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.
Greenpeace calls on ICCAT to close down the Mediterranean Bluefin Fishery at Paris conference.
The Japanese aren’t going to let the bluefish tuna resume its predatory ocean going unimpeded any time soon, since that country comprises 80% of its international market. Nor are Mediterranean countries (and their fishermen) – which in large measure supply that fleshy demand. Meanwhile, activists (Greenpeace in particular) and scientists are adamant that although Asian countries blocked efforts to list the Bluefish Tuna as endangered, that is what they are.
The European Union and United Nations are attempting to restore order where the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) has failed, but all parties are gripped with a chronic political apathy that will end, it is feared, with no more Bluefin to catch.
Young Swahili “beach boys” ride in a traditional dhow in Lamu, which is threatened by a multi-billion dollar port project.
Lamu’s enclave of UNESCO-protected Swahili culture – an enduring tradition born from a fusion of coastal Bantu and Arab traders that settled here centuries ago – is threatened by a multi-billion dollar port project. For seven hundred years the Swahili people have led a tranquil existence among the mangroves and coral reef that, respectively, provide construction material for their homes and boats and shelter for fish.
In time, thanks to a Shariff named Habib Swaleh, Lamu became one of the most respected centers for Islamic education in Africa, a role that still stands today. But the Swahili culture has gradually eroded with an influx of wealthy foreigners and members of other, non-Muslim tribes; now the town’s spiritual leader, Imam Idarus, worries that the incoming port project (slated for the mainland nearby) will draw even more people that will eventually overrun the cultural fabric that knits this community together.
Omar is a Swahili man from Lamu. He was once married to a British woman, with whom he had two children, and lived in Bristol for a time. He is back on the island and on this occasion, someone had invited him for tea.
There are only a few cars on the island – the alleyways too narrow to support them – along with a small handful of motorbikes. Otherwise, everything – bread, sugar, charcoal, cigarettes – is transported from one section of the island to the other on the backs of sturdy donkeys.
The town’s electricity generators are powered by diesel stored in giant, rusted barrels brought in on a small power boat. Most of the local people earn a living either from tourism, by arranging trips to the coral reef and other excursions on traditional sailboats called dhows, or from fishing.
But as part of their Vision 2030 plan to become the foremost powerhouse in East Africa, the Government of Kenya is pushing a major port development plan that could threaten all of this.
Lamu-Southern Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) will include a six-lane shipping port, an oil refinery, three resort cities, three airports, an oil pipeline from Lamu to Southern Sudan, as well as a new railroad. And though the government claims that this development will bring additional jobs to Lamu, local officials note that only 5% of the population have sufficient skills to seek employment there.
Instead, the development will draw skilled foreigners, not to mention untold environmental destruction.
“Never mind the UNESCO heritage site,” Imam Idarus said via a translator, “this will swallow the Swahili population.”
“It will bring prostitution, robbery, kidnapping,” he added. “The people are not prepared.”
The Ministry of Transportation issued a tender in October for the first construction phase of three berths. Although the winner has not been announced, the Kenya Port Authority (KPA) circulated internal news in September that a state-owned Chinese company – China National Machinery Industry Corporation – expressed interest.
China is Sudan’s largest importer of oil, and therefore has a strong interest in seeing this project progress as it will ensure easier access.
Before leaving that (non-CFL) light on after you leave the room, you might want to take a look at the Story of Coal.
In the routine of our daily lives, it’s easy to forget about the ramifications of our actions. When stopping by the supermarket on your way home from work to pick up some items for dinner, it’s easy to go for processed, overly packaged, imported items and stick them in a non-biodegradable plastic bag. As you peruse the shelves of that trendy (but not such great quality) clothing store in search of some new t-shirts, it’s easy to forget about the story of stuff. And when sitting at home with all the (non-energy efficient) lights on, the TV blasting, and every single appliance plugged in (whether you’re using it or not), it’s easy to forget about the story of coal.
But the story of coal is very real, and it ain’t no bedtime story either.
Sperm Wars: What happens to sperm today has long term consequences for a male’s offsprings health and wellbeing, new research suggests, as a result of changes to the DNA.
A recent article on this site documented the increased levels of toxins in pregnant women in Jerusalem vs. their counterparts in the states. It was an eye-opener for those living in the Middle East who advocate for a greener way of life in this part of the globe, but it didn’t address the issue of potential fathers and their exposure to pollutants, a topic also close to the heart of eco-sexuality.
