In it Robert Paarlberg, a professor of political science and leading authority on food politics, addresses clearly and concisely each of the questions at the heart of the matter.
Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know by Robert Paarlberg
EXCLUSIVE: On Dubai’s Saner Future With Former Foster & Partners Partner
In an exclusive interview, Emanuel Mattutini, one of the first Foster & Partners’ Associate Partners to move to the UAE, talked to Green Prophet about Dubai’s next era of development and his new architectural firm.
Dubai’s next era of development will be entirely more sane than the last, according to Italian architect Emanuele Mattutini.
Formerly an associate partner with Foster & Partners, an international design firm behind the much-touted Masdar City and the Zayed National Museum on Saadiyat Island, Mattutini was one of many expatriates who left during the economic crisis.
But his return to Dubai following four years in London may signal an overall shift in the Emirate’s design paradigm.
Medical Clowns, Laughter Improve Fertility?
Women undergoing In-Vitro Fertilization are understandably stressed, but now they may find something to smile about; new research out of Israeli hints at the value of ‘Medical Clowns’ towards improving IFV success rates.
In a recent study of 219 women undergoing In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Israeli researchers found the odds of success were greater among women who were entertained by a professional “medical clown” right after they had the embryos implanted in the womb. Overall, 36 percent became pregnant, versus 20 percent of women who’d had a comedy-free recovery after embryo implantation.
The findings appear in the journal Fertility and Sterility, and expand on research previously presented by the Israeli group, led by Dr. Shevach Friedler, who got the idea for the study after reading about the potential physiological effects of laughter as a “natural anti-stress mechanism.” This is not the first time we’ve reported on novel research about sexual health, reproduction and fertility out of Israel, but it is likely one of the most pleasant and potentially ecosexy.
The UAE’s Plastic Bag Story Isn’t Eco-Happy Yet
The plastic bag story isn’t over yet, but it’s definitely on the right track.
United Arab Emirates’ residents are awash with excitement over the Ministry of Environment and Water’s moves to ban conventional plastic bags by 2013. And so they should be. Plastic bags are the bane of natural existence. They leach toxic materials into our soil and water, they kill marine and terrestrial life, choke roughly half of the UAE’s camels, and won’t stop doing these things for centuries since they don’t biodegrade. But there is reason to cast a questioning eye on the alternatives.
Ohev Sholom is America’s First Jewish “Energy Star”
As California’s LEED synagogue hits the auction block, a more sustainable “light unto the nations” might be the DC synagogue’s Energy Star rating. Larry reports.
Orthodox Judaism rarely gets mentioned in the same breath as energy conservation. And from the outside, there’s little to suggest that Washington DC’s Ohev Sholom — which brands itself “The National Synagogue” — is a trailblazer when it comes to eco-friendliness.
But step inside the capital city’s oldest Orthodox congregation, and you might notice a few new wrinkles: Modern LED-illuminated exit signs on the walls instead of the incandescent glass-covered ones that were there before. Brand-new T8 fluorescent lights rather than less efficient T12 lighting fixtures. Brightly colored recycling bins for plastics used in weekly Kiddush lunches. Individually adjustable air-conditioning units in the shul’s three offices — so the entire building doesn’t need to freeze just to keep those three offices comfortably cool.
Dubai’s Eco Maid Is Green And Orange
Tolga Soytekin may not look like an Eco Maid, but his new Dubai-based business is pretty darn green.
When a close friend became pregnant several years ago, and he introduced pets into his Dubai home, Tolga Soytekin began to search for environmentally-friendly cleaning products. A few years down the road and post-economic crash, that search evolved into the UAE’s first eco-friendly cleaning service. Called Eco Maid, the company uses none of the harmful corrosives that almost poisoned one Green Prophet reader’s baby. And, proving that it pays to “go green,” they can offer their service for the same price as their toxic competitors.
Knit Your Own Sustainable Muslim ‘Sunnah’ Beard
For Muslims on a budget, or those who can’t grow a full one: make or buy your own everlasting beard.
Are you religious? Do you wish you had a beard? Do you want to make your own? Whether man or woman, creating your very own face-scarf in the shape of a beard will make the boldest fashion statement about your eco beliefs that you really can wear on your sleeve… or head.
Beards are good for faith
In Islam men are encouraged to grow out their beards when becoming adults. But it must be kept tame, regularly trimmed and environmentally friendly. This means it shouldn’t cost the earth to maintain or make a nuisance in your more intimate moments.
A Muslim “Sunnah” beard
The rewards behind the chin fuzz lie in the fact that sporting a beard is a “sunnah” – a prophetic tradition following the footsteps of Muhammad, the last prophet in Islam. A beard is therefore a Muslim symbol of manhood, purity, of maturity, and let’s face it, any man that can carry off a facial forestation looks mighty sexy. But if waiting to sprout is not your thing, check out how you can get your own awesome beard!
