Available in English, Hebrew, Arabic and Russian, the Israeli government launches a new go green game to learn about saving the earth. Israel’s Environmental Protection Agency recently launched a free online game and iphone application called Thinking Green, aimed at promoting eco-conscious consumerism. It is part of the Ministry’s Think Green campaign. The application (although […]
Four years ago Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) schemed a plan to eradicate the blue-leafed wattle (acacia saligna), an invasive species native to Australia that threatened to overrun the native plant species in Nahal Sorek National Park. Just a few years ago the blue-leafed wattle spread beyond the park’s boundaries to eight spots along the […]
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has wrapped up a national phase-out of all central cooling systems using chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), reports the Jordan Times: “Jordan’s program for phasing out the use of CFCs, aimed at disposing 1500 tons of the harmful substance, was achieved one year ahead of schedule”, said Ghazi Odat, Director of the Ministry of Environment’s […]
Certain buzzwords are developed to help us grasp a concept. To environmentalists, sustainability refers to eating, building and living in a way that will sustain more than one greedy generation. Vegewarian is another for those who aren’t quite ready to commit to full-fledged vegetarianism or veganism. Sometimes these terms are overused, as Brian pointed out […]
Sun bathing in Sinai is like asking for trouble if not adequately screened from the sun’s UV rays. Beach season is now beginning in Middle East countries sharing beach fronts on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Along with problems like beach littering; and increasing and even record high summer temperatures in the Middle East […]
The full “supermoon” peers out from behind the US Capitol building in Washington DC; taken by @quinalty. People around the world flocked to catch a glimpse of the spectacular “supermoon” that lit up the night sky on Saturday. At roughly 11.34 pm EDT on 5 May, 2012 the moon passed its perigree – the closest point to […]
Iraqi architect Salma Samar Damluji has won the ‘Global Award for Sustainable Architecture’ for her mud-brick renovation work in Yemen Mud. Muck. Dirt. Clay. Earth. Call it what you like – it’s the stuff of life and also of sustainable architecture. From the stunning mud mosque of Djenne in Mali to the clay tower homes […]
Turkey’s government argues that much of the land has already been illegally developed and sold, especially in the outskirts of major cities like Istanbul (pictured above). Two weeks ago, Turkish President Abdullah Gül approved a law that opened a parcel of land in Turkey formerly classified as forests — known as “2B” land — to […]
My children, living a world apart in Hoboken and Amman, find the same goofy YouTube clips, only to learn their cousins in California and England already hit those same sites. Today’s instant communication is marvelous to someone who remembers rotary phones and punched card programming. I discovered Facebook page GreenWorldOne (GWO) on a single day when my daughter, […]
When Shimrit Elisar travels to other cities, she wonders where to find pizza after hours, where all the “cool kids” hang out, and how to score a reasonably-priced yoga class. In other words, she wants an insider’s look, which is why she was inspired to create DIY Tel Aviv. This alternative city guide is packed […]
Herbel is a wheat soup that dish reminds Moroccans of breakfasts during Aid El Fitr and Eid El Adha. A recipe that has probably crossed the centuries.
Gundeep Singh hasn’t exactly gone from riches to rags, but he has turned over a green leaf and is determined to help others do the same. Formerly a banking executive who owned a yacht and porsche, the Dubai-based man has switched to a hybrid vehicle and founded The Change Initiative, the first shop in Dubai […]
Can gardens really help promote environmentally friendly behaviour amongst the Muslim community? Mark Bryant from Cardiff University who researches Islam and gardens, says they can There’s nothing like being with nature to help clear your mind and when the weather is as lovely as it has been recently, who can resist spending a couple of […]
Manufactured landscapes and Toskha, a planned city to create a second Nile Valley in Egypt The Middle East is no stranger to construction failures. This page on Arabia Business gives an almanac of such failures. What is interesting about this list is the presence of some substantially big names. Failure of mega construction projects in […]
Late this February Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist, along with Israel Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, hosted a competition to honor Israel’s leading cleantech start-ups. Among the 12 competition finalists, was UniVerve, an Israeli biofuel company that specializes in using microalgae to create oil. UniVerve has gained international recognition for its microalgae technology, […]