In this companion piece, we report on research that demonstrates that a male’s experiences and exposure to toxic compounds alters his sperm, so much so that the nasty effects are passed on in his DNA. Not only is this seen in animal studies, but human investigations are also showing comparable sperm wars.
Clean Tech Open IDEAS Competition winner Solaris Synergy’s ideain prototype
Solaris Synergy has won an award for a really brilliant idea: float concentrating solar panels on large bodies of water, such as reservoirs, to protect valuable land area for other needs. For now, the company is at the start-up stage, with a tiny (home-sized) 1 KW prototype installed on the company roof as proof of concept, but plans a 200KW system to be installed in a water reservoir in Israel later this year to test the concept.
Hydro-electric power, Better Place vehicles, endangered species and more headlines related to Israeli cleantech and the environment.
Solaris Synergy and Leviathan were named Israel’s leading early stage environmental technologies at this year’s Clean Tech Open IDEAS Competition. CNN aired a feature on wastewater reclamation in Israel and IT-water management company TaKaDu raised an undisclosed sum from Emerald Technology Ventures. For these stories and the rest of this week’s headlines, see below.
Two of the five winners of the $200 million GE Ecomagination Challenge for powering the grid are companies from the Middle East – GridON and WinFlex.
This summer GE turned to the internet global hive mind by issuing an open invitation to any and all to compete for the best ideas for greening the grid, in one of the largest projects ever launched to accelerate the development of the next generation of clean-technologies via open collaboration.
Selected out of more than 4,000 entries from around the globe, each winner receives $100,000 to develop their ideas. Two of the five winners for greening the grid are from Israel, and perhaps that is appropriate. The Middle East generally is most at risk from not solving climate change. One idea would help even out the grid as more renewable energy is added, the other makes wind power cheaper.
Scientists are coring into the Dead Sea floor to reveal more about regional climate change and earthquakes over time.
Five hundred thousand years of Earth’s history is expected to be bored out of the Dead Sea, reports UPI. A multi-national team of scientists have started drilling from a platform near the Dead Sea resort of Ein Boqeq in Israel. The researchers will take a thin slice of Earth’s history through a 3,937-foot-deep borehole and will examine the layers f sediment like rings on a tree, or core samples from icebergs in the North Pole.
Bahrain intends to save its portion of the Gulf before the ship sinks by staging and practicing its response to a major oil spill.
In an alarming testament to the bizarre times in which we live, Bahrain is planning a new kind of drill. As small children we listened eagerly for the sound of the siren that would give some reprieve from our soporific classes for even a few minutes; then we would huddle under our desks, giggling, completely ignoring our earnest teachers explain what to do should a fire come sweeping through school.
It’s unlikely anyone involved with the upcoming drill in Bahrain will be giggling as members from several important agencies gather for three days to stage a dreaded BP-esque oil spill disaster, because an oil spill in Bahrain has the unwelcome potential to shut down desalination plants and a vibrant fishing industry.
No turkey here; but plenty of other good things that can make holiday meals festive yet veggie.
Although I admit to sometimes being a meat eater, I do agree that eating meat can go overboard on national secular holidays like Thanksgiving in America, and especially when I look back on how it was celebrated back in the 1880’s. This can also apply to religious holidays like the Muslim Eid al Adha holiday that coincides with the annual Hajj pilgrimage currently in progress.
Vegetarians have a particularly difficult time during holiday food fests, and I recall going to a Thanksgiving dinner back in the “old country” where some of my relatives who were vegan vegetarians and even more strict than those who simply choose not to eat meat since vegans also shun foods containing animal products. Seeing them eat a plate of boiled veggies and a green salad, while the rest of us were woofing down turkey and all the trimmings, did not seem very appetizing to say the least.
Children whirl around on a swing constructed specially for Eid festivities.
A stone’s throw south of the Somali border lies a little known island called Lamu, a UNESCO protected heritage site that maintains one of the best preserved Swahili cultures in East Africa. In 1652, Oman helped rid Lamu of the Portuguese, setting in motion a period rich in arts, crafts, politics and literature.
And then in the 1880s Habib Salih settled in Lamu, establishing a Madrasa that has since secured Lamu’s place as an important center for Islamic education. Although no Mecca, the island’s colorful Eid celebrations lured children and their mothers out on to the streets usually dominated by kikoy-clad men chewing ghat.
Use the heel-toe express to wander through Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine.
The Middle East is a pretty amazing place (just ask any of the locals), and there is a lot to see. A LOT to see. So it would be a shame to miss anything by sticking to conventional modern (and polluting) forms of transportation, such as personal cars, buses, motorcycles, or even trains. You could take a bike, but not all paths are well suited for wheels. Which brings us back to the most ancient form of transportation that there is (an appropriate way to get around in a region with so much ancient heritage) – your own two feet.
