The Israeli company entered their concept into the Pears Challenge, which targets entrepreneurs that are developing solutions that can be applied in developing countries.

The Challenge welcomes submissions that address health, education, agriculture, water, ICT, and clean energy.

In this case, Living Green develops food growing systems that are affordable, can be implemented at home or scaled up for commercial farmers, and perhaps best of all, once they are set up, they are completely self-sustaining. This means they require zero electricity, soil or water to maintain.

There are three different kinds of LivingBoxes — one that relies on aquaponics, a closed loop system that uses fish waste to provide the nitrogen necessary for plants to grow, hydroponics, growing food in water, and a biogas system that – quite simply – uses food waste to produce organic, healthy fertilizer.

Related: Bulldozers raze ancient urban farm in Turkey

As far as we can tell, Living Boxes can be scaled up and down using any combination of the three techniques. They are delivered in one box, which is comprised of an array of smaller boxes, and are incredibly easy to use.

“The Livingbox is the perfect system, because it lets anyone anywhere grow vegetables without the need for fertile soil, or running water and electricity, and with minimal farming skills,” said company co-founder Nitzan Solan.

“It could help feed people in the developing world, providing them with access to fresh, nutritious food, while helping them maintain a clean environment.”

Once users receive their boxes, they merely add water and seeds, and the relatively low-tech system essentially takes care of itself from there.

Noting that 70 percent of the global population are expected live in urban environments by 2050, Living Green proposes their system as an affordable means to grow nutritious food at home that will bolster people’s health and make them more resilient against disease.

The Pears Challenge is a collaborative competition hosted by the international Pears Foundation and Tel Aviv University.

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Jerusalem’s Festigalgal bicycle riding festival winds up next week with emphasis on using bicycles more for in-city transportation. The annual festival has in the past included such dignitaries as the city’s mayor, Nir Barkat, as a participant in the month long event’s finale “Ride a Bike to Work” day which this year will be held on Sunday, October 27.

“The event has become increasingly popular in this city; and we are happy to be a co-sponsor of the event,” says Pnina Kaplan, who works for the Jerusalem branch of the Nature Protection Society, a co-sponsor of the event.

Last year around 400 people registered for the event, held on March 30, 2012.

“As it turned out, more than 4,000 showed up on their bikes to participate; and we hope to have more turn out this year,” says Yonatan Plitman, one of the event’s organizers. He added that the event is used as a way to reach out to the community in order to encourage more people to consider using bikes as an alternative way to get around the city.

To encourage people to register, the first 300 people to register for next Sundays bike riding day will be given a free T-shirt commemorating the event. The Festigalgal event itself has included special events like parades in parts of Jerusalem, including the Nehorai neighborhood, near  the city’s Valley of the Cross.

“All kinds of people become involved in the event, especially those like high tech people and students. The events also get people  involved who are living the neighborhoods where they take place; and a lot of people work at the festival as volunteers,” says Plitman.

He tells me that the Jerusalem municipality could do a lot more to improve the infrastructure in the city and “connect” to bike riders; including providing more bike paths and by allowing bike riders to take their bikes on public transport vehicle, like buses and the light rail train system, during non-peak usage hours.

“Tel Aviv (a city where many people ride bicycles) also has an infrastructure problem when it comes to bike riding,” says Plitman.

Many cities abroad, including the American city of San Francisco,  appear to do a lot more to encourage people to ride their bikes to work or for pleasure. Plitman thinks that it will be a while before bike riding in Jerusalem becomes as popular as it is in European cities like Amsterdam, however.

Those wishing to register for this years Ride a Bike to Work day can still so; and perhaps receive a free event T-shirt as well, via the following link.

More articles about bike riding and related issues:

Jerusalem Mayor to Join Bike to Work Day Next Week

Join Jerusalem”s Critical Mass Biking Event This Friday

Palestine’s First Bike Lane in Jericho Brings Oldest City Up to Speed

Photo Credit 2012 Festigalgal: Yaniv Yur/Greenmap.org

The post Jerusalem’s Eco Bike “Festigalgal” Says Ride to Work! appeared first on Green Prophet.

The old song says, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Let’s add echinacea, garlic and basil. Most are culinary herbs with poetic histories. All are green medicines that you can harvest at will.

