Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
Sink holes appearing in Konya, Turkey due to overuse of irrigation water. Via Reuters.
Sinkholes are rapidly appearing in Turkey’s central Anatolian farming region, particularly around Konya and Karapınar. These giant gaping holes in the ground in areas of farmland, known locally as obruk, are not random geological events. They are linked to prolonged drought, climate-driven heat stress, and heavy groundwater extraction for agriculture in one of the country’s most important breadbaskets. As rainfall declines and evaporation increases, natural aquifer recharge has slowed, while demand for irrigation water has surged. There are an estimated 700 new sink holes that have popped up this winter, according to Reuters.
In Konya, large-scale farming relies heavily on groundwater wells. Farmers often respond to drought by pumping more water and overwatering crops, especially where irrigation remains inefficient or poorly regulated. When groundwater is withdrawn faster than it can be replenished, underground cavities lose pressure and stability. Over time, the land above can suddenly collapse, creating sinkholes that damage fields, roads, and infrastructure and threaten lives. Sinks holes have appeared in Iran, and also in Israel in the area of the Dead Sea. A giant sink hole collapsed an entire road in Bangkok, Thailand earlier this year.
Climate change has intensified drought through higher temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns, while decades of groundwater overuse for agriculture have compounded the damage. As in Turkey, farmers often drill deeper wells and irrigate more aggressively during dry years, accelerating aquifer depletion and land subsidence. Scientists warn that this cycle—drought followed by over-pumping—can permanently damage water systems and agricultural viability.
Across Turkey, the Dead Sea basin, and Iran, the lesson is consistent: groundwater is being treated as an endless emergency reserve. In reality, once aquifers are drained or destabilized, the land itself begins to fail. Sinkholes are not just geological curiosities; they are warning signs that climate change, drought, and overwatering are colliding with unsustainable farming practices.
Living in an RV off-grid and unstable power got you down?
In recent years, the increasing energy demand, coupled with the growing impacts of climate change and aging infrastructure, has led to a heightened risk of blackouts. Due to this, securing transmission networks has increasingly become very important. Unfortunately, these networks are increasingly being affected by floods, wildfires, and extreme heat.
While high-voltage transmission networks are essential in delivering electricity over long distances, they are vulnerable to climate-related threats. These networks should be reinforced through advanced technology, engineering upgrades, and strategic planning.
Access various energy sources and use smart grid technologies
A Tesla Powerwall can stabilize the grid and keep your home running during a blackout
A main advantage of a reliable transmission network is its ability to transmit energy to different regions using diverse energy sources. For instance, during extreme heat, there is an increased demand for electricity driven by increased air conditioning usage. By integrating several geographic areas with various energy sources, power generation can be diversified, ensuring a more stable energy supply during peak periods. This also ensures that the weather or other sources of disruptions do not affect the whole grid.
Coupling transmission infrastructure with smart grid technology is crucial for managing demand and supply, especially during heat waves. With smart grid technologies, you’ll not only monitor electricity in real time but also be able to identify any challenges and redistribute electricity efficiently. Additionally, optimizing load distribution and minimizing energy wastage can help prevent blackouts and make the grid more reliable.
Physical hardening and data-driven risk management
Another way to secure transmission networks is by replacing the old poles with storm and fire-resistant materials. The industry should also avoid burying cables in high-risk floods or wildfires. Elevating substations and control centers above flood levels is another important measure.
Additionally, grid infrastructure dataset – such as supervisory control and temperature monitoring – allow operators to identify vulnerabilities more accurately rather than relying on historical assumptions. Using metrics like risk spend efficiency (RSE) helps balance costs and benefits when planning upgrades.
Regional cooperation and resilient design
A well-connected transmission network allows regional cooperation and grid coordination among regions and companies. For instance, when there is a widespread demand due to heat waves, coordinating the response strategies and sharing resources can significantly help balance the load. This collaborative, unique approach not only boosts stability but also reduces the risk of blackouts in individual areas.
Designing looped transmission paths and building microgrids capable of operating independently during main grid failures further enhance resilience. Investment in interregional transmission lines and grid-scale batteries supports supply balancing during extreme weather or outages.
Smart innovation and community engagement
Making grids smarter by installing sensors that detect weather conditions allows for immediate action – such as isolating affected grid sections to prevent widespread disruptions. Other adaptation strategies include nature-based solutions such as building temporary flood walls to protect the substation.
Finally, the industry and other stakeholders should invest in research and support the development of new technologies that can improve the resilience of transmission networks. This includes using energy storage solutions, smart conductors, and innovative grid management techniques that help in asset monitoring services. More so, public awareness should be created about the role of transmission networks and the importance of climate resilience in providing reliable energy. This can involve using educational programs, public forums, and other community engagement meetings.
As climate concerns grow more urgent, transitioning to clean energy is necessary. Using smart grid technologies and comprehensive strategies involving design, data, innovation, and investment will improve grid resilience against external threats and extreme weather. This requires collaboration between energy utilities, governments, and other stakeholders.
A set of luxury towers planned for the Holy City of Jerusalem
In November 2025, entrepreneur Nahum Rosenberger announced plans to develop Israel’s most expensive urban renewal project at the Hasbon (Hesbon) complex in central Jerusalem. The project, with an estimated investment of NIS 3.6 billion (about $1 billion USD), will span about 7 acres and include three high-rise towers of 41, 43, and 45 floors, comprising approximately 950 residential apartments.
Beyond housing, the development will feature extensive mixed-use components, including 8,600 square meters of retail space, 8,300 square meters of office and employment space, around 6,100 square meters of hotel use, and underground parking. Large areas will be dedicated to public use, reflecting the city’s priorities.
A conceptual architectural rendering of a major urban renewal project in a dense city center. Three slender high-rise towers of varying heights rise above a mixed-use podium, surrounded by pedestrian-friendly public spaces.
The urban renewal is being managed by Eden, Jerusalem Municipality’s economic development arm. Public-benefit allocations will include a 4,300-square-meter library, auditorium, and laboratories, four kindergarten classrooms, three daycare classrooms, a 600-square-meter synagogue, an 1,800-square-meter sports hall, and a 10-dunam public park. Some of the photos released by the developer are shown here.
The project is designed by the internationally renowned Dutch architecture firm MVRDV, in collaboration with Danish architect Jan Gehl, known for people-centered urban design. The local architectural firm is MAARCS, with landscape architecture by Urbanof (Orbanof), led by Lior Levinger.
The lower levels feature retail fronts, cultural buildings, and community facilities that open onto wide plazas and landscaped walkways. Green roofs, trees, and shaded seating areas soften the urban scale, while a large public park extends alongside the complex. The overall scene blends modern glass-and-concrete towers with human-scale streets, emphasizing walkability, community life, and a vibrant mix of housing, work, culture, and leisure.
Once a historic cigarette factory, the Hasbon complex is being transformed into a new, vibrant community and cultural hub in the heart of Jerusalem, aiming to create an innovative urban space that connects community life, culture, and the city center, according to the city, but Israeli-Greek architect Elias Mesinas sees things differently. He writes:
Elias Messinas
Jerusalem is a city whose urban identity was shaped over centuries through a balance between sacred sites, preserved skylines, and community-driven discussion. Today, that balance is being tested. At Hasbon compound, a proposal for a 50-storey three tower luxury development has triggered more than 200 objections from the local community concerned about the project’s scale, shadows, and long-term impact on public space. The issue is not whether Jerusalem should build or densify, but how it should do so, and for whom.
