Hawaii has just invested $2.6 million in stimulus funds in a public private partnership in electric vehicle infrastructure planned since 2008 to help jump start the adoption of electric vehicles. Better Place, with $854,000, and Aerovironment with $820,000 were the leaders among six road-ready electric vehicle innovators to receive a share of the funding.
Better Place Chosen for Hawaiian Stimulus Funds
INTERVIEW: Treehugger Blogger Jennifer Hattam Talks To Green Prophet About Turkey
Treehugger blogger Jennifer Hattam writes about environmental 
issues in Turkey and the greater Middle East.
Following a long career with Sierra magazine, Jennifer Hattam packed her bags and moved to Turkey.
There she writes about environmental issues for Treehugger (including Turkey’s plans to install nuclear power plants despite the Fukushima disaster in Japan) and the wider Middle East region while keeping up with her personal blog.
Jennifer spoke with Green Prophet about her experiences as an expat environmentalist.
Palestine’s Green City Tackles Water and Wastewater Management
To coincide with World Water Day, we take a look at a wastewater project planned for Palestine’s green city
The Arab region is believed to be one of the driest in the world– 70% of the land is dry and rainfall is sparse and the effects of climate change will only exacerbate the situation. As today is World Water Day, as well as highlighting the problems the region faces, here at Green Prophet we also want to celebrate the success stories of the region.
The planners behind Palestine’s first planned and green city called Rawabi (or ‘Hills’ in Arabic) have recently given the go-ahead for a feasibility study for a new regional wastewater facility which strengthens their commitment preserving water.
Meat Glue (Transglutaminase): The Meat Industry’s Dirty Secret
Care for a slab of Frankenstein steak? Just glue meat scraps together with transglutaminase and serve ’em up, hot. Side of blood clots, optional.
The white powder sold by the kilo, above, is the meat industry’s dirty little secret. It’s “meat glue.” It makes pieces of beef, lamb, chicken or fish that would normally be thrown out stick together so closely that it looks like a solid piece of meat. See also our posts on Israel’s frozen fish scandal and how garlic from China is scary stuff.
Restaurants and butchers can now sell their scraps as premium meat. Good way to use them up – and charge premium prices for them too. Best of all, you don’t have to tell the customer. Once the glued meat is cooked, even professional butchers can’t tell the difference.
71 Abu Dhabi Businesses Switch Off For Earth Hour
Abu Dhabi plans to switch off in style on March 26th, with 71 organizations taking part in the WWF’s Earth Hour.
On March 26, 2011, 71 government, public, and private organizations in Abu Dhabi will join the World Wildlife Fund’s international initiative to switch off the lights for Earth Hour. In keeping with a host of the Emirate’s day-to-day energy-saving initiatives including the “Turn-it-off campaign,” several businesses will turn off their lights between 8.30 and 9.30 p.m. Khaleej Times reports 14 major hotel chains are among those that will participate.
Gaddafi Promises Long War, Oil Up To $103 Per Barrel
After four decades of power, Gaddafi continues to drool over Libya’s oil.
Unlike the former presidents of Egypt and Tunisia, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi has no intention of relinquishing control of his country.
Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) responded to his defiance over the weekend with a fractured Operation Odyssey Dawn, which resulted in an attack on Libya’s military control center. In addition to the obvious detriment ongoing military activity is having on that country’s cultural, environmental, historical, and social fabric, oil prices are rising.
Nuclear Fears: Myths and Reality – A Physicist Talks Straight About Japan
Physicist and guest blogger Susan Goodman puts the Japan nuclear news in proportion to non-scientists.
Perhaps in the west we still retain some false sense of culpability for the discovery of nuclear fission. Maybe the very name Fukushima has resonances with that of Hiroshima – invoking memories of horrors that for most of us are well before living memory. Something has to explain the irrational, overhyped, disinformation that has pervaded much of the western media since Japan’s cataclysmic earthquake and tsunami triggered the crisis in a clump of that nation’s nuclear reactors.
