Social media websites are awash with pictures of flooded underpasses and traffic snarls caused by exceptionally heavy rainfall in West Amman, Jordan. The skies ripped open late yesterday morning, quickly dropping several inches of rain across the capital city, overwhelming storm sewers and turning roads into raging rivers. I was there – it was a […]
Winter has rolled around again in the Middle East. The colder fronts have moved in, the winds are blowing, and the rains have started – again. After 105 degree heat in summer, it’s hard for us to remember how cold it can really get. And after months of dry spells, that we can suddenly see […]
Dragon trees in the background, Yemen The Latin name of the endangered Socotra dragon tree or dragon blood tree is Dracaena cinnabari and it is native to the Socotra archipelago of islands in Yemen in the Indian Ocean. It is called a dragon tree due to the red sap that the trees produce.
Ebola was suspected to have spread to countries like Saudi Arabia and even by plane to the United Arab Emirates. Wishful thinkers believe it could kill 20,000 people before it’s contained. Pessimists believe that this killer virus could be a worldwide problem if it’s not stopped in its tracks.
One hundred years ago on the first of September 1914, a bird named Martha died at the Cincinnati Zoo. She was the last of what had once been the most numerous bird in the world – the passenger pigeon. How did this happen? Read more as we attempt to solve this extinction mystery.
American photographer Peter Augustus has created a series of images that may change how you look at processed food and help you resist the siren call of snacking. Important images for the Middle East, where fast-food is one of the leading commercial growth sectors with junk-food-mad consumers ballooning apace with corporate profits.
As if the Middle East hasn’t already had problems with serious infectous diseases, such as Mid East Respiritory Syndrome (MERS), an even more deadly virus, Ebola, may now be on its way there as well. Ebola is one of the world’s worst virus scourges and is now on the verge of becoming an international pandemic, according to World Health […]
“Do you want the chickens in the scene, or out?” I asked the director of the new American TV series Tyrant, being filmed in my front yard in Jaffa. The director’s chair and her entourage were parked less than a yard outside my front door at the spot where the dog normally naps and eats […]
Lebanon is bracing for severe summer drought. As in nearby Jordan, longstanding water management problems are stressed to the breaking point following the driest year on record and a winter exacerbated by a massive influx of Syrian refugees.
Summer’s coming – watch as its warm weather seduces us into abandoning green principles – flipping on the air conditioner (AC) for a fast blast of freeze. Is there a greener way to beat the heat? You bet, and going retro is the smartest way to up your coolness! Look below for this DIY project […]
But the story inside this story is that anyone with a full wallet can buy a full dinosaur (or downgrade to specific bones, teeth, or fossil imprints).
Could the built environment take cues from Mother Nature? When Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde puzzled this, a light popped on in his head, a light created by genetically modified plant life! He imagined a self-illuminating streetscape (image above). He told Dezeen, “I mean, come on, it will be incredibly fascinating to have these energy-neutral but at the […]
Espresso machine single serving coffee pods – those fairly newfangled units of specialty grinds – let you be your own barrista. Pop one in your countertop brewing unit and in seconds have a perfect cup of coffee.
Pack away the clunky radon-detectors and carbon monoxide alarms! Silicone wristbands have emerged as the simplest of environmental warning devices – cheap to manufacture and damn stylin’ too. Not quite Fitbit –– Pop on some plastic bling and know what exactly you’re breathing!
Construction of the first eco-friendly mosque in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is nearly complete and Tayeb Al Rais, secretary-general of the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation said the green mosque will soon open its doors to worshipers.