1. Knit one – ask your grandmother’s knitting group to gift you a unique beard with your own initials. Or if you’re a hardcore DIY junkie follow download them!
2. Buy one – in 2010 the “knit-o-beard” became a massive European hit for men and women alike. Although they’re made from 100% acrylic yarn for easy care, Green Prophet suggests investing in an all organic-fibre beard that’s free of chemicals and dyes.
Etsy is selling a Bearded Beanie in a variety of colours, sizes and comfort factors; just the solution to our naked faces.
3. Crochet one – borrow a pair of needles, watch a YouTube video or invest in a “how to” book to learn the essentials of handcrafting a new disguise. And when you’re done with your beard, pay it forward by trending it to friends or hang it outside full of stale bread as a make-shift bird feeder. For the more creative weird beard lovers, be inspired by the following thematic looks:
Sustainable benefits of a knitted beard
It makes great insulation for your head and neck, especially if you live in a colder climate or plan on visiting a Middle Eastern country after global warming covers the region with snow.
They double up as a neck warmer and hat.
It can be interchanged every season depending on your mood.
It makes an affordable party costume.
They make fantastic profile pictures and excellent one-of-a-kind gifts.
It can enhance the double life you’re leading as an eco-warrior and corporate slave.
Wearing a synthetic beard made from yarn shows how dedicated you are to looking Muslim.
Children everywhere will marvel at your superhero like image. You heard it here first. If the beard doesn’t fit, go forth and knit!
More sustainable design:
Save One Million Gallons Of Water – Grow A Beard
Lebanese Man Turns Garbage Into Beautiful Glasses
“THIS” Toothbrush Is A Miswak
Interviewing Abu Dhabi’s Most Innovative Design Couple Plastic Bag Shoes At Milan Design Week
RECIPE: Za’atar-Flavored Tofu
Middle East meets Far East in this innovative tofu dish.
Arabic/Japanese fusion cooking? As for marinating tofu in za’atar, we’ve got an unusual za’atar pesto recipe that fuses the Middle Easts’ favorite herb with Italian cuisine, so why not? The recipe was adapted from the Tofu for Two blog, using a modified version of our muhamarrah sauce recipe.
Polluting Cars May Be Banned From Israeli Cities
New rush hour anti-pollution measures may reduce this kind of “morning haze” in major Israeli cities
Following plans to ban transport trucks in major cites like Tel Aviv during early morning rush hours, and after the opening of the special toll-run “fast lane” into the country’s largest and most populated city, Israel’s Transport Ministry is now considering an outright ban on polluting cars and trucks from major city centers. This idea is part of measures to implement the previously passed Clean Air Act which although legislated back in 2008, was only finally passed at the beginning of this year.
The True Grit Behind Hot Building Schemes
Outside temperatures often reach into the mid-fifties (celsius!) during Middle East summers. Construction workers feel the heat.
Behind every glamorous building in Dubai are hundreds of mostly South Asian workers. Yesterday, during a ten kilometer city hike from the Burj Khalifa to Bur Dubai, the quality of life for nearly half of the Emirate’s population came into view. Beyond glitzy Dubai are shadow neighborhoods where round satellite dishes, rooftop clothing lines, and crumbling walls painted in bright colors stand in stark contrast to shimmering skyscrapers and meandering villas.
Whereas malls and leisure areas set their thermostats at a bone-chilling 21 degrees celsius average, these semi-homes are mostly likely cooled with fans or not at all. Contemplating this, and encountering many workers on my walking tour, I wondered how it feels to work on a Middle Eastern construction zone in the dead of summer?
The New Untouchables: Egypt’s Leftover Food
Every month, 150,000 families stand to gain from the Egyptian Food Bank’s distribution program.
Egypt is getting serious about food waste. Last year we reported on the extraordinary amount of food wasted during Ramadan. Ironically, at the same time that ritual scraps filled up formal and informal landfills, the Middle East experienced record-high food prices that some analysts saw as the catalyst of citizen fury that has torn through the region. But throwing away perfectly good food is neither limited to holidays nor to the Middle East.
When Tourism and Nature Collide- Protected Land Under Threat in Egypt
An Egyptian real estate developer is planning to build on 650 acres of protected land near Lake Qarun
Despite the huge potential for Eco-tourism in the Middle East, the reality is that most tourism development in the region are about one thing: making lots of money. Protecting the environment and preserving important natural habitats are so far down the list of concerns for developers, that having to destroy protected reserves in the name of luxury resorts doesn’t seem like a problem at all.