Disinformation exemplified by the headline used in the Green Prophet last week “Japan Nuclear Meltdown Will Seriously Affect World Environment”. The hysterical headlines abounded in the western press, and even that premier of news agencies, the BBC, included as part of its World Service news coverage the strained tones of a Japanese woman who had decided to leave Tokyo because of a (negligible) rise in radiation in that city, adding “the radiation levels should be zero”. What listener could fail to agree with that? Except that we are all exposed to natural radiation, with over 97 percent originating in the rocks of the earth or in outer space, nothing to do with the meddling of man. Levels of radiation are never zero.
Free Radicals Attack Your Brain on Bikes in Polluted Cities
If bike riding or jogging in Tel Aviv, the sea front is less polluting
Ever wonder why you feel dizzy or have acute shortage of breath when engaging in moderate outdoor exercise like bike riding or jogging in cities where air pollution is higher than normal – especially in heavily polluted Middle Eastern cities like Tehran and Cairo? New medical studies are finding out that too much exposure to air pollution during your younger life will result in brain damage later on in life. The studies, which include MRI brain scans, are finding out that diseases such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and strokes are the result of exposure to air pollution particles, especially “extra fine” particles. What makes matters worse, this exposure is even more debilitating if it occurs when engaging in stressful body activities like sports or exercise.
Eco condom, Love Begins with L., the Tom’s shoes for safe sex
A new condom company, Love Begins with L., epitomizes the heart and soul of ecosexuality. Founded by independent photojournalist, Talia Frenkel – whose work with the Red Cross exposed her to the plight of women in Africa, South East Asia and the Middle East – the message behind the product is simple:
Provide the most environmentally friendly condoms available, market them to women in western countries, and provide free supplies to women in disenfranchised communities across the developing world to advance female reproductive health and sovereignty.
Sex is universal, but protection is not
In Africa, the scope of the HIV/AIDS problem is unimaginable: 5,000 new transmissions a day, and 4,000 deaths a day, mean that an estimated 25,000,000 millions deaths due to this disease could have been prevented with better reproductive health care. The company
‘Love begins with L.’ seeks to empower the millions of young women in Africa by providing free prophylactics and sex education. There are now an estimated 14.4 million AIDS orphans living in Sub Saharan Africa.
During the course of her work in Africa, Frenkel discovered that condoms were often unavailable. According to the U.S. office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, nine out of 10 African countries goes without condom supplies for more than two months. The condoms that were available were mostly treated with chemicals harmful to women. Frenkel determined to work with non-profits including Direct Relief health in Africa, and manufacturers to create an enterprise that could distribute natural condoms to a paying western market while ensuring availability in HIV/AIDS struck Africa, focusing primarily on the female consumer.
“Today, 75% of Africans aged 15-24 are girls. L. is a movement dedicated to supporting women globally by focusing on their sexual empowerment. That’s why we’re not just dropping off condoms and hoping for the best. Our movement involves education and distribution programs, peer-to-peer outreach and integral partnerships with grassroots women leaders.”
“Safe sex doesn’t stop at preventing HIV transmission, it’s the beginning of a greater quality of life,” the company insists.
Ecosexuality and Sustainability
Sustainability and responsibility are at the heart of Love Begins with L. The condoms are skin-sensitive and female-friendly, made with a glycerin-free and paraben-free lubricant that is designed to emulate the body’s own natural lubrication.
Glycerin from non-vegetable sources can lead to common problems such as yeast infections. Paraben is linked to a whole host of health problems as well. Every triple tested condom is made from sustainably tapped premium natural latex from Malaysia, and are vegan-friendly and low in latex odor. Even the minimalistic packaging is designed to be green and reduce the carbon footprint of manufacturing.
“We take measure to be as sustainable as possible, but beyond that, we strive to become restorative and enriching.”
Frenkel explains how her “camera quickly became my passport to places that I might otherwise have never had cause to visit,” including the Middle East where she documented tsunamis, earthquakes, fires and floods for the Red Cross.
She became keenly aware of the destruction of HIV/AIDS to women and girls while working in Africa: “My assignments documenting the effects of this epidemic left me with an anger that I needed to channel in a productive way. Everyday, countless lives were lost for lack of something that I could buy in any western convenience store,” she tells Green Prophet.
Since then, she has dedicated herself to making L., believing that safe sex is a human right, and that condoms marketed specifically to women in Western countries to help take a stand to protect and empower female sexuality.