The city inherited from the British Mandate era three “red lines” in planning: protection of the skyline, building in stone, and preserving the valleys. As the city expanded westward with distinctive garden-city neighborhoods, and to the east with massive, dense but low-rise residential complexes, these principles ensured visual harmony with the Old City and the historic neighborhoods and landscapes and a sense of place for the local community. Recent urban-renewal policies — driven by seismic-risk mitigation (Tama 38), demographic projections for population growth, and mass-transit expansion — have challenged these constraints. The result has been a gradual acceptance of planning and zoning schemes previously considered unthinkable for the city, leading to a wave of approvals for high-density high-rise redevelopment for luxury living rather than affordable units, threatening to push long-time residents out of historic neighborhoods through ‘gentrification.’
Orange trees help passively heat and cool in this Foster + Partners sustainable building in Jerusalem.
Over the past three decades, Jerusalem’s Community Councils have played a critical role in engaging residents in planning processes and ensuring that the voice of the community is heard in planning committees. As someone who has served as an urban planner for one of these Councils, I have seen how local knowledge and civic involvement has improved plans, has protected open spaces and old trees, has increased public amenities, and has ensured that neighborhood character is considered.
Further, in 2023, community action even succeeded in rerouting the light rail planned blue line, to ensure that it does not harm the neighborhood but rather serves it. In the past, community advocacy has even succeeded in rejecting international ‘trophy projects,’ from Frank Gehry’s Tolerance Museum to Moshe Safdie’s residential plan in the Judean Hills, and in 2023, MVRDV’s proposal for the President’s Hotel site in historic Talbieh neighborhood: although significantly reduced in height after strong neighborhood objections — a case in which I personally delivered the community’s position to planners and the design team, ultimately, it was canceled and the property sold to another developer.
Foster + Partners Safra brain center Hebrew university.
This context is essential for understanding the current Hasbon Square controversy. The site’s planning history began with approval for a single 30-storey tower on the old Pazgaz building in 2021. Over the years, through amendments and increasing developer ambitions, the proposal expanded into a three-tower scheme that now aims to also occupy land of Meir Sherman park – part of Independence park – a public park since 1921. Despite the impressive portfolio of the international teams involved — including architects MVRDV and urban planner Jan Gehl — the plan raises substantive planning concerns, and community objections, primarily about quality public space.
Integrated food gardens outside the city of Jerusalem
The community objects to the loss of meaningful public space. A significant portion of existing green area – Meir Sherman park – is proposed for development. The remaining open space would spend much of the year in shade due to the towers’ half-kilometer-long shadow — one projected to reach in the afternoon near the Old City walls less than 800 meters away. A public space without sunlight risks becoming symbolic rather than usable, inviting and pleasant.
The community objects to private sky courts labelled as public but inaccessible. Private elevated courtyards dramatically increase the project’s volume and height. Although described in the project documents as ‘public amenities’, these spaces are in fact private, for use by the development tenants only, leaving the local community with only a minimal share of accessible public use — around three percent, and a significantly bigger project.
The community raises objections about a compromised public square, the proposed plaza that sits behind tall structures that block sunlight and intensify winds, raising doubts about whether it will function as a comfortable civic space in Jerusalem’s microclimate, as intended.
Run around the City of David, Jerusalem
The community also objects to surpassing the already dominated skyline of the historic city with high rise development planned or under construction. Breaking the existing policy with a 50-storey development, threatens to further compromise both the city skyline – visible from the public and open spaces in the city.
A gazelle in the Gazelle Valley with Jerusalem in the background
The development raises concerns about a high-end real-estate venture that maximizes returns while offering thin layers of “green” or “public” features. The Hasbon project proposed greenery on terraces 50 floors up does not inherently make the project “green,” nor does it justify expanding building rights or increasing the built volume. Similarly, branding shaded plazas as “vibrant” public spaces does not guarantee they will serve their intended users, given the environmental and micro-climatic conditions of public spaces dominated by high-risers. The project, as currently presented, does not adequately reconcile developer objectives with Jerusalem’s civic, environmental, and cultural needs.
This no doubt is a moment of decision. As the objection period comes to a close, the community’s message is consistent and measured: the question is not whether to build, but how to build responsibly and in a way that serves the city and the community. Jerusalem needs seismic reinforcement, affordable housing, and quality public space. But it also needs to preserve the values that make it one of the world’s most cherished cities. Good urban development can achieve both — respecting community, climate, heritage, and daily life.
Jerusalem has repeatedly shown that planning is strongest when residents, professionals, and decision-makers work collaboratively and all voices are heard. The Hasbon development offers an opportunity to reaffirm this approach. A project of this scale should enhance its surroundings, not overwhelm them; it should give more to the city than it takes. The city of Jerusalem and the local community deserve nothing less.
A Tesla Powerwall can stabilize the grid and keep your home running during a blackout
Residential solar has entered a new phase. It is no longer just about installing panels and exporting excess electricity to the grid. Today, homeowners want energy security amid shifting legislation, predictable savings that justify the hassle and investment, and systems that keep working during outages, heatwaves, and peak pricing hours.
For solar energy providers, this shift opens a powerful opportunity to reach a wider range of customers — from people fully connected to the grid to those seeking partial or full independence. Hybrid solar systems paired with batteries are now becoming the norm, designed and explained using advanced solar modeling, energy-yield calculators, and AI-assisted proposal software.
Solar didn’t become data-driven overnight
Solar panels in farmer fields
Solar did not become intelligent overnight. More than 15 years ago, companies were already pioneering ways to analyze, track, and optimize the sun at scale. Early consumer tools and apps helped homeowners use Google Earth to find the best angle for panels on their roof, replacing guesswork with simple data.
At the industrial level, companies like Brightsource used advanced solar field modeling, heliostat tracking, and real-time sun analysis to concentrate sunlight with extreme precision. That technology later powered large projects such as Ivanpah in California and helped prove that solar performance could be engineered rather than assumed.
Around the same time, Israel’s solar ecosystem produced practical innovations that reduced risk and improved reliability. Solaredge developed inverter technology that maximized usable energy from each panel and improved integration with batteries. Ecoppia introduced robotic systems that kept panels clean in dusty environments, protecting output in harsh conditions.
A solar powered Roomba that cleans solar panels. They were tested for thousands of hours and are still tested to see how small tweaks make more energy optimized solar panels.
Even so, bringing solar into homes and businesses in every state in the US or in provinces in Canada was still a leap of faith. Finding a good installer often felt like searching for the right plastic surgeon — high stakes, uneven quality, and limited transparency. You choose once, and that’s your solution. That early wave of innovation laid the foundation for today’s residential solar software ecosystem: systems that no longer guess how solar performs, but model it.
Why grid-tied solar with batteries changes the equation
A grid-tied solar system reduces electricity bills. A grid-tied system combined with battery storage goes further.
Stores excess solar energy instead of exporting it all to the grid
Delivers backup power during blackouts
Reduces exposure to time-of-use and sells it back during peak pricing
Improves long-term energy independence
Solar batteries only sell well when their value is clearly explained. This is where solar design software, energy-yield calculators, and proposal platforms become essential tools for installers.
Modern solar providers increasingly rely on professional modeling platforms to compare system configurations that use AI to show homeowners real-world outcomes. Instead of abstract promises, installers can demonstrate exactly how a system behaves over time — during normal days, extreme heat, and grid outages.
For solar energy providers, the benefits are both operational and financial.
Faster proposal creation and approvals
Higher close rates for solar plus battery systems
Fewer post-install disputes and misunderstandings
Clear justification for premium, resilience-focused projects
Leading solar modeling tools include Aurora Solar, Helioscope, and PVsyst/PV*SOL for comprehensive design, performance, and financial analysis, alongside free options like OpenSolar for broad accessibility, while specialized tools like PVcase (for utility-scale) and Energy Toolbase (for financial modeling) cater to specific needs, all offering advanced 3D layouts, shading analysis, and energy yield predictions for residential to large-scale projects.