The herbs don’t take up much space, if not much space is what you have. I myself grow about 15 kinds of herbs on my little apartment balcony, in containers. A culinary/medicinal herb I love to have there is chickweed, a wild herb that’s easy to grow at home.

You can get creative and recycle an old sink or worn-out buckets as containers, but herbs thrive in ordinary plant pots. Weeding and adding organic plant food to the water every 2-3 weeks guarantee thriving, healthy plants. Seed packets provide information on how deeply to sow, the right months of the year for sowing, and the best sun/shade conditions. If buying little starters, consult the plant nursery. Or start your herb garden with upcycled supermarket herbs. You’ll love picking fresh, green medicine that you grew yourself.

Parsley

Curly or flat like in the Middle East: Chew a few leaves of fresh parsley to give your breath a healthy freshness.

A bunch of parsley, simmered 20 minutes (covered) in plenty of water, makes a diuretic tea that’s much healthier than “water pills.”

Two big parsley roots, chopped and cooked the same way with a handful of corn silk added, make a tea strong enough to move gravel from the kidneys and bladder.

Sage

Strong sage tea is antiseptic and an effective tissue healer. Gargle with it to relieve a scratchy throat. Wet a clean cloth or cotton with the infusion and apply to chafed, sore skin to prevent infection. Allow to dry naturally. Do this several times a day. The tea forms little white, floating particles. This is normal. Warning: drinking medicinal sage tea may bring menstruation on early, or cause menses to return during menopause.

Rosemary

A sprig of rosemary in hot water, with lemon and honey, makes a pleasant tea that will cure a tension headache. Rosemary stimulates blood circulation and warms the body. A bath with fresh or dried rosemary leaves will leave you feeling relaxed, but awake and alert. Tie the herb into a big handkerchief or a square of cheesecloth and chuck into a very hot bath. Swish it around a few times. When the water has cooled down enough to be pleasant, jump in. Warning: rosemary is not safe to use as medicine in pregnancy.

Thyme

A good cure for coughs is thyme infusion: 1 oz. of the dried herb infused in 1 pint of boiling water. Take 1 or 2 tablespoons, 3-5 times daily. I treated my own child with weak, sweet thyme tea when she had whooping cough as a baby. When she refused to drink any more, I put thyme in her bath. It was the only thing that helped.

Echinacea

The purple coneflower grows tall and handsome, and all parts of it are antiviral and antimicrobial. I suggest drying the flowers and leaves and storing them in glass, in a dark place. When you feel a cold coming on, pour a cup of boiling water of a teaspoon of the dry herb and cover the cup. Wait 15 minutes to drink.

Drink 3-5 cups of echinacea tea daily, sweetened with honey and flavored with cloves and/or lemon. It will help the virus to move along.

Garlic

A plant from the Quran. Ordinary garlic bulbs will sprout and make new bulbs with sturdy shoots and delicate flowers. It’s known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol somewhat, but it’s most famous as a natural antibiotic.

To clear away an ear infection, chop 3 large garlic cloves. Heat 3 tablespoons good olive oil and add the chopped garlic to it. Stir, cook 1 minute and remove from heat. Allow to steep 20 minutes. Strain the oil and drop 3 drops into the afflicted ear.

The oil is best applied warm. Re-heat it by passing a teaspoon half-filled with it over a lit match. Test the heat by dropping some on your inner wrist – you don’t want to drop hot oil into someone’s ear! Warm garlic oil relieves the pain and clears up mild ear infections.

I have also killed a cold by eating fresh garlic flowers several times.

Basil

This distinctive culinary herb has its uses as medicine, and surprising ones, too. Steep a jarful of the fresh, clean leaves in enough vodka to cover and leave, covered, in a dark place for three weeks. Drink a spoonful every morning to chase away fuzzy thinking. This simple tincture will also relieve headaches and help digestion.

Hydroponic gardening

If you live in a very cold, long-lived winter place with little sunshine, consider an indoor hydroponic kitchen counter grow machine. If you use it for years it will be worth it, but you need to commit.

Inspiration for growing herbs in your own space:

• Greenbo Patio Gardens
• Grow Flowers in Biodegradable OAT Shoes
• A Halal’s Day Work At the People’s Produce Project

Green Prophet will not take responsibility for these herbal methods. Consult your health practitioner for any persistent pain or ailment.