L. launched in February, and the condoms are available now on Amazon.
Dive into more ecosexuality articles:
Eco-Sexy Nutrition for Women, From Horny Goat’s Weed to Vitamin C
Lights Out During Earth Hour 2011 in Israel this Week
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyMNbXVxj8s&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
20 Israeli cities will be participating in this year’s annual lights-out Earth Hour.
Following an initiative that began in Australia in 2007, Israeli cities (spearheaded by Tel Aviv) have observed Earth Hour for the past few years. Earth Hour is a global movement that urges individuals, businesses and governments to support action on climate change by powering down their lights for an hour – at the same time. Thankfully, this year is no different and 18 Israeli cities will be turning off their lights on Thursday evening between the hours of 8pm-9pm.
Tel Aviv has traditionally observed Earth Hour by gathering residents in Rabin Square for a free biodiesel and/or cyclist-energy-powered concert by a popular musician, and this year will be no different as The Giraffes (seen in the clip above) will be performing together with Carolina and Red Band.
Women going green
Jen Drexler talks to Green Prophet about how to help women make greener choices.
An American marketing extraordinaire, Jen Drexler knows what women want. She also knows what they aren’t telling!
Along with her partner Mary Lou Quinlan, Jen founded Just Ask a Woman more than a decade ago, a marketing firm that helps brands understand and better serve female consumers.
We first learned of her through The National, where she discusses the concept of “green-ish” – a term based on the notion that women often say one thing (the Half Truth) but do another (the Whole Truth). In an interview, she tells us how women often “talk a big game around green but don’t necessarily follow through,” and how we can influence them to be more green.
Jen, can you tell us a bit about your role at Just Ask a Woman?
I co-founded our company 12 years ago with our CEO Mary Lou Quinlan. My primary roles are servicing our consulting clients and developing content for our books, speeches and blogs.
We heard about you through a story published in The National. Ann Marie McQueen discusses formerly eco-friendly expats who “backslide” in the UAE as a result of have access to fewer “green” resources. What is the challenge facing them?
I guess my question is are they really backsliding because of fewer resources? My hunch is that they may backslide because it is easier and less expensive to not go green or they just don’t rank it as high on their value system.
You note that one of the solutions is to become “greenish.” Can you explain this to our readers?
I wouldn’t say being Green-ish is a solution but rather that it is an inevitable truth for real women living in a real world. Women want to do the right thing by their families and their environment but have to make daily compromises because of their financial resources. Green products generally cost more so women will prioritize the areas in her life where they are the most important.
What, in your opinion, is so hard about going “green”? Is this a marketing failure? A government failure to provide adequate resources to make smarter choices, or is this good ol’ fashioned laziness?
I think it comes down to cost and quality. Do organic cleansers work as well as the ones filled with chemicals? Not usually. And even if they did Americans have been trained to associate the smell of products like bleach with cleanliness and with the absence of that sensory signal they doubt the efficacy of their green cleaners.
As a marketing guru who best understands how women make consumer choices, what can we do in the Middle East to influence women to make more responsible choices?
You have to understand the barriers to green for her and then look for the opportunities to overcome them. If there aren’t enough products on shelf for her to choose from think about ways to help her make her own (water & vinegar as a cleanser, baking soda as a stain remover…)
And lastly, from a marketing perspective, how do we know we’re winning?
When women feel like they have more in their repertoire that is green versus not. Shifting the balance will be the signal that progress is being made.
More Interviews on Green Prophet:
From Rockstarts to Recycling: Interview with Kristiane Backer
Eco-Sexuality of Tantra: Interview with Israeli Relationship Specialists
Leviathan Energy To Dedicate Wind Turbine To Hilton Hotel
Leviathan Energy will donate a small wind turbine in honor of Earth Day 2011.
In honor of Earth Day, Israel’s Leviathan Energy will dedicate a small wind turbine to the Hilton Queen of Sheba in Eilat. The ceremony near the southern end of the Dead Sea will commence at 20h30 on March 24 this year. When Eilat’s fossil-powered lights go out, the lights powered by the small turbine will take their place. The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970 and has become one of the most internationally-recognized environmentally themed dedication days with 1 billion participants in 192 countries. (Read an interview with the Earth Day Network’s President Kathleen Rogers.)
