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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
These women began their epic 10,000 mile biking for transboundary conservation journey in Istanbul.
Following their own footsteps down an entirely different path, best friends Kate Harris and Melissa Yule left Istanbul to continue a year-long tour of transboundary protected areas (TBPAs) along the Silk Road.
With concern that these outlaying ecosystems are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the women intend to record their expedition – visually and in script – to draw international attention to these legendary, beautiful but decidedly rugged areas.
Rebecca points out the economical, environmental, and spiritual sides of using washable, reusable diapers on your baby.
Recently, Green Prophet’s Karin talked about her experience with Kushies washable cloth diapers. It opens the debate about disposables versus cloth. Now Taking care of your kids and keeping them clean can be overwhelming, to say the least. Whether you are raising one or ten, does not take away from the fact that there is a lot of cleaning up that needs to be done. So when my friend Yael started telling me all about cloth nappies, I tried very much to switch off and not hear her words.
Who needs more cleaning? I thought to myself. More changes a day and then more laundry. No way! But, as the months dragged by and I was forced to walk down those bright supermarket and pharmacy isles twice a month, to fork out a lot of money on disposable diapers, I felt a spark of curiosity starting to ignite in me: “Just try one or two” Yael encouraged me, and she handed over a few of her own.
So, I tried and well, much to my husband’s horror, I became hooked and we entered the world of cloth—a world full of bright colours, Indian soap nuts, and a change of mindset.
Listed as one of the oldest trees in the world, the Iranian cedar of Yazd, is dying.
The oldest living Iranian creature, a cedar tree in Abarghu (or Abarkuh) near Yazd in center of Iran, is about to die.
There are different opinions about the real age of this famous tree considered a symbol of pre-Islam Iran (because of the respect that the pre-Islamic Iranians had for cedars as the symbol of happiness and beauty).
Some say that the cedar is 4000 years old, possibly even 8000. But as Mostafa Khoshnevis, an environmental expert says, by counting the circles in side the bark of the tree, the age of the tree is not more than 1200 years.
In any case, the cedar is one of the oldest trees in the world. It is famous that Marco Polo along with several Iranian historians had written about it.
This happy bug muncher couldn’t care less about stigmas. Time to bite the bug? Certain varieties are kosher and halal. You can learn how to cook locusts here.
Are you craving for something different to satisfy the “munchies”? Or are you interested in trying a new kind of food that’s high in protein and low in saturated fats and other bad stuff?
Then try eating insects (yuck); especially those like several species of edible and even kosher locusts that have been a source of misery, and food, to humans since the dawn of time. Insects, a thousand species of them no less, are now being considered by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization as a good source of cheap protein for people in poorer parts of the world, especially in Asian and African countries.
You can also learn how to cook locusts at this Michelin-star like restaurant in Jerusalem
The UN is seriously considering promoting various insect species as a good source of dietary protein at a much lower environmental cost than traditional livestock, such as cows, pigs, or sheep.
In fact, the UN organization responsible for helping to secure food supplies for many inhabitants on this planet is seriously considering these exoskeleton critters to supplement often scarce protein supplies.
They want to: “increase appetites for insects, focusing especially on developing areas where protein supplies are scarce and sustainable harvesting of insects can contribute to both nutritional and economic improvements.”
Insects have both infested mankind and have been used as a food source since our ancient forbearers walked the earth millions of years ago. Locusts are mentioned in the Bible as one of the Ten Plagues that God punished the Egyptians with in order to force Pharaoh to free the Israelites from bondage.
Although insects are mostly forbidden in Jewish dietary Kashrut (kosher) laws, certain species of locusts are considered as kosher by some Jews; especially Yemenite Jews, and include the red locust (Arbeh in Hebrew), and the yellow locust which is known by its Hebrew name of Sal’am. A “kosher” locust is noted by having a marking that resembles the Hebrew letter Het on its underbelly.
Islamic dietary laws seem to follow Jewish laws when it comes to eating insects; and as such only locusts are considered as Halal or permitted as food in Islamic Law.
Recipes for these varmints vary according to region and dietary customs, and include “preparing embers (from a cooking fire) and roasting the entire locust upon them”, or putting several of them on a skewer and barbecuing them like chicken wings.
