Page 489 – Green Prophet

Book Review: I’m With the Bears

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November 3, 2011

Pauline Masurel reviews a collection of literary and science fiction stories by world renowned authors that imagine the affects of climate change.

Bill McKibben was arrested in August this year while protesting against TransCanada’s proposed plans to build a pipeline that would carry oil from the Alberta tar sands to Texas. McKibben has written: “This is really really important. Jim Hansen, the world’s most important climatologist, has said that if we burn these tar sands in a big way it will be ‘essentially game over for the climate.’ That’s worth reading again. The oil companies and the Koch Bros are willing to take a few years of big profits in return for cratering the planet’s climate system.”

You might think that the facts would speak loudly enough for themselves, but McKibben has also written an introduction to this collection of short stories which aims to show that fiction can speak as persuasively as fact in making the point about the wounds we are inflicting upon our own planet. The book’s title is taken from a quote attributed to the environmentalist John Muir, ”When it comes to a war between the races, I’m with the bears.”

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Saudis Needs to Go Nuclear by 2020 to Keep Everyone Happy at Home

Business

Susan Kraemer

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November 3, 2011

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Saudis Needs to Go Nuclear by 2020 to Keep Everyone Happy at Home

High birth rates coupled with domestic subsidies have resulted in soaring energy demand. Now Saudi Arabia has turned to nukes to keep it all going.

Bucking a trend globally of abandoning or reversing plans for more nuclear power in reaction to the Fukushima disaster, Saudi Arabia is now hunting for a site to build its first nuclear plant.

Faced with skyrocketing energy demand at home that is already putting a serious dent in its oil exports, and even threatening future domestic supplies, the kingdom will complete the construction of its first nuclear power plant within the next nine years, a Saudi government official revealed at a nuclear conference in Dubai.

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Saudi Peak Oil Could Affect World in 2012

Business

Susan Kraemer

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November 2, 2011

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Saudi Peak Oil Could Affect World in 2012

While most experts say it is hard to know what is really going on with Saudi oil supplies, “What we do know is that, for whatever reason, Saudi Arabia produced 600,000 fewer barrels each day in 2010 than it did in 2005, and with growing Saudi consumption of their own oil, the drop in exports from Saudi Arabia has been even more dramatic.”

That is the opinion of UC San Diego economist James Hamilton who brings a fresh perspective to peak oil.

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Solar Plant In Hebron To Be Demolished

Energy

Arwa Aburawa

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November 2, 2011

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A solar plant, which is the sole source of electricity for a village in Hebron, has received demolition orders from the Israeli Civil Administration

Mneizel is a Palestinian village located in Hebron in the West Bank. In 2009, the 400 residents living there were lucky enough to be the recipients of a project funded by the Spanish government to install a solar energy plant. The solar energy project cost 300,000 Euros and is now their sole source of electricity- without it the village; its school and clinic would be plunged into darkness. On the 11^th of October, the Israeli authorities issued a demolition order for the solar plant stating that it doesn’t have a permit.

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Green Prophet at Desertec Conference in Cairo

Green Tech and Gadgets

Tafline Laylin

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November 2, 2011

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Desertec is a $500 billion solar project to catch Middle East and Africa sun. Tafline is currently at the Desertec Dii conference in Cairo, reporting from the field. Above is Dii’s CEO Paul van Son addressing the Dii conference

Just two years ago, Desertec was merely a pin prick of an idea conceived to tap into the desert’s vast energy solar and wind resources. Today it is a full fledged vision that has drawn scores of government representatives, investors, and other stakeholders from around the world to the second annual Dii conference in Cairo.

The conference venue – the Semiramis Hotel – overlooks the Nile River that is the lifeblood of so many countries. Outside the skies are heavy with pollution and the roads are as stuffed with cars as ever – a sure sign of how much this city relies on fossil fuels for its day to day function. But inside, there’s a semblance of hope that together Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East can pull off a cleaner future.

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A Mixed Bag For Israel’s Cleantech

Shifra Mincer

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November 2, 2011

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With inconsistent messages to investors and the public, Israel to create a national plan for renewable energy.

Even as Israel’s cabinet approved a national action plan for the promotion of clean technology growth, Israel’s government is also considering slashing incentives for mid-sized solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants due to fiscal constraints.

The inconsistent policies represent what has been a choppy and uncertain legislative environment for Israeli cleantech companies. With various solar incentives due to expire at the end of 2011, Israeli solar PV companies–which have been profiting since 2008 from the global drop in solar panel prices–are starting to get nervous.