Batteries are becoming central, not optional
Commercial Powerpack from Tesla
In regions facing heat stress, grid instability, or rising electricity prices — from the US Southwest to parts of the Middle East — batteries are no longer an add-on. They are becoming a core part of the residential solar value proposition. Modeling tools allow installers to clearly compare different paths: grid-only solar, solar paired with a small battery, or solar with full-home backup.
This clarity helps homeowners choose the right system rather than the biggest one. Counterintuitively, that often leads to higher-value installs because customers understand exactly what they are paying for and why. For solar companies, this shift reduces post-install dissatisfaction, misaligned expectations, and price-only competition — while strengthening long-term customer relationships.
Stick to commonsense advice. Eat a balanced diet. Exercise regularly. Don’t smoke. And consume dark chocolate.
A study led by geneticist Dr. Ramy Saad at King’s College, London (KCL), found that higher blood levels of theobromine, an alkaloid found in cocoa beans, matched slower biological aging. Dr. Saad’s research focuses on how molecules influence DNA aging markers in human blood.
“This is a very exciting finding, and the next important questions are what is behind this association,” he says.
“Our study finds links between a key component of dark chocolate and staying younger for longer,” adds Professor Jordana Bell, a professor of epigenomics at KCL. We wonder if chocolate camel milk will ever appear in these studies.
Researchers are exploring the possibility that theobromine works together with cocoa flavanols, compounds thought to improve cardiovascular health. Polyphenols, health-boosting compounds that exist in fruit and vegetables, are found in cocoa too, and may be part of the molecular action working to slow aging.
Christina Summers of Brooklyn is on a one-woman crusade to improve the quality of hot chocolate. She imports a thick luscious version from Italy.
“This study identifies another molecular mechanism through which naturally occurring compounds in cocoa may support health,” said Dr. Ricardo Costeira, a postdoctoral researcher working at KCL.
An additional PubMed study from 2022 on cardiovascular risk factors on humans and animals suggested that theobromine favorably influences inflammation, high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
Study results skew positive for chocolate as a health and life booster, although research is ongoing: laboratory experiments, detailed dietary records, and long-term trials are still ahead to understand how theobromine interacts with human aging.
We simple folk know that lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption and enough sleep naturally affect how a person ages. Others include stress, and home and work satisfaction. And always, genetic factors.
So we can’t control everything that affects how long we live, but we can work on our quality of life. Science gives conditional approval to chocolate – in moderation – as part of a health-boosting diet. And we don’t need research to identify that pop of sensation we get from chocolate as pleasure.
Avoid chocolates heavy in sugar and added fat; they subvert the health benefits you’re looking for. Instead, go with fair-trade, organic chocolate with a high cocoa percentage.
Following is an easy recipe for making hot chocolate at home. Because why pay for commercial chocolate powder when you can save money making your own?
Mix For Hot Chocolate Italian Style
Elegant hot chocolate from a prepared mix.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate (roughly chopped)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper or cayenne flakes for optional spicy kick
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until powdery.
Alternately, grate the chocolate finely and stir it into the remaining ingredients.
Heat one cup milk of choice in a saucepan over medium heat until steam rises.
Add 3 tablespoons hot cocoa mix.
Heat, stirring 1-2 minutes, until the mix is completely dissolved and the cocoa simmers.
Serve.
Store unused dry mix in an airtight jar up to 2 months in a dry place.
This amount of mix makes 9 cups of hot cocoa.Use 3 tablespoons per each cup of cocoa desired.
Few fashion accessories carry the environmental burden of sunglasses. Most frames are constructed from petroleum-based plastics and acrylic polymers that linger in landfills for centuries, shedding microplastics into soil and waterways long after they’ve been discarded. Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López, president of the Spanish eyewear brand Hawkers, saw this problem differently than most industry executives. Rather than viewing sustainability as a cost center or a marketing gimmick, he treated it as both an ethical obligation and a business opportunity.
Hawkers launched in 2013 with a €300 investment from four university friends in Elche, Spain. Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López entered the picture three years later, leading a €50 million funding round and assuming the presidency in November 2016. Under his direction, the company expanded from a scrappy e-commerce startup into an international brand selling more than 4.5 million pairs of sunglasses across 50 countries. But Betancourt López wasn’t satisfied with growth alone. He pushed Hawkers to rethink what its products were made of and where those materials came from.
Pulling Profit From Pollution
The H20 collection, launched as a limited-edition capsule line, marked Hawkers’ most ambitious sustainability initiative. Each pair of sunglasses in the series incorporated plastic waste recovered directly from ocean waters. The company collected tens of thousands of plastic bottles that had been polluting marine environments and transformed them into functional eyewear. The name itself referenced water, signaling the collection’s origins and purpose.
“We always have been conscious about sustainability, and we know that the market is shifting toward that direction,” Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López said. “Everyone is getting more conscious and wanting to understand how the product they buy impacts their life, but also the world and environment as well.”
Hawkers didn’t stop at the frames. Both the frames and lenses across all six H20 models use materials designed to minimize planetary harm. Some models feature bamboo-based biodegradable compounds combined with recycled plastics. Others employ biodegradable acetate or plant-based co-polyesters. The lenses themselves break down into biomass, carbon dioxide, and water when disposed of properly. Even the packaging received an overhaul: the typical plastic wrapping was eliminated in favor of recycled paper tape, and the carrying pouches were fabricated from ocean-recovered plastic bottles.
The Business Case for Sustainability
Skeptics often assume that environmentally conscious manufacturing erodes profit margins. Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López has argued the opposite. When he joined Hawkers, the brand carried a valuation of approximately $60 million. After implementing sustainability initiatives alongside aggressive expansion into retail and international markets, the company’s worth climbed past $100 million, with annual sales exceeding that same threshold.
The economics of sustainable eyewear reflect broader shifts in consumer behavior. The global sunglasses market reached $39.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $58.8 billion by 2033, according to IMARC Group research. Within that expansion, sustainability has emerged as a significant differentiator. Roughly 12% of new sunglasses lines now incorporate recycled or bio-based frame materials, a figure that continues to climb as younger buyers prioritize environmental responsibility.
Hawkers recognized this shift early. The company built its reputation on selling designer-quality sunglasses at a fraction of luxury prices—frames that might cost €20 to €25 compared to €100 or more from competitors like Ray-Ban or Gucci. Adding sustainable materials to that value proposition strengthened rather than diluted the brand’s appeal. Customers weren’t just purchasing affordable eyewear; they were buying into a set of values.
“We know from first-hand experience how to revolutionise the eyewear industry,” the company stated when launching the H20 line. “So, we also recognize that—having become market leaders—it’s also our responsibility to lead by example by promoting sustainability.”
The decision to abandon acrylic—a thermoplastic that takes years to decompose and produces harmful microplastics during degradation—proved central to this repositioning. Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López directed the company toward alternatives including bamboo-based biodegradable materials, biodegradable acetate, and recyclable carbon compounds. Manufacturing shifted in-house, with production facilities operating in Spain, Italy, and China, allowing tighter control over material sourcing and quality.
Meeting Demand From Eco-Conscious Buyers
Consumer preferences have moved decisively toward products that align with environmental values. Market research indicates that brands prioritizing sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing practices resonate strongly with younger demographics, particularly millennials and Generation Z shoppers who treat purchases as expressions of identity. Hawkers built its customer base precisely among these groups, using influencer marketing and social media campaigns to reach college students and young professionals.
The H20 collection addressed what many in this demographic consider non-negotiable: transparency about environmental impact. Each element of the product—from ocean-recovered plastic pouches to biodegradable lenses—told a story buyers could share. Knoji, an independent review platform, assessed Hawkers products as both ethical and sustainable based on evaluations from environmentally conscious shoppers.
Hawkers also expanded its One Eco line, featuring models like the One Eco Polarized Green, constructed from bamboo-based biomass combined with recycled plastic. These frames carry TR18 lenses with excellent optical quality and durability while remaining environmentally responsible. Polarized options provide UV400 protection and anti-glare properties, ensuring that environmental credentials don’t compromise performance.
