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Established in the lead up to the COP18 Doha negotiations, the Arab Youth Climate Movement brings together over 20 campaigners from 15 Middle East/North Africa countries

As the saying goes, there is power in numbers. So it’s great to see environmental organisations across MENA come together to “create a more sustainable, prosperous, meaningful, just, and fair world”. The the newly launched and ambitious Arab Youth Climate Movement unites campaigners from IndyAct, 350.org, Global Campaign for Climate Action and the Climate Action Network (CAN) in a simple vision: to be able to enjoy the stable climate that our parents and grandparents enjoyed. A five-day workshop was held around two weeks ago in Egypt where new regional alliances were built and plans were made to hold an Arab regional day of climate action on the 3rd of November.

Youth activists from countries such Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates attended the event which helped train them in useful skills such as speaking to the media and organising actions and campaigns. However it wasn’t all plain sailing. Sarah Rifaat from 350.org, who we interviewed recently, said organising such a workshop brought with it lots of logistical challenges due to the political realities of MENA nations:

“One Tunisian applicant was hospitalized after being caught up in intense clashes in her city, while another Palestinian activist couldn’t get his visa on time due to strict security regulations. The Syrian applicant couldn’t make it to the workshop due to heavy fighting on the streets of his city, but despite the turbulent situation he is still in contact with us and is adamant on getting youth in his country involved with the Arab Youth Climate Movement.

“AbdulGader, the Libyan participant, almost didn’t make it to the workshop when his flight was grounded at Tripoli airport after a sudden indefinite flight ban was imposed. He finally arrived in Cairo on the second day of the workshop with such enthusiasm and commitment that it was hard to imagine how the workshop would have been without him.”

Indeed, the movement is a great way to get to know young activist from across the MENA region and I hope to be able to profile a couple of members about their country and the environmental work they hope to do in the future. First on my list is Tariq Al-Olaimy from Bahrain. As well as his eco-campaigning, Tariq is the co-founder of 3BL Associates, a Bahrain based social impact consultancy and Think-do-Tank, which focusses on multi-stakeholder sustainable and regenerative development in the MENA region. Another interesting fact about Al-Olaimy is that he is among the first 100 people in the world to persue deep specialist training in the field of Biomimicry.

So look out for GreenProphet’s interview with him but for now, find out more about the members of the Arab Youth Climate Movement here.

For more co-ordinated climate action across MENA see:

Egyptian Seed Bombing Campaign To Hit Cairo and Alexandria

Egyptian Campaigner: ‘Corruption not Climate Awareness is Holding Us Back’

Egypt Environment Activists Fighting Back Over Sinai Red Sea Bridge

Help Make Palestinian Filmmaker’s Arctic Eco-Documentary a Reality

: Images via Arab Youth Climate Movement Facebook page.

The post The Arab Youth Climate Movement Is Born appeared first on Green Prophet.

Faith is something which the Middle East has a lot of. Whether that faith is being used solely for good is another matter altogether – some are trying to change that by invoking the shared green aspects of the Abrahamic faiths

Sharing Eden – Green teachings from Jews, Christians and Muslims is a small book which is trying to do a big thing:  encourage those of faith to take more positive action for the environment. And therein lies the strengths and also the weaknesses of this book. Three writers from each faith explore issues such as sustainability, water, food and biodiversity through the lens of their faith.

They look at the teachings from the Torah, Bible and Qur’an whilst also highlighting practical action faith groups and communities are taking across the continents. It’s only 100 (small!) pages long, it’s very readable with lots of images and I managed to go through it all in a short train journey. The writers manage to fit a lot of spiritual and practical information into a very short space but there is naturally a lot still missing.

There was no exploration of the fact that there are some aspects of all faiths that will struggle to align with the environmental agenda. For example, in Islam the Hajj pilgrimage is seen as problematic as the international travel and use of natural resource that occurs during the pilgrimage can only be minimized and not be eliminated altogether.

There was also no interaction between the three faiths in terms of their similarities and differences and although that could be explained away by lack of space, it still would have been nice. Saying that, it was lovely to be able to read about the three different faiths in one book and hopefully that will mean the readers (of whatever faith or of no faith) got a taster of all three too.

