Will pink viagra gain a following among in this part of the world and change woman’s dress codes? Yesterday was the secular date of 10.10.2010, and many women are using the once in lifetime calendar event as an expression of love and personal sexuality. Taking this in mind, is there really such thing as a […]
Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry threatens to enforce their will in Palestinian territory, where the plans for Rawabi are not as green as Palestinian/Qatari developers profess. Israel’s excess extraction from the Jordan River (as well as other factors) could soon kill it altogether with serious ramifications for Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians. There is no question that one […]
Over 500 people from 50 countries will join the Third Annual International Conference on “Drylands, Deserts and Desertification: The Route to Restoration,” on November 8-11, 2010. Although their own water problems are far from over, Israel has mastered techniques that are crucial to desert survival. In addition to developing among the most advanced irrigation procedures, […]
Traveling sandstorms force Middle Eastern countries to cooperate, despite former water disagreements. Approximately two thirds of the Middle East is comprised of desert, including as it does the largest continuous expanse of sand (in Saudi Arabia) known as Rub’ Al Khali or the empty quarter. With so little moisture there are no hovering clouds, and […]
It is no longer necessary to waste gallons of water when washing your car. A new biodegradable product will keep it clean, and protect it from the harsh sun. With virtually no freshwater resources, Dubai relies extensively on energy-intensive and environmentally-destructive desalination facilities to provide water. But the emirate also lies amidst a hot desert […]
Saudi Arabia prepares in advance for a future without oil, putting solar energy in its place. Possessing a fifth of the world’s proven oil reserves, Saudi Arabia has long been synonymous with the petroleum industry, but this is not stopping the kingdom from striving to diversify its energy sources. Renewable sources could account for up […]
An environmental awareness campaign is subverted by Jordan’s “aniti-normalisation” groups. Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) are renowned for reaching across political borders to address environmental concerns that know no borders. For years, in spite of the political aura, Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians have worked together to monitor and protect the imperiled Jordan River, […]
Coriander, lemon, and four kinds of vegetables make a mouth-watering vegetarian couscous. Natural locavores, good Middle Eastern cooks take pleasure in seeking out the very best and freshest vegetables in the open-air markets, transforming inexpensive local ingredients into delicious traditional foods. Some examples include mulukhiya (our mulukhiya recipe here) and couscous. While couscous is often […]
A handy chart to plot which Middle East countries are going nuclear. Ever since oil was discovered in the Middle East around 1950 it has gas been the driving force behind the region’s transformation. But as of late a new focus has emerged based on both an ever increasing demands for electricity but also a […]
Her future doesn’t just depend on how we learn to care for the planet from here on out, but how many other children will be born in her lifetime. Mention eco-sexuality to the uninformed, and you’ll get often blank stares or snickers; people assume that being conscious about one’s personal life takes all the fun […]
Fresh corn makes all the difference in these golden muffins – a treat for family and guests. Right now in Israel it’s the Sukkot holiday, and visiting time as friends and neighbors go sukkah-hopping from one home to the next. It’s time to catch up with neighborhood news, refresh friendships, and relax with people instead […]
Join hands with your fellows in the Middle East on 10-10-10 and drive down atmospheric carbon concentrations. There is no better way to subvert the status quo than to join hands with like-minded people on a similar carbon-reduction mission. Bill McKibben is the brains behind 350.org, an international non-profit organization that seeks to reduce atmospheric […]
Mark Boyle, otherwise known as the “moneyless man,” says that the Middle East’s emphasis on caring and sharing should make adopting a “freeconomic” lifestyle easier than in the West. Frustrated and worried about the state of our environment, we chomp at the bits and engage in frothy conversations about irresponsible citizens and politicians, but few […]
The glassy new plans for the Museum of Tolerance reflect badly on the nearby environment. During the festival of Sukkot, Jews worldwide are camping out in their organic Sukkahs, touching the earth, reconnecting. Karin wrote about sustainable booths all over Jerusalem, while another, snazzier Sukkah is currently being displayed on Manhattan’s Union Square. Contrasted with […]
Treating love with patience and with small, 5% changes is the same approach that will save our planet “Bad things happen fast, good things take time,” writes Wendy Strgar, founder and chairman of GoodCleanLove.com, and the author of the newly published book, Love That Works: A Guide to Enduring Intimacy (Love Words Press, September 2010). […]
Hima, practised for over 14,000 years in the Arabian Peninsula, is believed to be the most widespread system of traditional conservation in the Middle East, and perhaps the entire earth. In these modern times, it’s easy to think of environmental protection as a new concept which has emerged in response to modern problems linked to […]
Zonzoo and Enviroserve recycle cell phones, earning donors a bit of good, “green” cash. When old cell phone batteries peter out and new models are just too hard to resist, many people chuck leave their old phones languishing in a drawer or chuck them in the trash bin. From there they are transported and dumped […]
Activists are pulling out all the stops ahead of a development summit at UN headquarters on 20-22 September. Pro-aid and anti-poverty lobbyists are trying everything from giant letters to banging pans to raise awareness of the high-level event. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) suffer from a lack of widespread public recognition, not least in the […]
Lebanon faces a number of environmental threats, including air and water pollution, risks associated with climate change, and the impact of the 2006 war with Israel. IRIN, the United Nations environment news source, takes a look at the top five.
On the heels of Turkey’s smart-grid connection to Europe, the country announces that it will host a new wind-turbine factory in the Western province. News moves quickly in the blogosphere. Roughly two weeks ago we reported Turkey’s new “smart-grid” connection to Europe, which is expected to not only improve the country’s own renewable energy sector, […]
Every day, 35 people are killed in the Gulf as a result of poor driving. Mohd Shahnawaz has launched a new campaign to change the attitude behind the Gulf’s reckless drivers. This is the second in a two-part series about the Suraya Foundation. In the first (which you can read here) we described how Mr. […]
This environmental group is bringing all kinds of eco-goodness to the people of Syria. Syria doesn’t always get it right, but we have to give them kudos for trying. On the one hand, certain citizens are making an effort to spread their environmental message even though, during one eco-event, they sent balloons into the atmosphere. […]
Dozens of colorful fresh spices enliven traditional dishes of the Arab world. Spices and herbs are treasured as culinary ingredients, and as medicine, in every Middle Eastern country. While modern supermarkets and small grocery stores carry many of the popular ones, people in the know still search out traditional spice and herb shops, where they […]
Will the Nile River diesel spill bolster lower nations’ claims to the river? Who has rights to the Nile’s sometimes polluted water is under dispute, catering as it does to numerous nations up and down its long and winding length. Egypt has kept control, but other African nations are beginning to stand up to claim […]
Dubai’s designers protest a planned development project with this musical power plant If we continue to usurp every inch of undeveloped land in order to protect consumption, we will likewise destroy the very biodiversity upon which all life depends. Everything matters: that blade of grass? It’s someone’s food. Those bobble-eyed frogs? They get eaten too. […]