This image is of a former oil spill in Lebanon Despite the best-laid laws, lack of enforcement is a leading cause of preventable environmental hazards in the Middle East. Egypt regularly has oil spills in the Nile and the Red Sea because of lax regulations. This week’s kerosene spill off Lebanon’s eastern Mediterranean (already an […]
Garbage dumps roll into the sea? Rola suggests ways for energy intensive Lebanon to help ease its waste and energy problems. As Lebanon enters another waste crisis in the cities of Sidon and Tyre, with reportedly thousands of tons of waste piled up on the streets, the country finds itself once again looking for an […]
Planning out your vacations for the new year ahead? Beirut, Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi make the cut. A few months ago, world-renowned travel guide company Lonely Planet made a list of its top 10 cities for 2011. Tel Aviv made the prized 3rd place spot (after New York and Tangier, but before Valencia, Delhi, […]
What it’s really like to explore Beirut (and especially the new Waterfront District) by bike. Lebanon – and Beirut in particular – have been making efforts recently to improve the availability of eco-friendly forms of transportation. A campaign this past summer gathered 150 cyclists in Beirut to demonstrate how easy it could be to bike […]
What good is a farmer’s market if it only appeals to a small group of people? Beirut’s Souk el Tayeb reaches out to the community. Whereas some farmer’s markets can set an elitist tone – appealing mostly to a yuppy or wealthy clientele instead of delighting in bringing good food and good values to the […]
Eco-friendly products AND vegan shwarma can be found at Beirut’s A New Earth. Sometimes, despite all our good intentions towards living a greener, healthier lifestyle, it’s just not convenient. Sadly, most mainstream supermarkets don’t carry a variety of organic produce (if they carry it at all), and natural products may be few and far between. […]
Enjoy a tour of Beirut the low carbon-emission way, with a walking or running tour. Walking is the best way to get to know any city, whether it’s the city you live in or a city that you’re visiting as a tourist. It’s also the most eco-friendly way. The only energy you’re using is your […]
A bicycle? A train? A bus? What is the best mode of public transportation for Lebanon? [image via: 350.org] Fast Forward, the organization that led a protest composed of 150 cyclists storming the streets of Beirut a few weeks ago in order to promote sustainable transportation, isn’t tired yet. It believes that the Lebanese people […]
Is the solution to Lebanon’s reliance on carbon emitting personal vehicles as simple as a two-wheeler? [image via: mozzoom] One hundred and fifty cyclists demonstrated how easy it could be to cycle through Beirut on Saturday morning, starting at Biel and going to the Luna Park – Manara and back. The eco-friendly protest, led by […]
Arab solar energy company gets awarded for its sustainable vision in Beirut, Lebanon. They sealed a $15 million round of financing this year; now Abu Dhabi’s solar developer Enviromena Power Systems (“Enviromena”) won the “Sustainable Development of the Environment Award” at the Takreem Arab Achievement Awards held in Beirut last month. Hosted by Al Jazeera’s […]
When you live in a city and pass the same developed areas day after day, you can forget that the concrete jungle is unnatural. Sure, it may feel natural to you after a while, but you would undoubtedly also enjoy some greenery. Some botanical specimens to offset the amounts of carbon dioxide released by the […]
Taste of Beirut blog features authentic Lebanese cuisine and a great give-away. I love this blog. I love Lebanese food, and author Joumana, a Lebanese ex-pat living in the States, presents recipe after delicious-looking recipe, Slow Food style. Just a small example – the Toom garlic paste, a staple flavoring in Lebanese kitchens. Whirl garlic, […]
Beirut, the “Paris of the Middle East,” is pouring raw sewage into Mediterranean Sea. It’s not just the Sidon garbage dump that’s polluting the Mediterranean Coast of Lebanon. Irrelevant Combinations blog shows airplane view pictures of raw sewage being dumped into the sea off the coast of Beirut. Although the weather outside may be frightful […]
The Slow Food Movement, founded in 1989, in a non-profit organization that attempts “to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.” Delicious and […]
The newly formed Green Party of Lebanon (GPL) is planning its debut with the May 2010 municipal elections. The Daily Star reports that the GPL is a secular, environmental, human-rights oriented party bent on slashing corruption and recovering burnt forests. GPL President Philippe Skaff (left) told the Star that focusing only on the immediate political crises […]