The book seemed to have a naïve belief (in my opinion) that once you told people of faith of these green ethics, that they would change their deep-rooted behaviours. From personal experience, I’ve found this to be untrue and that people often need more than just information to change their actions. As such, it would have been nice if the barriers that those of faith experience whilst trying to take environmental action were explored more fully and the more difficult and contentious nature of green action discussed.

A little bit more climate science would have also been nice and would have rooted the need for action in two spheres – faith and science.

Indeed, the book could have made more of an effort to link those of faith with the broader environmental movement in terms of other (non-faith) groups, organisations, campaigns and also news sites.

No, this isn’t about the fact that GreenProphet.com wasn’t mentioned, as no green news sites were mentioned at all (!) although that could have been a vital way to strengthen faith followers’ knowledge and understanding of climate change related issues.

After reading all that, you probably think I didn’t enjoy the book but I really did. The writing was great, the chapters on food and biodiversity were particularly interesting and I think for someone new to the issue, this is a GREAT introduction.

It was also great to have all three faiths together in one book and I will definitely be passing my copy around. However, for those looking for a little bit more in-depth exploration of the faith-environment nexus then this probably isn’t for you.

Sharing Eden – Green teachings from Jews, Christians and Muslims 

By Natan Levy, David Shreeve and Harfiyah Haleem

Kube Publishing in association with The Conservation Trust

2012

$8.99 / £4.99

For more green faith communities see: 

London Mosques Start Beekeeping Trend – Interview

The Eco-Mosque Checklist – 7 Steps to a Greener Mosque

Consumerism, Ecology and the Sabbath

The post Sharing Eden – Green Teachings from Jews, Christians and Muslims (Book Review) appeared first on Green Prophet.

We speak with Alisa Ananbeh, a student leader on the environment, on going green in Jordan.

Around six months ago, Alisa Ananbeh took part in a US funded five-week programme to help young people from the Middle East deal with environmental problems. Just under twenty students from Gaza, Jordan and the West Bank travelled to America to learn about the US environmental movement and ways to build leadership on the issue in their own countries. The diverse group arrived at the end of July 2011 and spent time in Oahu, San Francisco, Boulder Colorado and Washington DC. I spoke to Alisa who lives in Jordan about what motivated her to take part in the programme and how she hopes to help Jordan deal its own unique environmental problems.

GREEN PROPHET: Tell us a little a bit about yourself –where you are from, your interests and background.

ALISA: I live in Jordan and have a Jordanian father and a Ukrainian mother. My life was always somewhere in between those countries. I studied Management Information Systems for my Bachelor degree. Books, art and culture are my childhood passions that stayed till my adulthood. My other passion is to be environmentally concerned, through small everyday things in life and to raise the awareness as much as possible. I also believe in social corporate responsibility and its benefits for the company and the society. I am currently working for an IT company and at the same time volunteering with the Jordan Green Building Council.

What was the single most important thing you learnt during the Study of the US Institute for Student Leaders on Global Environmental Issues (SUSI) programme?

Definitely team work! People that participated with me gave me so much knowledge, positive energy and showed how by uniting with each other we empower our actions. During SUSI we learned how to trust and listen to each other to achieve results. For example during our first days, we went on a canoe trip, where we needed team work and understanding of the almighty waves to stop us flipping over. Those trips, activities and sub-activities also taught us how to multitask and see opportunities from different angles. Sometimes it was crazy, but we still maintained the element of fun and constant learning!

What kind of things did you learn that you think will apply to environmental problems in the Middle East?

Jordan is a rapidly growing and developing country where the ICT industry has grown by 25%. By 2011, the number of workers in the ICT industry will increase from 16,000 to 35,000. This is significant since by reaching the business sector and promoting the green sustainable solutions, you could positively change the impact on the environment. Through simple habits – and with less cost than most people would tend to believe – everyday life could be changed in undemanding way and decrease the damage on the environment.

