“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”
Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.
The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.
Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.
So we were very happy to find out about a Sustainable Design Seminar starting at the Israeli Design Center in Holon next week, because that means that not only is the trend continuing, but it’s hitting the mainstream as well.
The five session seminar will be lead by Adital Ella and Yair Engel, both of whom are sustainable designers and experts in the field of sustainable design and industry. The seminar, which will conduct one class per week beginning on Tuesday June 9, is intended for designers, students, and those interested in the field of sustainability.
The program of the seminar is as follows:
The Concept of Sustainable Design: An introductory lecture about the history, importance, and significance of sustainable design in a world of production and consumption. The first session will also include an introduction to the concept of cradle to cradle.
The program originally had more than 5,600 applicants, of which 100 were selected to vie for the 16 positions to be aired on the program.
Of these, 3 are environmentally related and include Sarah al Samak’s ‘Canito’ which is a combination garbage and recycle bin that will give people incentives to recycle their wastes.
On June 4 in Los Angeles, the Israel Conference will spotlight Israeli clean tech, medical tech, high tech and more. Investors coming to the event represent about $20 billion in funds.
“Many Los Angeles and California business leaders and entrepreneurs will have their first opportunity to see first what Israeli companies, technologists and investors can bring to their enterprises,” noted Sharona Justman, conference co-chair and managing director of STEP Strategy Advisors, an acquisitions advisory and strategic planning firm.
“There are tremendous synergies in the technology communities in Israel and California and we expect this conference to ignite deals.”
Just 2 weeks ago, investors from California were in Israel scoping out opportunities in the clean tech arena.
Jordan’s capital city, Amman, will soon have a spectacular landmark: the Sanaya Twin Towers, which will tower more than 200 meters over the city and will be the country’s tallest landmark.
The project, which means starlight in Arabic, comes with a $300 million pricetag. It was begun in July, 2008, and has required the removal of 225,000 cubic meters of earth to erect the building’s massive foundations.
The excavation part of the project will be completed by mid-summer, 2009, and it will be Jordan’s first large eco-building project.
The buildings will combine energy efficient glass, sensor lights, central air conditioning, an waste management that is expected to save operating costs by as much as $2 million each year.
Sunday Energy, a solar energy service provider in Israel, and Ormat Technologies, one of the world’s largest geothermal power solutions companies, recently announced they will build a 1MWp photovoltaic solar installation on the roof of Ormat’s factory in Yavne, Israel.
Once complete, the 16,000 square meter installation will be the largest PV roof in the Middle East and will generate over NIS 60 million from solar energy sales over the next 20 years.
The project will cost approximately NIS 20 million to construct and is expected to be completed by the first half of 2010.
So we all know that the Middle East is biospherically fascinating, but at the ongoing meeting of the UN International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere last Tuesday, UNESCO took notice as well, adding more Middle Eastern sites to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
In fact, for the first time, a site in Syria was declared.
So what is a Biosphere Reserve? Biosphere reserves are sites recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, which innovate and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development. They are of course under national sovereign jurisdiction, yet share their experience and ideas nationally, regionally and internationally within the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. There are 531 sites worldwide in 105 countries.
I can’t be here in person to address you, since I passed into oblivion long ago. But as a member of a U.S. graduating class of 1971 at a small college in Boston, I wanted to leave you with a brief message — from the past to the future — about global warming and climate change.
As the class of 2099 here at Tel Aviv University in Israel, you are about to enter the 22nd Century in a few more months, and you will bring with you not only your university experience but also your career expectations and personal anxieties as citizens living on a planet in the midst of a climate crisis.
I’m sure you’ve heard this term a lot in the past four years — “climate crisis” — but you should know that in my days as a student in the 1960s, we never used the phrase. Back then, we had not even heard of the term yet!
Ben Gurion University of the Negev, one of Israel’s finest academic institutions, and one in which its environmental and alternative energy projects have received world-wide acclaim, honored six outstanding individuals with Honorary Doctoral degrees at the University’s 39th Annual Board of Governors Meeting at the Campus on May 25th.
One of these individuals, Dani Karavan, is one of Israel’s most outstanding environmental sculptors, who has won numerous awards for his monumental memorials which “blend into the environment” in which they are created.
“Jordan needs to develop sustainable or ‘green’ construction practices based on traditional concepts with modern material and practices,” said Jordan’s Princess Sumaya, president of the Royal Scientific Society, at the opening of the two day Think Green 2 in Real Estate Development Conference in Amman on Tuesday, May 26.
The country has started with its groundbreaking on its 50 story LEEDS certified skyscraper, the Samaya Amman.
The conference was attended by corporate delegates from a number of Arab countries, as well as architects, contractors, designers, environmentalists was hosted for the purpose of promoting the use of more efficient and environmental friendly building construction methods, over more conventional ones used in Jordan and elsewhere up to now.
Tigo develops photovoltaic systems optimization solutions, squeezing more energy from your solar energy system; and the financing was secured by Israel Cleantech Ventures Funds.