Read more about Earth Day and Leviathan:
Interview with Earth Day Network Kathleen Rogers
Leviathan and Solaris Imagine if the Water for the Shower Can Create Energy To Turn On Lights
Israel Celebrates Earth Day With An Earth Hour Sweeping Across 14 Cities
Leviathan Energy will donate a small wind turbine in honor of Earth Day 2011.
In honor of Earth Day, Israel’s Leviathan Energy will dedicate a small wind turbine to the Hilton Queen of Sheba in Eilat. The ceremony near the southern end of the Dead Sea will commence at 20h30 on March 23 this year. When Eilat’s fossil-powered lights go out, the lights powered by the small turbine will take their place. The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970 and has become one of the most internationally-recognized environmentally themed dedication days with 1 billion participants in 192 countries. (Read an interview with the Earth Day Network’s President Kathleen Rogers.)
How Green and Lean Is the New USDA Food Pyramid?
Potatoes are bad for heart health, according to recent research.
The United States Department of Agriculture released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, a little bit late–on January 31, 2011. And according to the Harvard School of Public Health, the recommendations are behind the times as well. The new USDA guidelines emphasize a diet rich in plants and fish, and replacing some of the high-fat protein like red meat with plant-based proteins like legumes. But the pyramid still allows low-fat dairy products, and up to half of carbohydrate intake can include refined grains like white flour. Even potatoes raise the level of blood sugar more quickly than whole grains.
Dubai Marine Life At Risk After Devastating Shark Catch
A five-metre-long female shark and its litter of forty-five hammerhead pups was found dead at the Deira Fish Market in Dubai
The Arabian Gulf marine ecosystem took a devastating hit this week after a pregnant great hammerhead shark was landed and forty-five pups gutted out of it in a Dubai fish market. Despite a shark fishing ban from January to April, endangered shark species are being put at risk by fishers who continue to hunt them down in the United Arab Emirates. The horrific find was recorded by shark researchers monitoring the decline of the species in the region and Thomas Vignaud, working with the Shark Quest project, along with Julia Spaet discovered the forty-five dead pups after an inspection of the female hammerhead.
Shark fishing has skyrocketed in the UAE in recent years and according to figures from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA), the gulf state is one of the main Middle East exporters of shark fins to Hong Kong.
Speaking to Gulf News, Jonathon Ali Khan who is an expedition leader for sharks in the region and director of Shark Quest Arabia explained that the importance of the region for the survival of certain shark species needed to be better highlighted so that birthing sharks are protected. “When a slow-reproducing shark is found at the market with 45 pups something needs to be done for the welfare of the species,” he added.
Great hammerhead sharks are an endangered species and the forty-five pups that were found were almost ready to be born. “If even half of these shark pups had survived, it might have made a significant contribution to the survival of this species at least in this region,” Khan told the Gulf News.
It is believed that the shark may have been caught in the waters of Oman and brought to the UAE for sale to make a better profit although it is impossible to tell for sure. In Oman, shark fining at sea is banned and in the UAE shark fining and shark hunting between January to April was banned in 2008. Even so FOA figures show that from 1998 to 2000, around 400-500 tonnes of shark fins were exported from the UAE annually. Latest findings also reveal the growing popularity of shark-hunting as they indicate that the shark catch in the UAE shot up in 2003 to 3,060 tonnes a year.
These statistics are particularly worrying as sharks are extremely sensitive to fishing at they mature quite late and produce few offspring. As such, the death of forty-five great hammerhead pups is a serious blow to their future existence in the Arabia Gulf.
Photo courtesy of Julia Spaet- KAUST PhD student researching shark populations in the Red Sea.
For more on Sharks and the Middle East see:
Kuwaiti Sharks, Ecosystems and Exxon
Visionary Creator of the Na’vi People Visits Masdar, Approves
Would the Na’vi people feel at home at Masdar?
The acclaimed Hollywood director James Cameron, creator of the powerful green message movie Avatar, was in Abu Dhabi recently to tour Masdar. Unsurprisingly to me, with his green perspective, he had some very positive things to say. Hollywood’s greenest director was given a comprehensive overview of Masdar’s approach to tackling the complex energy challenges the world faces, and included a tour of Masdar Institute, the Middle East’s first graduate research institution dedicated to clean energy research and education, according to Arabian Business.