Studying earth from the moon could help humanity better understand climate change, Israeli engineers in Google Lunar X competition say. (From left, SPACE IL’s Yonatan Weintraub and Kfir Damari with Lori Garver, deputy administrator at NASA).
As we learned recently from Rola’s post on Virgin’s galactic space travel for tourism, green research fields can be opened by space research. Israelis I interviewed about their new quest to land on the moon, say the same thing. That once the idea of space travel, whether it’s people or lab equipment, gets less prohibitively expensive, new “green” areas of research can be opened – ones that may contribute to long-term sustainable energy, for example.
Three times the size of NYC’s Central Park: Say hello to the New Ariel Sharon Eco Park in Israel.
Turning a mountain sized garbage mound into a state of the art national park is now fast on its way to becoming reality outside Tel Aviv. What was formerly (and still) known by many as the Hiriya Waste Disposal Site, or simply the Hiriya Garbage Mound now has a new name, The Ariel Sharon Park, as well as a new look.
A floating ‘green’ golf course Island is planned for the climate change-vulnerable nation of the Maldives but how green is it really?
The Maldives is a small archipelago nation that is extremely vulnerable to climate change due to the risk of rising sea levels. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that a rise in sea levels of up to 2 feet would swamp the majority of the Maldives’ low-lying islands.
At the end of her tour, Tafline gushes about her latest presentations at Al Ittihad school for boys in Abu Dhabi.
My whirlwind tour through Dubai has come to an end. The Masdar City images posted from my first visit were viewed by 30,000 people around the world, I saw sharks carelessly dumped in the back of a truck, and spent quality time with a member of Ajman’s royal family – the Green Sheikh. At times, walking through Dubai, I felt like a disconnected ant, but every negative was cancelled out by something more positive. These next images tell the most hopeful story of them all.
Tel Aviv’s architecture weekend takes note of green spaces and green issues.
For the past decade or so, Tel Aviv has been undergoing a type of ‘renaissance’ and as a result it is considered one of the hippest tourism destinations in the Middle East. Alongside its architectural facelift and infusion of stylishness, though, the city has also been experiencing an eco-revitalization – to the point where Tel Aviv is considered one of the hottest green destinations as well. This green movement has been recognized in recent years during Tel Aviv’s annual “open-house” architecture weekend, with different sites and issues highlighted each year. This year’s Houses From Within (taking place this weekend) will highlight a range of green issues: from the city’s first green high rise to upcycling interior designers, and on to green spaces and gardens.
Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, known as the Green Sheikh, at the Mina Al Salam hotel in Dubai.
It isn’t often that I eat dates, drink coffee, and wax green with a Sheikh from Ajman. But yesterday I did. Known around the world as the Green Sheikh, Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi has spearheaded a variety of environmental initiatives since 1996. Most famously, an experience he recalls fondly, he visited Antarctica in order to witness in person how climate change has altered that vast whitewashed landscape.
The first to admit that other Sheikhs do not share his worldly, green-tinted perspective, the Green Sheikh forges ahead nonetheless. “Number one,” he says, “be yourself!” And for him, doing so starts with humility. Having none of the boundaries typically associated with royalty, Abdul Aziz is an open, inspiring communicator who also knows just how to treat a lady.
Rola learns how space traveling from LA to Abu Dhabi could one day produce less greenhouse gas than commercial air carriers.
Last week, in the historic large lecture theatre at the Royal Institution in London, the oldest independent research body in the world, Stephen Attenborough, the Commercial Director for Virgin Galactic, spent two uninterrupted hours mesmerizing a private audience on the future of commercial space travel. By the end of the session, even skeptics like myself, who came in thinking this was another wasted venture for the rich, were converted, captivated by the advancement of human ingenuity and the potential that space travel holds for the future of scientific research and sustainable travel.
Katy Perry made it to space
It’s been just over a century since the Wright Bothers made their inaugural flight in North Carolina and fifty years since Yuri Gagarin became the first ever human in space. When Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the surface of the moon in 1969, space travel seemed to enter a golden era. However, space programs proved prohibitively expensive- and dangerous.
As Virgin’s Attenborough reminded us, in the last fifty years only 550 people have been to space, far below what one would have expected at the time when human spaceflight first began.
