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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.

Solar Energy’s Not So Sunny Side

Tech

Maurice Picow

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February 12, 2011

Solar Energy’s Not So Sunny Side

Nobody thought to ask him if he approves of a mega solar project on his home turf

Solar energy, whether from photovoltaic panels, solar thermal systems, or concentration of sunlight to heat water and create steam to operate an electricity producing turbine, is being promoted by many as the most promising energy source of the future. While widespread use of solar energy does appear promising as an energy supplier, there are downsides to solar energy that people should be aware of.

Environmental Minister Chooses Greening Israel Over UN Post

Business

Tafline Laylin

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February 12, 2011

Environmental Minister Chooses Greening Israel Over UN Post

Israel is fortunate to have an Environmental Protection Minister who is passionate about his job. So passionate, he gave up an opportunity to work as ambassador to the UN.

Israel’s Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan turned down an opportunity to represent Israel as ambassador to the United Nations, according to a Jerusalem Post report. He expressed his gratitude to both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman for their confidence, but decided that Israel needs him more.

This move comes hot on the heels of a fervent campaign to re-educate Israelis about food waste with a series of billboard, television, and radio advertisements, and to instill greener habits throughout the country. Environmental agencies expressed their respect for the decision.

Egyptian Strikes Clear The Air – Temporarily

Cities

Tafline Laylin

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February 12, 2011

One unexpected consequence of the riots is cleaner air, because fewer factories are running.

Amid the turmoil and disappointment of Egyptian President Mubarak’s refusal to leave Egypt despite ongoing and increasingly desperate protests, an unexpected consequence has emerged. Infamous for its stultifying smog, Cairo is packed with factories and cars that create an unhealthy breathing environment for its constituents. Long term government plans include relocating the factories but in the meantime, despite Mubarak’s pleas for Cairenes to return to work, many businesses remain closed. This in turn has cleared the air.

UAE Green Pre-Fab Building Target Of UK Investigative Inquiry

Business

Tafline Laylin

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February 11, 2011

UAE Green Pre-Fab Building Target Of UK Investigative Inquiry

This should be the scene of a brand-new prefab building made in the UAE, but the building is still sitting in an Essex container port.

The UAE is well-known for its ginormous skyscrapers and oil-guzzling lifestyle, and increasingly Abu Dhabi is making a name for its eco-consciousness, but it can’t be said that our Gulf friends are the go-to people for eco-friendly buildings.

Which is why the UK paper this is Leicestershire has grabbed the following story by its rather slippery horns. Why, they wonder, would the Rutland Primary Care Trust spend £2.3 million on a building made in the UK, rather than one from Europe, and why, six months after its expected installation, is that building still at the Essex container port?

Are Anti-oxidants Keeping You Young and Infertile?

Health

Tinamarie Bernard

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February 11, 2011

Are Anti-oxidants Keeping You Young and Infertile?

The latest research out of Israel hints to pregnancy prevention via antioxidants.

It’s a tale with two endings, a conundrum for consumers of antioxidant-rich foods, drinks and facial products. What has been touted as a natural way to slow the aging process by minimizing cell damage via oxidation may be one culprit in female infertility. So suggests Professor Nava Dekel of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.

Green Cars Are Not New – Let’s Look Back 90 Years

Transportation

Maurice Picow

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February 11, 2011

Green Cars Are Not New – Let’s Look Back 90 Years

This 1934 streamlined DIY car could go 50-70 miles on a gallon of gas. Not bad, in today’s terms.

The idea of building environmentally friendly or “green” cars is not something new, even though Green Prophet has written many articles on new electric and hybrid cars. In addition to factory produced models, other articles have on “do it yourself” (DIY) models, which have included a home-made electric car, using conventional wet cell car batteries; and even a Palestinian home made electric car powered by solar energy. Let’s look back a little at what people before us had come up – well before the notion of Peak Oil and global warming.

Dubai Goes Car-Free for a Day!

Travel

Arwa Aburawa

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February 10, 2011

Dubai Goes Car-Free for a Day!

Around 2,500 took part in the car-free day – aiming to encourage the use of public transport

Empty car parks and full Metros and buses is not a sight you’re likely to see very often in the Dubai but for one day it became reality. On Wednesday, around 2,500 employees decided to leave their cars at home and ride the metro or bus to work as part of the car-free day initiative organised by the Dubai Municipality. Considering that this is a nation where only 4 percent of population walk anywhere in a week, this really is a breakthrough. The event was declared ‘a huge success’ for actually getting people to see the benefits of using public transport and for convincing them to leave their cars at home. How did they do it!?

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