Wanderlust recently rounded up their choice of the region’s most interesting hikes, and they sounded so great we thought we’d share them here. From shortest to longest, here’s a list of interesting hikes to guide you through the Middle East:
Artificial islands are sinking in the mire: Dubai has to face new environmental woes that come with “progress.”
When one thinks of Dubai shopping, economic prowess and cleanliness come to mind. While all three have become staples and synonymous with the Gulf city, the environmental toll that has been unleashed as a result is beginning to force government officials to take note. The city’s energy output, in order to turn sewage into fresh water, pump electricity into houses and the need to keep all the grand edifices running smoothly, is being hampered now by the environmental degradation that has come in its place. Officials are now worried that without action, Dubai could face major problems in the near future.
From Aztecs and A-list celebrities, the ancient healing practice of cupping has such a diverse fanbase and illustrious history that it’s hard to credit one culture with its conception. The practice is believed to date back to thousands of years with evidence of the method amongst medicinal traditions of the Egyptians, Chinese and Greeks.
The holistic therapy consists of heating small round cups on an open flame and placing it on the skin which creates a vacuum that sucks up the skin and encourages blood flow. The most popular form of cupping in the Muslim world is ‘wet cupping’ where small incisions are made to the skin after cupping to draw out blood.
How Hijama Is Done
Wet cupping or ‘Hijama’, which comes from the Arabic word for ‘sucking’, took on particular importance in the Arab world after the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) said: “Healing is in three things: in the incision of the cupper, in drinking honey, and in cauterizing with fire, but I forbid my Ummah (nation) to use cauterization.” (Al-Bukhari) Although over time the popularity of cupping has waned significantly, Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa carry out wet cupping to soothe their aches and pains till this day.
Wet cupping has been credited in the Islamic faith as a cure for various ailments such as headaches, stomach problems, poisoning and alleviating pain. As Abu Zakariya, a Hijama practitioner in the UK explains, “Hijama is like an oil change for the human body- if you compare the body to a car- you remove the old dirty (oil-blood), so the body can replenish the circulatory system with clean blood. Hijama helps to remove impurities and stimulate the bone marrow to produce new, healthier blood and increase blood circulation.”
Hijama, which is basically a combination of cupping and blood-letting, also has the added benefits of these two therapies. Cupping is widely used to treat pain and muscular aches, indigestion, colds, fever and even arthritis. Whilst blood-letting is credited with removing toxins, excess iron and excess red blood cells from the body.
Leeches which were used in the past to aid blood letting appear to have made a comeback in recent times as they are now used in hospitals to clean wounds and improve blood circulation in damaged tissue.
Although the practice has an important place in most Muslim communities, there does tend to be a DIY attitude to the whole thing with people using the ‘guy down the street’ to carry it out.
This probably stems from the fact that traditionally it was the barber who carried out the practice, along with other small operations such as circumcisions, but my advice is to seek a professionals or registered practitioner who will ensure that the hijama is carried out in a sterile environment. Abu Zakariya’s advice is to make sure the practitioner is medically qualified and follows strict universal cross infection control procedures (ie all cups are disposable and single use).
Despite the alien-like bruises that this alternative therapy leaves behind, the procedure for wet cupping is quite straight forward and consists of encouraging blood circulation using suction and pressure combined with small incisions. The bruising which occurs due to the suction from the cups fades within days and I have been told repeatedly that cupping looks a million times more painful than it actually is. Most people say that they find the procedure soothing and effective form of pain relief which helps them detox.
Artists bridge the divide and draw attention to the plight of endangered species.
Israel and Iran may be arch enemies politically, but a recent design competition demonstrates that their artists are more alike than different. Although we have featured many Israeli designs in the past, such as these outrageous shoes and this lovely ceramic e-cooler designed by the Boaz couple, we have had fewer opportunities to show off the good work coming out of Iran.
But that does not mean that none exists. One of the world’s most foremost night sky photographers is an Iranian whose art both delights and unites its viewers. And yesterday designboom announced that an Iranian student took second place in an international competition designed to draw attention to the plight of endangered species. An Israeli student won with a beautiful design called “Life Tracks.”
Greenpeace calls on ICCAT to close down the Mediterranean Bluefin Fishery at Paris conference.
Scientists are coring into the Dead Sea floor to reveal more about regional climate change and earthquakes over time. 
No turkey here; but plenty of other good things that can make holiday meals festive yet veggie. 
