Subscribe
type here...
Subscribe
Home Blog Page 554

It’s The Beginning Of The End For Plastic Bags In Abu Dhabi

Tafline Laylin
-
0
It’s The Beginning Of The End For Plastic Bags In Abu Dhabi

plastic bag camel abu dhabi photoThis story makes our hearts sing! Taking the threat of plastic bags seriously, Abu Dhabi is preparing for the 2013 total ban with a plastic-free weekend.

Residents of the United Arab Emirates use 11.6 billion plastic bags every year. That’s 11.6 billion camel-killing, toxin-oozing, non-biodegradable bags that choke our water ways and blight beautiful places. And for what?

By 2013, Abu Dhabi will have no further use of plastic bags, but they need to smooth out the transition for residents. Which is exactly what is so brilliant about the plastic-free weekend that starts today and ends on Saturday.

Continue

Israel Approves New Licenses For Mid-Sized Solar Fields, Electricity Efficiency Measures

Ira Moskowitz
-
0
Israel Approves New Licenses For Mid-Sized Solar Fields, Electricity Efficiency Measures

Kibbutz Ketura

Israel’s first commercial photovoltaic field is slated to be completed at Kibbutz Ketura in May.

As Susan laments in her recent post (What Holds Israeli Renewable Energy Back?), Israel has been slow in deploying solar energy at home, despite its pioneering R&D work in this field. And last week the country seemed to take another step backward, as the Finance Ministry froze incentives for large solar plants in Israel.

However, this week brought sunnier news: On Tuesday, as the 4th annual Eilot-Eilat Renewable Energy Conference convened in Israel’s southernmost city, Arava Power celebrated the start of construction on Israel’s first solar field, a 4.9 MW facility at Kibbutz Ketura. In addition, the Electricity Authority issued 30 new licenses this week for medium-sized solar power plants that together promise to generate some 66 MW of electricity.

Continue

Grow A Flower In Your Worn Out OAT Shoes

Tafline Laylin
-
3
Grow A Flower In Your Worn Out OAT Shoes

oat-biodegradable-shoesReconciling nature and fashion with a new generation of biodegradable shoes.

We’ve seen some pretty interesting shoes on Green Prophet, such as these tongue shoes from Israeli designer Kobi Levi and these nature-friendly vegan shoes, but we would never have thought about sprouting new life from smelly worn shoes. OAT Shoes from the Netherlands did, and they’ve been awarded a ton of prize money for their ingenuity. Still in the conceptual stage and barely off the runway, it will be a long time before we see these in the Middle East. But hey, I’d walk 500 miles to be the gal who wears biodegradable shoes.

Continue

Stay The Extinction Of Egypt’s Sacred Cats

Tafline Laylin
-
3
Stay The Extinction Of Egypt’s Sacred Cats

leopardLeopards in Egypt are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

During certain periods of ancient Egyptian history it was illegal to kill cats, any cats. The punishment for said infraction? Death. Cats were considered so sacred that only the Pharaoh was permitted to own them. Now, not only do sickly stray cats slink through the capital, but the country is facing widespread extinction of its wild felines. Of the ten wild cat species present in Africa, six once roamed Egypt. Just how many wild cats still exist is difficult to determine because the animals are so elusive, but experts claim that not only is it crucial to biodiversity to map and protect remaining populations, but to eco-tourism.

Continue

What Holds Israeli Renewable Energy Back?

Susan Kraemer
-
12
What Holds Israeli Renewable Energy Back?

israel power lines photo
How is Israel ever going to meet its 10% renewable goal?

Israel with its population of 7 million hardly needs much total electricity. Only 40 Gigawatts (40,000 MW). To get 10% of its power from renewable energy, as it has pledged to do by 2020 – would take only about 4,000 MW of renewable power. Most of it will have to come from solar: there’s only 600 MW of wind potential.

So a mere 5 MW solar project is an exceedingly unambitious step towards the total 4,000 MW needed, and we are just 9 years from 2020.

Continue

Book Review: A No-Nonsense Guide to Climate Change

Arwa Aburawa
-
1
Book Review: A No-Nonsense Guide to Climate Change

Getting to grips with climate science and all the different aspects and solutions to climate change can be a difficult thing- why not get the no-nonsense guide?

Maybe it’s just me but I think that one of the most difficult things about being a climate activist isn’t remembering to put out the recyclables for collection on a Wednesday but rather getting to grips with climate science. Maths and science were never my strong points at school and the most basic of climate science seems to be explained by boffins who way over-estimate my knowledge/abilities to be actually useful. So when I heard there was a ‘No-Nonsense Guide’ to climate change which included climate science I was pretty eager to get my hands on a copy. Thankfully I was not disappointed as the handy pocket-sized guide was easy to read and follow, and didn’t skimp on depth and detail either.

