Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.
Tillage is one of the clearest signals of how a farm treats its soil. Intensive plowing can degrade structure, release carbon, and increase erosion. Conservation practices—no-till, cover cropping, minimal disturbance—do the opposite. They build soil, retain water, and support biodiversity. But until now, measuring these practices at scale has been slow, expensive, and often self-reported.
Hydrophilis, Oliver Isler’s experimental rebreather suit, reimagines diving by reducing drag, eliminating bubbles, and bringing humans closer to the natural movement of marine life.
If you work as a roofer, landscaper, pool builder, or in construction, installing garden slabs or solar panels, building sheds, or working on outdoor home improvement projects, take note of new research that can help you protect your heart.
Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.
Tillage is one of the clearest signals of how a farm treats its soil. Intensive plowing can degrade structure, release carbon, and increase erosion. Conservation practices—no-till, cover cropping, minimal disturbance—do the opposite. They build soil, retain water, and support biodiversity. But until now, measuring these practices at scale has been slow, expensive, and often self-reported.
Hydrophilis, Oliver Isler’s experimental rebreather suit, reimagines diving by reducing drag, eliminating bubbles, and bringing humans closer to the natural movement of marine life.
If you work as a roofer, landscaper, pool builder, or in construction, installing garden slabs or solar panels, building sheds, or working on outdoor home improvement projects, take note of new research that can help you protect your heart.
Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.
Tillage is one of the clearest signals of how a farm treats its soil. Intensive plowing can degrade structure, release carbon, and increase erosion. Conservation practices—no-till, cover cropping, minimal disturbance—do the opposite. They build soil, retain water, and support biodiversity. But until now, measuring these practices at scale has been slow, expensive, and often self-reported.
Hydrophilis, Oliver Isler’s experimental rebreather suit, reimagines diving by reducing drag, eliminating bubbles, and bringing humans closer to the natural movement of marine life.
If you work as a roofer, landscaper, pool builder, or in construction, installing garden slabs or solar panels, building sheds, or working on outdoor home improvement projects, take note of new research that can help you protect your heart.
Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.
Tillage is one of the clearest signals of how a farm treats its soil. Intensive plowing can degrade structure, release carbon, and increase erosion. Conservation practices—no-till, cover cropping, minimal disturbance—do the opposite. They build soil, retain water, and support biodiversity. But until now, measuring these practices at scale has been slow, expensive, and often self-reported.
Hydrophilis, Oliver Isler’s experimental rebreather suit, reimagines diving by reducing drag, eliminating bubbles, and bringing humans closer to the natural movement of marine life.
If you work as a roofer, landscaper, pool builder, or in construction, installing garden slabs or solar panels, building sheds, or working on outdoor home improvement projects, take note of new research that can help you protect your heart.
Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.
Tillage is one of the clearest signals of how a farm treats its soil. Intensive plowing can degrade structure, release carbon, and increase erosion. Conservation practices—no-till, cover cropping, minimal disturbance—do the opposite. They build soil, retain water, and support biodiversity. But until now, measuring these practices at scale has been slow, expensive, and often self-reported.
Hydrophilis, Oliver Isler’s experimental rebreather suit, reimagines diving by reducing drag, eliminating bubbles, and bringing humans closer to the natural movement of marine life.
If you work as a roofer, landscaper, pool builder, or in construction, installing garden slabs or solar panels, building sheds, or working on outdoor home improvement projects, take note of new research that can help you protect your heart.
Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.
Tillage is one of the clearest signals of how a farm treats its soil. Intensive plowing can degrade structure, release carbon, and increase erosion. Conservation practices—no-till, cover cropping, minimal disturbance—do the opposite. They build soil, retain water, and support biodiversity. But until now, measuring these practices at scale has been slow, expensive, and often self-reported.
Hydrophilis, Oliver Isler’s experimental rebreather suit, reimagines diving by reducing drag, eliminating bubbles, and bringing humans closer to the natural movement of marine life.
If you work as a roofer, landscaper, pool builder, or in construction, installing garden slabs or solar panels, building sheds, or working on outdoor home improvement projects, take note of new research that can help you protect your heart.
Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.
