing ancient archeological sites in Libya the Turkish government is going through with work to flood the ancient Roman hot springs spa of Allianoi. The site […]
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 […]
Though hunger is a compelling reason to consider GMOs, we are introducing too many genetic unknowns and defying nature’s superior wisdom. Turkey’s organic industry is picking up speed despite the continued use of chemicals for some farms, and various other Middle Eastern countries have demonstrated that local, natural farming practices can be sustainable. Even Dubai’s […]
Join hands with your fellows in the Middle East on 10-10-10 and drive down atmospheric carbon concentrations. There is no better way to subvert the status quo than to join hands with like-minded people on a similar carbon-reduction mission. Bill McKibben is the brains behind 350.org, an international non-profit organization that seeks to reduce atmospheric […]
The sky’s the limit: Solimpeks’ hybrid solar systems produce both electricity and hot water. I recently installed a fan in my roof to pump out the hot air from the attic and help keep the house cooler during the summer. I also have a solar panel on the roof to produce hot water. It seems logical […]
On the heels of Turkey’s smart-grid connection to Europe, the country announces that it will host a new wind-turbine factory in the Western province. News moves quickly in the blogosphere. Roughly two weeks ago we reported Turkey’s new “smart-grid” connection to Europe, which is expected to not only improve the country’s own renewable energy sector, […]
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 […]
It’s worthwhile to heed the “eco-washers” and other insincere marketers, but to completely overlook the harm in certain chemicals is to do a disservice to the community. We are as quick to take eco-washing to task as any rabid consumer. Earlier this year, we called out Foster & Partners for their “sustainable” architecture, which is […]