The tiny 200-page book in broken down into three sections which consist of a couple of chapters: the science, the solutions and the way forward. This makes it easy to follow and although you could dip in and out and use the chapter you want, I highly recommend you follow the set out structure on your first read at least.

Continue

Reckless Driving Kills 3 in the UAE Every Day

Tafline Laylin
-
0
Reckless Driving Kills 3 in the UAE Every Day

suraya foundation logo driving UAE The Suraya Foundation seeks funds to launch a radio campaign to convince governments, non-profits and ordinary citizens to root out reckless driving.

Engineer and entrepreneur Mohd Shahnawaz started the Suraya Foundation in memory of his young sister whose life was snuffed out by a reckless driver. Others might have shrunk in despair, but Mr. Shahnawaz has worked tirelessly, despite several obstacles, to be the UAE’s ambassador against reckless driving. His hopes to receive airtime donations for a series of carefully crafted radio advertisements discouraging recklessness were dashed when the government-owned radio station of Dubai asked for payment. The foundation is now seeking assistance from the public so they can get down to the business of saving lives.

Continue

Dubai Municipality To Convert 500 Cars To Hybrid Gas Engines

Tafline Laylin
-
1
Dubai Municipality To Convert 500 Cars To Hybrid Gas Engines

compressed-gas-vehicleDubai’s Director Of Transportation is among the first recipients of a compressed gas engine vehicle.

Starting with just five vehicles initially, the Dubai municipality plans to eventually outfit 500 vehicles with compressed gas engines with technical assistance from Compressed Gas Technology (CG Tech), The National reports. By burning a combination of petrol and natural gas, these cars will radically decrease emissions. Although the UAE has the seventh largest supply of natural gas in the world, the extraction industry does have its share of challenges, nor is natural gas a renewable resource. Even so, concerted worldwide efforts to reduce carbon emissions will go a long way to at least slowing down what Thomas Friedman calls “Global Weirding” in his landmark book Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

Continue

Sanserif Creatius Carves A Cardboard Table With Arabic Devotion

Tafline Laylin
-
0
Sanserif Creatius Carves A Cardboard Table With Arabic Devotion

mustafa-table-valenciaThis beautiful table designed to evoke the genie in the lamp was carved out of layers of biodegradable, corrugated cardboard.

Sanserif Creatius is not the first designer to notice the jewels that comprise ancient Arabic art, design, and architecture. Mey and Boaz Khan made these lovely ecoolers that mimic ancient Arabic detail and ecological awareness, Hassan Fathy built sustainable structures that cherished the genius simplicity of old, and even Foster & Partners borrow extensively from the past. But what is most remarkable about the Mustafá table is the material out of which it was carved.

Continue

Arab Protests Affect World Food Prices

Arwa Aburawa
-
0
Arab Protests Affect World Food Prices

Protests in the Arab world, which were in part influenced by rising food prices, may be adding pressure to global food prices

When the protest in Tunisia kicked off in early 2010, we at Green Prophet highlighted the link between the unrest and rising food prices that meant that many citizens were angry because they could not afford to feed their families.

This led to a wide level of support for the protests, which ultimately led to the fall of the President Ben Ali and later President Mubarak. Now, however, commentators are drawing a link between protests in the Middle East and further rising global food prices.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that rising oil prices is at the heart of the reason why the protest are driving up food prices.  As Tafline Laylin wrote earlier today, the price of oil has risen 6% to $95.39 per barrel following the turbulence in the MENA region.  This is apparently a six-year high.

As the agricultural industry is heavily reliant on fossil fuels (through machines, transportation and fertilizer production), this means that the rising prices of oil has led to the rising price of food.

With the recent revolt in Libya- a country which happens to be the world’s 12th biggest oil exporter- some commentators states that an impact on oil and consequently food prices is inevitable.

Egypt nudged prices upwards and so further protests will no doubt continue to push up the price of oil and food as they are so inextricably connected.

With the recent wikileak revelation that Saudi exaggerated its oil production by up to 40% this trend is set to continue in the future. It also reinforces the need to diversify our energy mix and seek more sustainable energy that is not so susceptible to market shocks and political turmoil.

: Guardian

::Image via cjb22 on flickr.

For more on political unrest and food prices see:

Rising Food Prices Behind Riots in Algeria and Tunisia

Soaring Food Prices Hit Lebanon

Jordan Joins The Food Protest As Tunisian President Steps Down

Horses: The Silent Victims of Egypt’s Revolution

Arwa Aburawa
-
1
Horses: The Silent Victims of Egypt’s Revolution

egypt-horses-victim-animal-rights-protest-revoltAround 3,000 horses have faced hardship and even starvation during the protests which rocked Egypt and toppled a 30-year dictatorship

It’s been over ten days since Egyptians managed to unchain themselves from a 30-year old dictatorship after weeks of gathering in Tahrir Square to tell Mubarak to leave. According to Human Rights Watch just under 300 protestors were killed during Egypt’s revolt but some of the forgotten victims include an estimated 3,000 horses used in the tourism industry who were abandoned in the chaotic days of protest.

