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Saudi Citizens Release Documentary Criticising Lack of Flood Protection

Cities

Arwa Aburawa

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February 15, 2011

Saudi Citizens Release Documentary Criticising Lack of Flood Protection

The short documentary highlights the lack of adequate flood protection in Saudi, after floods killed four this winter and left over 120 people dead in 2009

Whilst the world deals with the recent Wikileak revelations that Saudi exaggerated its oil supplies by 40%, local Saudi citizens have got together to deal with a more pressing issue for them: recurrent and deadly floods. Just this winter four people were killed after heavy rains, electricity was cut off in parts of Saudi’s second largest city of Jeddah and many feared a repeat of the serious flooding of 2009 that killed 122 people.

Jordan Teams With Spanish Firm To Cool Homes With The Sun

Cities

Tafline Laylin

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February 15, 2011

Jordan Teams With Spanish Firm To Cool Homes With The Sun

The Jordanian Renewable Energy Society is adding solar-cooling to their Eco-House project.

While Jordanians argue over whether enviro Queen Rania is entitled to throw lavish birthday parties at the expense of the populace, the business of achieving Jordan’s renewable energy goals continues apace. The Jordanian Renewable Energy Society (JRES) and a Spanish firm have made arrangements to adapt sophisticated solar-cooling technology for domestic applications, according to the Jordan Times. The original project will be installed at the JRES headquarters in West Amman, with a long-term view towards making it available throughout the country.

WikiLeaks: Former Aramco Head Warns US About Saudi’s Strained Oil Production

Business

Tafline Laylin

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February 14, 2011

WikiLeaks: Former Aramco Head Warns US About Saudi’s Strained Oil Production

WikiLeaks show the Saudis overestimated their oil reserves by about 40% – the US is worried.

As the largest exporter of crude oil, Saudi Arabia has kept international oil prices reasonably steady. Until now. The recent instability in the region coupled with overambitious estimates and slowing production has cast serious doubt on the country’s ability to keep prices low. Even more troubling, The Guardian reports that recently leaked confidential cables show that peak oil could occur as early as 2012. Peak oil’s inevitability has long been known, but it was earlier thought that we had until 2020.

Palestine’s Green City Faces New Criticism- this time about JNF Trees

Business

Arwa Aburawa

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February 14, 2011

Palestine’s Green City Faces New Criticism- this time about JNF Trees

Palestine’s green city attracts new criticism after developers admit they will be replacing 3,000 JNF trees with indigenous olive trees

Rawabi, Palestine’s first planned and green city was bound be a project full of stumbling blocks. An ambitious plan to help revive the fortunes of the West Bank, it not only had to prove its green credentials but also carefully navigate the identity politics minefield that it is part of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Back in October, Israeli Environmental Minister Gilad Erdan forced developers to cede access to the environmental impact assessment report of the project (although they were not required to do so) and went to criticize the report and threaten to shut down access roads to developers.

In early January, a boycott call was made against 20 Israeli companies assisting the project as they agreed not to use settlement products as part of their contract. Now, in response to criticisms from the Palestinian side for using JNF-sponsered trees, they have decided to replace them with indigenous Palestinian olive trees instead.

The Green Sheikh Rubber Stamps Cradle To Cradle Event

Cities

Tafline Laylin

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February 14, 2011

The Green Sheikh Rubber Stamps Cradle To Cradle Event

Green Sheik and Michael Braungart at green event in Abu Dhabi.

One of the most respected environmental activists in the Middle East, no sustainability conference is complete without H.H. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi’s stamp of approval. So it is an enormous compliment that the “Green Sheikh” attended an event co-hosted by Abu Dhabi’s leading property developer and an international carpet manufacturer. Designed to generate environmental awareness among United Arab Emirate businesses, the Cradle to Cradle event attracted over 100 leading architects, designers, and government and New York University representatives.

Better Place Says UK Not Giving Electric Cars a (Tax) Break

Transportation

Maurice Picow

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February 14, 2011

Better Place Says UK Not Giving Electric Cars a (Tax) Break

Is the UK’s Tax Man still short-sighted in giving incentives for electric cars?

The British government is not doing enough to give consumers enough incentives to purchase electric cars, says Better Place LLC CEO Shai Agassi in an interview with the UK newspaper The Guardian. The interview quotes Agassi as saying that other countries including China, Denmark, France, Japan, Israel, and the USA are giving incentives and tax deductions ranging from 5,000 Euro in France to zero car taxation in Denmark for persons willing to purchase electric cars over those burning fossil fuels.

Although the British government did pass legislation to give tax incentives of up to 5,000 Pounds on the purchase on an electric car, Agassi claims that these British purchase incentives are “too small and too short term to make investing in an electric car worthwhile.” The British tax incentives are only to be in effect through the year 2012, with the majority of the government’s budget for this purpose set up to only last through the first half of that year, according to the aforesaid news sources.

Do It Like the Jews in March – The Sabbath Manifesto

Lifestyle

Tafline Laylin

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February 13, 2011

From March 4 to 5th, unplug from your computer and back into your soul, and save the environment for a day.

Jewish tradition considers a day of down time sacred. For observant Jews, Shabbat (or the Sabbath) is a time to switch off electronics, to unplug the laptop and television, to ditch the Wii, and pay more attention to the family instead. But for many, the Sabbath has lost its genesis.

Which is why a group of American Jewish artists established the Sabbath Manifesto in 2010, a contemporary take on the day of rest.

Aimed at members of various American communities, there is no reason that people in the Middle East shouldn’t also unplug from sundown on March 4th until sundown March 5th this year in a show of tech-free solidarity.

Jordan’s Tribes Criticize Enviro Queen Rania

Business

Tafline Laylin

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February 13, 2011

Queen Rania is the latest Middle Eastern elite to receive criticism from dissenting citizens.

Like their Yemeni compatriots currently marching towards the presidential palace in Samaa, taking their cue and courage from jubilant Egyptians, thirty-six tribal leaders submitted a collective criticism of Jordan’s Queen Rania, according to an AFP report. Of Palestinian origin and born in Kuwait, the Queen married then Prince Abdullah II in 1993. An international celebrity and Green Prophet favorite, she is well-known for her work to protect Jordan’s environment. But the tribes accuse her and her family of corruption and for leading an unfairly lavish lifestyle.

INTERVIEW: Eco-Sexuality of Tantra with Israeli Relationship Coaches and Couple, Ben and Efrat (part 1)

Lifestyle

Tinamarie Bernard

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February 13, 2011

INTERVIEW: Eco-Sexuality of Tantra with Israeli Relationship Coaches and Couple, Ben and Efrat (part 1)

“In that pure moment of orgasm, nobody thinks of their utility bills,” jokes relationship experts and Tantra practitioners, Ben and Efrat, world-renowed teachers who reside in Israel.

A two part series on sustaining love with sacred sexuality

Ben and Efrat are world-renowned relationship coaches who incorporate a deep knowledge of tantra in their practice with couples, individuals and small groups. Perhaps best known to non-practitioners of sacred sexuality as the relationship experts on a 2010 episode of the Israel version of The Bachelor, Ben and Efrat have created a new series of at-home CD based lessons of love: Tantra Nights to Remember: Guided Intimate Evenings for Couples.

Intrigued by their emphasis on “Touching love through loving touch,” I recently asked them to share their philosophies with the readers of Greenprophet.com. In particular we explored the connection to the newest philosophical expression of love – eco-sexuality – with one of the world’s oldest: Tantra. Below is part One of our two part series on sustaining love with sacred sexuality.

Proposed Israeli Law to Reduce Organic Micro-Pollutants

Hannah Katsman

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February 13, 2011

Proposed Israeli Law to Reduce Organic Micro-Pollutants

The Israeli government wakes up to concerns about hormones and antibiotics in drinking water.

Last week at Green Prophet, we wrote about how an increase in breast size may be connected to hormones in the water supply. Estrogens in the environment or in our food are implicated in lower sperm counts and higher rate of breast cancers, and antibiotics in the environment could increase the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Israeli lawmaker Dov Chanin, a member of the committee on the environment, is trying to do something about it. The first target is extra, unused drugs that consumers throw into the trash or down the toilet. Ninety percent of the active material in drugs returns to the water system via landfills or sewage.

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