Dr. Gotlieb comments on the disastrous effects of the oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico and the dangers it portends for Israel’s emerging oil industry. In a New York Times article entitled Our Fix-It Faith and the Oil Spill published this week, Elisabeth Rosenthal writes that “Americans have long had an unswerving belief […]
“Extinct” grey whale sighted off Israeli coast, 8,000 nautical miles from home. Lost or making a comeback thanks to global warming? (In the above video, Israelis taking the video are calling for Willie to show his/her tail.) Sighting any kind of whale in the Mediterranean Sea is a novelty. But when a whale sighting turns […]
Big recyclers and important for carbon storage: New evidence explores how important this large mammal is for regulating nutrients in the sea. What does whale excrement, or poop, have to do with enriching the world’s marine environment? Plenty, according to a recent article on Greenbang. The “poop” the article is referring to is that contributed by […]
Natural gas for electric cars? The power has to come from somewhere. You might be wonderiing what the Tamar natural gas fields have to do with the Better Place electric car technology company, which recently received a big financial boost from the HBSC banking consortium, and now (hopefully) the Chinese auto company to produce another […]
Green Prophet has reported on the research of Dr. Salit Kark a couple of months ago. I went on to interview her, and here’s a story about our conversation and her research that aims to save billions in conservation efforts in the unique Middle East region. An Israeli researcher is playing a leading role in […]
Getting close to his subject: marine biologist Prof. Zvy Dubinsky hopes to understand the changes global warming will cause to the world’s delicate coral reefs. A new EU grant will give the corals a chance. Israeli marine biologist Zvy Dubinksy is worried. Coral reefs all over the world – from the Great Barrier Reef in […]
The Templar palace ruins in Akko (Acre), one of the sites where a geo-archaeological study was carried out. New research finds that short-term rising and falling of sea levels may not say much about global warming patterns. Rising sea level, one of many climate change-related phenomena expected to occur in the coming years, is a […]
Dolphins “trawling” behind fishermen’s trawling nets are getting snared at sea. If you love fish, there is nothing like catch from the Mediterranean Sea. But extensive commercial fishing, a new study finds, is endanging the sea’ dolphin populations. This has been shown in a new study carried out at the University of Haifa’s Department of […]
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 […]
New efforts to get smokers to butt out in special ashtrays at the beach in Tel Aviv look all for naught. The City of Tel Aviv has made a stellar offer to help its resident smoking addicts (about 3/4 of the city) to stop butting out at the beach. A recent walk along the North […]
EcoOcean is an Israeli non-profit organization that has been working since 2002 towards maintaining a healthy marine environment in the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The organization’s team of Israeli scientists does this by conducting research and running ecological education programs. (You can read here about its director’s Andreas’ swim with the whales). Education […]
He’s interested in Dead Sea development. Now Israeli billionaire Yitzhak Tshuva appears to have done it again after his Delek Energy subsidiary Yam Tethys won a $1 billion contract recently to furnish natural gas to the Israeli Electric Company (IEC). The gas, according to the Jerusalem Post, will power new electric power plants instead of […]
According to Canada’s National Post and Britain’s Sky News Israel has a mermaid and she is causing quite a stir. The reported half female human, half dolphin creature has been sighted by sources independent of each other off the coast of Kiryat Yam in the Haifa Bay. There is a $1 million reward for anyone […]
The Turkish Tourism and Culture Ministry is turning the western Bodrum Peninsula into an official tourism site. The peninsula, located not far from the city of Izmir, will not be turned into a “concrete jungle” the ministry head, Ertuğrul Günay assured concerned residents. Known for its natural beauty, Gunay went on to say “some think […]
Dubai’s mega developmental projects, including several artificial islands complexes, are beginning to cause a number of environmental concerns. The artificial islands, which when completed will contain large numbers of residential and commercial properties (including vacation resorts) are already having their effect on marine life in the Persian Gulf. One particular project, The World, encompasses three […]
A week ago England’s Department of Health published practical recommendations to prepare for a potential heatwave which is also the central theme of their 2009 Heatwave Plan. The Heatwave Plan for 2009 has been updated with extra guidance that outlines the benefits of insulating houses to keep them cool during summer months, and warm during […]
The health of Tel Aviv and Herzliya residents should not be ignored: For over two weeks the beaches of Tel Aviv and Herzliya have been polluted by sewage from Or-Yehuda. For over a week Zalul Environmental Association has been waiting for an answer from the Ministry of the Environment about their failure to enforce the […]
I have to admit I thought they were fighting a losing battle. Despite the justice of their cause, it seemed that the odds were stacked well against the rightfully outraged Israelis who set up camp at the unspoiled Palmachim Beach just over a year ago. Equidistant from the coastal cities of Tel Aviv and Ashdod […]
Green Prophet interviews Andreas Weil, director of EcoOcean. Tell us a little about who you are and what you do. My name is Andreas Weil and I am the co-founder and acting director of the Israeli marine environmental nonprofit organization EcoOcean. I live for environmental issues and education. The sea is my passion and EcoOcean […]
It’s not just Morrissey and Paul McCartney who are on tour in Israel this summer, but Greenpeace’s legendary Rainbow Warrior ship is also paying the country a visit this weekend. As part of its latest tour of the Mediterranean Sea, the well-travelled vessel (the original was sunk in 1985 protesting against nuclear weapons testing in […]
In a press conference held last week the Jordanian Minister of Environment, His Excellency Khaled Irani, announced the launch of a Jordanian initiative called “Eco-Cities of the Mediterranean Forum 2008” to be held at the Ministry’s premises this coming October. When explaining the reasons for initiating the regional conference, Irani said: Our region’s energy, water, […]
How many shades of green can a Jaffa orange be? Israeli fruit and vegetable grower and supplier Mehadrin (owned by Hadarim, a property and building group, and a succession of other parent companies) is working with British supermarket chain Tesco in a bid to mark all its Jaffa oranges with the Carbon Trust label, a […]
Paint it Dead or Red? The alarmingly fast decline of water levels in the Dead Sea have resulted in numerous plans to bring sea water from either the Mediterranean or Red Sea to replenish the water in what has often been referred as the world’s lowest level body of water. It’s the lowest place on […]
Sea pollution closes the beaches in Bat Yam. (Credit: Zalul Environmental Association) For a long time now, Israel’s water resources haven’t been getting the respect they deserve. Out of the 16 rivers that flow into the Mediterranean Sea, all 16 are polluted – many to the point that you wouldn’t even let your dog go […]
The wonderful wild weather of last week, and according to forecasts, in the week to come; has inspired a series of special water-related posts. This first one examines the findings of a new International report focusing on the condition of the World’s Oceans. It does not unfortunately make for happy reading…………………. Ben Halpern, a […]