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Ormat Gets DOE “Solyndra” Loan Before Tea Party Shuts Down Program

Susan Kraemer
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Ormat Gets DOE “Solyndra” Loan Before Tea Party Shuts Down Program

Ormat will grow Nevada’s geothermal power 25% with a US Department of Energy loan guarantee

Three geothermal projects totaling 113 MW from Israel’s geothermal giant Ormat got approvals just in time to get US government support under the Recovery Act Section 1705 loan guarantee this week. Nevada has some of the best geothermal potential among the US states, but has barely begun to develop it: the 113 MW will increase Nevada’s geothermal power production by nearly 25%.

Under the same program as Solyndra if Ormat Nevada Inc could line up an investor with up private financing by September 30th, the US Department of Energy would provide a US government guarantee to back the loan in the unlikely event that Ormat was not able to repay its investors.

However the loan guarantee has been anathema to the party that now controls the US congress (Utility-Scale Renewable Projects Become a Casualty of Republican Hostage-Taking) and will end this week.

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Is Canada’s Tar Sand Oil More Ethical Than Saudi Oil? (POLL)

Karin Kloosterman
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1

tar sands canada

Susan just pointed out her criticism of Canadians taking the moral high ground when it comes to oil from tar sands. Extracted from a heavily polluting process, Canadian lobbyists are saying that Canada’s tar sands oil is more ethical than oil from Saudi Arabia, due to the lack of women’s rights (in the western sense) over in that Arab country. Do women’s rights equate to ethics in oil?

What’s your take, Green Prophets? Take the vote!


No, Canada – There is No Ethical Oil

Susan Kraemer
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1
No, Canada – There is No Ethical Oil

ethical oil canada saudi arabiaLobbying group EthicalOil.org is challenging Saudi Oil on the basis of women’s rights.

A Canadian lobbying group is claiming that Canada’s oil is somehow more “ethical” than Saudi Arabian oil because the Saudis don’t just destroy the climate we evolved to live in but also abuse women’s rights. Now, I am as feminist as they come, but the civil rights of women living now in Saudi Arabia are insignificant, ethically, compared with destroying the climate our civilization depended on.

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Canada Muzzles Climate Science Cheney/Bush-Style

Susan Kraemer
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6
Canada Muzzles Climate Science Cheney/Bush-Style

canada climate scienceBush era US climate science policy seems to have moved north to Canada, argues Susan.

A student researcher at the University of Toronto has exposed a draconian shut-down of climate science in Canada. This is a first for Canada – an advanced democracy, but a democracy that has the resource-curse of vast oil sands potential. James Birch does research in a thirty person lab focused on climate change research and adaptations headed by Dr. Brad Bass, the co-recipient of the IPCC Nobel Prize for climate science.

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School’s In: Turkish Teachers Learn How To Teach Ecoliteracy

Julia Harte
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School’s In: Turkish Teachers Learn How To Teach Ecoliteracy

How should teachers incorporate environmental ethics and lessons on sustainability into their classrooms? That’s the focus of a four-year educational ecoliteracy project — Turkey’s first — which has just begun.

A training program for Turkish teachers kicked off this week in an unusual classroom: an arboretum in the northwestern province of Yalova. Beneath Yalova’s graceful willows, 75 teachers will spend the next week studying environmental issues from soil erosion to ethical forestry. They will be Turkey’s first certified “ecoliteracy instructors”, authorized by the Ministry of Education to share principles of sustainability with their schools.

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NASA Space Junk Falling – Wear Helmet Today!

Karin Kloosterman
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0
NASA Space Junk Falling – Wear Helmet Today!

bread helmet man

It is expected to fall today: a dead six-ton satellite will hit earth today, NASA predicts. Where it will fall is anyone’s guess. Iran, Israel, India, Illinois?

Space junk is becoming a serious environmental concern, especially when it starts falling back to planet earth. NASA has issued an advisory that an old satellite, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, 20 years old, will be the biggest piece of NASA space junk to fall from the sky in 32 years. Green Prophet readers everywhere: put on your helmets, even if NASA believes it will fall into water. We are not taking any chances.

According to NASA, the space junk is likely to miss North America entirely (lucky them), and when it hits our earth’s atmosphere some 1,200 pounds or 544 kilograms are expected to break into 26 pieces, with the biggest chunk weighing 300 pounds. NASA insists the space junk, is not a risk for humans. Well, there is only a one in 3,200 chance a person will get hit, says NASA.

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Egypt Declares a State of Emergency Following Oil Spill

Tafline Laylin
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Egypt Declares a State of Emergency Following Oil Spill

oil spill, nature, conservation, GlfWho needs terrorism when we’ve got oil spills?

“The Mega Leisure Destination on the Red Sea” has sprung an oily leak so serious that the Egyptian authorities have declared a state of emergency, according to Almasry Alyoum. General Petroleum Corporation reported that one of their wells is leaking in three Gamsha spots north of Hurghada – a spot that is popular among tourists and the scene a very serious oil spill covered up by authorities last year.

