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Green Prophet Wants to Meet All The UAE Eco-Peeps

Travel

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April 28, 2011

Green Prophet Wants to Meet All The UAE Eco-Peeps

Tafline finally gets to sink her teeth into the United Arab Emirates’ eco-scene, and wants to meet all the groovy green folks during her three week stay!

Yours truly is touring the United Arab Emirates’ green scene on Green Prophet’s behalf and wants to see you! After a very brief but incredibly well-serviced flight from Johannesburg on Emirate Air (my how times have changed; the flight attendants came from at least six different countries), I arrived at approximately 5am this morning. With a little help from the folks at Global Ocean, who are facilitating my participation at a series of screenings of an important documentary that exposes overfishing, we have a three week opportunity to learn everything we can about environmental issues in the Middle East.

I will be speaking at the Al Ittihad boy’s school, who are participating in our first ever eco-blogging competition, visiting Masdar, visiting with the UAE’s Most Innovative Design Couple, touring Sir Bani Yas Island, and meeting various eco-savvy businesses, designers, and hopefully government officials throughout the UAE. If you are interested to chat with us, if there’s an important issue that you think we need to know about, or if you are working in cleantech or sustainable architecture and design, please drop me a line at [email protected]. I’m dying to meet you!

More About Tafline and the UAE:

Must It Be “The End of the Line” For Fish?

Competition: Calling all future UAE Eco-Bloggers

The Green Team: DubaiEye 103.8

image via soylentgreen23

Upcycling wine glasses in Beirut

Design

Tafline Laylin

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April 28, 2011

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recycling, glass, glowing, hot glass — *Upcycling glass bottles in Lebanon. In order to reconfigure glass (from wine or beer bottles for example) it has to endure extremely high temperatures.*

Chafic Abi Abdallah used to work in the hospitality industry, but grew weary of sitting in front of the computer for twelve hours a day. So he set out on a trip to Southeast Asia to clear his mind and dream up more hands-on and community-oriented job prospects.

During his journey throughout India, Cambodia and elsewhere, he noticed how differently people treat their non-organic waste, how they were more likely to recycle burlap and other things. Coming from Lebanon, where waste piles up (like the Hiria dump in Israel) and recycling options are limited, Abdallah became inspired. Several months later, he started Reverse Garbage.

With a little input from a friend, Abdallah began recycling a variety of discarded glass bottles into beautiful tumblers and wine glasses – which have both practical value as an up-cycled product and also create a lovely product for homeowners.

He coerces the glass through extreme temperatures – very hot and very cold – and then marks them with a diamond cutter before shaping and sanding down the edges.

upcycled wine glasses many colors — *Upcycled wine bottles, better than landfill*

He told The Daily Star that in developed countries, up and recycling is fashionable. But in developing countries like Lebanon, these activities are borne out of necessity. People who can’t easily afford a new product will instead re-purpose what they do have.

But he hopes that his work will have the added benefit of generating awareness. When recycling bins were introduced to Lebanon several years ago, they were not accompanied by any kind of education. The why behind the recycling initiative was never explained and therefore the practice was not readily embraced.

He works out of a small studio in Furn-al-Chabbak and does offers both home and instore sales. Although he Abdallah is happy to collect the glass from people’s homes, in time he hopes to create a recycling point at the Tawlet restaurant in Mar Mikhael, where his work is proudly showcased.

Although his work benefits the environment, and he now helps others to learn the craft, he refuses to label himself as an environmentalist as he fears that people will become enraged with this “label.”

More on Upcycling, Recycling, and Lebanon

Meet Hanna Faouri – the Upcycling Designer from Jordan

Artiquea: The Beautiful Art of Recycling Glass

Sharjah Man Revolutionizes the UAE with Recycling Program

Look Out Germany! Saudi Arabia to Overtake You as Solar World Leader

Susan Kraemer

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April 27, 2011

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Look Out Germany! Saudi Arabia to Overtake You as Solar World Leader

Installation of a planned 20 GW of solar over the next 20 years will catapult Saudi Arabia to world leadership in solar

Saudi Arabia has set a staggering national goal to have 20 GW (20,000MW) of solar generation installed over the next twenty years, according to Saudi officials speaking to CSP Today. Although there have been increasing noises from the reticent Kingdom in recent years about adding more renewable power, this is the first mention of hard numbers. These are huge. This would mean installing an average of 1 GW (1,000MW) of solar for each of the next twenty years.

