The Urjuan City Development is a Symbol of Qatar’s Rapid Economic Growth In February we wrote about the memorandum signed by Qatar and Iran, which solidifies their mutual commitment to preserve the environment. We also wrote about an exciting conservation effort to protect Qatar’s animal and plant populations. With the third highest natural gas reserve […]
Hungry? Run on down to your local shuk and get yourself a butternut squash. Butternut squash is still in season. Try stuffing it with quinoa, the seed that the pre-Columbian Native Americans called “mother of the grains.” With its nutty taste and high nutritional protein levels (not to mention amino acids and minerals), quinoa’s a […]
The Leaf won’t be sprouting its electric engines soon in the Middle East, says Nissan CEO. Nissan’s new Leaf electric car model may be about to roll off the company’s production lines, but it will be a while before it will be available in Middle Eastern markets, according to the company’s CEO, Carlos Ghosn. The […]
A new study finds that smokers tend to have lower IQs. If you live in the Middle East, like I do, you’ll notice one of the most irritating habits you can’t escape is smoking. Cigarettes, pot, hookah pipe. Either you fight it or join them – something I did after being a virgin non-smoker for […]
Central Tel Aviv, Cira 1940’s: A Sustainable Idea Then and Now All over the Middle East, many old and often historical buildings are being torn down in order to “make way” for new, modern ones. This trend is especially true in cities like Cairo, Egypt and Tel Aviv, Israel, where the quaint and classical architecture of the “colonial […]
Is it really sensible to squish one million people into this self-sustaining city/building? Like many of Dubai’s projects The World, which will exacerbate shoreline erosion and habitat loss, and Burj Dabai, reputedly the world’s tallest building, are flashy and expensive. They are also divorced from the United Arab Emirates’ environmental hazards such as scant freshwater […]
Honeywell launches project that converts the oil from salicornia plants, commonly known as samphire into biofuel at Dubai’s AGRAme conference later this month. Image via me’enthedogs. Global issues concerning green agriculture and energy sustainability have raised many viability questions during the early 21st century. Collaborate efforts of world leaders, non-profits, and research institutes have made great […]
The Middle East is conservative. But could increased “polyamory” open people up to practices that could save the environment? At first glance, sex and the environment don’t make obvious bedfellows. How can the answer to our environmental problems – global warming, access to fresh water, ecological sustainability, and the use of fossil fuels – possibly […]
Habitat ’67 was a model for sustainable village living, in the city. Based on the model city Haifa, does it translate to the Middle East today? We recently profiled Moshe Safdie’s LEED certified Peace Building as a call to bring more sustainable building to the Middle East. In it, we briefly mentioned Habitat, Safdie’s debut […]
You won’t be able to keep these halvah-like cookies around for long. And they couldn’t be simpler to make. We never thought to use tehina (or tehini as you might know it) in baking, but this recipe produces the most meltingly delicious cookies you can imagine. If you’re looking for ways to use up your […]
Nissan’s all-electric LEAF gives a run for Volt’s and Better Place’s money. Nissan has no plans, however, to target infrastructure-poor Middle East. The battle over which company will market the first practical electric car is becoming more intense with the introduction of Nissan’s new total electric LEAF model. The Japanese carmaker is marketing this new entry […]
Of the many non-fiction, environmentally-themed books I’ve read over the past few years, those that stand out are Alanna Mitchell’s ‘Dancing at the Dead Sea’ and ‘Seasick‘, both of which I have reviewed for Green Prophet. Mitchell is an acclaimed Canadian writer, skilled in her clear evocation of the destruction of the environment she witnesses […]
A pan-Middle East nuclear power plan? Arabs and Israelis working together? While Israel continues to maintain a policy of ambiguity regarding its military nuclear capability, it is making no secret about its plans to pursue a nuclear option to meet its energy needs. The minister of infrastructure, Uzi Landau, officially announced today that Israel seeks […]
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Moshe Safdie’s Habitat ’67 designed for Montreal World Fair a model of sustainable living. Image via Wikipedia. Sustainable building is gaining some speed in the Middle East, but at a pace that is powerless against escalating climate damage. The Gutman Visitation Center’s Living Building in Jerusalem and Qatar’s LEED certified convention center offer good examples […]