But with private industry getting active in the space exploration industry, space travel could become a reality for many more people in the near future. And Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic may be the game changer. It is one of the leading companies in this new industry, working on the launch of SpaceShipTwo, which for $200,000 offers a seat to space enthusiasts who can afford it.
Using revolutionary technology and engineering innovations, this unique spacecraft is in advance stages of testing in the world’s first purpose built commercial spaceport in New Mexico, California.
Watch video of “feather landing” just released by Virgin
The “commercial astronauts” will be given three days of training before embarking on the voyage into sub-orbital experience lasting two and a half hours. Already 450 have signed and made deposits. Although Attenborough would not put a definite timeline on when the commercial flights would begin, if all goes to plan, the inaugural flight might take place in a year and a half from now.
A few weeks ago, Virgin Galactic reached a major milestone after successfully testing its unique “feathering re-entry mechanism”, regarded as the most important safety innovation within the whole system. Wing feathering for re-entry relies on aerodynamic design and laws of physics to control speed and altitude, allowing the space ship to safely reenter the atmosphere after a trip into space, the part of the flight that is considered the most technically challenging.
Although $200,000 is still substantial, compared with the 7-digit sum that outer space research typically costs, most scientists see this development as marking a new era in the history of mankind, with huge potential to advance science from agriculture to biology to the solar cell research.
Another long-term plan for Virgin Galactic is travel outside the Earth’s atmosphere. Imagine a trip from London to Sydney in two and a half hours? or Abu Dhabi to LA in two to three hours? A couple of years ago, Abu Dhabi based Aabar Investment, controlled by Abu Dhabi government, purchased a 32 percent stake in Sir Richard Branson’s commercial space project for $280 million USD, so the idea of using Abu Dhabi as a hub is not too far fetched.
As for fuel consumption, Virgin claims the trips into space will have lower carbon emissions per passenger than a flight across the Atlantic. Fuel consumption is reduced because both vehicles (carrier and spaceship) are made entirely of carbon composite. Releasing the spaceship at altitude (instead of using conventional take-off) also means it does not have to use fuel to get through the lower, denser regions of the atmosphere.
The special re-entry innovation also enables it to avoid the need for heat-shields on re-entry, saving weight, fuel and money.
There are other companies that are working on similar projects, but for most observers Virgin is likely to be one of the first names leading space tourism. Irrespective of who leads the race, even for those of us lacking deep pockets, physical strength or aspirations to become astronauts, space travel still captures the imagination like no other human endeavor.
The Shia Islam center in Houston is the latest eco-mosque – launched in 2025
Green Prophet loves to cover where eco meets faith and the Middle East. Zaufishan puts together a handy list of five of the world’s most beautiful eco-mosques.
Albania’s Mosque for All
Albania’s “Mosque For All” pictured above and below and designed by BIG features an inside-outdoor shaded Islamic centre, promoting religious harmony through Quran Gardens and a unique intersecting square design.
Albania sits at the crossroads of three major religions: Islam, Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity, and two new churches were recently completed for the later religions. So in order to promote religious harmony within a capital city in the midst of major renovations, Skanderbeg Square has been set aside for the Islamic cultural center.
Islamic cultural center, Albania. Nice in rendering. In reality? Not yet.
Playing off the orientation of the existing square as well as alignment towards Mecca, the buildings’ forms emerge from these intersecting axes. The back of the buildings line up with the streets while a series of semi-covered plazas, two minor ones on the sides of the Mosque and a major plaza with a minaret in front, face Mecca.
The mosque area would be flexible to accommodate up to 1,000 people for daily prayers all the way up to 10,000 for special holy days like Ramadan – especially those make it eco. All the shaded spaces are cool and inviting, while the curved facades are covered in a multitude of rectangular windows inspired by mashrabiya screens. Was it ever built? Doesn’t look like it.
The Green Mosque In Chicago
The Green Mosque, which was awarded Best Freestanding Religious Structure in the Faith in Place competition in Chicago, incorporates a library, education center, lecture halls, and a soup kitchen. Is this the world’s greenest mosque?
As far as we know the mosque has never built built. In theory it’s green, in practice, not so much. But details here can lend to any architect’s inspiration.