Tillage is one of the clearest signals of how a farm treats its soil. Intensive plowing can degrade structure, release carbon, and increase erosion. Conservation practices—no-till, cover cropping, minimal disturbance—do the opposite. They build soil, retain water, and support biodiversity. But until now, measuring these practices at scale has been slow, expensive, and often self-reported.
Hydrophilis, Oliver Isler’s experimental rebreather suit, reimagines diving by reducing drag, eliminating bubbles, and bringing humans closer to the natural movement of marine life.
If you work as a roofer, landscaper, pool builder, or in construction, installing garden slabs or solar panels, building sheds, or working on outdoor home improvement projects, take note of new research that can help you protect your heart.
Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.
Tillage is one of the clearest signals of how a farm treats its soil. Intensive plowing can degrade structure, release carbon, and increase erosion. Conservation practices—no-till, cover cropping, minimal disturbance—do the opposite. They build soil, retain water, and support biodiversity. But until now, measuring these practices at scale has been slow, expensive, and often self-reported.
Hydrophilis, Oliver Isler’s experimental rebreather suit, reimagines diving by reducing drag, eliminating bubbles, and bringing humans closer to the natural movement of marine life.
If you work as a roofer, landscaper, pool builder, or in construction, installing garden slabs or solar panels, building sheds, or working on outdoor home improvement projects, take note of new research that can help you protect your heart.
As the environmental movement in the Middle East blossoms, women are being encouraged to take a more active role in environmental protection
We have already profiled the lovely ladies at Naqa’a, an environmental group based in Saudi as well as the Eco-Chicks of Abu Dhabi who are making strides in introducing the climate agenda to the wider population. Now, the launch of a ‘Sustainable Lifestyles’ campaign will give more than 720 women in Abu Dhabi the opportunity to learn about the environment and how they can take positive action to protect the planet.
Breakthrough sustainable clean energy technology gets a field test in forward-thinking Abu Dhabi
In one of Chromasun’s first international pilot projects, the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority has arranged for the company to demonstrate its commercial solar-powered air conditioning technology, Solar Thermal Magazine reports.
Chromasun’s unique solar thermal air conditioning system is being installed at a distribution center that manages controls and processes for the utility.
Previously the center’s office air-conditioning was supplied by conventional electric chillers. But these have significant fossil-based peak power demands on hot days. Abu Dhabi is working to green its grid to help in international efforts to prevent climate change. Solar power has zero carbon emissions, and is permanently fuel-free.
In this field-trial, Chromasun is using rooftop-scale solar thermal technology, concentrated with sun-tracking reflectors, to heat a liquid to very high heat – the same way that massive utility-scale solar thermal power plants do.
But instead of using the heated liquid to boil water to make steam to drive a turbine to make electricity, like a SEGs-type of power plant, Chromasun will use the super-heated liquid created on a rooftop to power air conditioners, in the commercial building underneath each system.
Chromasun founder Peter Le Lievre has deep experience in utility-scale solar thermal systems, having implemented the first solar thermal add-on to a fossil fired power station at Solar Heat and Power, and as the co-founder of Ausra, which is building a 100 solar thermal MW plant in Jordan. He is scaling-down solar thermal technology to the commercial building market, and using it a new way, to supply air conditioning.
How Solar Thermal Air Conditioning works:
Sealed inside a protective clear cover, Chromasun puts lightweight, highly reflective aluminium mirrors to concentrate the sun’s rays between 20 to 25 times, focused on a pipe containing the liquid to be heated. The mirrors pivot in unison to follow the sun. The whole device is sealed inside a clear glass cover to protect the moving mechanism from dust and dirt and any possible objects in motion outside, from wind-driven dust and debris to birds or small animals.
The collectors are put on the roof and they focus the heat of the sun on a liquid, which gets solar heated to 175˚C, and then sent in pipes down to the boiler room in the building, where it is used instead of electrically heated water in a double-effect absorption chiller that converts the heat coming from the panels into chilled water to run through the air conditioning system.
Chromasun already has a 16,000 square-foot assembly plant in San Jose that can put together 10 megawatts of concentrated solar thermal systems per year.