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Canada Cuts UNESCO Funds Based on US Law

Karin Kloosterman

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November 2, 2011

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Canada Cuts UNESCO Funds Based on US Law

Voluntary funding to support nature and ancient cities is thinned even more as Canada cuts its funding to UNESCO. If existing members don’t cough up about $70 million USD, trees like this one in Yemen could be under threat.

Palestine is neither a country nor a state, but Palestinian people living in the West Bank and Gaza are vying for their own sovereignty and recognition by the United Nations. Whether it is too early to do so, I can’t say. But attempts to go in the back door, as it were, are now threatening funding to world heritage sites, supported by the UN-organization UNESCO. Green Prophet’s Tafline put together an impressive list of UNESCO supported sites in the Middle East and budgetary cuts of now about 25 percent could hurt these sites, which include Egypt’s pyramids and Petra’s pink city in Wadi Rum, preserved for environmental and cultural reasons.

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You’re Invited To The Jungle Ball!

Travel

Arwa Aburawa

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November 1, 2011

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Kuwait’s animal rights society is hosting a jungle-themed ball and art auction to raise awareness of the plight of animals in the country

The Middle East doesn’t exactly have a great reputation when it comes to animal rights and, in some way, you can understand why. Here at Green Prophet we have covered stories including stray dogs being shot dead in Lebanon, people in Dubai keeping cheetahs as ‘exotic pets’ and the lucrative wildlife smuggling trade in the region. Even so, there are some organisations working hard to change that which is why we are happy to shine a spotlight on their work.

In Kuwait, the Society for the Protection of Animals and Their Habitats is inviting supporters to come along to a fundraising jungle-themed ball to help raise awareness of the plight of animals.

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Recipes: Got Argan Oil?

Health

Miriam Kresh

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November 1, 2011

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Now that you’ve bought some argan oil, what are you going to do with it?

Argan oil has an intense, nutty flavor (we’re speaking of the roasted, food-grade variety) and a really high price. Two reasons to use it sparingly in cooking. Think of it as a flavoring, and then let your culinary imagination take off. But if you’re still looking at that bottle of argan oil and can’t think what to do with it, take some ideas from Green Prophet recipes.

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Interview With Green Hajj Expert Husna Ahmed

Arwa Aburawa

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November 1, 2011

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Interview With Green Hajj Expert Husna Ahmed

We speak to Dr Husna Ahmed, the co-author of the newly launched Green Guide to Hajj about the role Muslims can play in protecting nature

As part of its work to encourage green religious pilgrimages worldwide, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation have just launched a ‘Green Guide to Hajj’. Co-authored by Dr Husna Ahmed OBE, the guide looks at practical ways that Muslims can embrace a green Hajj and adopt more environmentally friendly habits. We caught up Dr Husna Ahmed, who is an international speaker on climate change with a PhD in Environmental Law, to discuss the harmful aspects of religious pilgrimage and what can be done about them.

Getting The Green Message To Muslims

“What we want to do is use a theological grounding- the Qur’an and hadith– to encourage people to think more carefully about protecting their environment,” says Dr Husna over the phone. It’s officially her day off and although she’s busy shopping with her daughter who is off to college she’s decided to have a quick chat with me anyway. “I mean people are now more and more aware of their carbon footprint and what they can do to limit their impact but Muslims are not really hearing it. So this guide is about encouraging them to do their bit.”

It is estimated that around 2.5 million Muslims go to hajj each year and whilst the impact of this mass religious pilgrimage is hard to measure, it is believed that 10 million plastic bottles get left behind every year. What’s more, according to my calculations, a pilgrimage to Mecca from the UK releases more tonnes of carbon than the average French person does in a year. So given the fact that many Muslims aspire to go on Hajj, which is the fifth pillar of Islam, it makes perfect sense to try and make it more environmentally friendly.

Hajj As A Time of Eco-Awareness

During the research into the Green Guide, Dr Husna states that the main issues that emerged were transport, waste and consumption. A lot of the pilgrims fly to Mecca, travel by private transport and are careless about the energy they use and the waste they create. “We want people to be cutting their waste, re-using items like water bottles and also thinking about what they can do beyond their hajj,” says Dr Husna.

“Hajj is a time for embracing good habits and reconsidering moral behaviours, so it’s the ideal time to change our outlook on the environment,” she added. Dr Husna is also keen to point out that Hajj is meant to be a once in a lifetime experience and states that those who have been on the pilgrimage several times need to think carefully about the impact of their travel.

Also Available In Arabic

The Guide is full of tips and bits of information to help the Muslim pilgrim plan their hajj with care. And in a bid to spread these green words of wisdom, the guide will also be translated into Indonesian, Urdu, Malay, Hausa (for Nigeria) and Arabic. So keep an eye out for them and I will post the Arabic guide for the Muslim community in the Middle East and North Africa when it’s available.

