Yafa Energy could be a bridge over which Arab-Israeli technology finds its way to industries in the Arab world seeking renewable energy solutions. Eureka! Yafa Energy has become the first Arab-Israeli company to win a prestigious European Union EUREKA (Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration) grant. Awarded through Israel’s Prime Minister’s office, Yafa was named […]
In advance of the annual EU-Israel Association Council meeting on Tuesday, the European Union stated it will offer Israel upgraded trade and diplomatic relations in over 60 areas, including energy and agriculture. This offer will also grant Israel access to European government-controlled markets and enhance Israel’s co-operation with nine EU agencies. This announcement came almost […]
Middle Eastern olive oil producers are baring the brunt of falling oil prices Olive oil prices have hit a 10 year low, severely impacting producers in Spain, Italy , Greece and Protugal- which produce more than 60 percent of the world’s olive oil. However, Middle Eastern Farmers in Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Israel and Palestine will […]
Can there be ways to protect olive oil prices and the sustainable ways of olive farming in the Middle East? The price for olive oil has dropped to its lowest level in a decade and farmers in the Middle East are bearing the brunt as Spain and Italy dump their government-subsidized stocks at below cost. […]
Built by Palestinian engineers, the toy-carrying Eco-Playbus is powered by solar and cycling power Yesterday, 250 children from the Aida Camp in Bethlehem and various Camps across Jerusalem gathered to celebrate the launch the unique Eco-Playbus project. Aimed at Palestinians living in refugee camps, the Eco-Playbus is a traveling vehicle filled with games and toys […]
Israel chairs EUREKA this year and puts clean tech on the table. The EU-based EUREKA network is an organization that seeks to promote international, market-oriented research and innovation by supporting a variety of enterprises, industries, and research institutions. EUREKA’s support enables these organizations to introduce new products and services that better the market and, in […]
While Turkey’s clean, smart energy solutions and its pending grid connectivity to Europe are praiseworthy, can we cut back demand too? Critics of GE’s Ecomagination program – which is said to offer cleaner, smarter power solutions – claim that GE is simply airbrushing an unsustainable model, perpetuating the very consumer culture that needs to be […]
A new research project aims to create an early warning system to save lives of people who take the train. Trains are one of favourite means of public transportation. See how Europe does it. Trains are fast, affordable and in the right country, they run on time. But as new tracks are laid down, new […]
Farming the sun from hot climates to Europe? This is the plan of DESERTEC. Today we speak with Oliver Steinmetz. Oliver’s a co-founder and volunteer board member for the DESERTEC Foundation, a small NGO founded in 2008 to promote the DESERTEC concept of supplying clean energy from desert regions to regions with less sun, like […]
When Jordanian EU Ambassador Ahmad Massadeh’s name was proposed as the new head of the Mediterranean Union Project on Tuesday, everyone applauded. The project has been stalled due to infighting, and other representatives are hopeful about Massaadeh’s ability to make progress. The Mediterranean Union Project, which was launched by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris […]
Chickens won’t cluck at this: Aside from making life more comfortable for the hens, Agrotop’s henhouse incorporates wind and solar power, recycles wastewater, and even processes chicken waste into biofuel. Chicken is a consumer favorite all over the world, but many people aren’t happy with the way chicken arrives at their table – both from […]
As part of its long bid for European Union membership, Turkey has announced that 74 pesticides are off limits because they are poisonous. The Hurriyet Daily News reports that the EU has a list of 135 illegal chemicals, and Turkey is working on the others. This is part of several environmental moves afoot in Turkey, […]
Although Smart Grids (electric networks based on renewable energy) are going up in the US and Europe, the World Bank is only now investing in green energy technology with a program in Turkey. At the end of May, the Bank announced it is investing $600 million in developing renewable sources such as biomass, hydro, wind […]
Do you ever get the feeling that every time you close your eyes, someone in Europe is doing something brilliant for the environment? Well, the residents of Vauban, Germany live in a suburb where most streets are off-limits to cars and the shops are mixed in with housing. The town’s 5,500 people are packed into […]
According to Forbes (2006), she is the richest woman in the Middle East, with assets totaling $5.5 billion. Today she has found a way to merge business and do-gooding for the planet, setting an example for future environmental philanthropists and clean technology experts. Shari Arison, who inherited the Carnival Cruise Line’s fortune and her late […]
From September 20-27, a delegation of European environmental journalists, policy makers (ie World Bank and EU parliament), energy and climate change specialists, and activism leaders are coming to the Middle East to explore Israel’s environmental issues, policies, and clean technology. The whirlwind tour will take these leaders to Hiria (Tel Aviv’s rehabilitating garbage dump); they […]
This interview features Eyal Hadas, managing director and head of renewable energy at Cukierman & Co. Investment House Ltd. (CIH) in Tel Aviv. We met Eyal at a renewable energy conference at Tel Aviv University several months ago (when Al Gore was in town and Karen photo-ed him in his cowboy boots), and were impressed […]