One example of this disregard for nature is the recent revelation that an Egyptian real estate developer, the Amer Group, has been granted permission to build on the northern part of Lake Qarun. According to Birdlife International, this is the first development of such huge proportions that has been allowed in an Egyptian protected area.
Live Baby Leopard Found In Suitcase En Route To Dubai
A sedated leopard cub less than two months old was among a variety of animals stashed in a suitcase bound for Dubai.
Along with a monkey, gibbon, and bear, two sedated leopard cubs were found in an Emirati man’s suitcase at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand. All of the animals were younger than two months old. Referred to as NM, the man was preparing to board a flight to Dubai when authorities searched his luggage and discovered the live animals. He was arrested and then released on bail the same day.
Turkey Possibly Facing Its Worst Environmental Crisis Ever
When two embankments collapsed at the dam of a silver refinery in the Turkish province of Kütahya, workers began scrambling to keep the cyanide-contaminated water from leaking out of the dam. If it does, environmentalists warn, the accident could become “the most dangerous environmental crisis Turkey has faced thus far.”
A silver mining and refining facility in western Turkey is frantically trying to contain its cyanide-contaminated wastewater after the dam into which it discharges failed last weekend. Two embankments in the three-stage dam of Eti Silver Corporation have collapsed, raising the possibility that its waters will leak beyond the dam and into the water supplies of nearby settlements.
The village of Köprüören, just three kilometers away from the plant, is preparing to evacuate. On Wednesday, some residents of the town staged a protest outside the facility, calling for the closure of “Eti Silver’s poison facilities”.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan happened to be in the area this week, speaking at a series of election rallies in advance of the federal elections this June.
“Necessary precautions have been taken. There is no reason to worry at the current moment,” the prime minister said. “May our fellow Kütahyans, our villagers, worry not. We are monitoring the issue, and everything is under control. Do not worry at all.”
Even as Erdoğan urged locals not to worry, however, environmental scientists have been issuing ever more dire warnings about the possible effects of the dam failure.
Pollution levels in the area could increase 100-fold if any water leaked out, Güven Eken, the chairman of the environmental Doğa (Nature) Association, told the Hürriyet Daily News. She said that Eti Silver’s effort to contain the water by building another dam would not be a permanent solution to the problem.
Cemalettin Küçük, the executive board chairman of Turkey’s official Chamber of Metallurgical Engineers, told villagers at an informational meeting that “this place is at risk every day, hour and second.” And the Council of Turkish Medicine Association issued a written statement saying that the total collapse of the dam’s embankments would pose a fatal threat to the region.
The blase response of the federal government is, sadly, typical of its attitude toward environmental safety. Erdoğan seems intent on pursuing a new canal project in Istanbul, despite the loud criticism it has faced from environmentalists and architects. The government also hasn’t backed down from plans to develop nuclear power in the country, even as the nuclear disaster in Japan grows worse.
Residents of Kütahya will be on edge for the next few weeks, waiting to see if their region of Turkey remains inhabitable or not.
Read more about environmental issues in Turkey:
Turkish Environmentalists, Architects Critical of Proposed Canal
Major Turkish Cities Fail Sustainability Survey
Despite Japan, Turkey Goes Ahead With Nuclear Reactors
Image via Today’s Zaman
Make Smen: Spiced, Aged, Middle Eastern Butter
Smen, made from goat butter, is becoming rare in Moroccan kitchens. (And so is eating locusts!) Vegetable oils, so conveniently poured out of a bottle, are the preferred cooking fat of modern cooks.
But as it is with our sourdough, so it is with fermented butter. The essences of all good things develop at their own pace.
Middle-Eastern fermented butter is sometimes packed away and buried in the ground for years, the flavor becoming stronger with the passage of time. In traditional households, the older the smen is, the more highly prized.Old recipes call for kneading fresh butter with oregano – a highly anti-microbial herb that you can read about in our ABCs of medicinal culinary herbs, and salt.
RECIPE for Ma’amoul Cookies, a Tender Arabian Pastry Delight
(We’ve written about the surprising properties of salt in this post.) Once treated that way and then buried in a nice cool cache, far from heat and light, no wonder the butter stays edible. The color, though, changes from that appetizing light yellow to quite a dark brown. The odor and taste are that of aged cheese.
There are different recipes for smen. Some like to cook it gently like ghee, then salt it and put it away for a month in a cool, dark place. In Yemen, the butter is gently cooked that way, spiced with fenugreek while still liquid, and called samanah.
Not being fond of fenugreek, I prefer the Moroccan version where the butter isn’t cooked but kneaded together with cooled oregano tea and then set aside to mature.
I admit I’ve never eaten smen taken out of a buried crock, but do enjoy it fresh, in cooking and just lightly spread on warm bread.
More tasty ideas for your table on Green Prophet: