Plastic bags are evil. They are not biodegradable, pollute our landfills, pollute our waterways, convince fish and ducks that they’re food… it’s pretty well established that they’re just bad news. While activists encourage consumers to try using fewer bags, or sometimes try to ban the use of plastic bags entirely, the truth is that these […]
Alfa, Lebanon’s chief mobile phone service company, is now operating on solar energy to power its transmission network. The company recently installed its fifth solar powered station in the Hourata Reserve, and the station’s new solar powered generator is expected to be in full power by next month. Alfa, a state owned communications company, managed […]
Al Gore may have given us a frightening picture of climate change and our future, but now new research suggests that even his predictions could be too modest, after an Israeli scientist discovered that cracks in the earth are emitting unrecorded greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This is the first time this phenomenon has been […]
One of America’s most enduring gifts to the Middle East is the suburban indoor shopping mall. Israel’s first was the Ayalon Center outside of Tel Aviv (1986). Istanbul saw the Atakoy Mall go up in 1987. Jordan’s pioneer was Amman’s Abdoun Mall in 2001 (Picture from virtualtourist.com), and Beirut‘s ABC Mall opened its doors in […]
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. […]
Although Israel and Jordan have not come to a joint stance on the Red-Dead Canal, Haaretz’s tenacious environmental reporter Zafrir Rinat reported Sunday that the two nations have banned the use of chicken manure as fertilizer in an effort to cut down a population of houseflies that thrives on manure and makes life miserable for […]
Those of you who have been to Egypt’s eastern Sinai coast can vouch that even though the area is quite lovely, it’s also quite dry – from a freshwater standpoint. An American desalination company, Energy Recovery Inc (NASDAQ: ERII), is now changing this fact by installing a very unique desalination plant in Sharem al Shiekh […]
There is a lot of debate around the use of ethanol and other plant-based fuels. Many claim that the energy required to produce ethanol (including fertilizers, farm equipment, transformation from plant materials, and transportation) just doesn’t sufficiently counteract all the environmental damage caused by the fossil fuels that is replaces. So as if the discussion […]
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 […]
If we’d thought that talk about global warming in the Middle East should stay in the future tense, news from Syria suggests a lot is going to change in these parts, and fast. A climate change domino effect has caused the eco-migration of villagers from their homes in about 160 Syrian villages, reports the AFP. Reporting […]
We’ve posted here before about a Walk About Love, a hike for Israel and a bike ride to benefit Israel’s environment. This October, get a more regional view through Peace Cycle, a bike trip from Amman to Jerusalem. While the rough terrain and stunning views will certainly be rewarding, Peace Cycle’s main purpose is activism […]
A UN worldwide tree planting campaign has now reached the 4 billion mark in its drive to plant 7 billion trees world wide. The campaign is being undertaken to fight the effects of climate change; as well as to prevent soil erosion, one of the most common reasons for desertification in many parts of the […]
The desalination of water will be expanding in Israel in order to cope with the current water shortage, according to Globes. Last week, the Ministry of Finance signed an agreement for financing the expansion of the Hadera desalination plant by 27 million cubic meters per year. Not only will the plant be producing 127 million […]
The Israel finance ministry is planning new regulations on car purchasing, with special discount incentives for purchasing hybrid cars, according to Reuters. The new changes are being planned to help alleviate the increasing air pollution caused by cars, as well as to save energy costs. One of the new regulations will be increased taxes and […]
Few building projects have received as much attention and fanfare as Dubai’s Burj Dubai 800 + meter skyscraper, that including its top tower will be the tallest building in the world. A few weeks ago, I posted an article about the Burj tower, which when completed will contain residential and business properties selling at $3,500 […]
The facts are these: Water scarcity is a real and looming threat; while several countries are already below the dreaded 1700 m3 per capita water availability mark, many others are quickly approaching it; most international NGOs have predicted that the worst affected will be those already marginalised, the sick, and the poor, the children and […]
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 […]
With summer coming on, beach enthusiasts must now begin to be on the lookout for swarms of jellyfish, otherwise known as “meduzot.” The grey, blob-like masses appear every summer off the cost of Israel, Lebanon, and most other Mediterranean countries as well. In fact the hypothesized “introduced species” that came to the Mediterranean Sea after […]
Masdar City, a unique and innovative commercial and residential project underway in Abu Dhabi, is being promoted as the first carbon free community in the world. Begun in 2006, and conceived by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, the entire project will eventually house some 50,000 people and 1.500 businesses supplying environmentally friendly products, the […]
Following on the heels of the much publicized Masdar City, the first carbon emissions free city in the world, Dubai (which likes to do everything in larger than life scale) has announced its plans to build the region’s largest solar power plant. According to the Gulf News, the plant, as announced by Ali Bin Abdullah […]
Brazilian naval personnel were astonished to discover that what they thought to be remains of the missing Air France flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean turned out to be nothing more than garbage and other debris located at or near the surface of water. Even the supposed oil slick that they thought came from the […]
You have to hand it to those United Arab Emirates Gulf states. Their futuristic projects are simply something out of a popular science fiction novel; and 25 years or so ago, they definitely would have been. Just look at the towering Burj in Dubai, artificial islands, or their wind-powered rotating skyscraper to get a taste. […]
The Doha based Stars of Science television program got underway May 30 on 17 Arabic speaking TV channels, it was announced by Doha TV. The program originally had more than 5,600 applicants, of which 100 were selected to vie for the 16 positions to be aired on the program. Of these, 3 are environmentally related […]
Jordan’s capital city, Amman, will soon have a spectacular landmark: the Sanaya Twin Towers, which will tower more than 200 meters over the city and will be the country’s tallest landmark. The project, which means starlight in Arabic, comes with a $300 million pricetag. It was begun in July, 2008, and has required the removal […]
Jabal Moussa, Jordan So we all know that the Middle East is biospherically fascinating, but at the ongoing meeting of the UN International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere last Tuesday, UNESCO took notice as well, adding more Middle Eastern sites to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In fact, for the first time, […]