Mountain watchers in Iran
The Iranian hills "are alive" with Mountain Watch and other groups working to clean hiking trails around cities.
conservation
Joshua Mater Rebuilds Iraq One “Green” Mind At A Time
Named after his father who died of cancer in 2002, Joshua Mater established the Michael Scott Mater Foundation (MSMF) to create sustainable solutions to world problems Just today, reports came in that a suicide bomber killed and injured more Iraqis in Baghdad, soon after the United States committed to its withdrawal from the country, and […]
"Khan of the White Donkey" An Eco-Retreat Along the Ancient Silk Road
The renovated Khan of the White Donkey in Safed, Israel was the last stop on the Silk Road between Acre and Damascus. Now it’s a center for ecological activity, courses, and concerts. We pushed open the brightly-painted wooden door and walked into a cool stone hall. The roof was a series of arches, in the […]
Mikveh: Sacred, Sensual Gray Waters Far From Green
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 […]
Dubai's Burj Khalifa Will Tower in Darkness During Earth Hour
Burj towers over Dubai. The environmentally-wasteful building will turn its lights off on Earth Hour. (Image via csmonitor.com) The Green Prophet has questioned the environmental sustainability of the tallest building in the world, but the Burj Khalifa in Dubai will at least do its part to observe Earth Hour on March 27 by switching off […]
A Nature Peace Park
Israeli-built wind farm on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israeli Syrian expert skeptical that nature Peace Park on Golan Heights would bring peace. We’d reported last month on the Peace Parks conference hosted by Tel Aviv University. The idea is to create a nature reserve out of the occupied Golan Heights now under Israel sovereignty, and […]
Haifa University Reduced Electricity Consumption by 22% in 2008-09
Though their lofty ideals of higher education are admirable, universities are often nevertheless subject to frequent budget cuts and funding shortages. This can force university administrations to take drastic measures and reduce important educational resources… or, in the case of Haifa University, it can lead the administration to save money by going green. During the […]
Qatar Establishing Gene Bank of Local Animals and Plants for Conservation
In a step towards preserve the wealth of its national animal and plant populations, Qatar will be setting up a gene bank of local species. Dr. Sheikh Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, the Director General for Research and Agricultural Development of Qatar’s Environmental Ministry, said that “Qatar has a precious legacy of flora and fauna […]
A Leaky Faucet Can Save You Money
I noticed a drip coming out of the base of my kitchen sink faucet. It was only a few drops, so I procrastinated. Over time it grew more and more. I thought: “it’s just a few drops, it can’t be too bad.” Finally I went out to the store to get a new faucet. When […]
Israeli Government Starting To Address Water Crisis With Low Flow Faucet Aerators
A few weeks ago I posted that Israel’s water crisis is so bad that water might be rationed soon. I also mentioned that part of the problem Israel has had with addressing its growing water needs has been due to the insufficient handling of the Israel’s water plan by the government. Since my post, both […]
Who Knew It Was "The Week of Love for Nature, Water and the Environment" In Israel?
The 2009 Week of Love for Nature, Water and the Environment (in short: the week of peace, love and dupey du) took place this week in Israel. It was the seventh year running from March 13 – 21, 2009, according to the Israeli Ministry of Environment. The annual event, organized by the Ministry of Environmental […]
Antibiotics From An Underwater Drugstore
No matter how sophisticated modern medicine becomes, common ailments like fungal infections can outrun the best of the world’s antibiotics. In people with compromised immune systems (like premature babies, AIDS victims or those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer) the risk is very high: contracting a fungal infection can be deadly. Now Tel Aviv University zoologists are diving deep […]
Designing from Nature at Jerusalem's Green Design Seminar
Green Design – From Theory to Practice (see preview post here), a major international architectural seminar took place this week here in Jerusalem, bringing together leading experts from the worlds of architecture, design, and integrated studies. Despite the recent war in the south, all but one of the international practitioners came, and by doing so, […]
Eco-Rabbi: Parshat Miketz – Making all of the Years Years of Plenty
Joseph was sent down to Egypt by his brothers to remove him from the picture. Their father had favored Joseph and his brothers were not too happy about that. Upon arriving in Egypt Joseph found success wherever he went. Originally he was sold as a slave but very quickly he found himself in charge of […]
Print With less Ink – Ecofont
How many times have you printed out a final draft and found out that it wasn’t as final as you had thought? I always feel bad for the paper, the ink, well, lot’s of guilt. Now there’s a solution! “How much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all […]