Starting with reducing printing or printing on both side of paper, recycling and introducing more plants to the office, positive changes could be made. In addition new developments such as cloud computing can decrease usage of servers and reduce the carbon footprint of the company.  A new office could be equipped with second-hand furniture and existing offices can change lamps and educate their workers about environmental awareness.

Was it encouraging to meet others from the Mideast who cared about the environment in the same way you do?

Yes, it even helped me to form lifelong friendships! Now I know where I can find help with my environmental plans. During the program, we saw that a small group of like-minded individuals can accomplish a lot in a limited amount of time. And even though not everyone was from Jordan (some of us came from Palestine) we still organize Skype meetings to discuss our plans and ask for some advice.

What are the main environmental issue that you think must be tackled urgently in Jordan?

Jordan’s main problem is the lack of acceptance of our environmental issues. By educating the youth and demonstrating positive ways to protect the environment, I hope we can have a long-term impact. Therefore I believe it’s important to raise the awareness amongst people not only in the cities but in the villages too. That way, other issues such as lack of water, waste management and environmental pollutions will be jointly solved by Jordanians.

Images via Alisa Ananbeh

For more information on going green in Jordan:
Jordan Railway Plans On The Right Track
Amman’s New Mega-Mall is Antithesis of Sustainable Development
Solutions to Jordan’s Energy Crisis Must Be Sustainable

The post Go Green With Jordan’s New Environment Generation appeared first on Green Prophet.

In memory of the murdered Nigerian environmental activist who campaigned against Shell, we look at the importance of environmental action in the Middle East

On the 10^th of November 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa who had campaigned against the environmental devastation caused to the Niger Delta by oil companies such as Shell, was hanged by the Nigerian military government.

His life was cut short due to his effort to seek justice for the Ogani people who had suffered at the hands of Shell which extracted oil from their lands whilst leaving them with nothing. The battle for the environment goes on today in various shapes and guises all over the world including the Middle East. Over this last year we have seen everything from Iranian activists risking imprisonment and torture to protect salt lake Orumieh, campaigners in Jordan fighting against nuclear power to Israelis battling with the oil companies who want to drill for oil shale in their neighbourhoods.

Hostile Environment for Climate Action

It’s sad that people still have to risk imprisonment to fight for the environment, but the reality is that all over the world people do- not just in the Middle East or Africa but in countries such as the UK and America. Bill McKibben, the American eco-activist who was himself arrested outside the White House for protesting against the Keystone XL pipeline development insists that we must be more confrontational and take more risks for the planet.

However as Karin Kloosterman, Green Prophet editor observed: “Getting arrested in the Middle East doesn’t allow demonstrators the same level of notoriety, like in Canada, or Israel, where it can even be considered cool to go to jail during an environmental protest. In some Middle East countries, activists go to jail and just never come out.”

Time For Arresting Action on Climate Change

I agree with McKibben that we need to be more serious about our activism and give people a real sense of what’s really at stake. We have to be able and willing to see the injustice in all its forms and speak out against it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean putting yourself in a position where you may be arrested- it could mean taking time to speak to your neighbours about climate change, organising a pro-active and creative green campaign, lobbying your local authorities for more action and even supporting other environmentalists and their work.

The Battle Must Go On

Lending solidarity, as Ken Saro-Wiwa did when he worked for years to secure the Ogani people’s rights, is also vital. Back in October, the popular Jordanian blogger at The Black Iris wrote that he couldn’t help but make a connection between Jordan and Shell’s oily misadventures in Nigeria. Shell has drilled more than 100 oil wells in Jordan in only 2 years and signed an agreement aimed at exploring and potentially producing oil from Jordan’s vast oil shale resources. It is estimated that Jordan has around 40 billion metric tonnes of (energy-intensive and polluting) oil shale.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmI3xjZk_y0[/youtube]

Whilst Jordan may be at the start of its journey with Shell, Nigeria is still struggling to come to terms with its own ordeal with the company. A recent report by the UN said that it will cost up to $1 billion and take 30 years to clean up the damage done to Nigeria by decades of drilling and gas flaring by Shell. Which goes to show that whilst Ken Saro-Wiwa may have gone, the fight for the environment- in Nigeria, the Middle East and elsewhere- must continue.

