Nearly nine years have passed since since Green Prophet joined a media tour sponsored by Eco Peace head Gideon Bromberg to see what has happened to the lower Jordan River. At that time, Bromberg showed us the current situation of a once free-flowing stream that had now become nothing more than a trickle of brackish and diverted sewage […]
Mayors from 114 North American cities entered into an agreement to rehabilitate an endangered river halfway across the world. Launched at the recent Water After Borders (WAB) summit in Chicago, the partnership brings expertise in transboundary water system management to the Jordan River, a waterbody long embroiled in regional politics.
Like rings on a tree, layers of pollen can tell researchers much about climate patterns unrecorded in the centuries before there was science.
The Lower Jordan River, the baptismal river of Jesus, has been dead at its source for some time. For the first time in ages, Israel is releasing native waters via a pump back to the historic waterway.
Israeli archaeologists are baffled by a giant cone-shaped structure submerged beneath the waters of the Sea of Galilee. Twice the diameter of Stonehenge and weighing more than ten elephants, a mysterious cone-shaped structure on the bottom of the Sea of Galilee is challenging archaeologists to determine its purpose and age. The mound was first detected […]
Historic rains filled the once dry Ayalon River bed that runs through Tel Aviv, flooding highways, homes, and public buildings. Overnight, the Sea of Galilee or Lake Kinneret rose 22 centimeters and water reservoirs near the Golan Heights filled to capacity, prompting Israel’s Park and Nature Authority to peg the storm a “water celebration.” But […]
Is Big Brother watching your sewage? Israeli polluters can no longer dump raw sewage, lest they get caught. Drivers often dump collected waste into open areas to save on fuel and avoid paying authorized landfills. One incident occurred in 2009 in which drivers dumped the contents of 50 trucks worth of sewage food waste near the […]
Sa’ar Stream waterfall near the Banias: Israel’s natural beauty at its best Like other Middle Eastern countries, Israel continuously suffers from a chronic water shortage, which is most often seen in the water level in it’s historic water supplier, the Kinneret or Sea of Galilee. But due to above average rainfall this past winter (the […]
Despite recent and heavy rains in Israel, the Sea of Galilee is still three meters lower than it should be Unusually heavy rains have helped restore water levels in Israel’s main water source, the Sea of Galilee or Lake Kinneret; a body of water that has been known since ancient times and until recently was […]
The Sea of Galilee is known for its tempestuous storms and thriving fishing industry. But life there is changing with less rain and almost no fish left. The lowest in the world and Israel’s only freshwater lake, the Sea of Galilee is fed by the Jordan River and supplies much of the region’s water. Famously […]
Amirim, a unique vegetarian village in northern Israel, offers gorgeous views… and mediocre food. Once upon a time (according to the owner of the bed and breakfast that I recently stayed at in Amirim), a young group of idealistic vegetarians gathered in central Israel and decided that they needed to get away from all that […]
Israeli fashion show attempts to go “au naturale” with a natural-landmark-themed garment contest. Fashion and the natural world don’t always go hand in hand (unless you’re lucky enough to come across some whimsical banana-shaped pumps by designers such as Kobi Levi). Usually haute couture is the anti-natural, with silhouettes that combat the shapes that we […]
Blue-Green algae threatens freshwater bodies (and marine bodies) worldwide. Will a new discovery by Israeli scientists help restore those threatened watersheds? Freshwater bodies such as the Kinneret have been compromised by the influx of human development and population. Run-off and phosphates enter the water, disrupting the ecological balance and often resulting in eutrophication. This means […]
Up close and personal. Karin gets a “sniff” of sewage pipe pouring into the Jordan River. This folks, is the source of the lower Jordan River. Green Prophet’s Karin and I received a real lesson in reality about the health of the Jordan River, at the Jordan River Media Tour sponsored by the Friends of the […]
It happened to St. Peter when his nets came up empty. Now, new two-year ban on Sea of Galilee hopes to replenish sea nearly emptied by overfishing. Shaul the fisherman hoses down a load of imported sea bream flown in from Greece, speaking nostalgically of the good old days when the catches were plenty: “When […]