This would make the Kingdom a bigger market than that of the current world leader, Germany.

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3 Easy Ways to Cook Asparagus

Recipe

Miriam Kresh

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April 27, 2011

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Asparagus season is short, so rush out to the market and get your asparagus while you can. Then cook it in one of these delicious ways. If you are lucky to forage asparagus, wild is better!

It always gives me a lift when I’m trawling the shuk for local vegetables and see bundles of delicate green and purple asparagus spears. I love it for its flavor, but there are other reason to love asparagus. In fact, asparagus is said to create love and lust, just like wild oats (here’s our springtime recipe for wild oats tea). Its phallic look is the reason, but personally I think it has more to do with the healthy-giving properties of the vegetable. As we’ve said, the right diet helps libido.

And asparagus has plenty of minerals, amino acids and vitamins, particularly vitamin C, to keep our energy high and our eyes bright. Plus, it’s a low-calorie vegetable, so if you avoid blanketing it with hollandaise sauce, you come out winning every time.

The best recipe are those that feature asparagus as the lead star. Hints of nuts and aromatic flavorings make delicious accents, but to extract the most from this green delicacy, choose cooking methods that allow its flavors to shine almost alone.

Asparagus Almandine

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh asparagus
¼ cup butter
¼ cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

In a pot large enough to contain the asparagus placed sideways, boil plenty of salted water. Lay asparagus in and cook 2 to 3 minutes, covered. Remove from hot water immediately and rinse under cold water. Drain.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add almonds and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook until liquid reduces and becomes cohesive, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour over asparagus. Serve immediately.

Roasted Asparagus with Walnuts

Choose thick spears for roasting; thin ones will become tough in the oven.

Ingredients:

500 grams – 1 lb. thick asparagus spears, tough bottom ends snapped off

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly-ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

zest of 1 orange

1 cup walnut pieces

Method

Preheat oven to 400 F – 200 C.

Cover a baking pan with baking parchment.

Place asparagus spears in a single layer in the pan.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and orange zest over the asparagus and rub the spears to distribute the seasonings.

Scatter walnut pieces over all.

Roast for 8-10 minutes. When finished, the spears should be easily pierced with a fork.

Asparagus in Beer Batter

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 (12-ounce) can beer

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

3 cups vegetable oil for frying

Combine flour and seasonings in a large bowl. Add beer and stir until combined. Allow the batter to rest 1/2 hour.

Heat oil till shimmering.

Dip asparagus in beer batter and gently lower into hot oil. Fry 2 minutes , turn pieces over, and fry another 4 minues. Drain on paper towels and serve.

More recipes on Green Prophet:

Baba Ganoush Kibbeh

Photo of roasted asparagus with walnuts by missy & the universe via Flickr.

What Bolivia And The Bedouin Have In Common

Travel

Tafline Laylin

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April 27, 2011

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What Bolivia And The Bedouin Have In Common

When Indigenous people rule, nature has rights.

Bolivia will soon pass a law called “The Law of Mother Earth.” Under this law, the government decrees that nature has eleven rights similar to those enjoyed by human beings. The Law of Mother Earth is fully supported by the President, Evo Morales, whose party enjoys a majority in both houses of parliament. This marks the first time in recent history that a politician has acknowledged so unequivocally that nature deserves to be respected not only for human benefit but for its own sake. There is a lesson that environmentalists and rulers in the Middle East can take from this story, and it lies in our indigenous people.

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Are “Sick Chicks” Poisoning Israel’s Ground Water?

Health

Maurice Picow

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April 27, 2011

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Are “Sick Chicks” Poisoning Israel’s Ground Water?

Something afoul? 1.5 million sick chickens illegally buried

Following last year’s mass poultry culling in the Tulkarem area of the West Bank, due to fears of Avian Flu virus, it has been recently discovered that more than 1.5 chicken carcasses that were buried in northern Israel following a poultry epidemic are now feared to be seriously polluting the ground water in the region. The revelation as reported in Haaretz includes the dumping of the carcasses by poultry farmers, and whose decomposition into the soil is now threatening to create an environmental hazard and endangers the water supply, according to Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry.

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Stunning Resort In Abu Dhabi Desert Will Celebrate Bedouin Architecture

Cities

Tafline Laylin

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April 26, 2011

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We applaud Dubarch’s steps towards sustainability, but is a 70 hectare 5 star resort in no-man’s-land a good idea?