Beyond the Product: Rethinking the Supply Chain
Sustainability at Hawkers extended past materials selection into manufacturing infrastructure. COVID-19 exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains, prompting Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López to reconsider the company’s dependence on external suppliers. Beginning in early 2021, Hawkers invested in building an in-house production facility, ramping output from 30,000 units monthly to 90,000 units. This vertical integration allowed tighter oversight of environmental practices throughout the production process.
The factory uses high-end Italian machinery, with molds costing up to €80,000 compared to roughly $10,000 for cheaper Chinese alternatives. These polished molds create shiny and matte finishes through injection molding rather than painting—a distinction that matters for sustainability. Chinese competitors often rely on paint or stickers for surface effects, which contaminates materials and prevents recycling. Hawkers’ approach enables the company to recycle defective raw materials directly into new production batches, eliminating waste that would otherwise reach landfills.
“We believe that pollution and deforestation are major factors contributing to global warming,” the company stated, noting that Hawkers sees itself at a tipping point regarding environmental responsibility. Owning production facilities meant the brand could control not just what materials entered the supply chain but how waste was handled at every stage.
Scaling Responsibility Across Markets
Hawkers now operates in more than 50 countries, with offices spanning Hong Kong, Barcelona, Mexico City, Los Angeles, and Elche. Mexico alone accounts for 35-40% of sales, driven partly by sponsorships with athletes like Formula 1 driver Sergio Pérez. Across these markets, Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López has pushed the sustainable product lines as core offerings rather than niche experiments.
The company maintains over 60 retail locations, primarily across Spain and Portugal, alongside robust e-commerce operations that still generate the majority of revenue. Each channel reinforces the sustainability message. Online listings highlight eco-friendly materials, while physical stores allow customers to examine the quality of bamboo-based frames and recycled components firsthand.
Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López has described environmental responsibility as inseparable from long-term business health. “You have to use all the tools you have in marketing, creativity, reinvent yourself constantly,” he said regarding the challenge of maintaining relevance in fashion markets. Sustainability functions as one of those tools—a way to differentiate Hawkers from competitors while addressing genuine consumer concerns about planetary impact.
The numbers suggest this approach delivers results. Hawkers has sold more than 4.5 million pairs of sunglasses globally, with the brand generating over $100 million in annual revenue. Facebook featured the company as a marketing success story, citing an 86% increase in engagement and 51% return on advertising spend. These metrics reflect not just effective promotion but a product that resonates with buyers seeking both style and substance.
For Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López, the H20 collection and broader sustainability initiatives represent more than corporate responsibility checkboxes. They demonstrate that environmental consciousness and profitability can coexist—that pulling plastic from oceans and transforming it into fashionable eyewear creates value for shareholders, customers, and ecosystems alike.
A boat sails past the Umm Qasr port near Iraq’s southern port city of Basra. (AFP)
Soil pollution levels in parts of Basra are 1,200% to 3,300% higher than those typically measured in cities like Toronto or New York, according to new comparative soil data. It’s getting into water.
When ExxonMobil quietly returned to Iraq’s oil fields, signing new agreements tied to the Majnoon field and surrounding infrastructure in late 2025, it was framed as a story of stability. Security concerns once deemed too great were now manageable. Production would rise, pipelines would be upgraded, and jobs would follow.
While the US company promotes its renewed developments in Iraq to extract oil from a field known as “Majnoon”—Arabic for “crazy”—located roughly 50 miles from Basra, a city of five million people, no press release mentions what oil looks like when it enters a glass of water.
Within a five-mile radius of Basra city, oil operations are dominated by the Iraqi state-owned Basra Oil Company and international partners BP–PetroChina at Rumaila and Eni at Zubair. ExxonMobil’s former operations were located farther north and do not sit directly adjacent to the city itself.
A map of the oil companies operating around the residential city of Basra, Iraq. GREEN PROPHET.
“There is oil in the water, and it’s in the soil. Half of my mother’s brothers—six of them—have cancer, the youngest being 40, with leukemia. This has become normal now. We know that the oil fields just outside Basra are polluting our water and soil, but what can we do?” asks Sara (name changed), a young environmentalist I met in Istanbul.
She asked to remain anonymous, saying it would be dangerous to speak publicly. Pointing to a map, she showed where some of the world’s largest oil companies—such as BP and Eni—are drilling close to city limits in Basra, indicating areas where cancer rates are highest. She said no local researchers will touch the subject that children in these areas are dying from leukemia. She knows some of them.
“I sent my sisters to study in Istanbul so they can be far away from this pollution,” she told me, pointing to her sisters we are sitting with at the shisha cafe.
“We know that there are high levels of levels of cancer in Basra and it’s known that oil is in the tap water. Of course I don’t clean my dishes with the water but we do use it for clothes and showering. Farmers use the water even though it’s not safe. Don’t clean dishes. Children living next to the oilfield in the area of Rumalia, with estimates of cancer being 20% higher than the rest of the country. Some kids are living within a mile of the oil drills which is not normal.”
Rumaila is known locally as the “cemetery” for the high rates of cancer and disease among the population, left in the dark without resources despite supporting the lucrative oil fields nearby.
Rumaila oil field houses a population of several thousands, and it’s a half hour drive to Basra. This area is primarily known for its massive oil field and the surrounding communities in the Basra Governorate. Estimates suggest around 7,000 to 10,000 residents in the immediate villages are served by local health clinics. It’s known as a shadow town because it is cut off from basic services and also for it being a living cemetery due to health problems from oil pollution. The oil field itself employs a large workforce of approximately 8,200 people, most of whom are Iraqi nationals.Rumaila oil field houses a population of about 8,000.
“Children living next to the Rumaila oil field get cancer,” says Sara. “There are babies being born with cancer. My friend works at the government owned chemical company that processes oil. Her 5 year-old sister died of cancer. She was playing outside and fell on her eyes when they found the tumor. She died a year later.”
The Majnoon Oil Field is a super-giant oil field located about 60 kilometers from Basra in southern Iraq. It is one of the world’s richest oilfields, with estimated reserves of roughly 38 billion barrels. Its name, Majnoon—Arabic for “crazy”—refers to the unusually high concentration of oil in a relatively small area.
How do people in Basra cope? It is a mix of avoiding drinking the water and giving up. The water is still used to wash clothes, clean dishes, shower, and water gardens.
Cancer is no longer whispered, it is assumed.
The BBC has reported extensively on soaring cancer rates in southern Iraq, particularly in Basra, where decades of oil extraction, gas flaring, industrial runoff, and war debris have combined into what doctors describe as an environmental health emergency. While doctors point to gas flaring, our source says oil contamination in water and soil may now be the greater concern. Flaring can be reduced around city centers (although data shows that is it only growing in Iraq), but oil that has entered soil and groundwater remains.
The BBC reported: “For health reasons Iraqi law prohibits flaring within six miles (10km) of people’s homes, but we found towns where gas was being burned less than 250m from people’s front doors. A leaked Iraq Health Ministry report, seen by BBC Arabic, blames air pollution for a 20% rise in cancer in Basra between 2015 and 2018.”
Sara says flaring and pollution continue despite the laws, while government agencies and universities turn a blind eye to the health impacts. She also says oil company employees sent to Basra are exposed to dangerous conditions, often late in their careers, and later receive large pensions due to prolonged environmental exposure.
A location map of the Majnoon Oilfield in southern Iraq (after Al-Ameri et al., 2011). Via ResearchGate
Doctors interviewed by the BBC describe pediatric cancer wards overwhelmed. Leukemia, breast cancer, and rare tumors appear at rates far beyond global averages.