Called a development comprised of “environmentally conscious design” by property developers eager to turn the area’s 39 kilometers of shoreline into the next Dubai, Gamsha is just one among numerous developments along the Red Sea that compromise its long term health. We recently reported that temperatures in the Red Sea (in concert with rising air temperatures) are escalating faster than the global average. This latest oil spill won’t make it hotter, but it’s bound to kill off coral a lot sooner. Authorities are still working on the spill, among numerous other emergencies.

:: Al Masry Al Youm

More Red Sea Stories:

Red Sea Oil Spill Cover Up Worse than Expected

The Red Sea is Getting Hotter and Faster than the Rest

Post-Revolution Development in Egypt Destroys Popular Red Sea Resort

image via SOS (Save Our Shores)

Rosh Hashanah 5772 Green Gift Guide for 2011

Karen Chernick
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2
Rosh Hashanah 5772 Green Gift Guide for 2011

"gift box"Instead of standard apples and honey, put some creative green thought into your Rosh Hashanah gifts this year.

The Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah 2011  is quickly approaching next week on September 28, and for many Jewish people this is a time of gift-giving in the new Jewish calendar year 5772. Gift giving is hard enough – it is difficult to find that perfect gift to show someone that you love them and understand their tastes. But it can be even more difficult when you’re faced with the task of giving a gift or gift box to someone who is eco-conscious (and who, therefore, may be against commercial gifts that use up various resources).

So here’s a helpful gift guide for some different types of greenies: the Compulsive DIY-er (or DIY Appreciator), the Foodie, the Interior Design Junkie, and the Eco Fashionista. Read on!!!

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“Do You See Yourself” Crowdsourcing Campaign in Lebanon Shames Dangerous Drivers

Tafline Laylin
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0
“Do You See Yourself” Crowdsourcing Campaign in Lebanon Shames Dangerous Drivers

boy in trunk lebanonCould reckless driving in Lebanon come to an end with the new Cheyef 7alak crowd sourcing campaign?

There’s something uncanny about seeing yourself on video: somehow your manifested self looks and sounds nothing like the inner self. Your voice doesn’t sound like your own, your nose looks bigger than you think, and you see all kinds of physical gestures you never knew you made. Cringe.

At least, that was my experience. Our editor in chief basically agreed that I look like a complete dork in this You Tube clip compiled for a Mashallah news conference earlier this year, though at least I got geeked out  for a good cause. But how does it feel when a stranger takes a photo or video clip of you acting like a complete jerk on the road? Embarrassed? Violated? Enough to change your behavior?

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Egypt and Ethiopia Kiss and Make Up Over Nile Dam Dispute

Tafline Laylin
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2
Egypt and Ethiopia Kiss and Make Up Over Nile Dam Dispute

conservation, water rights, Nile River, Egypt, EthiopiaAfter fighting over the Nile for the last several months, Egypt and Ethiopia have kissed and made up.

After a decades-long monopoly over the Nile river, Egypt became defensive when Ethiopia stood up to reclaim its rightful share of water. In addition to making public a plan to build what is now known as the Grand Renaissance Dam in March this year, Ethiopia corralled several other Nile Basin countries in order to re-draft legislation that previously gave Egypt almost exclusive rights to the river that serves 160 million people. The trouble is, 83 million Egyptians depend on the Nile for nearly all of their water, which is why, after a lot of posturing on both sides, Egypt has finally made friends with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

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Demand For Water To Double By 2030 In UAE

Arwa Aburawa
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1
Demand For Water To Double By 2030 In UAE

water-uae-desalination-demand-double-2030Water conservation policies are being promoted in the naturally water poor nation of United Arab Emirates

Considering that the United Arab Emirates is located in harsh and arid desert, the fact that the average resident uses around 364 liters of water a day – way above the global average of 200 litres- is surprising. Natural groundwater is supplemented with desalinated water and treated water to boost supplies and provide a steady supply of clean water to residents (well, most of the time). However, a recent report which found that water demand is likely to double by 2030 in the UAE has got government authorities worried and they are now promoting the benefits of water conservation.

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New Life Found In Dead Sea! (Amazing Photos)

Karin Kloosterman
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4
New Life Found In Dead Sea! (Amazing Photos)

New Life at the Dead Sea: How do they survive and what is their energy source is the next big question.

All the attention from the naked Israelis at the Spencer Tunick photo shoot at the Dead Sea has brought good vibes to the dying salt lake: Israeli and German scientists say they have found new things for us to think about: deep replenishing springs and new life below fissures in the floor. Ben Gurion University researchers discovered deep springs on the floor of the Dead Sea, which provide fresh water to the rapidly dwindling lake. In parallel, German researchers has found new forms of life growing around the fissures in the sea floor. Click below to see the gallery.