The post Grow 7 Healing Herbs At Home appeared first on Green Prophet.

Going to the mall or outlet store to buy clothing is not the greenest thing one can do when the truth is known about what materials the clothing is made out of, as well as where and how it is made. Much of this clothing, even top line name brands, is often made in poorer locations  such as rural China, Bangladesh, India, and other places  where environmentally damaging dyes are used and clothing is sewn together by people working in sweat-shop and even slave labor conditions.

Finding companies that make environmentally friendly fashion products used to be difficult; but now more and more companies are producing such clothing that even is appeasing purchasers who are restricted by religious requirements of modesty and simplicity.

The call for more transparency in the production and marketing of clothing lines has resulted in one company going the extra mile to produce high quality fashions that are not only ecological friendly but produced by more ethical means. This company, known as Honest By, claims to be the first 100% transparent clothing company that  ” traces the origins of the fabrics and trimmings used to make sure that all the elements are being produced in a responsible manner.”

This not only includes the fabrics and dyes from which the clothing is made, but even what type and how much energy is involved. The clothing labels also tell you whether any soil or air  pollution is created from ground water or air contamination.

Operated by CEO Bruno Pieters, a Belgian fashion designer who previously worked as art director of Hugo Boss‘s avant guard line, Honest By’s policy is to “present the full picture of how its clothes are made including where the materials come from, how the products are manufactured, how much they cost to make, and how much they’re being marked up”.  Even details about production factories and safety standards for workers is given by the company. This revelation is much more forthcoming than many other clothing companies that only divulge the country of origin of the clothing and the main fabrics used (cotton, polyester, rayon, etc).

Prices for the clothing produced by this company are not in many peoples’ budget, however. They start at 280 Euro or $325 USD. Although the company does divulge how much the materials cost and how much it cost to produce the clothing, this still leaves a bit of a gap between the full production costs and the final retail price. But there is some good news in that around 20% of company profits are given to charity.

In recent years, most clothing lines have been outsourced to aforementioned countries, where labor costs are much less than in Western countries such as the USA and UK. China has become one of the top fashion clothing producers; and as has been mentioned previously in Green Prophet, also produces chic pop fashion lines from plastics and other waste materials that would normally be thrown away.

While there may still be some issues regarding Honest By’s claim of full transparency in its clothing lines, at least Bruno Pieters and his company appear to be going in the right direction in its clothing – providing you can afford to pay the price that is.

::Honest By

More articles on green clothing issues:
Israel’s Maccabi Soccer Uniforms by Nike are Made From 13 Recycled Plastic Bottles
D Grade’s Hipster Trash Clothing is Made Cheap in China
Thinking About Buying Jeans as Gifts? Well, Think Again
Organic and Islamic – Muslims Showcase Ethical and Fair-Trade Fashion

Image of green fashion from Shutterstock

The post Honest By Clothing Reveals its 100% Transparent Fashion Line appeared first on Green Prophet.

Eco-romantics about to tie the knot pay attention: Green Prophet has the scoop on making your day of love as green as possible without compromising on romance and style. From mass weddings in the Middle East to intimate ceremonies in your own backyard, here are 7 ways to leave a smaller carbon footprint when you walk down the aisle together.

1. If you are exchanging rings, consider giving heirloom jewels or ethically mined and harvested diamonds, gold, gems and platinum.
2. Wear vintage gowns and suits or those made from eco-fabrics.
3. Use locally grown, pesticide free wildflowers and natural materials to decorate.
4. Serve food and beverages made from organic, locally harvested produce and vineyards.
5. If the wedding is to be indoors, rent out a building that is built to greener standards, or one that donates a percentage of profits to environmental causes. Consider a museum, an art gallery, botanical garden, historical home or cultural center for the reception.
6. As much as possible, consider how you can minimize the power requirements of your wedding by maximizing the use of natural lighting and cooling/heating options.
7. Instead of gifts, have your guests donate money to environmental or other causes that are important to the bride and groom.
8. If you are going to give your guests any party favors, make them eco-conscious. Candles made from soy, small planted seedlings, chocolate or other tasty morsel provided by a vendor that engages in conscious commerce.

Related: to find fun fashion follow Azazie The Leading fashion bridal party store

We promised you seven, but we gave you eight. That’s because eco-weddings are about giving back more to your niche in this world. Going green is chic, fashionable, timely and likely to make you and your guests remember your wedding as something different from the norm. Give more in the ways that matter, and less in the ways that are wasteful.