For more on Green Hajj:

Faith Network Promotes Sustainable Religious Pilgrimages

Middle East Leaders To Launch Green Hajj Guide

Four Steps To A Greener Hajj

Karim Rashid Brightens Up Cairo with the Amazing Komb House

Cities

Tafline Laylin

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November 1, 2011

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Karim Rashid Brightens Up Cairo with the Amazing Komb House

Karim Rashid’s incredible Komb House exhibited in Cairo last year features the most cutting-edge eco-technologies without compromising its colorful “wow” factor!

We think Egypt needs a little brightening up, and it seems that Karim Rashid agrees. The New-York based Egyptian design master presented the incredible Komb House at last year’s Le Marche exhibition in Cairo before the revolution swept the country off kilter. Karim Rashid is every bit as daring as Zaha Hadid, however, unlike the Iraqi designer who rarely takes the environment into consideration when conceiving her projects, Rashid is definitely one of the top Arab sustainable designers.

A fusion of ancient Islamic and contemporary western design principles, the house is powered by renewable energy sources, receives its heat from radiant flooring, and features the most energy efficient appliances available on the market. Step on in for more images of a home that may not look like anything like the straw bale homes we typically advocate, but which is almost equally ecologically-friendly!

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Turkish Water Projects Stirring Resentment Around The Region

Julia Harte

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November 1, 2011

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Turkish Water Projects Stirring Resentment Around The Region

The Tigris River has sustained the inhabitants of modern-day Iraq for millennia. Are Turkey’s hydraulic projects threatening this vital resource?

Turkey’s massive Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) is an effort to develop the country’s southeast region sustainably, through the use of hydropower plants, irrigation canals, and more. Whether such developments are truly sustainable has long been debated within Turkey. Now, international critics are arguing that Turkey uses its portion of cross-border rivers irresponsibly, without regard for the communities that rely on them downstream.

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Abu Dhabi Neuters and Chips 5,000 Stray Cats and Dogs

Maurice Picow

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November 1, 2011

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Abu Dhabi Neuters and Chips 5,000 Stray Cats and Dogs

This poor Lebanese stray dog might have a chance if neutered and then adopted out

While some people might be against the neutering of stray animals like dogs and cats, this practice is much better than having them shot on sight as they are in Lebanon or allowed to starve to death, as occurred recently in Japan following the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown. In the Middle East, stray animals often lead miserable and trying lives in large cities. This is often as a result of abandonment or simply due to being allowed to continue breeding generations of offspring who are born into a very rough and cruel environment. But a new animal spaying program in Abu Dhabi is something other Middle East countries can learn from.

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Desertec Begins: 500 MW Moroccan Solar in 2012

Green Tech and Gadgets

Susan Kraemer

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November 1, 2011

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Desertec Begins: 500 MW Moroccan Solar in 2012

“Deserts get more energy in six hours than the world’s population consumes in a year” – TREC

I remember when Desertec was dismissed as a wild idea that would never happen, just the pipe dream of the international network of scientists and engineers of TREC (Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation), who claimed back in 2006 that “mirrors could light up the world” and 15% of Europe’s entire energy need could be supplied by solar power from the deserts of North Africa.

Back then TREC’s ideas, which built on work by NASA and the US Department of Energy , was considered to be wildly out-of-the-box thinking on climate change prevention.

But the ambitous plan to power Europe and the MENA region off of a gigantic chain of renewable power strung along a huge new supergrid of High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission lines connecting the two continents got some serious attention from surprising German investors and is now… drum roll please… about to begin.

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How Palestinian Authority’s UNESCO Membership Could Affect Middle East Heritage Sites

Archeology

Tafline Laylin

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November 1, 2011

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How Palestinian Authority’s UNESCO Membership Could Affect Middle East Heritage Sites

Akko in Israel is just one important World Heritage Site in the Middle East region that could suffer from the United States’ decision to withhold funding to UNESCO following the admittance of Palestine as a member state.

Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that the United States will “refrain from making contributions to UNESCO as a result of the organization’s vote to admit Palestine as a member state.

Earlier this year this Palestinian Authority submitted a bid to become part of the United Nations – a bid that the United States is firmly opposed to and has threatened to veto if the UN Security Council approves. One hundred and seven UNESCO members voted to admit the Palestinian Authority, 14 opposed, including Israel and the United States, and 52 member countries abstained from voting.

