Turkey imports more than three-quarters of its primary energy supply, primarily from Russia and Iran. The country’s energy ministry says it wants to become less dependent on foreign sources — but how sensible are its methods? As Turkey faces a 10 percent growth rate in energy demand and unrest in the Middle East pushes oil […]
Gaza fishermen preparing nets. Fishing by Gazans now a “hazardous occupation”. Restrictions placed on Gaza fishermen by Israeli naval vessels has made living from the sea an almost impossible occupation these days. This fact goes along with decreasing fish catches in the Mediterranean due to over fishing, increasing sea pollution from sewage, plastic material and […]
If the thought of walking around a bustling city doesn’t feel like eco-tourism to you, maybe it’s time to think again and implement ‘The Art of Mindful Walking’. The term ecotourism often conjures images of mud brick eco lodges in the desert or visiting rare endangered plants on a nature reserve, but it can and […]
The slogan of the new campaign, which consists mostly of models wearing t-shirts with babies' bodies printed on them (thus making the models look like babies), is 'live young'. This Green Prophet wonders if that slogan could backfire, causing environmentalists to claim instead that you should avoid drinking bottled water so that our young may live on a healthy planet.
Fire up your grill and cook these aromatic vegetable chunks to delicious perfection. If there’s one favorite way to cook in the Middle East, it’s the outdoor grill. There really is no way to produce that smoky flavor. We’ve gotten away from the traditional picture of a paunchy, unshaven guy in a T-shirt taking gulps […]
Can urban agriculture save Cairo? We think it’s a pretty good start There has been an important spotlight on agriculture not only in Egypt, which is suspected by the EU of causing the E. coli outbreak in Germany earlier this year, but also other Middle Eastern and North African countries such as Morocco whose poor […]
Climate change could derail Ethiopia’s grand plan to produce 15,000 MW of electricity with a series of controversial dams. The initial rhetoric surrounding Ethiopia’s Grand Millennium Dam seems to have subsided, but the plans to proceed with Africa’s largest hydroelectric plant are still very much in place. Although it is yet unclear how Ethiopia will […]
The focus on sharing profits and taking communities into consideration means that the Islamic way of banking is (theoretically) better for the planet The announcement by the CEO of Doha Bank, R Seetharaman, that Islamic banking is the right platform to boost ‘green financing’ as its values sustainable environmental development has got me thinking about […]
New and renovated buildings in Israel will now have to comply with a newly launched “Israel Standard for Green Building”. During a press conference on this past Tuesday to announce the launch of a new green building standard for new and renovated buildings in Israel, Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan said that “a green building […]
If you rub these recycled tire jugs three times will an eco-genie pop out? In the medina of Marrakesh at Jemâa el Fna, minutes away from the Jewish spice market, and the snake charmers, who Tafline finds aren’t so charming for animal and snake rights, we found a small eco-stall. A couple of old men […]
Right in the middle of a crowded tourist destination, a sewage drain overflowed and no one rushed to the scene to clean it up! Last night, hundreds of tourists that descended upon the popular La place Jemâa el Fna in Marrakech were greeted with a stinking treat. Right next to the open air restaurant that […]
Beit Hakerem, an upscale “green” Jerusalem Neighborhood may not be so green underground due to solvents contamination. Israel’s soil and ground water is constantly being threatened by a number of different kinds of pollution. This pollution is caused by oil and gasoline leakage from gas stations and oil storage depots, and by large garbage landfill […]
New Mediterranean jellyfish invasions are causing big problems for coastal power plants Ever since new species of jellyfish, such as one known as Marvigaria Stellata began to appear in the Mediterranean, numerous warnings have been issued by media sides concerning this “plague” that is getting worse. Some say this partially being attributed to global warming. […]
With just over two weeks left till Ramadan the Islamic month of fasting, Muslims are being urged to go fairtrade For the typical Muslim family, the last couple of days before Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, is a mad dash to get everything sorted. Mums and dads will be finding time to do those […]
Although I care about the snakes, I hoped to goodness, when my face was within mere inches of the cobra, that its fangs had been removed. Most nights, Mohammed El Rachidi takes his cobras and vipers to La place Jemâa el Fna in Marrakech, a throbbing tourist attraction in Morocco’s most colorful city. The story […]