Read More Green Wedding and Romance News:
Tips for a ‘Greener’ Muslim Wedding
Israeli-Born Natalie Portman Sports Green Engagement Ring

The post 7 Ways to ecofy and green your wedding day appeared first on Green Prophet.

Environmentally conscious Turks are a frustrated lot. Their country is developing along the route of traditional industrialization, with little regard for local livelihoods or human health, and the government is encouraging investment in dirty energy far more than Turkey’s abundant renewable resources.Though it can’t solve these larger problems, the website Yeşilist is Turkey’s first online guide to greener, more sustainable choices at the consumer level.

Turkey’s Green Roots

Yeşilist (“yeşil” means “green” in Turkish) is the brainchild of Ergem and Georgie, two women living in Turkey who often had trouble finding information about eco-friendly products and services in available to them in the country.

The site now features an information directory about sixteen different subjects on which people might seek green guidance. Users can search by neighborhood or by category, such as businesses that deliver. A news feed keeps the site up to date with the release of new environmentally friendly products and businesses.

Georgie is also a representative of Al Gore’s Climate Project in Turkey, the effort to train presenters in how to effectively educate large audiences around the world about climate change.

Turkey’s Green Reach

The site is now available in English as well as Turkish, making it available to Turkey’s large expatriate population. The English site also links to several blogs that will be of interest to the environmentally-minded out there.

Even if you’re not a resident of Turkey, the site is worth a visit. How else will you learn about Turkish advents such as Nature’s Baby Organics, the Topkapi Yarn Industry, or Turkey’s only Permaculture Research Institute? Browse around for a few minutes — you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

:: Yesilist

Read more about green lifestyles in the Middle East:
Ancient Middle East Craft Is Knitting Bridges
Miraculously Sustainable And Upcycled Hanukah Menorah Designs
Bahrain’s Green Bar Offers Naturally Extravagant Fragrances

Image via yesilist.com

The post Turkey’s First Green Lifestyle Website Yeşilist, Now Bilingual appeared first on Green Prophet.

After the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (PAKSBAB) was set up to protect people’s homes against extreme weather conditions. More recently with the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey, I am reminded of the value of homes and family.

PAKSBAB invests in creative micro-financing, giving the local community innovative design solutions to semi-independently construct energy efficient houses. A training period enables families directly affected by the earthquake to build their own houses using refined natural materials, and locals are recruited to participate in developing the community.

Since 2006, PAKSBAB has trained fifty people and constructed twenty-six straw bale buildings in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkha province. Construction expertise is passed forward as disadvantaged Pakistani families are educated in the necessary steps to build their own straw bale homes. The Community Development Program (CDP) in 2007 did just that, providing all the necessary materials, training and financing to the poorest socio-economic group in the region.

Clay-plaster reinforced, a fabricated straw bale house costs half the expenses of modern building for every square foot

By providing this life-changing opportunity, PAKSBAB hopes to improve the health and living conditions of Pakistani people, particularly the victims of flooding and earthquakes. Empowering the most vulnerable with environmental awareness apand reconstruction skills creates social and economic stability.

Such low-cost building solutions for the developing world are earthquake resistant and about two times more energy efficient than typical construction methods, according to PAKSBAB.

Low-cost investing for long-term profit
The project offers alternative building methods that are more environmentally friendly than modern standard construction. While similar tools and building materials are utilized, the straw bale project is significantly less expensive, taking advantage of willing manual labour and local available materials.

An average straw bale house amounts to $5-6 per square foot in material and labour cost, in comparison to conventional developers’ costs of around $12 (s.f.) for low-cost housing.

The average construction of PAKSBAB’s typical 576 square foot house is under $3000.

Earthquake proof design
In March, 2009, PAKSBAB performed the first impressive shake table simulations of a straw bale house, which provided convincing evidence that the construction system is very earthquake resistant.

The tests were conducted at the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation facility at the University of Nevada, Reno, with support from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. The house was subjected to a series of eight earthquakes of increasing intensity. It withstood accelerations of 0.8g, larger than 0.3-0.6g estimates of the Kashmir Earthquake accelerations.

