The government of Dubai government will pay gold to health-conscious residents for dropping some weight over the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It’s part of Dubai’s “Your Weight in Gold” initiative.
Mediterranean Net-Zero Home Based on 3,500-Year-Old Israeli Design
Team Israel is all pumped up to show off their design skills at the upcoming 2013 international Solar Decathlon competition in China with All [e] Land – a Mediterranean net-zero prefab dwelling based on a 3,500-year-old archetypal Israeli design.
Egyptians Hunt Down Migratory Birds for Natural Viagra
It is a little known fact outside of conservation and hunting circles, Sherif Baha el Din from Nature Conservation Egypt told The Guardian, but Egyptian hunters will destroy thousands of migratory birds in the coming weeks as they make their way from Europe back to Africa for the winter.
King David’s Palace Discovered
The ruins of a fortified complex at Khirbet Qeiyafa, west of Jerusalem, are the remains of one of King David’s palaces, says Dr. Yossi Garfinkel, archeologist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Working together with Saar Ganor of Israel’s Antiquities Authority, Garfinkel has worked to uncover the site for the past seven years.
According to Professor Yossi Garfinkel and Sa’ar Ganor, “Khirbet Qeiyafa is the best example exposed to date of a fortified city from the time of King David.” Maybe the great king ordered citron trees like the ones that flourished in Jerusalem at around the same time to be planted there.
Kazakh Children Keep Ramadan Caroling Alive
Children in Central Asia practice a tradition in the lead-up to iftar (the evening breaking of the Ramadan fast – read our green iftar guide here) that has a decidedly Western resonance: they go Ramadan caroling. As with Christmas caroling, the children go door-to-door singing their neighbors holiday songs. After performing, carolers ask for a treat, usually receiving sweets or pocket change.
As in the West, the tradition is loved or hated with equal energy. The difference is, as with Ramadan, this songfest can last an entire month. (Click on this link to hear and see a sample of Ramadan carols.)
“Small kids come every day singing,” Lola Yunusova from Tashkent told Radio Free Europe. “We give them money. But when the same children come every day, we say, ‘That’s enough. Don’t come again.’ Many parents don’t allow their children to go out singing and neither do we. They are like beggars. Nobody likes them. They pound on your door and keep ringing the doorbell. When you come out, there are usually three or four of them shouting, ‘Blah, blah, blah, blah…give us some money.'”
Her neighbor said he enjoys Ramadan caroling, greeting the children with a smile and asking them to sing more. And the kids seem to love the tradition. It’s the only time of the year when they run around with their friends, getting away with cheekiness to adults, and end up with some free candy to boot.
Ramadan carols often reflect the societal enthusiasm for the birth of a healthy boy. A typical Uzbek song says, “We came and sang a Ramadan song at your door. We are wishing you’ll have in your cradle a boy who is as strong as a ram.” But beware the lyrics if you don’t offer treats, “We came and you heard us sing, but you didn’t give us anything. May your newborn turnout to be a girl!”
Turkmen children sing similarly misogynistic verses, “Let a girl be born to those who give less. Let a boy be born to those who give more.”
Singers may improvise on traditional verses, but some teenagers abuse lyrics by shouting rudely at those who don’t offer gifts, “We will never come to your doorstep again and we are putting a stick in your [key] hole,” sang a group stiffed by a homeowner.
In Kazakhstan, Ramadan caroling was suppressed during the Soviet era, when Kazakh Muslims secretly fasted to avoid being targeted as troublemakers. Today, carolers can openly sing, “May the Lord Almighty accept your prayers and to all who are fasting for Ramadan, may the Lord be good to you.” Now free to practice their faith, but it always goes back to the candy, “We are children of Muhammad. We are one community. If you give us some treats, it will make us stronger.”
Ramadan carolling was also popular across Afghanistan before the 1979 Soviet invasion, but the tradition disappeared during subsequent decades of war and the emergence of the Taliban, which considered all music to be un-Islamic. Caroling has resurfaced only recently in some of northern Afghanistan’s ethnic Uzbek, ethnic Turkmen, and ethnic Tajik neighborhoods.
In Kyrgyzstan, most carolling takes place during the three days leading up to Eid. (The video above shows young men in national dress from Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul region singing Ramadan songs.) Western materialism has crept in, with Bishkek children wishing listeners the good fortune of being able to “have a pocketful of US dollars” and “drive a Mercedes“.
Songs in northern Tajikistan often dispense religion altogether, instead singing folklore rhymes.
According to an excellent article by Radio Free Europe’s Ron Synovitz, Ramadan caroling extends far beyond Central Asia. Children in Bosnia-Herzegovina collect money by shouting “Ramadan bank” as they move door to door. Egyptian street drummers play for cash during Holy Month celebrations.
