It started with cotton and oil: the Middle East oppressed now seek freedom and a future. image via AP The autocratic rule now being challenged in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East has its roots in the state system that developed in the region during the twentieth century. This system is based on […]
After seven days of demonstrations rubbish and dirty water have collected in the roads which the Egyptian people are not leaving for outsiders to clear up - watch how and why Egyptian men and women are creating waves of social revolution, one piece of rubbish at a time.
Despite this water fountain in Kurdistan, water there is scarce. This is not how poor Iraqis perceive their own shortages. We have long suspected that in the coming years, as climate change and population expansion put pressure on natural resources, conflicts will arise. The ongoing Egyptian protests demonstrate how repressed rage eventually surfaces when autocrats […]
Iranian Hawksbill turtles are the most adventurous international travelers. See where other turtles like to roam. Like people, Hawksbill turtles aren’t all domestic homebodies. Some – like me – prefer a more nomadic lifestyle. At least, this is what researchers have discovered Hawksbill turtles in the Persian Gulf. In recent years, the Hawksbill’s population has […]
Exhibition in Israel brings together sustainable “contemporary cavemen” (and designers). Post Fossil, a current exhibition at the Design Museum in Holon, Israel, asks the question: how to create in a post-fossil-fueled world? As the exhibition description states, “Time has come for extreme change. Society is ready to break away from last century for good. To […]
New algorithms make bike sharing more efficient. The environmentally-friendly concept of bike-sharing is taking over European cities like Paris, and Tel Aviv is about to get its own too –– although that’s been in the works for several years. Bike sharing, if you haven’t experienced it allows a subscriber to “borrow” a bike from one […]
Abu Dhabi leads the Gulf Region in environmental innovation. This time, a desert forest irrigated with treated wastewater. Last year we were somewhat alarmed that the UAE had ambitions to plant one million trees. Even though the carbon sponging benefits are potentially enormous, the water required to keep said trees alive might have overwhelmed the […]
Bolster your New Year’s food resolutions with seven recycled titles: largely published before 2011 but still relevant. Eating sustainably can make a huge impact on our planet. Dig in. 1. Eating Animals (Penguin, 2011) Part memoir, part science: novelist Jonathan Safran Foer’s takes a philosophical look at how we justify what we eat . Prepare […]
What’s almost as good as a Persian or Turkish Rug? An old one given new life with special dye. In addition to oil, Iran has a commodity that no one needs to fight about: carpets. According to the Financial Times, in 2008, that country’s exports accounted for 30% of the world market. A staggering number […]
VW’s XL1 looks great and saves fuel. But is it affordable? Although the much written about Better Place electric car concept is a favorite on Green Prophet; and is even criticized as being an electric car monopoly in its origin country Israel, the cars themselves have yet to hit the streets on a commercial basis. […]
Sparked be energy shortage, and Egypt in so much turmoil, what will happen to solar energy projects like this one? Many of us are following the recent turn of events in Egypt, in which the people have decided that it’s now time for some “changes” in the Land of the Nile. While the political ramifications […]
Considered a huge upset in the architecture world, Ehrlich firm wins bid to build the new UAE Parliament Building. Foster & Partners have a solid footing in the Middle East, with Masdar City and other popular projects under their belt. And Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid is a celebrity who inspires red-carpet treatment wherever she goes. […]
How green is your fodder? Turns out, in the UAE, not so green. A new program aims to change that. In order to combat the dual challenge of desertification and regional water shortages, the United Arab Emirates are experimenting with myriad innovations. The latest encourages local farmers to switch to a different variety of fodder. […]
Miriam suggests ways to cook free wind-sown vegetables. At this time of year, you may find free vegetables growing in your own backyard (like Karin did), or in your windowbox. Springing up from wind-sown seeds and roots that slept underground through last summer, the newly green landscape is actually full of green vegetables. The first […]
With planning and proper care you can cut back on your ironing for greener clothes. My friend finds ironing relaxing. I find it a chore, especially in the hot climate of the Middle East. And according to the Consumer Energy Center, operating an electric iron uses one kilowatt hour an hour, almost twice as much […]