Tightly packed walls and a gravel weighted foundation creates better weather-proofing

Typical straw bale construction uses straw, an agricultural byproduct after the harvest season, which is tied into bales and forms “building blocks” for walls. Both foundation and walls are built to withstand intense pressure, similar to a brick built house.

Why not bricks and mortar?
Contrary to the three little pigs bedtime story, a reinforced straw house is more durable than imagined.

• Energy efficiency is built-in as the walls are ready prepared with draft proof insulation, keeping out the blasting winds during Pakistan’s winter season.
• Use of natural materials – light straw clay and woven wooden supports – means each house is organic in the sense that only non-toxic products are made use of.
• Sourcing locally available materials means families who are already under the standard of living quality are not forced to buy expensive materials and rely on builders for construction to begin. As a Pakistani myself, I will add here that Pakistanis are notoriously late for everything.
• Once constructed, straw houses are resistant to damp, earthquakes and pests.

How to build a straw house
Green design is a key element of PAKSBAB’s quake-proof houses. The construction is executed in such a way that the house can take greater weight.

Each family contributes about 1200 hours of labour. The current building material costs for the homes are 200,000 Pakistani rupees (PKR), or approximately $2313 (current exchange rate: 1 PKR = 0.01156 US dollars).

A system for manufacturing straw bales has been developed from manually operated farm jacks and locally fabricated compression moulds. To establish independent local enterprises, PAKSBAB supported a straw bale fabrication operation in Khaki town, a rice-growing region near Mansehra. The team produced an average of 15 bales per man each day, costing a mere 53 Pakistani rupees, with room for reduction with mass-scale production.

Pakistani families are trained to construct cost-effective locally sourced materials for insulation

About 300 fabricated straw bales are tied tightly and packed between wooden beams and finished with clay plaster. This supports the roof load, reduces the foundation pressure as well as resisting wind.

Other ingenious design features include a foundation of gravel bags for weighting, upon which is poured a soil cement mixture. The whole surface is shrink-wrapped with nylon fishing net, providing plaster reinforcement and seismic resistance.

The standard Community Development Program home is 24 ft x 24 ft. (576 s.f.), comprised of two rooms and a veranda, with an optional kitchen.

Environmental building methods are part and parcel of PAKSBAB, whose straw houses use passive solar design, whereby the roof and walls store and effectively distribute solar energy (heat).

Each house is designed with appropriate space for high-efficiency cooking, rainwater catchment techniques and compost toilets.

PAKSBABS are fundraising to reuild houses for flood victims. To donate and for more information, browse through their gallery and projects.

Images:: PAKSBAB

:: PAKSBAB

More durable design:
Tareq Emtairah’s Practical Eco-House in Aqaba, Jordan
Sustainable Architecture in Israel Blooms in a Straw-Bale House
Organic Computer Design Reminds Us to Take Our Eyes Away From The Screen
Top 5 Arab Sustainable Designers

The post Micro-Financed Straw Houses For Pakistan Are Quake-Proof appeared first on Green Prophet.

I think it’s fair to say that Ayman Ahwal was not your average Muslim. A British Muslim convert, he worked tirelessly to support tree-planting projects in Indonesia, campaign for clean streets in his hometown of Birmingham in the UK and also joined the multi-faith convoy to Copenhagen. He was always ready to spread the word on Islam’s green principles and was a green Sufi Muslim to look up to. I am sad to say that I never got a chance to meet or speak to Ayman Ahwal, yet his legacy amongst many Muslims will live on.

He converted to Islam in the late 1960’s in the Moroccan desert following years of extensive travels and living in the wilderness. He told EcoIslam Magazine in an interview in 2008 that the time he spent wandering the desert made him aware of the interconnectedness of life and death and all nature. He also charts his love for the environment from his conversion to Islam: “My love of the environment, combined with horror at the way it’s being abused, began with Islam. When living with traditional Muslims living close to the land, I perceived a harmony between men and nature that I had not seen before.”

Although an advocate of the many ways that Islam can help protect nature, he was also disappointed at the lack of environmental awareness many Muslims showed. As he explains: “To be complete (insan al kamil) a Muslim should be as conscious of the natural environment as he is about other temporal preoccupations, as well as his nafs (ego), his ehsan (striving for excellence) and his ibadat (worship). The environment is about loving the Earth. To serve the people is to love Allah; to manage the Earth wisely is to love Allah.”