Cambridge Eco Mosque
The United Kingdom’s largest environmentally-friendly mosque in Cambridge adopts energy saving techniques. Architect Marks Barfield will be designing the £13 million eco mosque on a 0.4 hectare site in Cambridge embedded within some of the region’s most beautiful scenic views. Read the Green Prophet exclusive on England’s eco mosque. (Update 2021: the mosque is finally complete and the images here reflect that.)
The defining internal characteristic of the mosque is the timber ‘trees’ which form the structural support for the roof and the roof lights. The geometry of the trees was developed through work with geometric artist Keith Critchlow, creating the underlying geometry of the mosque. It combines an Islamic ‘the Breath of the Compassionate’ pattern into a structural grid that supports the roof and is then brought to a point at the columns. It is a simple device that combines the structural logic of supporting a large span with few columns and a celebration of the structural material and its decorative possibilities, bringing to mind both Fosters’ Stansted Airport, and King’s College Chapel.
The external brick tiles that clad the CLT structure are from traditional Cambridge Gault and are red brick colours. The protruding headers form a pattern of Arabic Kufic calligraphy that reads “say he is God (the) one”.
Social and environmental sustainability were central to the competition-winning scheme and have been delivered. The intent was to produce a building in accordance with the spiritual belief that humanity’s role is as a responsible custodian of nature, meaning one should minimise their carbon footprint.
The building has achieved net zero carbon energy on site in use. The competing elements of the demand for car parking to suit large events with elderly congregations, creating an underground car park and the environmental consequences of embodied carbon have been recognised. The passive and active sustainable measures incorporated within the building meet and exceed some elements of the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets and other elements of the design have future-proofed the building to allow for predicted climate change.
Great Mud Mosque of Djenné, Mali
The Great Mud Mosque of Djenne in Mali is just one of the world’s hand built mud buildings that are increasingly considered as options for low-carbon and low-cost construction. It was built in 1917, though it looks like a thousand years old and still standing.
Nicknamed the “Ray of Light,” this unusually shaped entry for the Dubai Mosque Competition is illuminated with LEDs, designed to minimise energy use and metaphysically segregate worshippers by a ray of light (most Muslim places of worship include separate prayer spaces for men and women).
Like most great ideas it takes more than an architecture proposal to get off the ground. Millions of dollars of investment and years of building are needed. Looks like this one didn’t succeed. But the photos are fascinating.
Gulf States such as the UAE may now depend on expensive desalination technology for their water, but in the past they relied on more sustainable forms of water conservation
In the arid landscapes of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, water has always been a huge issue. Whilst desalination which removes salt from water may have offered a temporary (and very expensive) solution to this age-old problem, in the past, drought and a dwindling supply of naturally available water meant that waste wasn’t tolerated and conservation was the order of the day.
Nothing attests to this more than the two and half thousand year old architectural water wonder that is the ‘Aflaj‘ system.
The aflaj water system (falaj in singular) is an ancient technique by which underground tunnels are dug to channel water from distant sources to villages where it was needed. It’s a tried and tested method which helps conserve water and is still used around the world today in places such as the Sahara desert and Oman.
In Islam, water is held in such high regard that its life-giving properties are mentioned in the Qur’an sixty-three times and paradise is described as “gardens beneath which rivers flow.” Muslims also make wudu before prayers five times a day by washing with water and the Prophet Muhammed stated that amongst the people God will ignore on the day of resurrection include those “[who] possessed superfluous water on a way and withheld it from travellers.”
However following Islamic principles, water from a falaj was declared public property and so couldn’t be diverted for personal use- the common presence of aflaj at mosques demonstrates its communal use.
Aflaj are still widespread in Oman where there are currently 4,112 such channels with an annual flow of 680 million cubic metres. Indeed, five of these aflaj were included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage lists in the past and the government reported back in 2006 that it spent one million Omani riyals every year on preserving them.
In Oman, the oldest falaj is believed to be 2,500 years old whilst the first falaj built in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), discovered in 1985 in Al Ain, dates back to the Iron Age.
Whilst some Gulf States may believe they have resolved their water scarcity problems through desalination, there is still a lot to learn from the ancient aflaj system which not only supplied clean water cheaply and effectively but also reminded the masses of the preciousness of water.
Want to get rid of the clutter from your home office? Cozy up in the Rewrite desk.
