Funds for mitigation projects and the Carbon Development Mechanism saved in “Hail Mary pass” at climate talks While many environmentalists are decrying the COP17 climate talks (# COP17FAIL: Climate Change is a One-Size-Fits-All Problem) as being imperfect, I see some real progress hidden in all that bureaucratese. For MENA (Middle East and North Africa) nations, the best […]
In an attempt to maintain Israel’s forests and prevent forest fires in the future, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and the Jewish National Fund enlist tourists to become “Foresters for a Day.” About a year ago, the Carmel forest in northern Israel suffered the worst fire in the nation’s modern history and 5,000 hectares of forest land […]
Are you a green travel guru? Do you want to see and be seen at the most important sustainable tourism event of the year? If so, pack your bag and head to World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi 5-7 December, 2011. Nothing advances sustainability more than a meeting of green minds, which is why the World […]
Get close to Jamaa el Fna (the best square in Morocco) at Riad Dar One. This is by day. After an enchanting stay at the Dar des Cigognes on the outer perimeter of the Medina of Marrakesh near the Jamaa el Fna, it was time to move in a little closer to heart of the […]
Nabil Hirbawy from Siwa, Egypt lost an eye to his craft, but that hasn’t dampened his passion for carving salt rock into beautiful works of art! Nabil Hirbawy was polishing off a small salt sculpture when a small piece of it struck him in the eye, leaving him partially blind – not only physically, but […]
I see that solar panels are now commonplace on rooftops in Barcelona European countries, especially Spain are becoming stronger on green projects like renewable energy and recycling. This was the impression I received while on a recent trip to the Spanish coastal city of Barcelona, where recycling efforts and water conservation are widely practiced and […]
This was the plan: leave at 8pm Friday night from Turgoman station in Cairo. Arrive in Siwa at 5.30am and meet my friend Gwen from France at the Siwa Inn Hotel. Bestow copious hugs and kisses before finding Vivek, a Couchsurfing buddy who traveled from Alexandria. And then, after introducing my friends, relax in this […]
Expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates may not be ready to don his kandoora just yet – an ankle-length white shirt woven from wool or cotton – but they do lean heavily on Ali Al Saloom’s friendly inside scoop. The man behind “Ask Ali” – a weekly column in The National’s M Magazine – this young […]
Jeddah's beaches have notoriously been used as a local sewage dump. But almost a thousand patriotic students swept the corniche clean for Saudi Arabia's National Day to stand by keeping the country litter-free.
The recent protests held across the Middle East demanding better and greener transport got me thinking about how we encourage the oldest form of transport- walking After the heat of the day fades, the streets of Middle East which are normally brimming with road-raged taxi drivers give way to the gentle patter of newly-wed couples […]
During the Sukkot holiday, visitors will be able to learn how to make olive oil, sweet wine, bread and cheeses the old fashioned way. Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, is a time when Jews attempt to get closer to nature. They live in make-shift huts covered with thatched roofs, sleep outdoors, and celebrate fruits of […]
Members of the often persecuted Bahai faith are inherently green. The terrace of the Baha’i Shrine and Gardens in Haifa is the most stunning destination in Israel’s third largest city. From the eastern side of the city, along the popular route 4, you first catch glimpse of it rising up towards the sky on your […]
“Israel is not a theocracy, it is a democracy. We want to create a work that would probably not happen anywhere else in the Middle East.” Spencer Tunick, photographer. If all goes according to Spencer Tunick’s plan, the Dead Sea will serve as the backdrop this Saturday September 17 for his next photographic installation: hundreds […]
You’d think the top clean tech investments come from the United States, China or Brazil. Look again on the right side of this chart to show how green economies actually perform. Israel is a top 4 with Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. A new report called the Global Green Economy Index shows that although the perceived […]