The following video is one of the few and most recent recording of Ayman Ahwal speaking at an event on the beauty of nature and duty of humans to protect it and preserve it from harm.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id37_mHZpGg[/youtube]

Here are some of the online reactions:

Sofial Jamil, Founder of ME: Muslims and the Environment

It was indeed a great privilege to meet the man himself during the 2010 World Islamic Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur. I loved the way he was all fired up at our table during lunch and saying his piece to the guy sitting next to him (who happened to be working for an oil palm company… hehehehe.). May Allah Bless his Soul.

Radical Middle Way:

Sidi Ayman Ahwal was a remarkable human being. An environmental campaigner, globetrotting activist and a profoundly humble, spiritual man. He was as comfortable in the threatened rainforests of Aceh planting trees as he was addressing budding environmentalists at an inner-city church. He was indefatigable with boundless energy and a glint in his eye that told he was a few steps ahead of the rest.

:Image via Podnosh/Flickr.

For more on Green Muslims see:

From Rockstars to Recycling: An Interview With An Eco-Muslimah

Interview With America’s Leading Green Muslim – Ibrahim Abdul Matin

Naqa’a: Saudi Women Fighting For The Environment

The post The Passing Of A Green Muslim – Ayman Ahwal appeared first on Green Prophet.

Water trouble has forced residents at Dubai’s man-made Palm Island to wash in the sea and use toilets at shopping malls

The sustainability and usefulness of Dubai’s artificial palm-shaped Island has been widely debated but I think a recent problem at one luxury complex has ironically helped raise awareness of how difficult life can be without water. Water system failure at the seven-building Oceana complex means that Dubai residents have been forced to shower in pools, scrub down in the sea and rely on toilets facilities at nearby shopping centres.

The Middle East is notorious for its water scarcity. As well as topping the charts at the most water insecure region in the world along with sub-Saharan Africa, there have been numerous reports pointing out that the problem is set to get worse when climate change kicks in. Despite these reports, statistics and warnings, it is still hard to actually visualise what life would be like without a steady flow of water.

The ease with which we have access to clean water means that many of us barely stop to think about how much we rely on it. Washing our clothes is a simple case of putting our clothes in the washing machine, pressing a few buttons and off it goes. The same goes for when we flush our toilets. Do you know how much water your washing machine or toilet goes through in every use? Do you know how much water is takes to shower? I know I don’t know.

The only sense I got of how much water my toilet uses was when it broke down and I had to pour lots and lots of water down it to flush it. After a while it was a case of  ‘If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown flush it down’.

So, next time you turn the tap on and water comes out- remember that it may not always be that way especially if you live in the Middle East. What’s more, the hardship that residents of the Oceana complex are currently experiencing in Dubai is only a fraction of the impact that large-scale water shortages would have on agriculture, the economy as well as political stability.

(The floating islands in Dubai have also been shown to have a negative impact on the surrounding marine environment, with reports of stagnating water attracting mosquitoes and algae.)

For more on water issues in the Middle East:

Is The Middle East Taking Climate Change Seriously?

Syria Launches Water Scarcity Park

Desertification in Egypt Is Putting Food Supplies At Risk

The post Trouble In Paradise: Water Failure At Luxury Apartments In Dubai appeared first on Green Prophet.

It isn’t often that I eat dates, drink coffee, and wax green with a Sheikh from Ajman. But yesterday I did. Known around the world as the Green Sheikh, Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi has spearheaded a variety of environmental initiatives since 1996. Most famously, an experience he recalls fondly, he visited Antarctica in order to witness in person how climate change has altered that vast whitewashed landscape.

The first to admit that other Sheikhs do not share his worldly, green-tinted perspective, the Green Sheikh forges ahead nonetheless. “Number one,” he says, “be yourself!” And for him, doing so starts with humility. Having none of the boundaries typically associated with royalty, Abdul Aziz is an open, inspiring communicator who also knows just how to treat a lady.

No Red Carpet

We met Thursday morning in Dubai’s Mina Al Salam hotel lobby. My taxi driver, who might have broken a few laws to get me there on time, claims the hotel is renowned for catering to royal Emiratis.

But there was no red carpet ceremony. No entourage of men in dark glasses descended on the lobby, where I sat with my working girl back pack. Instead, Abdul Aziz and his young office manager Khalid M. Bin Tameem entered through the front door just like I did minutes before, without any kind of fanfare. Later, we discussed how much the west misunderstands Arabs.