The Tourist Development & Investment Company of Abu Dhabi (TDIC) started developing a resort in the vast and uninhabitable area outside the capital called the Empty Quarter. Architects Dubarch designed what will be a high-profile, luxury 5 star resort based on indigenous knowledge. There is no doubt that the renderings of the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort and Spa are beautiful. And we love that the designers have planned to use local materials, water-sparing indigenous flora, and smart design that will make this resort energy efficient. But we aren’t thrilled about plans to build a luxury resort for rich folks in no-man’s land.

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Help Save The World’s First Green Synagogue

Religion

Arwa Aburawa

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April 26, 2011

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Help save the world’s first green synagogue which is currently under threat of closing down due to financial difficulties

Here at Green Prophet, nothing makes us happier than when faith embraces green ethics. From anti-consumerist Ramadans, eco Passovers and Purims to celebrating the Persian autumn festival, there really is something that everyone of faith can do to help protect nature. And nothing says ‘green faith’ quite like transforming a place of worship into a ‘green’ building because it not only demonstrates the practical ways we can go green in our own lives but it also highlights the eco principles of various religions.

In the past we’ve written about eco-mosques in the UK and America, Cathedrals made out of reclaimed materials and now we turn our attention to the world’s first green synagogue. Located in California, the LEED-certified building was built in 2005 and it is currently calling on the international Jewish community to support it during its financial difficulties which could see it closed down.

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Competition: Calling All Future UAE Eco-Bloggers

Lifestyle

Tafline Laylin

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April 26, 2011

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Competition: Calling All Future UAE Eco-Bloggers

UAE high school students have a chance to flex their eco-blogging muscles for Green Prophet’s writing competition.

Green Prophet is launching a blogging competition for green-minded UAE students. In order to encourage students to think about environmental issues in the Emirates and the role that they play in improving them, we are inviting students from across the UAE to submit blog entries. One winning blog from each high school will be published on Green Prophet. Details, deadlines, rules and how this came about after the jump.

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BrightSource Energy Files IPO for $250 Million

Tech

Susan Kraemer

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April 25, 2011

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BrightSource Energy Files IPO for $250 Million

California loves BrightSource Energy. Now, with a $250 million IPO we all have a chance to show how much.

A sign of just how capital intensive it is building new solar thermal infrastructure – was revealed today when BrightSource Energy filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to raise $250 million in an initial public offering of its shares. BrightSource already has some high profile investors. Google has invested $168 million, and NRG Energy is lending up to $300 million over the next few years in order to complete the BrightSopurce Ivanpah solar thermal project in California. The 392 MW project cleared the permitting process by the end of last year.

With these two investments, BrightSource has now successfully closed the deals needed for financing the Ivanpah project.This public offering comes as a way of raising additional money for future projects.

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Legislation Banning Public Smoking Lingers On In Lebanon

Health

Rola Tassabehji

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April 25, 2011

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Legislation Banning Public Smoking Lingers On In Lebanon

Smoking has become the norm in downtown Beirut.

Last month, a group of women activists posing as pregnant women with faces covered with masks, staged a protest in Downtown Beirut against the delay by a parliamentary committee to finalize a long awaited law to ban smoking in closed public spaces and end unregulated cigarette advertisements, the Daily Star reports.

The demonstration, organized by the League of Independent Activists (IndyACT), is part of a larger national campaign in collaboration with the American University of Beirut and the Tobacco Free Initiative to promote the drafting of a modern law for tobacco control.

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A Day In the Life of A Marine Scientist Rima Jabado

Travel

Arwa Aburawa

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April 25, 2011

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A Day In the Life of A Marine Scientist Rima Jabado

Green Prophet speaks to Rima Jabado, a marine scientist working in the UAE on marine conservation

Following the tremendous response to our story on the UAE’s burgeoning fin shark trade (despite a ban on shark finning) we at Green Prophet have embarked on a ‘save the shark’ campaign.

Over the last month, we have interviewed leading figures involved in shark protection in the Middle East such as the Emirate Diving Association and the International Fund for Animal Welfare in the Middle East.

We explored a wide array of possible solutions to shark conservation such as empowering consumers to stop buying sharks, working with fisherman to halt the trade to changing attitudes worldwide through TV and film-making.

We caught up with Rima Jabado, a marine scientist who has worked all around the world, to find out about her research into sharks in the Arabian Gulf and the threat of habitat destruction.