Even when I had a large two room open-concept flat in a Templar’s house in Tel Aviv, I still craved the intimacy of small spaces. Those were the days when I was writing for newspapers, and found my thinking cap worked best when I was tucked into my home office under the stairs. Living alone, I didn’t need to create my own little study bubble to keep out the noise and distraction, but there, I felt safe and protected. As more of us migrate from the traditional setting of office to home, we can expect to see more of these products like the Rewrite desk created by an Italian-Danish couple. WAN calls it “a little jewel of modernity and softness.”
Covered in sound absorbing woolen material, the desk designed by GamFratesi is also a sound barrier for those who might be in shared office spaces or sharing the home with kids and other work-from-home people.
Made from walnut and Kvadrat Divina wool, the materials writes the architecture magazine “reinforce the overall feeling of softness and security.”
Put your Rewrite desk in the center of your loft, the center of your porch, living room, bedroom or as an efficient use of space under the hallway.
I might just get my own and install it under the stairs! It also reminds me of the cubicles that the grad students got in university – ones that inspired me to want to continue post-graduate education.
No news on availability in the Middle East, but the Rewrite desk which lovingly hides cords, and cleans the “clutter” of an office in your kitchen, has already been on display at the Danish Museum of Art and Design, Copenhagen.
The designers write that it’s been in production since Jan 2011 with Ligne Roset:
“The idea behind Rewrite began as a study of the desktop and especially an atmosphere and feeling we believe is needed even in the middle of an accelerating communication and technology. Rewrite is thought of as a kind of isolating working-bubble, that can work as a satellite-desk anywhere one can feel the need of concentration and shielding – in open space offices, public spaces or at home.
With its rounded shape it can be placed freely as dots in a room. A private base in the group without being a denial of it, but an addition to it causing an alternative.
It has a cave-like shape and creates a secure and intimate sphere, which partially closes out disturbing light and sounds. It has a doublesided acoustic function that protects against noise from the outside as well as from the inside.
Looking for scrap metal, unexploded ordinances a major danger to local Libyans
There is so much ammunition and unexploded ordnance scattered across eastern Libya that local people will face a serious threat when they return home, reports the United Nations. But it is difficult to determine the exact quantities because of ongoing fighting just how dangerous these munitions are. “In Tobrouk and Benghazi there are munition bunkers that were destroyed by [government] forces prior to the establishment of the no-fly zone,” Tekimiti Gilbert, spokesman for the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), said. “Gaddafi’s forces bombed the bunkers to deprive rebels of weapons. As a result, a lot of ammunition is spread across a wide area on the surface of the ground.
Looking to our octopus friends will help scientists build robots, maybe even goal keepers, for tomorrow.
In case you thought that octopuses were smart only in guessing the outcome of soccer matches (remember the late Paul the octopus in Germany who picked all the right winners in last year’s world cup matches in Johannesburg?), scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have now shown that not only are they smart, octopuses can make some pretty good moves as well. In time for Qatar’s World Cup in 2022?
Lava melting through the vessel? Greenpeace compares the Japan meltdown to this.
As Japan’s post earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear plant environmental crises pass the two month mark, ongoing events have been reported at regular intervals by Green Prophet, including news that measured radioactivity in seawater near the plant indicated radioactivity up to 1,250 times above normal. Yes we’re a site that focuses on the Middle East, but the Japan nuclear event is huge, and will affect all life on this planet. It now appears that at least one of the Fukushima Diiachi nuclear reactors, its No. 1 reactor, has indeed experienced an actual meltdown. This sobering reality, as reported in news media sources, including the Daily Telegraph.
Need some ideas to help inspire Muslims on environmental issues? Here are my ten top tips…
As much as I’d like to tell you that there is an easy and foolproof way to capture the imagination of every Muslim when talking about the environment, the reality isn’t so simple. Sadly, there’s no magic formula to dazzle every Muslim into going green or at least I haven’t found it yet! Fear not though, intrepid blogger, because there is something you can do to improve your chances of firstly tapping into a Muslim readership and secondly, encouraging them to green their way of life.
1. Do Your Research- While no one expects you to be an expert in Islamic jurisprudence, a basic understanding of Islam and Muslim culture will help you when you are writing or blogging. Doing your research about the topic you’re discussing and referring to Green Islamic principles will show the reader that you’re serious about green Muslims and consequently they’ll take your work seriously.
2. Do Keep Things Varied- From news, reviews and interviews keep things interesting with a diverse range of blogs that reflect the diversity of the Muslim readership. Remember to appeal to them on lots of diverse topics- whilst faith shapes many Muslim lives, they still have interests and passions so if you can appeal to them in these areas you will have a better chance of success.
3. Do Celebrate Green Successes- Highlighting the existing work of Green Muslims is an important aspect of blogging for a Muslim audience as it will appeal to them directly and also show them that there is a well established link between environmentalism and Islam. This will also help you build networks with the leading green Muslims. Just remember to ask them to keep you updated with exciting goings on and other Green Muslims worth talking to!
4. Do Use Social Media Networks – Sites such as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook are vital for keeping ahead of the news, getting in touch with people and even getting pictures to use on the your blogposts. As evidenced by the recent Arab revolutions that made the most of the social media networks, the Muslim world really is online- so make sure you’re signed up and are kept updated.
5. Do Ask For Advice- If all else fails, just ask. We all learn through each other, so if after scouring the Internet you’re still not sure about a topic or issue then it may be worth dropping someone an email. The online Muslim community is pretty friendly and there are lots of people out there willing to help or at least try and help you.
6. Don’t Rely On Islamic Verses Alone– The green roots of Islam should be a starting point onto other aspects of the environmental movement and ways to green the Muslim way of life. If you are just going to repeat the reasons Muslims should be environmentally friendly according to the Qur’an and hadith over and over again, it’s going to get very boring and repetitive very quickly. Trust me.
8. Don’t Be Afraid To Tackle Controversial Topics– Debate and discussion are at the heart of every blog so embrace controversial topics and remember that nothing is off-limits if it is done with care and is backed with research. There will inevitable be some topics that must be approached with care when blogging for Muslims but that doesn’t mean that they should be ignored altogether.
9. Don’t Preach– Avoid the temptation of seeing blogging for Muslims as an opportunity to teach them about being green and instruct them how to live their lives. This is a two-way street and there is probably a lot you can learn about being green from Muslims themselves. Listen out for their feedback and comments (you’ll be surprised how well informed some of your readers may already be) as these will also help you judge what blogs and topics attracted their attention and which ones don’t.
10. Don’t Forget To Have Fun! After all these do’s and don’ts I just want to remind you the blogger to have a little fun with it all, add your own personality and flair to your blogs and stay positive. Engaging with Muslim audience will put you on a steep learning curve which is as fun as it is hard work- you can expect a lot feedback and encouragement, so good luck!
Recommended Reading:
Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting The Planet by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, Berrett-Koehler Publisher, November 2010.
199 Ways To Please God by Rianne ten Veen, Upfront Publishing, May 2009.
Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Culture by Richard C. Foltz, Oneworld Publications, December 2005.
The No Nonsense Guide to Islam by Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies, New Internationalist, 2007.
How many battery exchange stations will be ready when the cars do go on sale this July?
Ever since Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi opened his Better Place test drive center near Tel Aviv, back in February 2010, more and more Israelis have had the chance to not only find out about Agassi’s unique electric car battery swap concept, but also a chance to drive one, as I did in April last year. I was very impressed by the quietness of the ride, as well as how much pick up the engine had; describing the acceleration to be “like being in a rocket”. This week Better Place announced pricing for its first models.
Studying earth from the moon could help humanity better understand climate change, Israeli engineers in Google Lunar X competition say. (From left, SPACE IL’s Yonatan Weintraub and Kfir Damari with Lori Garver, deputy administrator at NASA).
Rola learns how space traveling from LA to Abu Dhabi could one day produce less greenhouse gas than commercial air carriers. 
As far as we know the mosque has never built built. In theory it’s green, in practice, not so much. 
The United Kingdom’s largest environmentally-friendly mosque in Cambridge adopts energy saving techniques. Architect Marks Barfield will be designing the £13 million eco mosque on a 0.4 hectare site in Cambridge embedded within some of the region’s most beautiful scenic views. Read the Green Prophet exclusive on 
Looking for scrap metal, unexploded ordinances a major danger to local Libyans
Need some ideas to help inspire Muslims on environmental issues? Here are my ten top tips…