If the mechanics behind Global Warming has eluded you, or if you’re excited by a few cooking tips or a good old fashioned dystopic novel, then dig in, because we’ve got seven books that will help you start 2011 on a green foot.
The holidays are over and winter has finally set in. What better opportunity to sink into a cozy couch and catch up on your reading? Maybe your New Year’s resolution is to help improve the environment in the Middle East, start a green business, or cooking blog? Here are some resources to help you start the revolution.
Do you know intuitively that biodiversity is important, but don’t have the details to back up your argument?
Are you unclear why fossil fuel discoveries, such as the Leviathan gas field in Israel, are nothing to throw a party over?
Starting with Hot, Flat and Crowded, a great eco starter book, and continuing with French adventures and some cooking tips, our list will help you understand the science behind the rhetoric while simultaneously offering a glimpse into a saner way forward.
Maybe blondes really do have more fun, and more fun composting too.
It’s easier to get Israelis excited about blondes than about composting, but if you get their eco-attention using a blonde? That’s a different story. Atar Friedman, a beautiful young Israeli blonde with a mission, has been trying to get Israelis more conscious about waste and composting. Now the face of a new garbage sorting campaign, Friedman says that she’s “very proud to be the dumb blonde who models garbage.” Blending glamour with garbage, maybe Friedman has got what it takes to improve the country’s increasing trash problem.
Arwa reviews the book by Richard C. Foltz, Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Culture, Oneworld Publications
Following the controversy during Eid Al-adha and allegations of animal mistreatment in Egypt, I found myself questioning how my faith which teaches compassion towards animals could become so inextricably linked to clear animal abuses.
Islam, despite what many state, does teach compassion towards every single animal- even dogs and pigs which face so much stigma in the Muslim world. In an effort to educate myself more about my faith and arm myself with information against those who justify those abuses- I did what journalists do best. I did some research. I stumbled across Richard C Foltz’s book during my search and his book instantly won points by have a title which recognised the difference between Islamic teachings and Muslim culture. In fact, it turned out to be a little gem of a book and even had some interesting things to say about Islam and the environment!
The thirst for water in an arid region means embracing waste water recycling
Altogether the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman are projected to need to spend US$60 billion on expanding waste water collection and treatment capacity over the next six years, according to international strategy firm Booz & Co speaking to Middle East Utilities.
Saudi Arabia alone is on track to become the third largest water reuse market in the world after the United States and China, says Walid Fayad, partner at Booz & Co.
The gigantic $45 billion Leviathan gas find tosses out Israel’s previous relationship with the world. The biggest deep-water gas find in a decade has enough reserves to supply Israel’s gas needs for 100 years.
Oil and gas exploration that might benefit Israel has long been stymied by political fears. Because of worries about antagonizing current relationships with Arab partners, Big Oil had till now avoided the possibility of any political blow-back from finding any potential oil and gas in Israel.
Somewhat belatedly, Turkey bans the procurement and use of asbestos throughout Turkey.
Asbestos was once considered the darling of building materials given its extraordinary resistance to heat, its absorbent qualities, and its tensile strength. Commonly used in roofing, tiles, paper production, ceiling and floor tiles, in packaging, and in gadgets, asbestos became popular in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
The trouble is, asbestos has deleterious effects on human health and on the environment. As such it finds itself on the list of materials that are known to be dangerous to humans.
Banned 21 years ago in the United States and in various stages throughout the western world, entry into the European Union also requires its prohibition.
Accordingly, Turkey has completely banned asbestos production, use, and supply.
In Egypt, where no regulations exist to prevent it from happening, producers slap high tags on their products and call them organic or biodynamic – even when they are not. In response to complaints, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has introduced new certification regulations that should curtail this process.
A new kind of trust vehicle for investors is showing that solar contracts are a secure investment
Israel’s Israel’s Sunflower Sustainable Investments (TASE: SNFL) has developed a unique business model for investors: they sell trust funds that invest only in sustainable income projects. Sunflower has just completed its latest deal to buy and build three small solar farms in Italy, from each of which they will generate a set rate of 34 Euros per kilowatt hour for the next 20 years.
The tastiest olives are the ones you pickle yourself. Read on for ways of upgrading store bought olives too.
