I remember the day when it rolled in early in May, or hit us rather, like a wall. Sandstorms are common in Israel and the Middle East. This awesome force of nature is best witnessed by this aerial photo taken by Yonatan Zur. We wonder if these kind of events will increase with climate change? […]
(Aboriginal men in Australia mark manhood by going on a long distance trek. Israelis too, are on a “walkabout,” but for love and the environment.) Although a lot of people are getting into the act for environmental awareness in Israel. An organization that calls itself Walk About Love has decided to go about this in […]
(A picture taken by NASA of McNaught comet in Australia) Comets have always fascinated us. A mysterious appearance could symbolize God’s displeasure or mean a sure failure in battle, at least for one side. Now Tel Aviv University justifies our fascination — comets might have provided the elements for the emergence of life on our […]
At the time of writing this post, there are 6 confirmed cases of swine flu now in Israel. Out of fear that the virus might spread to Epypt, authorities there have ordered the slaughter of the country’s 300,000 pigs, reports the Associated Press. “It has been decided to immediately start slaughtering all the pigs in Egypt using […]
Reading has its own geography. I read this book The Nature of the State while I traveled back and forth from the West Highlands of Scotland to London for work . . . while Israeli-Palestinian relations erupted into open conflict in Gaza, while fire in Greece turned to fire Australia, while it snowed hard in […]
This documentary film describes the activities of IBSAR, an interfaculty center at the American University of Beirut dedicated to nature conservation and sustainable research. According to IBSAR members, “Nature is a special trust to be enjoyed and conserved for future generations. Conserving the biodiversity of nature in the Middle East is the foundation on which […]
If all goes to plan, passengers will not get to see the beautiful Yitla Stream, or what is left of it, on the train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. As Green Prophet’s James has written, the scenery is pretty much the best reason to take the train. Construction plans at present include a 144-metre bridge […]
Why would a prominent Israeli-born professor at Indiana University decide to change his research emphasis from economics and political science to climate change and ecomigration? And to move from Israel to the United States? Ecomigration is not an entirely crazy idea, and some western people have already started planning and moving to the most suitable […]
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in mid-February, a small group of New Yorkers—beekeepers, environmentalists, and a handful of honey aficionados—huddled together in an empty SoHo office building for a local honey-tasting session. If this had been Portland or San Francisco, it wouldn’t have been a notable event—just a harmless gathering of honey connoisseurs. But in […]
I am really not the right person to be reviewing “Nature’s Due” by Professor Brian Goodwin from Shumacher College in the UK. It is based on some quite complicated biology, a subject that I haven’t studied formally since I was 14. James sent me the book in September, and I’ve only just finished it now, […]
The 2009 Week of Love for Nature, Water and the Environment (in short: the week of peace, love and dupey du) took place this week in Israel. It was the seventh year running from March 13 – 21, 2009, according to the Israeli Ministry of Environment. The annual event, organized by the Ministry of Environmental […]
Shai Zakai: Self portrait 4X2 m. photograph on canvas purchased by the Ministry of Environment. Since nature can’t speak for itself, Israeli environment artist Shai Zakai has appointed herself as the human moderator. For more than a decade she’s been working as an ecological artist, to communicate and record humankind’s impact on our fragile world. […]
The olive tree in this photo is reputed to be 2000 years old – give or take a century or so. It’s growing in a grove just above the village of Deir Hanna, in the North of Israel, one of five there that have attained record-breaking ages. I was a part of a group of […]
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 […]
(A photograph of the female C. echinata coral, expelling its eggs into the water around it.) Research from TAU unlocks the secret of coral survival during global warming Trees do it. Bees do it. Even environmentally stressed fish do it. But Prof. Yossi Loya from Tel Aviv University’s Department of Zoology is the first in […]