The Icelandic volcano has both environmental and economic effects. Some Middle East passengers are stranded in Europe and wonder if it’s time to think about less polluting modes of travel. By ship? As a massive volcanic ash cloud hovers over most of Europe, Gulf-based airlines are increasingly concerned over the potential effects the Icelandic volcano […]
Will Qatar’s air buses be biofueled? The Persian Gulf Emirate of Qatar, together with Qatar Airways, Qatar Science and Technology Park and Petroleum Company have started a new biofuel project to power commercial airliners, including large ones such as Airbus. As noted in a Gulf Times article, along with Qatar’s own air transport and technology concerns, […]
Hughes’ Spruce Goose and the 1933 Soviet Kalilin K7 (above) are some flying ungreen monsters from the past. Green Prophet was at the last Paris Air Show looking for green innovation in the sky. Now we take a look at some of the old flying monstrosities that got us to where we are today: The […]
It’s been a mystery: how can our teeth withstand such an enormous amount of pressure, over many years, when tooth enamel is only about as strong as glass? A new study by Prof. Herzl Chai of Tel Aviv University’s School of Mechanical Engineering and his colleagues at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and […]
If until now you worried about carbon offsets for your international flights, you may want to add baby crocodiles to the list of concerns. On Friday, a foot-long croc was found scurrying down the aisles of an EgyptAir flight from Abu Dhabi to Cairo. The Emirati paper The National reports that EgyptAir has claimed the […]
Last month, after my search for green innovation in aviation turned up empty, I proposed that the aviation industry needed its own Steve Jobs to shake things up. Now, in a move that can only be interpreted as a direct response to my challenge, NASA has announced a competition for the greenest aircraft designs, with […]
Carbon offsetting your flight is one way to help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases entering the air. But experts in the transportation industry know that it’s necessary to start from the ground up — by making planes, trains and automobiles more environmentally friendly as part of their engineering. Green Prophet’s Tal Ater was just […]
With the aviation industry reeling from increasing fuel costs, dipping profits and those pesky upcoming environmental regulations, airlines are scrambling to become more efficient, cut costs and increase fuel efficiency. Japan Airlines did their part to shed excess weight on their flights by shortening their blankets by a centimeter, and Northwest Airlines did it by […]
Not only are Middle Eastern airlines such as Qatar Airlines and airports getting involved in “greening up their act.” Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, one of the largest in the Middle East region, is now becoming involved in improving its environmental profile. Following the construction of the new Terminal 3 complex, Israel’s Environmental Ministry approved a […]
Etihad Airways from the United Arab Emirates has signed an agreement with Masdar (the same group developing the world’s first carbon neutral city), to reduce the carbon footprint of the airline. The company follows in the footsteps (or wings?) of two other Middle East airline projects we know about — one in Israel to green […]
The publicity surrounding the emergency landing of U.S. Air Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, was only the tip of the iceberg in regards to the growing dangers of collisions between aircraft and birds, particularly migratory waterfowl, at major airports around the world.
Israel may soon have its first green airport. The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has ordered the management of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to draw up a plan transforming Ben Gurion into “a leader in environmental protection.” The plan must provide solutions for the reduction of air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. Use […]
Although there are Israelis who hop between Eilat and Tel Aviv on a plane rather than brave the four-and-a-half hour Egged bus ride, for the most part Israel’s postage stamp size makes the country easy to tackle without taking to the skies. Not so for the USA. I decided last week that I will visit […]