Ultraconservative Sunni Wahabbists argue that Ramadan carolling is un-Islamic and should be forbidden, but according to Tora Mirzayev, professor of folklore at Uzbekistan’s Academy of Science, Central Asia’s caroling tradition has pre-Islamic roots.
“In old times Ramadan songs were sung by adults,” he told Synovitz. “But since the beginning of the 20th century, these songs have been sung only as children’s songs. There is a mixture of different pre-Islamic rituals like ‘calling for rain’ or ‘stopping the wind.’ When Islam came to the region, these rituals were transformed into Islamic rituals.”
It was a lovely discovery to stumble upon this story. Let the children sing.
Gulf Countries Fear Leaks from Iranian Nuclear Plant
Representatives from six Arab Gulf countries that form the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) recently expressed concern about the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Southwest Iran after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale struct the region earlier this year.
Tunisian Desert Dunes Threaten Darth Vader’s Tatooine Home
Star Wars fans lovingly restored Luke Skywalker’s Tatooine home in Tunisia recently, but the former home of young Anakin, who would eventually become Darth Vader, is about to be engulfed by fast-moving desert sand dunes.
Abu Dhabi Five-Star Leisure at Saadiyat Island Puts Ecology First
A five star hotel will offer chefs, tennis and golf pros, hairdressers and masseuses, but the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi just upped the ante by adding a marine biologist to its permanent staff. The resort’s resident marine expert will be organizing workshops and eco-excursions to educate and entertain guests, but her primary mandate is to ensure that the hotel adheres to strict environmental standards laid down by the emirate.
Israel’s Itay Kirshenbaum Grows Backyard Furniture
What is up with Israeli designers? On the whole, they’re an eco-conscious group that use their creative genius to churn out groundbreaking designs, but two young students seem to be heading in the wrong direction.
We recently featured Yariv Goldfarb’s Bezalel graduation project with 3d printing technology called “Play with Poop.”
In order to deviate from social norms, Goldfarb 3D printed plastic molds to sculpt dog poop into a variety of geometric shapes. He then took the resulting shapes into the heart of Tel Aviv and arranged them to look like major landmarks throughout the city.
His intentions are in the right place, since he is trying to encourage Israelis to be more aware of their surroundings, but his methods are a bit absurd. Sort of like Yael Mer’s Evacuation dress to escape climate change. How about finding a way to slow climate change by working with more ecologically sound ideas? Rather than an every man for himself?
Itay Kirshenbaum’s design, on other hand, has no redeeming social or environmental value at all.
For his final project at Haddasah College, Kirshenbaum designed a furniture collection that grows itself – the first backyard furniture set we know of with this curious skill.
Comprised of different colored canvas sacks, the furniture initially looks like jackets lying on the ground. But when a sprinkling of water interacts with the concrete powder that fills them, the sacks spring to life.
Wire pulls allow the user to mold the canvas bags as seats and within 24 hours of drying, they can be used as chairs and tables.
Don’t get me wrong. I think the concept is clever. But the material choice is disappointing. How can this idea be done better? Maybe using an idea of furniture or buildings to come to life for refugees. See these 10 shelters for refugees that top our list.
As for Goldfarb. Should we tell you that concrete has the highest embodied footprint of just about any other material commonly used today. Which means that using it – whether in construction projects, homes or DIY furniture, is irresponsible.
It’s also unnecessary. Many Israeli designers who are working with more earth-friendly materials that biodegrade that have virtually no environmental impact. Or this
It’s time to step up to the times, boys. Luckily, you still have the chance.
Other slightly insane Israeli design ideas:
Tapping Middle East Biogas Potential in Lebanon and Pakistan
Lebanon and Pakistan have each announced new biogas projects, tapping into a sustainable energy source that, unlike other renewable energy streams, solves two municipal problems – energy creation and waste processing.
Biogas, primarily a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen, is produced by decomposing organic matter. Add oxygen and create a high-efficiency fuel for heating or to convert into electricity. The compressible gas can also be used to power motor vehicles.
General Electric (GE) just announced sale of its Jenbacher J312 engine to a landfill gas-to-energy project operated by Averda International in Naameh, Lebanon, near Beirut. The pilot scale project will generate approximately 637 kW of power and can be expanded to take full advantage of this landfill, the largest controlled dumpsite in Lebanon. The project will become operational by year end.
“The potential benefit of the Naameh project is that it could encourage other landfill sites to use the gas (that is currently being flared) for conversion to electricity. The contribution of the project to the environment and the energy sector makes it a great value to the community,” said Nabil Habayeb, GE president and CEO for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region.
Pakistan’s project establishes an anaerobic digestion facility in Landhi Cattle Colony region that will convert a daily stream of 4,200 tons of animal waste and 700 tons of food waste into biogas which can generate up to 30 MW of power. The project will be delivered in two phases, each providing 15 MW of capacity.