“People think we all have a lot of wealth and four wives,” he said. But the reality is altogether different. The Alihsan Charity Center, of which the Sheikh is Vice Chairman and CEO, provides financial support to 9,000 families.

“25% of them are local Emiratis,” he said, debunking the myth that all Emiratis drive fast (sometimes gold) cars and live a life of luxury. Asked to identify the greatest challenge facing his country, a slight shadow passed over Abdul Aziz’s eyes and he answered quickly: “identity.”

“In my own country, when I speak to people in Arabic, they answer me in English. Everywhere I go. Can you imagine? We are a minority in our own country. We are losing our language and tradition.”

Reviving that tradition, which has been overwhelmed by what many view as reckless development and a throng of working class foreigners, forms the crux of his environmental strategy.

The Green Sheikh Narrative

Much has been written about Abdul Aziz, but closer analysis shows a constant reshuffling of the same story. It starts with his youth and father, who taught him about falconry and the interconnectedness of nature. The narrative then moves on to his brief stint on the dirty side of energy, before it culminates in his role as an environmental protector.

It is a rich story that does much to illuminate why this charismatic and gentle man cares so deeply about his work. But many people on the street want to know how effectively this passion translates into actual happenings.

While the UAE’s rulers are the ultimate decision makers, and they are advised by a posse more gold-minded than green, Abdul Aziz employs a bottoms-up approach. Married with four children, he sees the future in the Middle East’s youth. It is to them, consequently, that he devotes much of his time and attention. But how does the Green Sheikh influence policy?

As environmental adviser to Ajman, Abdul Aziz has both directly and indirectly influenced a ban on petroleum-based plastic bags (we wrote about it, and he agreed to check whether a system to ensure the biodegradable bags don’t enter into traditional landfills will accompany the ban), a new recycling program in Ajman, which is still growing its legs, and an initiative to install sensors that will help reduce energy and water consumption.

Many Masdars

He also has other sneaky green tricks up his sleeve that are not yet public knowledge, but in every venture, he emphasizes the importance of not showing off. Although supportive of Masdar City as a hub for R&D in the UAE, the Green Sheikh prefers more modest initiatives.

“Why can we not have many small Masdars,” he asked, “even if 20% of the people had little Masdars and the government gave incentives (like in Europe), that would make a difference.”

I did not remember to ask whether Abdul Aziz has solar panels on his roof, but he did tell me that he limits his meat consumption to one day a week. “I eat meat because I need the iron, he says. I am O+.  But my wife doesn’t take meat at all.”

Pomp and Circumstance

We rode together from the hotel to Knowledge Village, where HSBC held a prize-giving ceremony for 20 schools throughout the UAE that participated in a conservation-themed art challenge. It was there that I best understood his tremendous appeal.

What might have been a sweet, modest affair for children and their parents turned into a semi-political platform marred by the kind of pomp and circumstance typically associated with the UAE: formal, stiff speeches, dramatic music, and shrieking parents who acted as though their children had just received an academy award.

But Abdul Aziz eschews ceremony and shows genuine, affection for the people he meets, and openly hugged some of the children on stage. His manner is moving, and in his presence the world feels like a positive and wonderful place, but outside in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, many things beautiful have been replaced with skyscrapers and cranes and factories.

“I can’t be negative,” he said. “I am hopeful. Only a short time ago, there was no environmental awareness, but now there are so many organizations and NGOs. It’s amazing,” he said. This makes sense. Even if it is impossible to ignore the environmentally destructive forces, to dwell on them would mean a certain kind of spiritual death.

Queen for a few hours

What is priority for the Arab world, according to the Green Sheikh?

“We need more public participation,” he said. “Currently very few people engage, but that needs to change.”

Back at the hotel, Abdul Aziz offered to drop me off on the other end of town, but I secretly planned to find my own way since he is so busy. He insisted though and sent Khalid to find me at the end of the prize-giving event.

“We were looking for you,” he said. (Ouch. It’s never a good idea to keep a Sheikh waiting).

“In my culture,” said Abdul Aziz, “we must treat women like a queen, whether they are friends or strangers.” For a short while, that’s exactly how I felt.

More on the Green Sheikh:

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