Nuland said that the UNESCO vote is “regrettable, premature, and undermines our shared goal of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

The United States contributes 22% of UNESCO’s budget and will withhold the pending November payment of $60 million, according to CNN. Slashing such a chunk of the organization’s funding could have far-reaching consequences for no fewer than 50 world heritage sites throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean region, including at least 6 in Israel.

After the vote, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova expressed concern for UNESCO’s financial stability. She said, “I believe it is the responsibility of all of us to make sure that UNESCO does not suffer unduly.” And Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General said that it will be necessary to find practical solutions to the U.S. withholding.

UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information, according to their website. The preservation of World Heritage Sites, which include threatened natural sanctuaries, falls under their purview.

Without a large chunk of their budget, it remains to be seen how well the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Middle East region will fare. Meanwhile, a Facebook group has already been started to “Raise 60 Million Dollars for UNESCO – The Cost of Democracy.”

Following is a list of important sites in the Middle East that rely in part on U.S. funding, via Wikipedia. Will they survive?

	Al Qal’a of Beni Hammad	M’Sila Province, Algeria
	Djémila	Sétif Province, Algeria
	Kasbah of Algiers	Algiers Province, Algeria
	M’zab Valley	Ghardaïa Province, Algeria
	Tassili n’Ajjer	Illizi Province and Tamanrasset Province, Algeria
	Timgad	Batna Province, Algeria
	Tipaza	Tipaza Province, Algeria
	Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun	Northern Governorate, Bahrain
	Abu Mena	Alexandria Governorate, Egypt
	Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis	Luxor Governorate, Egypt
	Historic Cairo	Cairo Governorate, Egypt
	Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur	Giza Governorate, Egypt	^]
	Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae	Aswan Governorate, Egypt
	Saint Catherine Area	South Sinai Governorate, Egypt
	Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)	Faiyum Governorate, Egypt
—	Ashur (Qal’at Sherqat)	Salah ad Din Governorate, Iraq
	Hatra	Ninawa Governorate, Iraq
	Samarra Archaeological City	Salah ad Din Governorate, Iraq
	The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls	Jerusalem
	Petra	Ma’an Governorate, Jordan
	Qasr Amra	Zarqa Governorate, Jordan
	Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa’a)	Madaba Governorate, Jordan
	Wadi Rum Protected Area	Faiyum Governorate, Jordan
	Anjar	Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon
	Baalbek	Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon
	Byblos	Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon
	Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)	North Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon
	Tyre	South Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon
	Archaeological Site of Cyrene	Jabal al Akhdar, Libya
	Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna	Khoms, Libya
	Archaeological Site of Sabratha	Zawiya District, Libya
	Old Town of Ghadamès	Nalut District, Libya
	Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus	Fezzan, Libya
	Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti,Tichitt and Oualata	Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt,and Oualata, Mauritania
	Banc d’Arguin National Park	Nouadhibou and Azefal, Mauritania
	Archaeological Site of Volubilis	Meknès-Tafilalet, Morocco
	Historic City of Meknes	Meknès-Tafilalet, Morocco
	Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou	Souss-Massa-Draâ, Morocco
	Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)	Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco
	Medina of Fez	Fez, Morocco
	Medina of Marrakesh	Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco	^]
	Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin)	Tangier-Tetouan, Morocco
	Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida)	Doukkala-Abda, Morocco
—	Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman	Sharqiyah and Batinah Regions, Oman
—	Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn	Ad Dhahirah Region, Oman
	Bahla Fort	Ad Dakhiliyah Region, Oman
—	Land of Frankincense	Dhofar Governorate, Oman
	Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih)	Al Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia
	At-Turaif District in ad-Dir’iyah	Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia
	Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe	River Nile State, Sudan
	Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region	Northern State, Sudan
	Ancient City of Aleppo	Aleppo Governorate, Syria
	Ancient City of Bosra	Daraa Governorate, Syria
	Ancient City of Damascus	Damascus Governorate, Syria
	Ancient Villages of Northern Syria	Syria
	Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din	Homs and Latakia Governorates, Syria
	Site of Palmyra	Homs Governorate, Syria
	Amphitheatre of El Jem	Mahdia Governorate, Tunisia
	Archaeological Site of Carthage	Tunis Governorate, Tunisia
	Dougga / Thugga	Béja Governorate, Tunisia
	Ichkeul National Park	Bizerte Governorate, Tunisia
	Kairouan	Kairouan Governorate, Tunisia
	Medina of Sousse	Sousse Governorate, Tunisia
	Medina of Tunis	Tunis Governorate, Tunisia
	Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis	Nabeul Governorate, Tunisia
	Historic Town of Zabid	Al Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen
	Old City of Sana’a	Sana Governorate, Yemen
	Old Walled City of Shibam	Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen
	Socotra Archipelago	Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen