A heat wave in Russia topples its wheat supply, leaving Egypt in the lurch. And threats of shortages, have international media in a panic. Due to the weather in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan’s wheat production will drop by as much as 27 per cent in 2010/2011. And recently, a wheat fungus in Iraq due to […]
A super strain of bed bugs is infesting the UAE. Here are some eco-friendly ways of getting rid of those nasty creatures.
Egypt is the world’s largest importer of wheat; could Russia’s heat wave (and subsequent ban on grain exports) become Egypt’s hunger? Bill McKibben shows how one country’s excess emissions impacts the entire earth’s atmosphere, which causes a whole slew of its own unforeseen chain reactions. Industry and tourism cause noise pollution that disrupts hapless reef […]
Get mad about poor energy policies that are heating up our planet, and then get organized on 10-10-10 I was taught the value of balanced writing free of slanted language. “Let the facts speak for themselves,” my noble university professors proclaimed. “Don’t appeal to emotion.” But as a working environmental journalist emotionally and intellectually saturated […]
Saudis, Kuwaitis and Emiritis experience summer blackouts, despite being oil- and gas-rich. Lack of infrastructure and change in lifestyle to blame. With temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius or 112 Fahrenheit more the a few countries in the region are struggling to keep up with people’s needs to keep cool in the scorching summer […]
At the end of July, the hot Middle East summer caused forests around the city of Doroud in Western Iran to ignite in a blazing fire. After about one day, some news agencies published news about burn of 500 hectares (5,000 square kilometers) of the forest. Later governmental authorities announced that the correct information is […]
Despite facing issues such as water scarcity and pollution at poisonous levels, the Middle East is still sending mixed message about climate change. Image of Mideast and earth Courtesy of NASA. There is a constant debate in green circles over whether the Middle East is really taking climate change seriously. Some days the Arab world […]
A tourist soaks up the Egyptian sun. The Middle East is getting hotter, like the rest of the world, but when is too hot, too much? It’s hot and getting hotter. But nowhere is the more evident than in Southern Asia and the Middle East. And while daytime temperatures are always hot this time of […]
Pet owners in the Middle East pay lots for imported pet food. Miriam offers recipes for Fido’s food with locally sourced ingredients to keep him healthy, save money, and reduce carbon emissions. A dog somewhere on the street howled pitifully, all day and all night. Neighbors told us that her owner had gone abroad, leaving money […]
Don’t dump to the sea! The Middle East can learn from America’s mistakes. This sign to protect oysters and fish, Apalachicola, Florida. Two thirds of the world is water – home to mysterious and life-sustaining organisms. The world’s oceans also serve as a carbon sink, helping maintain a balance as humans upset the balance with […]
Dr. Gotlieb comments on the attempts by economically and politically interested parties to obscure the climate change debate. Scientists are “street fighting” the demagoguery in prestigious journals, like Nature. There is a mean spirit blowing — and its not a sirocco out of the Maghreb. The issue began brewing around the time of the ill-fated […]
Built on the profits of oil, should Masdar hold the mantle of energy leadership for the world? Yosef asks. According to the Masdar City website, the undertaking is intended to be Abu Dhabi’s “multi-faceted response to the challenges facing a sustainable future.” The city, intended to house 50,000 residents in a kind of technosphere designed […]
Prof. Colin Price suggests link between volcanic ash, cloud formation and global weather patterns. Native Americans used smoke signals to indicate danger, and a white plume is sent up by the Vatican when a new Pope is chosen. A new research project by Tel Aviv University and Weizmann Institute researchers has shown that where there’s […]
The rich folk from the United Arab Emirates are known for their over-the-top cars and wealth. Like gold-plated mercedes. Faux or real, the oil-rich Arab countries, even when they make green initiatives do it in such a bombastic way, counter-intuitive to the gentler, earth-friendly approaches most of us Green Prophets would stand behind. But all […]
Cairo could flood over if climate change predictions come true. Image of smoggy Cairo via ninahale. The Egyptian Minister of Agriculture Amin Abaza confirmed last week that the ministry had prepared a strategy for sustainable agricultural development until 2030. (This comes after gloomy reports for the Cairo region by the year 2020) He said that […]