Continue

All Eyes On Libya As Oil Prices Rise

Tafline Laylin
-
1
All Eyes On Libya As Oil Prices Rise

oilRising oil prices as a result of Middle East unrest could send Americans back to the drawing board.

The last time the United States saw their oil prices soar, really soar, was during the three month Arab oil embargo in the early 1970s. Prices hit nearly $12 a gallon and Americans sat in line for hours just to fill their cars. It was then that Jimmy Carter started the initiative that put solar panels on the White House roof (Reagan took the panels down but Obama plans to put them back with encouragement from 350.org). A few decades later, as Libyan protesters suffer against Gaddafi’s heavy-handed reproach, and it seems momentum could unravel the entire region, Americans are nervously watching their wallets again.

Continue

Ezri Tarazi Manifests Israeli’s Conflict Identity With Recycled Design

Tafline Laylin
-
0
Ezri Tarazi Manifests Israeli’s Conflict Identity With Recycled Design

ezri-taraziEzri Tarazi’s recycled design also draws important attention to how much conflict informs the Israeli identity.

Any visitor to Jerusalem can attest to a palpable tension, an energy, if you will, that scrunches together hundreds of years of political and religious positioning. That same aura rises above almost every Israeli and Palestinian home. And it is full of conflict. Imagine living in a place where every day war is a perceived threat, where every day people vy for their homeland. Ezri Tarazi attempts to if not reconcile at least recognize the extent to which this energy pervades the country with his beautiful design project currently on show at Tel Aviv’s Paradigma gallery.

Continue

Meet A Few Green Prophets At Energy Conference, Eilat

Green Prophet
-
3
Meet A Few Green Prophets At Energy Conference, Eilat

eilat-eilot-renewable-energyGreen Prophet’s Karin joins seminar about media and clean tech in Eilat, Israel. Meet us there.

At least three Green Prophets will be at the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference tomorrow in Eilat, Israel. Look for us talking excitedly about new announcements to young start-up companies, and entrepreneurs, and catch Green Prophet’s editor Karin Kloosterman at a media seminar tomorrow afternoon, where with other media experts she’ll be talking about ways entrepreneurs can gain access to international media. She’ll be flying in for the day to report on the event.

Among those on the media panel will be Green Prophet’s friend David Goldman from Expansion Media. He works with clean tech companies around the globe, showing them how to put their “green” face forward. Starting at 3:25 PM at Herod’s (Laurence Hall), meet Green Prophet at the seminar: The Role of the Media in Promoting Clean Agenda Energy. Meet us there to listen and network afterward.

::Eilat

Israel’s IDE Uses Waste Heat in China for “Greener” Desalinated Water

Maurice Picow
-
1
Israel’s IDE Uses Waste Heat in China for “Greener” Desalinated Water

ide plant israel aerial view photoIDE’s new desalination plant in China is powered by excess heat from power plant nearby.

Israel has been a world leader in desalination technology and projects by through companies like Tahal and IDE Technologies. IDE has already constructed more than 400 desalination plants in 40 countries, including at least 3 in Israel – the world’s largest reverse osmosis plants. Now IDE is expanding its foreign operations even more by signing a deal with China’s large Tianjin SDIC electricity company to build four additional Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) desalination units, each with a production capacity of 25,000 cubic meters of distilled water per day. The idea is to power the plants using wasted heat from other sources.

Continue
1...553554555...779Page 554 of 779

Have news to share? Renewable energy news, architectural, artificial intelligence, biotech, sustainable design ideas, eco-architecture, green travel?
Email us: [email protected]

Company

Headlines

Jean-Pierre Conte: Five Principles That Guide My Philanthropic Decisions

0
Jean Pierre Conte is the chairman and managing director of Genstar Capital, a leading middle-market private equity firm with investments in healthcare, software, financial services and industrial technology.

Ancient Roman strategy game figured out with AI

0
Two thousand years ago, someone scratched a web of lines into stone in a Roman settlement on the empire’s northern edge. Soldiers, traders, or locals passing time in Coriovallum—now Heerlen in the Netherlands, moved small counters across those lines in a tactical duel of blockade and entrapment.

First ever recorded humpback whale recording found from 1949

0
Unlike most recordings from this era, which were lost as early media deteriorated, the audograph discs survived and appear to have been uniquely used for underwater sound — making them a rare, possibly singular example of early ocean listening preserved from the dawn of marine acoustics.

Forever chemicals banned from Europe’s drinking water

0
The EU is taking a bold step in making sure all European Union member states worked to monitor and reduce PFAS levels in drinking water.

Newsletter

Get important news delivered directly to your inbox and stay connected!

© 2007 to 2026 Green Prophet, All Rights Reserved