: Image via www.remembersarowiwa.com

For more on environmental action in the Middle East see:

Greenpeace Raises More Questions Over Jordan’s Nuclear Plans

Why I’m Fighting Air-Megeddon

Palestinian Women In Israel: Breaking Gender Stereotypes In Environmental Activism

Turkish Village Goes Off The Grid With Wind Turbine

The post Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa: Why The Middle East Needs Eco-Activism appeared first on Green Prophet.

Gulf States have been drilling oil for decades now. Can we really get them to co-operate at the upcoming climate summit in Durban and re-think oil?

Climate negotiations to get world leaders to agree to a fair and binding agreement that will keep climate change in check have been ticking away in the background for a while now. Around six months ago, climate negotiations continued in Bonn and sadly, the Middle East wasn’t exactly making a positive contribution. Saudi Arabia was criticized for its attempts to delay progress and Kuwait, Oman and Qatar were awarded the ‘Fossil of the Day’ title for holding up the talks. So will this year be any different?

Well, not really. According to Gustav Boethius, a researcher at the Middle East Institute who is interested in energy security and climate change in the Gulf nations, unless oil-rich countries are presented with an alternative route to continue their economic development they will struggle to support a climate deal.

Saudi Arabia Has A Lot (Of Money) To Lose From Climate Deal

However, that doesn’t mean the Gulf nations are one monolith with the same agenda- rather they have slightly different economies which mean they have different stances. Saudi Arabia relies heavily on oil and so any attempt to limit its use (to cut carbon emissions) is seen as a threat to its economy.

In the past, representatives have tried to delay a climate agreement and demanded compensation for any lost oil revenue caused by a climate deal. Boethius argues that Saudis fear being singled out as an environmental culprit and see a climate deal as a greater threat than competition from oil rivals. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman share the same concerns about the economic impact of a climate deal.

Qatar’s Bid To Host Future Climate Summit

Qatar plays a more complex role.  Boethius states that although the country hasn’t been outspoken on the issue, behind the scenes they are playing a constructive role and are one of two bidders hoping to host the next climate summit. “Qatar’s willingness to play this role [host for climate summit], and to accept such a political risk, should be seen as a genuine effort to bridge the gap between the talks’ opposing camps in order to achieve a positive outcome,” argues Boethius.

Taking a more progressive stance is the United Arab Emirates. They are a lot more open about their level of commitment and their limitations; as such they are playing a more constructive role at the talks.

Providing Alternative Economic Options To Oil

However, Boethius states that the UAE can afford to take this stance, as unlike Saudi Arabia, its economy doesn’t rely so heavily on hydrocarbons. And Qatar’s cleaner gas reserves are a greener alternative to oil. In sum, “when it comes to the GCC, the level of unwillingness to curb global greenhouse gas emission appears to be directly related to the degree of fiscal dependence on fossil fuel exports.”

Consequently, the climate talks will only get oil-rich countries on board with cutting carbon if they provide the hydrocarbon exporting countries with other economic options. Until then, we aren’t likely to see the Gulf nations of the Middle East embracing a climate deal.

::  Gustav Boethius at Eco-Business.com

: Image via David C. Foster/flickr.

For more on the climate talks see:

Faith Leader Prepare For Upcoming Climate Summit In South Africa

Bonn: The Latest Climate Talks and The Middle East

Cancun Ends On Slightly Better Note Than Copenhagen

The Middle Eastern View Of Copenhagen

The post Guide To Durban Climate Talks and The Oil-Rich Middle East appeared first on Green Prophet.

I think we can all agree that Copenhagen was a bit of disaster but rather than giving up on international climate conferences, faith leaders are insisting that we need to double our efforts. The latest conference on climate change will start November 28 in Durban and faith leaders plan to be out in force with an estimated 30,000 delegates attending.

