After around two months of international phone calls, this Sunday and Monday Green Prophet hosted a whirlwind two-day (20-hour) seminar on environmental blogging in Madaba, Jordan. Thanks to the good efforts of Volunteers for Peace and the Masar Center, nearly 20 Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli writers and activists met for the first time and learned […]
Hiba Hamzeh from Volunteering for Peace living in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority, blogs about her desire to initiate a "green" change among people and youths in the PA:
Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanians host cross-border workshop on environment blogging in Jordan to spur Middle East change. The UN climate change meeting in Copenhagen is putting a lot of pressure on oil-producing nations in the Middle East; but the reality is that most countries in the region are failing miserably in all areas of environmental […]
Green Prophet had reported on Rawabi (for Hills), the first “planned” city for Palestinians back in 2007; We are not sure if the Israeli or American urban-style mortgage model is the one to follow for a sustainable community (as Daniella asks in her article about Palestinian malls). Now Felice Friedson editor of The Media Line, […]
The Middle East as a region does not need any help fueling conflicts. Unfortunately, it does that pretty well on its own. Which is why the future threat of water scarcity in the region is not only an environmental concern, but a scary political scenario as well. Water scarcity in a geographic area notorious for […]
Israeli-run NGO gives solar power to off-grid West Bank Palestinian villagers Comet-ME (Community, Energy, and Technology in the Middle East) is one of those visionary non-profit organizations that recognizes the fact that environmental concerns span the Middle East’s borders, cultures, religions, and histories. At the end of the day, all the residents of the Middle […]
During the week of August 30, 2009, news included that the Dead Sea is drying quicker than usual. Israeli and Jordanian scientists have come together to study and protect the Gulf of Aqaba in the south and wastewater treatment company, BPT announced that it raised $12 million. For these stories and more see the headlines […]
The evils of plastic water and beverage bottles have already been noted in previous Green Prophet articles, including one dealing with bottled water conflicting with green values ; and another more recent one that noted how so-called bottled water is really mostly tap water that is bottled and then sold at premium prices. But now, there may […]
Giftec, an industry show featuring various types of gifts and housewares that achieved great success in Tel Aviv this past February, is having another show starting today (August 10) and running through Wednesday (August 12). The items in the show will include textiles, dishes, kitchenware, art, souveneirs, Judaica, and more. This time, however, Giftec will […]
Beer Sheva, the long-suffering capital of Israel’s Negev desert, just broke ground on the biggest shopping mall in Israel. Like the other seven malls of Beer Sheva, this $180.5 million complex will continue to suck business out of the dilapidated but walkable Old City. Unlike the others, this one claims to be green. Architect rendering, […]
For readers who have driven or hiked past unmarked, run-down old stone buildings in Israel, former Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meron Benvenisti’s Sacred Landscape (University of California, 2000) will reveal a layer of Arab ghosts inside Israeli towns, cities and the countryside. Born in 1934, Benvenisti spent his childhood accompanying his father on geographical tours of […]
Although the Palestinian Authority had previously opposed nominating the salty lake that borders the West Bank, Israel and Jordan as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, Haaretz reports that as of today, the PA is on board. The New Seven Wonders is an international Internet voting competition that seeks to raise environmental […]
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 […]
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 […]
(Cousteau interviews students from the Arava Institute in Israel. It’s a unique learning center that offers environment degrees to students from around the world.) We’ve been following Alexandra Cousteau as she documents her travels in Israel and the Middle East. In this video recently uploaded, she interviews students at the Arava Institute in Israel where […]