A salt lake in Iran has given rise to a new species of algae for biofuel. This is the large salt lake “Urmia”. Are the Iranians looking for biofuel alternatives such as algae to dangerous and polluting nuclear power? Iran Daily reports that researchers at Iran’s Shiraz University have succeeded to make biofuel from algae, […]
Dubai World announced that it would be requesting a six-month delay on paying its debts. Within hours, Dubai’s reputation was being rewritten, and its ambition to be a financial center, building on its historic reputation as a focal point for regional trade, was being recast. Uncertainty continued on November 30, when the Dubai government said […]
Listen up Middle East: The UN wants stronger laws for protecting land, water and wildlife during times of conflict. If the cost of human life isn’t enough for our species to understand, the UN has issued a report on enforcing the laws in place to protect the environment during conflict. Precious desert lilies plowed over […]
Plant pathologist Norman Borlaug, 95, died this Saturday, raising questions about the legacy of industrial food in the Third World. In 1970, Borlaug received a Nobel Peace Prize for averting famine through bringing fertilizers, pesticides and new plant strains to countries like India, Mexico and Pakistan. But environmentalists argue that his plant engineering only delayed […]
The evils of plastic water and beverage bottles have already been noted in previous Green Prophet articles, including one dealing with bottled water conflicting with green values ; and another more recent one that noted how so-called bottled water is really mostly tap water that is bottled and then sold at premium prices. But now, there may […]
Recent political turmoil in the Islamic Republic of Iran, is only part of the problems facing this country of more than 70 million. The country’s fragile eco-cycle is also at risk, much of this due to developmental aspects which have been occurring in many parts of county, while environmental issues have taken a back seat. […]
The second a nuclear bomb detonates, not only human life is vaporized at Ground Zero but so is every breath taken by “lesser” life forms, animal or plant. A nuclear attack anywhere will make all the world’s conservation efforts (and past conflicts in the Middle East) look like child’s play, so as a Middle East-centric […]
Eco-Jews are busy now celebrating Passover, while Christians in the Holy Land and the world over ready themselves for Easter. Iranians, we learn had their own celebrations this time of the year, coinciding with the vernal equinox on March 21. Iran’s political makeup and leadership may not be making many friends these days, but one […]
Reporting on a story about the coral monitoring stations in the Persian Gulf, Green Prophet mistakenly labeled the major Middle East waterway the Arabian Gulf. A reader wrote us asking for a correction on the name which has deep historical and new political roots. Today we interview Daniel M. Pourkesali, an Iranian-American who is working […]
Iran Khodro, a Peugeot partner for producing its line of 405 and 206D sedans, announced the production of what it claims is the world’s most powerful natural gas engine at 150 hp. The engine runs on compressed natural gas (CNG), and is supposed to comply with the EURO 4 emission standards. It will first be installed in the Samand […]
In summer, Israelis battle jellyfish, an introduced species that came to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. But that’s nothing compared to what Iran’s battling right now: A weird and wacky red, soap-like super foam is taking over the Persian Gulf in Iran. Known as the “red tide,” it’s the result of an excessive […]
(This AP photo shows a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Spain which reflects light to a central tower to produce power. A pilot project using CSP is underway in Tehran.) Does a country that “promises” to wipe Israel off the map have a right to create nuclear energy for “power?” I must admit, […]
As a source of alternative energy, some people believe that nuclear power is extremely powerful and can be a fantastic green solution to the energy problem. There are several hazards involved though: Purifying the uranium needed to generate the energy is extremely dangerous, and if the waste is not taken care of properly it can […]
How pirating in the Middle East affects the state of the environment. Pirates are not just in the movies these days –– a group of Somali pirates recently hijacked a large Saudi oil taker, fueled up and passing off the coast of Kenya on its way to the US. The $120-million ship contained up to 2 […]
Buckle your (cyber) seatbelts and prep your imaginary passports, because this week we’re continuing our green journey. After eco touring other Middle Eastern countries – such as Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Egypt, and Israel – we’re off to pay a green visit to Yemen. Yemen, like other countries in the region, has a variety of […]
Now that we’ve toured Lebanon, Jordan, and even Iran, let’s make an online eco-visit to Syria. Since Syria has not yet experienced a wave of mass tourism, its sites are still well preserved and relatively undisturbed. That, combined with the fact that Syria has a wide variety of landscapes ranging from forests to beaches to […]
As part of our ongoing virtual eco-tour of the Middle East, this week’s cyber journey is to Iran. Iran is a little further off than Jordan and Lebanon, but it is also an intriguing spot. And thanks to some information provided by Mohammad Memarian as a response to a Green Prophet post on MidEast Youth […]