Faith leader will be supported by campaigners in South Africa who will join the ‘We have Faith – Act Now for Climate Justice’ campaign which organisers hope will be a multimillion signature petition which will push worlds leaders to take serious action on climate change. The petition will be handed to the world leaders by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Putting Your Faith In Climate Justice

To mark the forty day countdown, leaders from the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) publically signed the petition and planted a tree in Durban. Ahead of the conference, environmental faith activists are planning to plant a million trees internationally. “This is the opportunity for the faith community to speak with one voice, so that 20 years from now we can all be proud,” said Tahiri Matthee, representing the Baha’i constituency and the Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum.

Green activists of faith have really been making their mark this year. Green Christians took to the streets of the UK to ask for climate justice and in Jerusalem, Muslim, Christians and Jewish leaders met to talk about climate change.

Arabs Talk About Sustainable Development

Arab scientists and engineers also gathered this week in Cairo to discuss sustainable development strategies to build on the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Many of those attending pointed out the need for better regional co-operation on the issue. Nazar Hassan, senior program specialist at the UNESCO Cairo Regional Bureau for Science and Technology in the Arab States, told SciDev.Net that better knowledge management in economic sectors and stronger links between the scientists and the scientific institutions were important to encourage environmentally friendly policies.

The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development will be held in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

:: The New Age and Bikya Masr.

:: Image via Skoll World Forum/flickr.

For more information on climate change summits see:

The Middle Eastern View of Copenhagen

Cancun Ends On Slightly Better Note Than Copenhagen

Bonn: The Latest Climate Talks And The Middle East

Cancun Ends On A Better Note Than Copenhagen

The post Faith Leaders Prepare For Upcoming Climate Summit In South Africa appeared first on Green Prophet.

Whilst Christians make up a tiny minority of the Middle East’s population, their faith does have a lot to say on climate change

From Jews celebrating Sukkot in green style, Muslims promoting a green hajj and Baha’is working to promote sustainability, the Middle East is something of a green faith haven. However, the role that the Christian community plays in promoting environmentalism both in the West and the Middle East tends to get overlooked. In this post, I explore various Christian values such as ‘love thy neighbour’ and caring for the poor which are encouraging church-goers worldwide to tackle the global issue of climate change.

Sharing Equally and Living In Dignity

Around a month ago, Christian leaders alongside Rabbis and Imams met in Jerusalem to talk about the role that faith can play in resolving the ecological crisis. At the event, Bishop Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said, “We are accountable for how we use this Earth. The earth is like our home, and those who live in the same home should know how to live together…The main religions should study ecological issues together because we have a common destiny. ”

Indeed, it is widely held in Christianity that the earth and its resources are for people to share equally and all humans have the right to live in dignity. In the past, poverty has been seen as the major barrier to realising this equality but now a consensus is slowly emerging that climate change – and the unfair impact it will have the world’s poor – is another dimensions which needs to be addressed.

Ending Poverty and Love Thy Neighbour

Over the weekend, I joined a protest of over 1,000 Christians in the UK who called on the government to do more to protect the poorest from the impacts of a warming planet. Many of the people I spoke to told me that a sense of justice and the need to protect the poorest from droughts and floods had brought them to the rally. At the heart of their motivation to take action was the ‘love thy neighbour’ principle which meant that they couldn’t stand by whilst the planet becomes more inhabitable and more people are pushed into poverty.

In fact, some environmental leaders such as Bill McKibben (who is a Christian) have already called on environmental and faith organisations to get together to halt runaway global warming. Speaking at a faith and sustainability lecture in Cambridge, he also explained that the West had so far failed in its duty to ‘love thy neighbour’. Even when you take into account the aid that the West has given to the developing world, McKibben insisted that it still didn’t make up for the greenhouse gases that they had also sent which would have profound impacts on the planet and their ability to live their lives.

With this in mind, it’s high time that people of all faiths got together, acknowledged the injustice of changing climate and worked together to halt it.

Photo by Arwa Aburawa

For more on green faith in the Middle East see:

Middle East Leaders To Launch Green Hajj Guide

Jews, Muslims, Christians In Israel Unite For Planet Earth

Under Siege In Iran: Baha’is Advocate Social Action, Human Rights and Sustainability

The post Green Christians Fight For Climate Justice appeared first on Green Prophet.