Despite the economic downturn in the US, sending shockwaves around the world, there appears to be no declining interest in funding companies in the renewable and alternative energy fields. Israel clean technology companies are among those which remain very popular.
Tigo develops photovoltaic systems optimization solutions, and current investors, including the US venture capital funds Matrix Partners and OVP Venture Partners, participated in the round.
The second a nuclear bomb detonates, not only human life is vaporized at Ground Zero but so is every breath taken by “lesser” life forms, animal or plant.
A nuclear attack anywhere will make all the world’s conservation efforts (and past conflicts in the Middle East) look like child’s play, so as a Middle East-centric environment news site, we are concerned about last week’s nuclear bomb testing in North Korea, and Iran’s ambitions to obtain the bomb.
Qatar, one of the largest polymer-producing countries in the Middle East region has new ambitions for recycling its plastic waste. Qatar University has paired up with The University of Sheffield, UK, to launch a new centre for the production of environmentally-friendly materials for local industries.
Called the Polymer Centre, according to the Sheffield Telegraph it will focus on recycling plastic waste in Qatar and will bring researchers from the two countries together for optimizing the mechanical properties of blends from plastic waste.
Dr Alma Hodzic, a senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: “The research carried out at the Centre will focus on recycling polymer waste in Qatar. The main target is to optimise the plastic products to withstand the high temperature prevalent here.”
Who knew that for the last 16 years Istanbul has been host to the International Environment Project Olympiad? According to Todays Zaman an international jury has selected 101 projects from 41 countries to compete in the final competition of the 16th International Environmental Project Olympics in Istanbul between June 1 and 4.
Tying in with World Environment Week, participating countries from the Middle East region include Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Egypt, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Jordan, and Yemen.
Gold has always fascinated mankind with its beauty and its durability. An Israeli artisan named David Weitzman is now involved in turning this precious metal, as well as silver and other metals into beautiful talisman and amulet pieces that promote environmental awareness as well as spiritual ties to Mother Earth.
Weitzman, through his Ka Gold Jewelry website has embarked on a campaign to help promote more awareness to environmental problems that people on this planet are all very much involved in.
Weitzman so much believes in the preserving our natural environment that all of the proceeds of a special Mother Earth pendent he has created are being donated to several environmental organizations including EcoEarth and Nature.org.
Collecting water from thin air is not an odd idea. The ancient Israelites did it back in the day and they have a prayer for the dew, suggesting they collected it. A while back, I wrote an article about the new desalination plant in operation in Ashkelon, Israel, which is currently said to be supplying enough fresh water to satisfy about 6% of the entire country’s fresh water needs.
Watercones being used in Yemen, the thirstiest place on earth.
I later wrote about an even larger desalination project in Saudi Arabia which together with other desalination plants supplies about 70% of Saudi’s water needs for fresh drinking water. Israel and the United Arab Emirates have recently partnered. Water desalination projects together likely will come to the table.
All of this sounds grand, except for one thing, which was politely pointed out to me by a reader. And that “small point” is the immense amount of energy needed to run the plant, and what happens to all the salt that is produced during the desalination process? It’s polluting. The greenhouse gases extraordinary. Yemen is about to implement a new low tech solution.
The salt is simply dumped somewhere, contributing to pollution of natural ground aquifers, or returned back to the sea to make the sea water even more salty? The commenter then suggested that a much better way to produce fresh water, without the drawbacks of desalination is through condensation and evaporation of water vapors present in the atmosphere.
Condensation, evaporation; why not? There was also something written earlier about a device, originating in the US that removes water vapor from the air and turns it into drinking water. The principle works in a similar manner to what happens when water is created in air conditioning systems and simply runs or drips out to the ground, being wasted instead of used.
The watercone releasing its captured water for drinking.
After doing some investigation, I found some very simple, yet ingenious methods for creating fresh water from dew, saltwater, brackish, and other sources of water from the air. One method involves the use of an inverted plastic cone a “Watercone” that is placed over a salt water source, such as a marsh, or even put on the ground, taking advantage of the simple process of evaporation. Yemen has announced that it will be using the “technology” in a new pilot project to supply much needed water to its citizens.
One of these inverted cones, which measure about 1/2 meter in diameter and are about 35 to 40 cm high, can create as much of one liter of water per day. See the video on how it works below. (And here are instructions links to PDF)
Now one liter per day doesn’t sound like a lot, but think of how much fresh water could be created if a many as 1,000 of these cones are placed in an area.
The Watercones are an excellent idea for under-developed locations, and for more developed ones as well. They literally pay for themselves in a relatively short period of time, and require very little attention and maintenance. I think it might be worth a visit to the Water Cone website and I’m sure you’ll afterwards agree that this idea is not as far fetched as might be believed. Although the site does not look like it has been updated in years. This is often the case: great ideas are not marketed well.
Watercone founder Charlie Paton
Fresh water, from both the sea and the ground without the need for power plants and expensive equipment; what’s more environmentally friendly than that?
