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Istanbul’s Top 10 Secondhand Clothing Shops

Istanbul’s top ten secondhand clothing shops are easily accessible from the city’s main pedestrian drag, Istiklal Avenue, highlighted in blue on the map. Until recently, Istanbul’s secondhand clothing culture had been minimal, confined to costume shops, small racks in antique stores, and “eskicis” — old men wheeling carts of used items around the streets of […]

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The Wrath of Global Warming and the Middle East

Last week global warming’s wrath swept through the United States and hardly anybody took notice. The worst wildfires in Colorado and Utah history  torched hundreds of homes and miles of forest. The Waldo Canyon fire alone, which is still only 45% contained, burned 350 houses right down to the ground. Some residents returned yesterday to […]

Clean-Tech Bonds Forged Between Israel and Canada

Israel’s Heliofocus caught Canada’s attention Last week Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver came to Israel and met with numerous Israeli leaders of clean-tech and environmental policy, including Uzi Landau, Israel’s Energy and Water Minister, Shalom Simhon, Israel’s Industry, Trade and Labor Minister; representatives from the solar company HelioFocus and researchers at the Technion- Israel […]

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How To Pasteurize Eggs

Making your raw, home-grown eggs safe for mayonnaise is easy. If you raise your own chickens and have plenty of healthy eggs, like chickens our editor Karin raises,  there’s little to fear from salmonella. But for those of us bringing eggs home from the supermarket, that fear may creep into the fun of cooking. True, chances […]

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Hummus Ice-cream from Israel Tastes Sweet Like Halva

Taking the Italian invention of gelato and making it the most “local” we’ve ever seen is a new Israeli sweet treat: hummus-flavored ice-cream. Made from chickpeas, this Middle East treat isn’t just for dipping your pita anymore. Served in Jaffa, La Genda makes their frozen delicacy with chickpeas, tahini, vanilla and sugar – plus some stabilizers. “I […]

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Arab Towns Get Sewerage Upgrade in Israel

A relief to the environment as Israel allots money to upgrade poorly services sewers in Arab towns. Last Wednesday, Israeli Energy and Water Resources Minister Uzi Landau announced the government is allocating NIS 355 million to improve the sewerage systems in Arab neighborhoods across Israel. In recent years, the neglected and dilapidated sewer infrastructures in […]

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New English-Arabic Dictionary of Environmental Terms

A useful new resource for eco-writers in the Middle East, now online. Eco-English vocabulary is hard enough to work with. And for the narrow niche of writers working with Arabic, English, and ecological issues, the search for that appropriate word can get  frustrating. But relief is in sight. Researcher Moshe Terdamana has published the dictionary […]

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Lebanon Tourism: Not this Year Say Gulf States

Gulf states urge citizens not to visit Lebanon, cancelations abound Despite appeals from Lebanese leaders, Gulf states are advising their citizens not to travel to Lebanon and those already there to leave, thus boding ill for this summer’s tourism industry. Beirut, once known as the Riviera of the Levant, has thrived through turmoil as a […]