Karachi Electric Supply Company, one of the project developers, said in a press release that this is the first time that renewable energy will be utilized on a commercial scale in Pakistan.
“This project is a prime example of how innovation can be used to tackle some of Pakistan’s most pressing development issues,” Mouayed Makhlouf, International Finance Corporations (IFC) Director for the Middle East and North Africa told Biomass Magazine. In addition to providing seed capital, IFC is advising the company on plant development.
Solar springs to mind as the optimal energy producer in the sunny, arid Middle East. There is tremendous untapped potential for generating biogas by exploiting waste generated by industry and agriculture, municipal solid wastes, and sewage.
Municipal solid waste is an optimal feedstock for anaerobic digestion because on average, over 50% of Middle Eastern municipal waste consists of biodegradable, organic material. Anaerobic digestion of organic waste is an environmentally positive method of recycling biodegradable materials while producing economical energy as a byproduct.
Diverting waste from traditional dumpsites and instead, routing it to plants and controlled landfills which can convert it into biogas (and biomass) transforms a liability into an asset. Biogas technology is well suited for further exploitation in this region as both a remedy for urbanization and a producer of clean energy.
Image of burning corn from Shutterstock
Yariv Goldfarb Uses 3D-Printing to ‘Play with Poop’
We’ve seen a lot of really useful applications for 3D printing, like making homes but Yariv Goldfarb’s graduation project for the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem is not one of them: printing plastic molds in order to “play with poop.”
Goldfarb says that he printed the molds in order to form dog poop! The doggy waste came out of the molds in all sorts of funky geometric shapes, and then he hit the town. Israelis like to push the limits in design no matter the shock value. See this getaway dress by Yael Mer for escaping global warming. Mer has a slipper rocker getup for the winter.
Back to the poo: as a comment on how people either don’t bother to notice or completely take for granted the works of urban art and architecture around them, Goldfarb used the unconventional material to break through the city stupor.
He arranged his poop shapes to resemble various landmarks across Tel Aviv, including the soaring Azrieli Center, the large sculpture outside of City Hall, as well as the leaning steel ellipses that are on display in Habima Square.
As part of his graduation project’s design brief, Goldfarb says that he wanted to “Challenge normal social rules and behavior.”
“‘Play with Poop’ helps to raise people’s awareness of their surroundings. the mini poop sculptures were placed in front of several landmarks in tel aviv in the shape of these same landmarks –- reminding the people who walk next to them everyday to take a second look, instead of ignoring them,” Goldfarb says.
It’s unclear whether he achieved his objective, but at least his abuse of 3D printing technology is far more benign than the printed plastic gun that made it past security at Israel’s parliament building, twice, without being detected. Or the 3D printable gun factory made by Cody Wilson in Austin, Texas.
Thank goodness for the people who are using 3D technology to make the planet a cleaner, saner place.
Or for celebrating religious ones like a 3D printed green dome mosque.
Arsenic In Your Food? Consumers Push Regulation
When I first thought of arsenic in my food, I remembered “Arsenic and Old Lace,” a movie from the 1940s where two old ladies nonchalantly poison their elderly suitors with a little arsenic in their elderflower tea. We’re not keeling over from the levels of arsenic in our food – yet – but the concern exists. Much of our fruit juice, especially apple and grape juice, is laced with inorganic arsenic. So is much of our rice. And so are some of our chickens.
On a Middle Eastern note, Moslems returning from the Hajj bring back Zamzam water from a holy well in Mecca, water which, according to a BBC report, is contaminated with an extremely high arsenic level. Initially refuting the BBC report, the Saudi Arabian government has since begun a Zamzam water distribution project which will hopefully clean the water up.
Qoros Electric Vehicle: China and Israel Partner with USA
After losing the Better Place electric vehicle company, Israel Corporation moved forward with a different holding in the same industry. Qoros Auto Company Ltd., a 50:50 joint venture between Israel Corp and China’s Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., has agreed to purchase EV and hybrid parts from American Axle Manufacturing Inc. (AAM).
Bulldozers Raze Ancient Urban Farm in Turkey
The Yedikule neighborhood of Istanbul is on edge as bulldozers recently razed two gardens that have been cultivated for the last 1,500 years, The Atlantic Cities reports. This is taking place in tandem with the ongoing Gezi Park saga despite a court’s ruling that the latter should not be cleared to make way for a shopping mall.
Zayed Prize-Winning School Inches Closer to Zero Carbon
The school was the first in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates to scoop the prestigious $100,000 Zayed Future Energy Prize in the Global High School category and they have already put the money to good use. The Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bangladesh Islamia School installed an 11.52 KW rooftop solar array.