A 2025 study examining soil around Basra found pollution levels 1,200% to 3,300% higher than those typically measured in cities like Toronto or New York.
Average TPH levels ranged from 8 µg/g (dry weight) in agricultural areas to 265 µg/g along roads. During the wet season, levels reached as high as 340 µg/g, as rain drives oil residues deeper into the soil rather than removing them.
The study concluded that oil refineries are the main source of soil contamination, with additional pollution from vehicles, fuel stations, power generation, and oil infrastructure.
For context, Canadian soil safety standards, used in cities like Toronto, set acceptable levels far below the hundreds of µg/g measured in Basra.
Another 2024 study found elevated TPH levels across Basra’s major oilfields, including Majnoon, Rumaila, West Qurna, and Al-Zubair, exceeding thresholds associated with human health risk
Iraq’s oil sector includes BP, Shell (formerly Basra Gas Company), TotalEnergies, ENI, Lukoil, CNPC, and PetroChina, many operating through state partnerships. Gas flaring remains widespread.
World Bank data shows gas flaring in Iraq continues to increase. 2024 saw the highest rates in 12 years.
According to the World Bank, Iraq ranks among the world’s top gas-flaring countries. These emissions settle into lungs, groundwater, and the bodies of children.
“It’s not safe to grow up there anymore,” says Sara.
Government employees in Iraq are currently banned from speaking publicly about pollution from oil fields.
Cats rule Istanbul and are clearly in charge at Naftalin Kafe, Balat. Photo by Karin Kloosterman
Balat is not a neighborhood you would visit on a standard tour to Istanbul—the kind that shuttles you between giant mosques like Hagia Sophia. If you want a real taste of the city and the people who live there, wander a smaller neighborhood. Balat is my favorite for its cobblestone lanes, record shops, cafés, second-hand clothing stores, colorful stairs, textiles and towel shops—and the cats. Cats rule Balat, and much of Istanbul.
Be prepared to lose yourself wandering around this village-like part of the city. I’d spend half a day in Balat, much of it in wanderer mode. This is one of Istanbul’s most quietly enchanting quarters, where cultures overlap not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing fact.
A vintage shop in Balat not far from the synagogue.
For centuries Balat has been home to Jews, Greeks, Armenians, and Muslims, and that mosaic still shapes the streets. You’ll pass the Ahrida Synagogue, Orthodox churches, and modest mosques within minutes of each other. Unlike grand Sultanahmet, Balat’s diversity feels intimate and domestic—it’s history at human scale you can still touch and feel. Homes and cafés are built among crumbling walls and old fortifications, and the vibe among the people is good. As my Uber driver said arriving in Balat, “In Istanbul we love our cats, and hate our mayor.”
Balat has recently become a magnet for vintage lovers and collectors (some say it happened when Coffee Department opened in 2010), but it hasn’t lost its edge and grit.
Find old record players spinning Turkish tunes, bent silverware, Anatolian rugs, colorful caftans, postcards, rusted tools, and ceramic cups poking out from tiny shops that are halfway between a flea market and a time capsule. We saw men dancing in the street and attractive local couples (lovers?) having intense coffee conversations in the late sunny morning—on a weekday.
The prices in the second-hand clothing shops are not what they once were (here is our old guide to second hand clothing shops in Istanbul around Istiklal street), but the items are well-curated. And the second-hand shops in Istanbul will still offer you eastern garb such as cloaks and overcoats, plus colorful wool sweaters. The stairs and buildings in Balat are colorful too.
Balat is known for its colorful homes and staircases leading to handcrafts and markets
The joy of being in Balat—or in Istanbul in general—is not ticking off addresses and sites of interest. It’s letting curiosity pull you down side streets where eye contact can lead to a conversation.
Three Cafes Worth Lingering In
Velvet Cafe – A Balat institution. Mismatched furniture, plants everywhere, and the feeling that time has agreed to slow down. Looks like a place to join a revolution—or start one.
Velvet Cafe, in Balat
Naftalin Kafe – Nostalgia perfected: old family photos, radios, and Turkish coffee that tastes like it belongs to the room. Cats rule the café. Notice our top photo taken recently outside Naftalin on one of the main tourist streets, where the cat is telling the waitress who to serve next.
Cafe Naftalin in Balat, Istanbul. Stop here for a vibe check and pet a cat. He’ll insist.
Coffee Department in Balat – A more modern stop with excellent coffee, popular with locals and creatives without breaking the spell of the neighborhood. Believed to be the café that opened Balat up to becoming a prime tourist destination.
In Balat, cats are not a feature. They are the management.
Explore your faith in interfaith
A Balat mosque
Balat wears its interfaith history casually. As you wander, the names surface naturally: the Ahrida Synagogue and Yanbol Synagogue, quiet and inward-looking, echo Balat’s once-thriving Jewish life. Then the call to prayer drifts from neighborhood mosques like Ferruh Kethüda, Tahta Minare, and Balat Çavuş; and church bells mark time at St. George (Aya Yorgi), St. Mary of the Mongols, and the iron-clad St. Stephen Church by the water. Holding time are the crumbling Byzantine walls—cracked, vine-covered, and indifferent to faith—reminding you that in Balat, coexistence was a daily habit.
Follow the slope down toward the historic Golden Horn and you’ll find fishermen casting lines for small fish, chatting here and there while watching the water—and making sure the crows and the cats don’t fish the tiny fish out of the buckets.
Second hand clothing and vintage shops in Balat, Istanbul
Ayca Eastern Design, second hand clothing in Balat, Istanbul via their Instagram
Istanbul is known for its curios and second-hand clothing shops. You will get a taste of it all in Balat as you wander the streets. We came across a few vintage and second-hand clothing shops. The prices were not cheap (a T-shirt was priced around 25 Euros), so if you are in the business of bargain-basement shopping, better shop elsewhere in America or Canada at church thrift shops.
Ayca Vintage
Ayca vintage has a great vibe, with African drumming and song beckoning you to come in. We guessed it was the owner who peeked at us from under her hat—cat nearby—journaling. The shop is stocked with vintage caftans and colorful sweaters. She’s taken the selection job out of your day.
Ayvansaray mahallesi sultan çeşmesi cad. no:83A BALAT Fatih / istanbul
Ayca vintage clothes owner, from their Instagram
Ayca, second hand clothing in Balat, Istanbul, Green Prophet
Twobavintage
Around the same area is Twobavintage, which stocks mainly kitschy kitchen items and relics from another era. There is a small selection of clothes in the back.
Ayvansaray Mahallesi Sultan Çesmesi Sokak No 94 Balat
Twobavintage second-hand vintage and clothing in Balat, Istanbul
Kulis vintage
Expect to pay a pretty penny for thrifted T-shirts and second-hand, western style here at Kulis Vintage. We found the same in Berlin when we were there 2 months ago. Highly curated, high prices—which is the way of the world for curated vintage in cities. Kensington Market in Toronto has been like that for decades.
Exploring the streets and finding colorful umbrellas and painted stairs in Balat is a must. Some parts are tourist traps, demanding you buy food before you enter. Some coffee shop owners say they have the best rooftop views of the Golden Horn. We can’t confirm.
We found an excellent towel and blanket shop with great prices. Where you can still find a deal is if you are looking for high-quality Turkish cotton towels. We found a shop, pictured below, where we bought a few high-quality towels for 200 LR each, about $5 USD. We didn’t bother bargaining because the price was fair and the seller was very nice.
His shop was down the street from Ayca Eastern Design. We didn’t get the full name, so show this man’s photo around the neighborhood and the locals will point out the way.
Off the Path: Working-Class Istanbul
Another face of Balat reveals itself when you leave the “Instagram streets.” Wander toward Cibali, where workshops still hum—metalworkers, repair shops, small factories—and life feels practical. This is also where you brush up against literary history.
Orhan Kemal
Nearby lived Orhan Kemal, one of Turkey’s great writers of the working class. Kemal was the chronicler of laborers, factory hands, and the urban poor. He worked near the old Cibali Tobacco Factory (today part of Istanbul University), quite close to his former home, and wrote about the very people you still encounter here.
Orhan Kemal home in a working class neighborhood near Balat
His presence lingers not as a plaque-heavy attraction, but as a spirit. We walked past his modest corner house that holds a plaque to his name. Impressive wooden houses nearby are for sale, and we dream about being a writer from his vantage point in this now-charming location.
Metalworker smiles for Green Prophet in Balat, Istanbul near Orhan Kemal’s old house
Balat isn’t polished, and that’s exactly the point. It rewards slow walking and making mistakes. Tune into a few landmarks that interest you and wander toward them, noticing what you meet, smell, and hear along the way. On one of our meanderings we came across three schoolboys “cat-napping” a cat in their backpack to take home.
School boys taking home a cat
We also appreciated that some of the local artisans, like the owner of ilitya, are opening their studios for hands-on experiences. He is a graduate of design school and, unlike the thousands of traditional pottery studios in Turkey, he sells modern functional-ware. Made in molds and glazed in the studio, you can buy—or study and make your own—your choice.
We took a taxi to Balat from our hotel, but plenty of buses and trams run right to this neighborhood.
Green Prophet’s trip to Istanbul was sponsored by the United Religions Initiative, an interfaith network for peace and reconciliation. Their travel grant allowed us to tour Istanbul’s heritage independently to witness and report on the city’s diversity and heritage.
Dr. Tony Jacob figured this out the hard way after hundreds of investment deals and building a multi-million dollar healthcare network.
He’s now got a sixth sense about problematic temperaments, and they’re his number one red flag when sizing up potential partners.
Ego Alert Ahead
“The bigger the egos, the more nonsense usually,” Dr. Tony Jacob says. He’s seen countless smart entrepreneurs flame out simply because they were too stubborn to take advice, couldn’t collaborate, or dug in their heels when the market shifted.
Confidence absolutely matters in Texas business. But there’s a world of difference between confidence and egotism. Tony points out that even technically brilliant founders hit a ceiling fast when they lack self-awareness. They develop blind spots by shutting out feedback, eventually sabotaging their own success.
The EQ Edge
You know those super-smart people who somehow can’t keep a team together? Dr. Tony Jacob gets it. “I had zero emotional intelligence until I got married,” he admits. That personal wake-up call completely changed how he evaluates business potential.
High-EQ leaders actually listen rather than just waiting for their turn to talk, admit mistakes, and fix them without drama. They also build teams with different strengths instead of hiring mini-mes, keep their cool during crises, and know when to take charge and when to back off.
“Ambition and drive are important, but without the ability to listen, adapt, and grow, you’ll be doing it all alone,” Tony says.
The lone wolf genius might make for good TV, but real growth means bringing talented people along with you.
The Beer Factor
Here’s Dr. Tony Jacob’s deceptively simple investment filter: “If I like the person, their idea, and I can explain it in a sentence, I would probably invest.” There’s more wisdom packed into this casual approach than most 100-page investment theses.
His “beer test” cuts through the fluff that formal evaluations miss. Would you actually enjoy hanging out with this person? Can they explain things clearly without resorting to jargon? Do they seem genuinely passionate beyond just making money?
Years of experience taught him something crucial: people skills almost always trump raw intelligence in business. “People need room to own their work,” he notes. “If you set them up with the right tools and give them the trust they deserve, you’ll get results that far exceed what you’d achieve by constantly monitoring their every move.”
When he’s checking out a potential investment, he pays close attention to how entrepreneurs treat their team. Do they share credit? Can they explain complex stuff without talking down to people? Do they own up when things go sideways? These everyday interactions tell him more than any business plan.
True Power Comes From Humility
The most successful Texas entrepreneurs Tony meets share something unexpected: genuine humility despite crushing it in business. Far from holding them back, this humility helps them push further. They’re always learning, they’re great at collaboration, and they build the kind of teams most companies only dream about.
“When I trust my team to take charge, I can turn my attention to the bigger picture without constantly looking over my shoulder,” he explains. Relying on trust rather than micromanagement, he built an optometry network across multiple locations that maintained consistently excellent service.
Real humility looks different than most people think. These successful entrepreneurs still ask for advice even after they’ve “made it,” surround themselves with people who bring different skills to the table, and set up their businesses to run smoothly even when they’re away for two weeks. They let their employees call the shots in their areas of expertise. And when they suck at something? They admit it and either learn or hire someone who’s better at it than they are.
Proven Strategies Behind a Texas Million-Dollar Practice
Discover how Dr. Tony Jacob scaled from one Texas clinic to 11 thriving locations statewide.
Imagine a pancake stuffed with sweet cheese. You may dream that the pancake’s filled with nuts, instead. Then imagine it was drizzled with perfumed syrup while still warm. Garnish it, in your dream, with pistachios and whipped cream. You’re dreaming of qatayef, the fabulous, fabled, Arabian dessert.
Qatayef – also spelled katayif or qatya’if – is traditionally eaten at Ramadan (get our Ramadan vegetarian ideas here), but it’s a treat anytime. In fact, it’s a treat that’s gone through history.
A recipe for qatayif appears in a tenth century Arabic cookbook by the writer Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, who compiled recipes going back to the eighth and ninth centuries. People have been eating qatayif for a very long time.
The filled pancakes are still popular in the Middle East. All over the Levant, people buy qatayif from bakeries and pastry shops, or pick some up from street vendors. They can even buy them frozen and ready to fry at home. So can you; if not at a local Middle Eastern grocery store, then online.
But there’s nothing like home-made, although it does take some time and patience. Plan to cook qatayif on a free morning, or when you need to put your mind on something with gratifying results.
First, make the batter. Choose a nut stuffing or a sweet cheese one (recipes below). Or halve each recipe and have both kinds.
Qatayef, Stuffed Pancakes
An Arabian Dessert
Blender
skillet
The Batter:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 cups warm water
1-1/2 all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Nut filling:
2 cups finely chopped (toasted walnuts or almonds)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons orange flower water (not the concentrated essence)
Mix thoroughly.
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cheese Filling:
13 oz. – 370 grams Mozzarella cheese packed in water
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons rose or orange flower water
The Syrup
The Syrup:
2-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons rose or orange flower water
The Garnish
3 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
Whipped cream
Make the batter:
Put all ingredients in a blender until you have a smooth batter. Leave the batter in the blender.
Alternately, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water; add the flour and salt and beat until smooth.
Cover the batter and leave at room temperature 1 hour. 2 hours is better if you have the time, to allow an appealing fermented flavor to develop.
While the batter is resting, make the filling and the syrup.
Make the Nut Filling:
Mix thoroughly
Make the Cheese Filling:
Drain the Mozzarella.
Put everything through the food processor to make a crumbly mass.
Make the Syrup:
Boil the sugar, water, and lemon juice until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-8 minutes.
Add the flower water. Cook a few more seconds.
Cool the syrup then put it in the fridge.
Fry and Fill The Qatayif
Blend the rested batter again for a minute, or whip it up if it’s in a bowl. This helps produce the characteristic little holes in the pancakes.
When the batter’s ready, take the syrup out of the fridge to have it ready.
Oil a frying pan, preferably non-stick. Start with high heat, then reduce to medium.
Pour about 2 tablespoons batter into the pan. Tilt the pan around to spread the batter into a circle, or gently push the batter into a circle shape with the back of a spoon. This is the first, experimental pancake, from which you’ll judge if the temperature is right or needs adjusting. It’s also practice for making the pancake circle. An oval is OK.
Let the pancake cook until it’s spongy, pocked with bubbles, and detaches from the pan easily. This is done in a few minutes. The bottom may be pale or golden according to your preference. Do not flip the pancake over.
Transfer the pancakes to a platter and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them pliable.
Fill the center of each pancake with about 2 tablespoons of your chosen filling.
Fold it over to make a half-circle.
Press the edges together well, to keep the filling inside while frying.
Heat oil to the depth of 1/2” – 1 cm. in a skillet.
Fry the qatayif on all sides until golden, 2-3 minutes altogether. Some prefer a darker color, but take care not to over-cook because that will harden the qatayif.
Put the qatayif on a rack to drain or set them on paper towels.
Dip them in the syrup with tongs or a long spoon while they’re hot. Let the excess syrup drip off. .
(A tip from the modern pantry: skip the boiled syrup and use your favorite pancake syrup to drizzle generously over the hot qatayif.)
Garnish with finely chopped pistachios and/or whipped cream. Pass any extra syrup around for those who want more.
Cleaning up asbestos pipes. Asbestos particles can cause lung cancer. It is an environmental hazard.
Asbestos is a dangerous substance causing deadly respiratory diseases. In case of exposure, settlement payouts provide the much-needed financial assistance to many victims. Since each case is unique, the amount of compensation received can differ. Learning what influences these settlements helps you set realistic expectations for a smoother claims process.
Impact of Medical Diagnosis
An influential determinant of compensation is the severity of the diagnosed condition. Mesothelioma cases in particular are likely to attract higher settlements due to their fast progression and high treatment costs. Other asbestos-related conditions can also get large compensation in instances where they significantly restrict everyday activities. Having the right medical documentation is crucial, as it shows the entire medical impact of the disease, along with forming the basis of asbestos claims payouts.
Clarity of Exposure History
Asbestos is found in eye shadow and talc.
The outcome of settlements is largely determined by the cause of the asbestos exposure. Cases based on well-documented work histories or service records are usually stronger, since they correlate the illness with a particular employer or a product. The outcome also depends on the length and frequency of exposure; longer or repeated contact often creates a stronger case.
Medical Costs and Treatment Burden
Ongoing medical treatment is a significant contributor to determining the settlement value. People undergoing intensive care, such as major surgery, non-routine treatment, or ongoing respiratory care, may be more susceptible to a higher financial burden, affecting the compensation. Future medical needs are also taken into account in settlement discussions. An elaborate treatment regimen aids in a more precise evaluation.
Personal and Family Circumstances
Compensation can also depend on age, household duties and long-term care requirements. Younger claimants are more likely to feel the impact of asbestos-related diseases over a longer period. Similarly, those supporting dependents may face additional financial strain. These individual situations contribute to defining the overall financial and emotional effect of the disease.
Strength of Supporting Evidence
A claim’s strength comes from thorough evidence and medical records that demonstrate liability from a specific product or company. Cases with clear and consistent evidence tend to end with positive settlement outcomes.
Availability of Asbestos Trust Fund
Asbestos remains a silent killer across the Middle East—hidden in homes, rubble, and old infrastructure—posing long-term cancer risks from Israel to Syria.
Many corporations have set up trust funds to pay damages to people who suffered as a result of being exposed to asbestos. The accessibility of these funds, as well as the rate of payment they provide, may influence the ultimate settlement rate. In some cases, victims can make claims in more than one trust fund based on exposure history.
Role of Legal Representation
The settlement process can also be impacted by guidance of experienced lawyers. While a favorable result cannot be promised, lawyers with experience in asbestos lawsuits know how to be persuasive, settle cases, and maneuver through trust funds. Their plan and style may influence the schedule and the level of compensation.
Endnote
Settlement payouts of asbestos cases vary depending on a mix of evidentiary elements that are unique to each case. An accurate diagnosis along with good documentation and long term understanding of the effects of the illness are all crucial. With proper training and counseling, victims can secure compensation for maintaining their health and finances.
Lebanon food market celebrates the Christian Saint Barbara, with food
Souk El Tayeb in Beirut has always been more than a farmers’ market. It is a small miracle in the heart of Lebanon—a community place where farmers, cooks, refugees, artisans, and city dwellers gather around the simple idea that food can heal a country.
Founded in Beirut during a time of deep political strains, Souk El Tayeb became a meeting place where sect, class, and region dissolve into the shared pleasure of tasting ripe tomatoes, kneaded manousheh, or warm kebbeh made by someone whose village you may have only heard about.
A flower salesman at the Souk
What makes Souk El Tayeb remarkable is not only its insistence on local, seasonal produce, but its belief that dignity and sustainability must go hand in hand. Farmers are paid fairly. Villages are uplifted. Traditional recipes are kept alive not as nostalgia but as knowledge systems: real food is carbon-light, waste-free, and is adapted to the land.
And now Lebanon prepared for Eid el-Barbara, a celebration as rooted in the soil as in faith, it’s like a kind of Halloween, but gentler. As Souk El Tayeb writers described it: “It tells the story of Barbara (Saint Barbara), a pious Christian in Roman times, whose father, the pagan ruler of Baalbek, wanted to kill her for her forbidden Christian beliefs. It’s celebrated December 5 in the Middle East, and December 17 in Europe.
“To escape him, she disguised herself (hello costumes!) and ran through bare fields that miraculously grew into tall wheat to hide her as she fled.”
To remember the miracle of the wheat, families cook amhiyeh and atayef, and children plant soaked wheat, beans, or lentils on beds of cotton.
By Christmas, the sprouts become a soft green carpet for the nativity scene, the مغارة الميلاد.
This ritual also exists in Provence, where wheat is planted on Sainte-Barbe’s Day. Lebanon, France, and a shared tradition of sprouting hope in the darkest month of the year.
Another tradition is eating qatayef, a stuffed cookie, which is also eaten at Ramadan.
Eid il-Burbara or Saint Barbara’s Day, and also called the Feast of Saint Barbara, is a holiday annually celebrated on 17 December or 4 December amongst Middle Eastern Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Turkey. It is also celebrated as Barbaroba amongst Christians in Georgia.
I have my own little slice of paradise in a forest in Canada. It would be unsettling to say the least if the developers started carving up and developing the Crown Land, protected by law, around my land.
But this is what’s happening now in Iran, an a world-protected forest.
The story starts in a village called Sark, located in the Ponel–Khalkhal area, where road construction has begun to connect a newly built villa complex, and part of the UNESCO-protected Hyrcanian forests has been destroyed according to local reports in Iran.
Environmentalists speak of trees being cut down and heavy machinery entering the area. They say this organized destruction threatens the future of the Hyrcanian forests.
“Recently, we were informed by the local community that road construction is underway in the Hyrcanian Forests to enable the development of luxury villas. Our field observations and initial documentation show clear signs of land-use change, unauthorized construction, and the expansion of private holding companies into forested areas, agricultural lands, and the buffer zones of this fragile ecosystem,” she says.
“Such activities pose a serious threat to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the site, endangering its ecological integrity, landscape continuity, and long-term conservation,” says Roshan,
While in just the past few months new warnings have been issued about the intensifying destruction of the Hyrcanian forests, field reports from the village of Sark in the Ponel–Khalkhal corridor in Gilan show that large-scale road construction has begun in the heart of the region’s ancient forests.
GPS location of development
According to environmental activists, this work is being carried out in order to create an access route for a villa complex known as “Behesht Complex” (Paradise Complex).
According to information from informed sources, in order to obtain permits to continue construction of the Behesht villa complex, a road is being built so that afterwards the responsible authorities can justify construction “within the road corridor” and issue permits for the expansion of the complex.
Following this request, the felling of thousand-year-old Hyrcanian trees and the destruction of pristine vegetation has begun. Only a few families live in Sark village, and for years they have used a wooden bridge for their comings and goings. But now, parts of the forest are under pressure from road construction and site preparation for building, including earth removal, mountain cutting and alteration of the topography.
