The first time I entered into the mikveh, it felt as if my body was suspended in something extraordinary, primordial fluid, if you will. Every sense awoke. The water felt warm against my skin, like a comforting caress, and the gentle lapping sounds echoed against the walls and whooshed in my ears. Time became irrelevant […]
African nations fight over who lays claim to the Nile. Egypt is fighting back. Image via Michael JG It is water. Water for all. At least this is the argument that upstream countries along the Nile River have been saying for years, but Egypt continues to refuse to renegotiate a colonial-era treaty that would allocate […]
Cases of the swine flu have died down, now avian flu scare resurges in Israel and the West Bank. Image via todds-gallery Animal cases of avian flu in Bala village in the Tul Karem area of the West Bank, Palestinian Authority northeast of Tel Aviv, have been confirmed, and some 250,000 chickens culled, according to […]
Looking at the proteins that “talk” between shoot and root of plants, Tel Aviv University unlocks a new tool for the biofuel industry. Plant geneticists are on a quest: they want to find out how to control auxin, a plant growth hormone which is very powerful. Auxin tells plants where to lay down roots, how […]
How can the polluting oil tar sand oil extraction – here Opti Canada’s operations – be better than offshore drilling? The Gulf of Mexico oil “leak” is a gusher pouring as much as 3.4 million gallons of oil into the waters every day, scientists estimate in a NY Times story. It’s below the surface what […]
Activists from “Save Our Sea” float and host concert to alert public about dying Dead Sea. A day after the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, grassroots activists from the Israeli side of the Dead Sea aim to drum up awareness about the pathetic state of the natural wonder of the world. A new organization called Save […]
Can Queen Rania’s educational efforts spill over for regional environmental issues as well? While many articles have been written about Jordan and its various environmental issues ,especially the most recent about the state of the Lower Jordan and Yarmuk Rivers, the Jordan Royal Family, particularly Queen Rania Al Abdullah (who’s helping Jordanian farmers go organic), […]
Will Iraqi Architect Hadid Use Her Star Power to Demand More Environmental and Social Responsibility? [image via bighugelabs] Much of the news coming from Iraq is fraught with environmental and human tragedy. Water is so scarce the country has to beg from its neighbors for help, and everywhere there is destruction and war. This makes it […]
How do you like your fish? Pumped up with a strong chemical cleaner called STTP (sodium trippolyphosphate), or without? Despite it being an important fish producing nation with active fish farms, on land and at sea, two-thirds of the frozen fish sold in Israel is imported from China. Most Israelis complain that frozen fish is […]
The algae for biofuel company TransAlgae is developing a new superbreed of algae for biofuels that is more resistant to the pests and the diseases that plague algae producers today. New varieties of wheat, oats and barley are constantly being produced to meet the world’s demands for grains that can grow faster, be hardier and […]
Aerofarms’ stackable vertical farm uses mist to grow crops in areas where land is non-arable, like in the United Arab Emirates. Vertical farming, where crops are raised in skyscrapers or on stacked layers may be the best way to feed water poor countries with non-arable land – like many of those in the Middle East. […]
An ode to the earthworm: An earthworm farmer in Israel praises the beauty of the earthworm. Time to grow your own? The earthworm is one of mankind’s best friends. Hard at work 24/7, this lowly creature makes it possible for human and plant life to exist. Without the earthworm over here in the Middle East, […]
“Extinct” grey whale sighted off Israeli coast, 8,000 nautical miles from home. Lost or making a comeback thanks to global warming? (In the above video, Israelis taking the video are calling for Willie to show his/her tail.) Sighting any kind of whale in the Mediterranean Sea is a novelty. But when a whale sighting turns […]
Quick, name the scarcest natural resources in Israel. I’m sure that “land” and “water” would feature prominently in most people’s answers. Israel is, to all intents and purposes, a “desert island’, with finite – very finite – natural resources. Not your romantic desert island, and not an island geographically, but rather politically. Not a desert […]
Is olive oil really the healthiest fat, and why? Is it true that red wine has healing properties? And – must we (groan) exercise every day, really? These simple questions deserve good answers. We know that organic food from sustainable sources is best for you and the planet. Now you can also hear Dr. Zohar […]