Green Prophet: Can you tell us a little about yourself, why you work with sharks and your current research? Rima: I am a marine scientist and have worked in various locations around the world on various conservation projects including sharks, dolphins, corals and turtles. I have always been fascinated with sharks and wanted to work with them.

When I moved to the UAE, I realized there was little information on elasmobranches [sharks, rays and skates] in general in the region and decided to pursue my PhD to gain a better understanding of their status and threats to them in the region. I am therefore looking at various aspects of sharks and their fishery along the Arabian Gulf coast of the UAE and investigating the international fin trade from the UAE through a genetic study.

What is a normal days work for you? It really depends on the day! Some days are spent interviewing fishermen at the various fisheries cooperatives or landing sites across the country; some are spent identifying, sexing, measuring and collecting genetic samples at various landing sites; some are spent in the laboratory preparing field equipment, dissecting sharks or extracting DNA; and some are spent on the boat waiting for sharks to be tagged and released.

Green Prophet: Are sharks experiencing new threats in the Middle East? What are the major threats to sharks? I think sharks in the region are experiencing similar threats as in other parts of world. Targeted fisheries are the major threat especially for the international fin trade. However, they also face threats from habitat destruction and degradation.

What kind of findings have come from your research so far? I’ve confirmed 27 species of sharks from landings across the UAE and have determined trends in their distribution and abundance. My interviews with fishermen provided me a lot of information on the characteristics of the fishery, the type of gear used, trends in shark catch and the value of the various species.

I understand that you have overseen the dissection of sharks. What uses does dissection have for research and protecting shark populations? I actually did the dissections myself. I purchase two species of commercially important sharks from markets on a monthly basis to gain a better understanding of their biology, reproduction and feeding habits while collecting samples for parasitology, toxicology and growth studies.

The information provided will allow me to gain an insight on their life-history traits and provide information to undertake a stock assessment of these species. This information is crucial to develop management plans for their conservation while ensuring their long term sustainability.

Green Prophet: Are you hopeful for the future of sharks in the Middle East region? I think that there is increasing awareness of the threats that sharks face in this region. I am hopeful that with more research and a better understanding of the situation, scientists and resource managers can work together to protect the species that are most vulnerable while ensuring the sustainable catch of the remaining species.

::Save Our Seas

For more on Sharks in the Middle East see:

How Sharks Keeps Us Breathing: An Interview with Film-maker Jonathan Ali Khan

Working with Local Fisherman to Tackle Shark Finning

UAE Divers Organisation says: “Stop Buying Sharks and Shark Fin Soup”

Despite Ban, UAE remains Market Hub for Shark Fins

Jordan Dana Biosphere Reserve Kicks Out Kerosene

Travel

Tafline Laylin

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April 25, 2011

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Jordan takes another definitive step towards a renewable future with a little help from its Czech friends

There will be no more stinky kerosene for the first solar-illuminated Bedouin tent in Jordan. Gas and kerosene lanterns have been replaced with a far more sustainable resource at the Rumana campsite in the Dana Biosphere Reserve. Donated by the Czech embassy in Jordan, the four solar units that will harness the sun – a cleaner, renewable energy resource – comprise just one initiative that the embassy has undertaken to help protect the local cultural and ecological heritage.

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Egypt To Get 3% Of Africa’s Thousand Slow Food Gardens

Health

Tafline Laylin

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April 25, 2011

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As part of the “Terra Madre” project, the Italian Slow Food Organization has plans to help locals grow 1,000 local gardens throughout Africa. The idea is to take back indigenous crops while also integrating more advanced and efficient growing techniques. This ambitious program will also help communities and individuals wrestle themselves from such industrial horrors as meat glue: the meat industry’s dirty secret.

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Electric SuperbusTested in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City

Transportation

Maurice Picow

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April 24, 2011

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Electric SuperbusTested in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City

The Superbus can carry well-to-do passengers in comfort and speed

With the “whish” of a passing Formula 1 race car, and an almost silent “whrr” of its rear mounted electric engine, the new Dutch engineered 23 passenger Superbus amazed spectators during a test run at Abu Dhabi’s futuristic Masdar City, reports The National. The 15 meter-long all electric vehicle appeared to be very maneuverable despite its length and its being able to reach speeds at over 200 kmh. Antonia Terzi, a former Formula 1 aerodynamics designer who was involved in designing the Superbus prototype told a reporter for The National: “It drives like a car. After a couple of laps you forget you have 15 metres behind you. It’s really, really responsive and it drives really, really nicely.”

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