At the same time, environmental activists have sent a formal letter to UNESCO, warning about the planned destruction of the Hyrcanian forests, a World Heritage site, and calling for urgent international action.
In their letter, environmental activists write that this destruction is not limited to Gilan. They say this trend has been continuously ongoing for several decades and, especially after events such as the “Gilan, Capital of Construction” conference, has accelerated under the influence of certain individuals.
The activists have asked UNESCO to order an immediate halt, send a fact-finding mission to the affected areas, and issue an official statement of condemnation.
In Shahrivar (August–September) of this year as well, road construction from Tarom County to Shaft County, along the Dayleh-Sar highlands, began with tree cutting and destruction of the natural terrain, without obtaining any legal permits from the relevant authorities. As a result, 8.5 kilometres of rangeland and forest land in Shaft were destroyed.
The Hyrcanian forests form a long belt of about 850 kilometres, stretching from the Gorgan plain to parts of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Nineteen percent of the total area of the Hyrcanian forests registered with UNESCO—about 58,000 hectares—belongs to Gilan.
Environmental activists in Iran often face significant personal risk when speaking out about illegal land grabs, deforestation, or the destruction of protected areas. In recent years, several high-profile environmentalists have been detained, interrogated, or imprisoned on broad national-security charges, sometimes without transparent legal proceedings.
International human rights groups have repeatedly expressed concern that environmental advocacy in Iran can be treated as political dissent, leaving local activists vulnerable to surveillance, harassment, and pressure from security institutions. This has created a climate in which many citizens are afraid to report ecological damage, making the documented cases of forest destruction even more alarming given the courage required to bring them to light.
Mud bricks are made from clay, sand, water and a natural binder such as rice husk or straw. They are dried in the sun—no firing, no fuel required at all. Properly made, they meet compressive strength and heat-conductivity requirements, act as fire-resistant and sound-insulating walls, and keep indoor temperatures relatively stable in both summer and winter. This works as long as there is a protective roof and the bricks are maintained. People in the past used to know how to do this but concrete made us forget ancient wisdom. If you travel to places like Ethiopia, most rural people are living in mud houses.
Globally, around 30 per cent of the world’s population still lives in earthen structures; the material is traditional across the Middle East, North Africa, India and much of the global South. The research community has moved well beyond nostalgia: recent studies on compressed earth blocks and fibre-reinforced mud bricks in places as varied as Australia, Togo and North Africa treat earth as a serious, testable low-carbon material, not as a second-best stopgap. Mud is flame-proof, readily available and as Hathan Fathy of the New Gourna Village argued can give people an honorable place to live.
In Gaza, of course, energy and shelter are fused problems. Even before the current war, the territory never had enough grid power. Over roughly a decade, rooftop solar spread rapidly: one satellite analysis found at least 655 rooftop solar systems in a single square mile of Gaza City, and by 2022 the strip was estimated to have more than 12,000 such systems.
Solar became a genuine lifeline, keeping water pumps, small clinics, fridges and phones running when diesel ran out. See the map below of rooftop solar, which according to this source made Gaza the highest user per capita of solar rooftop energy in the world.
Much of that infrastructure has since been damaged or destroyed since Hamas started the war with Israel, but the lesson is still there in plain sight: when you give people robust, decentralised tools—sun and soil—they will use them to hold their lives together. Satellite-based damage assessments now show that a large share of solar installations have been hit, which only increases the urgency of planning low-carbon, distributed systems for any serious reconstruction.
For a practical NGO funder, this suggests a very grounded agenda that is neither experimental for its own sake nor romantic about “traditional” methods.
Gaza will need: field-tested earthen construction, training and demonstration yards that support local engineers, masons and women’s groups to run short, paid training programs in mud-brick and compressed earth construction. Small demonstration houses, clinics or community centers can double as real assets and training labs. Centers can also teach solar cooking and basic engineering skills.
A man in Gaza cooks food on his roof using a solar cooker, powered by the sun
The Jordan Gateway Hospital heralding peace between Jordan and Israel
Can a cross-border hospital between Israel and Jordan anchor environmental cooperation too?
Israel and Jordan are moving ahead with one of the most ambitious cross-border development projects in the Middle East: the Jordan Gateway, a joint industrial and employment zone straddling the border near the Jordan River Crossing. Conceived during the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace talks, the zone is finally gaining momentum after years of legal disputes and construction delays.
Now, Israeli officials have confirmed that a hospital on the Israeli side, designed primarily to treat Jordanian patients, is under active government consideration. We’ve written about water cooperation and the Red Dead Canal which never happened. And now that Israel is cooperating with India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the region is gearing up for movement of goods, people and know-how form the east to the west.
The proposed medical centre, described by Emek HaMaayanot Regional Council head Itamar Matiash as “a centre for cancer treatment, so that people from Jordan or further away could come and receive treatment,” would become the flagship of a wider cluster of medical, academic and innovation-based services planned for the Israeli half of the zone.
Meanwhile, the Jordanian side is already home to several low-tech factories aimed at reducing unemployment, which remains around 18 per cent in the kingdom compared with roughly 3 per cent in Israel.
The defining feature of the Jordan Gateway is its carefully engineered border model. Workers from both countries will be able to enter the shared industrial zone while remaining inside an “ex-territorial bubble”. Jordanians entering the Israeli zone will not be granted entry to Israel beyond the site, and Israelis crossing to the Jordanian side will not enter Jordan proper. Full entry into either country will continue to require the formal Allenby Crossing procedures.
This controlled permeability reflects both diplomatic pragmatism and urgent security realities following the 2023 Hamas-led attack and subsequent regional instability, as well as recent violent incidents involving drivers crossing from Jordan into Israel to commit acts of terror. But not everyone should suffer from terrorism.
Jordan gateway map
Beyond bilateral cooperation, the project’s strategic significance extends far beyond the Jordan Valley. The site is now positioned as a critical node in the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the US-backed transport vision designed to link Indian manufacturing hubs to Gulf ports, Israel and ultimately to European markets. This route circumvents passing through Iranian waters and areas of the Red Sea being terrorized by Yemen’s Houthis and Somalian pirates.
Under current planning, goods could cross into Israel at the Jordan Gateway, be transferred onto rail lines to Haifa Port and then shipped onwards to Europe. Officials from the United States and European Union have already conducted site visits and expressed interest in the zone’s potential role as a resilient logistics alternative to traditional Red Sea and Suez routes.
But if the Jordan Gateway is to become a model for regional integration, its long-term success will depend as much on environmental governance as on geopolitics. The Jordan River Valley is an ecologically fragile corridor long damaged by over-extraction, pollution and climate-driven water scarcity.
Fortunately, the region already hosts some of the world’s most established cross-border environmental collaborations.
Its “Green Blue Deal for the Middle East” proposes exactly the type of shared environmental planning the Jordan Gateway will require. Likewise, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, located near the Israel–Jordan border, has trained more than 1,800 Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and international students in solar energy, desert agriculture and water-scarce resilience.
These networks offer rare and durable frameworks for cooperation that continue even during periods of political tension. Participation by Jordanian and Palestinian students, however, is often kept discreet, as some prefer not to publicize their involvement in cross-border programs to avoid potential social pressures when returning to their home communities.
If aligned with such environmental expertise, the Jordan Gateway could evolve into more than an industrial park or logistics hub. It could become a proof-of-concept for environmentally grounded peacebuilding—a space where economic incentives, ecological restoration and pragmatic diplomacy reinforce one another. In a region where borders often divide ecosystems that must function as a whole, this may be the most significant experiment of all. Peace comes only through shared values, and content.
Without that, peace making is an empty word.
“For a long time, my soul dwelt with those who hate peace,” says Psalm 120.