Since humans have to put up with being infested and bitten by various insect critters, we might as well do a turnabout and bite the bugs as well. Eating them can’t be much different than eating things like crayfish and frogs, both of which are excellent sources of protein. One just has to avoid the usual “mindset” abhorrence of eating a bug.
Bon appetit!
Read more on insects and our relationship with them:
This Wednesday evening and Thursday, Jews around the world will celebrate the holiday of Tu B’Shevat (15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat). Tu B’shevat traditions include planting new trees, and eating dried fruit. Tu B’Shevat has also become the Jewish Earth Day, to celebrate the environment and learn about ecology.
This Imperial Eagle is one of several species in Turkey that face extinction.
Birds accustomed to breeding and rearing their young in healthy wetlands are being pushed out as lakes dry up and agricultural and industrial activity take precedence. And reptiles. And mammals.
Even humans are being displaced as accelerated drought and fire sweep through Israel, rain floods Brisbane, Australia, and snow suffocates the UK and North America. In the last thirty years, 1/3 of all species have already gone extinct. And according to a Professor of Biology Ankara’s Hacettepe University, 70% of Turkey’s birds may be heading down the same devastating path.
Two award-winning companies – Aldar Properties and Enviromena – team up to solar power an Abu Dhabi school.
ALDAR Properties is one of the largest real estate development, management and investment companies headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Their development portfolio includes hotels, marinas, schools, gulf courses, estates management, and theme parks.
Climate change, which many scientists attribute to be a consequence of global warming, is already wracking havoc in many parts of the world; and unfortunately, the continent of Australia is experiencing more than its share of environmental disasters, including large scale brush and forest fires which devastated large parts of New South Wales and Victoria states. Australia’s central desert region, known “fondly” by locals as the Outback has escaped both the ravages of fire and water, simply because there’s not much there to burn and virtually no water. Brisbane, which is beginning to look like the American city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, will take a long time to recover from these floods, which could become more common due to large scale weather changes.
Jordanian environmentalists have launched a new campaign against planned construction in a nature reserve.
Jordanian environmentalists have launched a new campaign against plans to build a military academy at Bergish, in the Ajloun Forest nature reserve in north-western Jordan. The plans will, says campaigners from Halt Ajloun Deforestation, destroy an estimated 2,200 trees – some of them over 500 years old – in a large area of native forest in the Orjan village area.
Environmentalists have called for urgent action to save the last 400 argun palm trees, a rare desert palm tree highly valued by the ancient Egyptians
In the remote regions of Sudan and Egypt the argun palm tree- a rare desert tree whose fruit was discovered by archaeologists in Pharaoh tombs- grows under a harsh sun. Less than 400 trees is all that remains of the species which environmentalists say is now in critical danger of extinction. Although the desert palm tree has managed to survive the passage of time and outlive the Pharaohs, ecological experts say that human activity such as over-exploitation and climate change is putting the prized palm tree in serious danger.
Argun Palm Population Under Threat
According to a report by IPS News, the argun palm tree was first recorded by archaeologists who found its dried fruit amongst the gold and offerings recovered from the tombs of Pharaohs. However, it was assumed that the palm tree had died off with the Pharaohs until a German naturalist, Prince Paul Wilhelm von Wurttemburg stumbled across the species in the wilds of northern Sudan in 1837. Comprehensive surveys done over the last two decades recorded only 40 argun palms in Egypt and several hundred in northern Sudan.
In Egypt, desertification has taken it’s toll on the species whilst the palm trees in Sudan are at risk of over-exploitation by the local tribes who use the trees to make rope, mats and baskets. Professor of plant ecology Irina Springuel told IPS, “The argun palm survives, but its population is under heavy pressure. Unless protected, the species could disappear – and this time for good.” The argun palm tree is currently listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nation Red List of Threatened Species.
Growing Threat of Human Activity
Mahmoud Hasseb, director of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) of South Area Protectorates, told IPS that the growing level of human activity in regions where the argun grows in Egypt could also have a potentially devastating affect on the palm trees. Hasseb added that they were currently assessing the possibility of seeking protected status for the regions to limit the risk that a careless fire by a visitor or hunter would destroy the entire species. “For several years we’ve seen evidence of tourists and hunters visiting this area,” he told IPS. “When we visited in 2009, we collected the bones of dead gazelles and found dozens of palm trees had been burned. It became clear that this ecosystem was at risk.”
