All Quiet in Taksim Square, for Now
Central Istanbul looks like a war zone as shells of burnt out vehicles simmer after a long day of confrontations between riot police and anti-government protestors at Taksim Square yesterday.
How Jean Bradbury Makes a Difference a World Away in Jordan
Jordanian craftswomen near the southern Dead Sea are creating unique market bags, placemats and quilts colored with naturally sourced dyes, then painted and embroidered. The project was built by a Canadian woman and artist living worlds away.
Amazon Biosphere Office Combines Plants and People in Missed Opportunity
Online retailer Amazon grabbed headlines with their plan to build a biosphere inside transparent glass orbs which will house its Seattle – based workforce and a forest of plants. Interiors will feature “botanical zones” modeled on earth’s mountain ecologies.
Alexandria Enters PV Solar Project with a Catholic School in Egypt
Once the most powerful seat of learning in Egypt, Alexandria has some catching up to do when it comes to renewable energy. Which may be why the governor has entered into an agreement with a Catholic technical institute to bolster photovoltaic education and installations.
Claesson Koivisto Rune Gives Moroccan Tiles a Lean Scandinavian Touch
Marrakech Design is a Swedish design firm that has combined traditional Moroccan design with Scandinavian minimalism, and now the renowned architectural firm Claesson Koivisto Rune has joined the fray with three new tile designs that are bound to transform even the most dull home.
Lola the Donkey from Middle Eastern Play Runs Afoul of Belgian Police
An “actress” performing at the Arab Cultural Center in Brussels ran up against the law for her odd public antics between shows. Belgian police demanded she be forcibly removed from the theater’s street-facing balcony where she’d been unwinding with a bucket of water and stack of fresh hay.
Pedang the Tiger Gets Acupuncture to Treat Chronic Ear Infection in Israel
After trying the conventional methods of trying to heal a sick tiger with a persistant ear infection, animal therapists were called into the zoo try some alternative methods.
Masdar Buys Inkjet Printer for 3D Printing Solar Cells!
The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) in Abu Dhabi, which is affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has purchased a Fujifilm Dimatix DMP283 inkjet printer – the learning institute’s first step towards printing its very own solar cells!
Israel’s Mediterranean Seacoast Severely Threatened by People
Why have dolphins and other types of marine life almost disappeared from Israel’s shores? And why are projects such as deep water energy drilling and desalination threatening to make the eastern Mediterranean an area increasingly devoid of most marine life?
5 of Turkey’s Most Unsustainable Development Projects
Turkey’s Taksim square protest flared up last week when police took drastic measures to clear activists from Gezi Park- slated for destruction to make way for yet another shopping center. But that’s not the only unsustainable project the government is pursuing in the name of economic growth. We list 5 of the major ones.
10 Free Ways to Feel Happier Super Fast
I’m no Pollyanna, but I usually maintain a healthy screen between my personal life and world events. Lately I’ve been reporting on the disturbing happenings in Turkey, and hanging out with people working with Jordan’s Syrian and Palestinian refugees. It’s been tough to keep a happy face. But research shows you will live longer if […]
Automated High-Tech Bins To Tighten Abu Dhabi Trash Collection
Citizens of the United Arab Emirates receive free healthcare and education, and enjoy subsidized water, electricity and fuel. Men can claim free land and no-interest building loans; couples get cash towards their wedding expenses. And next January, lucky residents in two Abu Dhabi neighborhoods will get high-tech trash bins.
Qatar’s First Saltwater Barley Crop Sprouts in the Desert
Water scarcity combined with desertification makes for a scary combination in the Middle East, but The Sahara Forest Project (SFP) is pioneering a promising solution: greenhouses that use saltwater to grow food in the middle of the desert.
Eco-Education Starts Young at New Green School in Israel
Thinking and living in tune with nature is a way of life that is best started as early as possible, which is why we think there ought to be more schools like The Green School in Kfar Saba, Israel.
Zaha Hadid Adds Star Power to Qatar World Cup
Qatar’s controversial 2022 World Cup planning got a burst of star power when renowned Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, who was one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in 2010, was appointed to join AECOM to design the Al Wakrah Stadium.