Olives are eaten with almost every meal in the Middle East, sometimes even at breakfast. Organically grown olives are the most delicious. You might be growing an olive tree in a container, but be realistic. If your tree gives fruit, there will probably not be enough for pickling.
Dried and salty or plump and succulent, glowing in gem-like green, black, brown, and purple, olives have their own displays in supermarkets and open-air markets everywhere (see Karin’s post on Israeli fresh food markets). Some people like their olives hot with fiery chilis. Some prefer them tangy with preserved lemons, or mellowed with bay leaves. You can pickle and season fresh olives by the kilo if you want, and it’s not hard.
Foraged black and green olives in Jaffa by Karin Kloosterman. Salt the black olives, and
It’s in autumn that olives are harvested and appear in the markets. But if you missed the season, a recipe for improving supermarket olives follows this one.
The olives sit in plain water, changed daily, for a week. During that time their original bitterness will leach out into the water. In the following 4-8 weeks, they marinate in fresh brine and seasonings.
Ingredients for fermented (pickled) olives:
1 kilo fresh olives
water
After a week, you will need:
Fresh water
Salt
Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 lemon, sliced
chili peppers to taste
2 bay leaves
Optional: oregano, thyme, rosemary, grains of black pepper, allspice
Equipment:
Knife or clean rock
Mason jar or other large jar with a tight-fitting lid
Rinse the olives and drain. Discard any spoiled ones.
Either cut three slits in each olive or crush them with a clean rock, a few at a time. If crushing, only press hard enough to crack them open, not mash them.
Put the olives in the jar. Cover them with water. Make sure there are none floating – weigh them down with a small saucer or drape a clean recycled plastic bag over the surface of the water to keep them under.
Change the water every 24 hours. Do this for a week.
The olives will lose their bright color as their bitterness leaches out. When the olives are uniformly darker, taste them to judge if they’re ready for brining. If they’re still bitter, soak them and change the water for another few days.
Once the olives are ready, drain them and put them in a large bowl while washing out their jar. Make a brine. This is 1/4 cup kosher salt to 4 cups fresh water.
Mix well.
Replace the olives in the clean jar. Pour the brine over all. Add herbs and spices to taste.
Cover the olives with plenty of olive oil (as in the image above) to exclude air and prevent spoilage. Close the jar. You can use the olive oil later.
Leave it alone for a month, then taste an olive every week or so till you’re satisfied.
Olives and tapas
Always remove olives for serving with a clean, dry spoon. Keep the majority in their brine and seasonings – they will only improve.
How To Make Cheap Olives Delicious
Make your own tasty marinade, no matter what olives you have at home.
Pour out the brine they came in, and as above, season with garlic, peppers, bay leaves, and lemon. Pour 1/4 cup dry red wine over them if you wish. Cover them with olive oil. Store in the fridge and eat after 1 day to allow the flavors to penetrate. The olives will stay good 1 week.
Ever heard of Boughezoul? Nor have we, but hold on to your ride, because this low-carbon city is about to rival Masdar as the new kid in town.
Trumped up by a sophisticated publicity campaign, Masdar City might be the only Middle Eastern city outside of Dubai, Jerusalem and Tehran that is internationally known. Certainly, it is the only “green city” that has received any kind of attention.
But there’s a new kid in town. Algiers might not have Masdar’s press power has, nor Foster & Partner’s star power. But their new initiative is still significant. The new city Boughzoul will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but Algiers intends to use that model for all future city developments in the country.
Following the success of various tagging programs since 2005, the EAD captured and fit another Greater Flamingo named Yasmeena with a satellite device that will enable researchers to track her migration route and stopovers.
Today’s announcement from Noble Energy of its gigantic Leviathan gas find in disputed territory will exacerbate tensions in region
They say that fossil fuel riches become a curse to any country that possess them. Where fossil fuels flow – corruption, reduced democracy and increased inequality follow. It is such a recognized pattern that it has become a cliche: the resource curse. No nation is immune. Even one-time staid and fair-minded Canada has now succumbed to this corruption of democracy, under the pressure from its oil sands provinces.
Maybe blondes really do have more fun, and more fun composting too. 