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Siemens pulls out of nuclear energy for good

Maurice Picow
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3
Siemens pulls out of nuclear energy for good

siemens nuclear energySiemens CEO Peter Loscher on nuclear energy: “This chapter is closed for us”

German industrial giant Siemens, already a leader in developing renewable energy projects and sustainable future residential communities has announced that it will phase out its participation in building equipment for nuclear power plants. The announcement was reported in Germany’s Der Spiegel, with an interview with Siemens CEO Peter Loshcer who said that his company is doing this in response to the recent nuclear disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, which anti-nuclear power activists now say was “much worse than Chernobyl”.

Remaining Nuke plants in Germany (in yellow)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Löscher told Der Spiegel:

“The chapter (of building nuclear plants) is closed for us. We will no longer be involved in managing the building or financing of nuclear plants.”

Loscher went on to say that shifting the attention of Siemens towards renewable energy is “the project of the century”. This marks an abrupt shift for a company that only two years ago announced it was partnering with a Russian company to construct as many as 400 new nuclear power plants by the year 2030.

Siemen’s decision to leave the nuclear energy business goes along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s announcement that all of Germany’s remaining 17 nuclear power plants will be shut down by the year 2020. (They were shut down by 2023).

Siemens decision to shift its energies towards renewable energy projects has already been felt in countries like Israel, where Siemens purchased the controlling interest in the solar energy company Solel Solar for $413 million in 2009.

Afterwards, Siemens bought a 40% state in another Israeli solar energy company, Arava Power.  Arava Power has signed deals with 15 Negev and Arava desert region communities to provide them with electricity from solar energy. They have an installation of about 5 MW already installed at Kibbutz Ketura.

Siemens still has some on-going nuclear energy plant projects to complete, but no new projects will be undertaken. It will continue to offer steam turbines, generators, control systems and the various other components for use in thermal power plants, including nuclear ones. Geo-thermal power plants such as those in Iceland will be one of Siemen’s new priorities.

::Der Spiegel/Reuters

More articles on renewable energy and the down side of nuclear energy:

Dr. Helen Caldicott : Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Much Worse Than Chernobyl

Arava Power to Electrify the Negev Desert After Signing 15 Solar Energy Deals

Siemens Buys Israel’s Solel for $413 million

Siemens Asks Middle Eastern Students to Think About How to Build Sustainable Cities in the Desert

 

 

 

 

Homemade pomegranate molasses recipe

Miriam Kresh
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0
Homemade pomegranate molasses recipe

pomegranate molasses recipe The Middle-Eastern pantry staple can be made at home easily.

Pomegranates come into season now, just as summer fades and before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Fresh pomegranate seeds are one of the traditional Rosh HaShanah simanim (symbolic foods) on the holiday table. Downtown juice stands everywhere in the Middle East offer glasses of sweet and sour, dark-red pomegranate juice. And to get pomegranate molasses for drizzling over our eggplant with tahini/labneh sauce or adding to our classic muhamarra recipe, you usually have to trek out to a store and buy it.

Now you can make this versatile Middle-Eastern flavoring at home, with 5 minutes’ active preparation and about an hour of letting it simmer down on the stove while you’re doing other things. There’s no comparison between the fresh flavor of your own pomegranate molasses and that of the commercial stuff, especially if your juice comes from local and organic fruit. And you can adjust the sweetness/tartness to your taste by adding or reducing the sugar and lemon juice. With all of three ingredients to work with, your own pomegranate molasses can only go right.

Homemade Pomegranate Molasses Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups pure 100% pomegranate juice (bottled or fresh)

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pour pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan.

Heat up over medium until the sauce begins to simmer lightly. Stir to dissolve sugar. Allow the liquid to simmer very lightly for 60-80 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, till the liquid reduces by 75% to about 1 cup of molasses.

The liquid is ready when it has a light syrupy consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Don’t let it thicken too much, or it will harden when it cools.

Remove from heat. The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools. If you’re unsure about the consistency, measure the reduce liquid– it should be between 1 and 1 1/4 cups of syrup. If it’s a lot more liquid than that, continue reducing.

After the syrup cools completely, store it in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Enjoy!

More joyful pomegranate ideas and recipes:

Environmental Activist Beaten and Tortured In Iran

Arwa Aburawa
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0
Environmental Activist Beaten and Tortured In Iran

salt lake iran tortureAmnesty International is calling for an investigation into a report that a female activist was tortured in custody following protests over Lake Orumieh’s destruction in Iran

The Iranian government’s reaction to protests over the ever-shrinking Lake Orumieh (Salt Lake) has taken another sinister turn as reports emerge that female activist and journalist Faranak Farid, aged 50, was arrested and tortured in custody following a mass arrest on September 3.

Amnesty International has received information that she was beaten by plain clothes officers so severely that she temporarily lost hearing in her left ear and was unable to move one of her arms. She was then interrogated at length at a detention centre and then forced to sign a document she was unable to read as her glasses had been confiscated.

Ms. Farid (pictured below) is one of several hundred environmental protestors believed to have been arrested since late August 2011 when the campaign to end the destruction of Lake Orumieh intensified. Protests were triggered by the rejection of an emergency bill put to the Iranian parliament on August 17 to raise the water level of Lake Orumieh by diverting water into it from the Aras River.

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