This report is one of many similar cases highlighting the danger of extinction for various species in the Middle East including: concerns about sharks in Kuwait and the Persian Gulf, as well as the dragon blood tree in the Socotra in Yemen. Whilst these may appear to demonstrate the dangerous situation much of flora and fauna face in the MENA region, these calls for urgent action also demonstrate an awareness of the seriousness of the situation and willingness to take action.
Jordanians have taken to the streets of the capital Amman to vent their anger at the government’s inability to stem rising food prices
We’ve already reported on the riots in Tunisia and Algeria sparked by high food prices, and now Jordan joins the list. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in protest against the growing food prices, unemployment and are calling on the prime minister Samir Rifai to stand down. The protest follow an announcement earlier this week by the Jordanian government that $169m will be invested in reducing the price of food and fuel as well as creating jobs. However, protesters say that this isn’t enough and they want more to be done to tackle poverty induced by inflation. According to a report by Al Jazeera, demonstrators were seen holding banner reading ‘Jordan is not only for the rich. Bread is a red line. Beware of our starvation and fury’.
The Guangzhou Opera House will open soon, ushering in yet another building of mass ecological destruction.
Occasionally, readers accuse Green Prophet writers of being killjoys. Israel finds the Leviathan gas field and throws the party of the century, but we hang our heads, certain of the environmental and social destruction that will follow. And when Zaha Hadid is commissioned to do another project, I look for my Prozac.
Each of the Iraqi architect’s buildings revolutionize the field, of that there is no question. But they are expensive, resource intensive, and therefore completely irresponsible. In a country where tens of millions of people live below the poverty line, the almost complete Guangzhou Opera House rises like a robber.
Once ignorant youth wished they were forced to watch documentaries in school, so moved are they by their new eco-knowledge.
Surrounded as they are by the glittering trappings of excess, where materialism appears to pave a golden path to happiness, convincing Dubai’s youth to care for their environment might seem like a colossal challenge. Not so, according to filmmaker Areeba Hanif.
For her final project at the SAE Institute in Dubai, Ms. Hanif set out to measure the power of documentaries (and maybe sci-fi, like EKON?) to educate youth. While she found that most of the emirate’s young people were spectacularly unaware of environmental issues, a quick flick made all the difference.
Moving from a culture of “me” to a culture of “we”.
Rachel Botsman, a researcher and social innovator, is hooked on the idea of what she calls “collaborative consumption” – a phenomenon that is gaining force in the 21st century. She recently gave a TED talk about the concept (see clip above) and said that what is essentially happening is that “technology is enabling trust between strangers. We now live in a global village, where we can mimic the ties that used to happen face to face but on a scale and in ways that have never been possible before. So what’s actually happening is that social networks and real-time technologies are taking us back – we’re bartering, sharing, swapping, trading – but they’re being reinvented into dynamic and appealing forms.”
Collaborative consumption has started to emerge in the Middle East over recent years, with the appearance of online services such as carpooling in Cairo, or car sharing in Tel Aviv.
Egypt is putting out a request for formal bids for wind farms to produce a staggering 2,690 Megawatts (2.7 GW) of electricity by 2016.
At 80 million, Egypt already has the highest population in the Arab world, and it is growing fast economically, with over 6.5% growth expected this year. Its demand for electricity, understandably, given these pressures, is extraordinary.
Egypt has recently had blackouts due to electricity shortages, sending rioting protesters into the streets. It could have taken a timid route to build fossil energy to supply its rapidly growing population. But instead it is implementing an admirably bold policy to act effectively to get 20% of renewable power on its grid by 2020, with 12% coming from wind power.
These women began their epic 10,000 mile biking for transboundary conservation journey in Istanbul.
Rebecca points out the economical, environmental, and spiritual sides of using washable, reusable diapers on your baby. 
Listed as one of the oldest trees in the world, the Iranian cedar of Yazd, is dying. 
This Imperial Eagle is one of several species in Turkey that face extinction.
