When Spain ditched DESERTEC’s solar interests in Morocco, the blogosphere was quick to pronounce the initiative Dead Before Arrival. Underestimating the German foundation’s tenacity, critics could never have anticipated what happened next. Morocco found its own way to proceed with Ourzazate and Saudi came on board. DESERTEC Power, backed by the original DESERTEC Foundation, recently […]
While some designers spend time figuring out how to deal with today’s rampant problems: urban density, water shortages, lack of public transportation in many cities and other pressing concerns, the team behind MAKH Architects have concerned themselves with zombies. More specifically, they have devised a conceptual home for future residents who will roam the globe […]
Greenpeace Jordan recently launched its first report specific to the Arab World entitled Jordan’s Energy Future (pdf link) to a packed audience of environmentalists, activists and political stakeholders in Amman. The report demonstrates Jordan’s potential to achieve full energy independence through renewable sources whilst campaigning against kingdom ambitions to develop nuclear energy. “This report shows […]
A new study has found that afternoon sun is five times riskier than than sun caught in the morning hours. Are you one of those people who slather sunscreen all over your face come high noon, but remove the T- shirt later in the day to catch those warming, vitamin D-making rays? Well if you […]
Sometimes it takes a touch of star power to boost solar energy projects, which may be why comedian Sarah Silverman has publicly supported Arava Power and Energiya Global founder Yosef Abramowitz’s latest solar campaign in the Galapagos Islands. Known as “Captain Sunshine,” Silverman’s brother-in-law has pioneered a host of solar energy projects around the globe, […]
Following the inauguration of Suntech’s new research centre in Arava, we speak to their Chief Technology Officer (pictured centre) about the future of renewables in the Middle East As one of the largest producers of solar panels, Suntech is undoubtedly a world player. In Israel alone, out of a total of 220 solar megawatts produced, […]
They took their pilot run from Europe to Morocco, now the Swiss solar plane will fly across America. Sometime next summer, an airplane with the wingspan of an Airbus A340 but weighing not much more than a Toyota will fly from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., and on to New York. The history-making cross-country trip […]
When 97 percent of a nation’s energy is imported, every renewable energy gift counts. Jordan received a $300 million grant from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which Minister of Energy and Transportation Alaa Batayneh says will be used to develop a host of solar and wind energy projects in southern Jordan, The Jordan Times reports.
I interview one of Israel’s main solar energy entrepreneurs and researchers, Jacob Karni. Israeli solar energy pioneer Prof. Jacob Karni was born just two years after Israel became a state, in 1950. Already back then, the country’s leaders were tangibly aware that Israel needed to develop its human resources in order to build a country […]
When Spain failed to show up for a recent Desertec meeting that would have signaled government support for the 150 MW concentrated solar plant (CSP) in Ourzazate, Morocco, energy bloggers rushed to dub the program designed to supply Europe with renewable energy produced in North African countries a failure. Both Bosch and Siemens pulled out as […]
For Green Prophet, I often write about (let’s face it) depressing issues such as climate refugees and environmental conflicts in which everyone pays the price but I do sometimes get to write about some fun stuff too. That’s basically what is going into my top 5 Green Prophet blog stories of the year. These are the odd […]
With free water and electricity, and the world’s largest carbon footprint, is Qatar’s new stance on solar a bona fide shift towards fossil fuel alternatives or are they simply catching the latest fashion? Qatar aims to raise the share of solar power in state electricity generation to 16% by 2018, an official told The Jordan Times, […]
Even a non-food plant substance like algae may not be that efficient for fuel says Nobel Laureate We like to report on about various ways to produce biofuels from plant and other organic substances. These substances have ranged from using “turd timber” to produce biofuel from human and animal excrement to growing algae on large hydroponic […]
California-based GlassPoint Solar has installed an unconventional concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Oman. Comprised of rows of six meter tall steel mirrors encased in glass boxes that look and in some ways act like greenhouses, this 7MW pilot project uses clean technology to extract dirty fossil fuels. Commissioned by Petroleum Development Oman, GlassPoint has […]
Nawal Al-Hosany, a leading figure in the environmental movement of the Middle East speaks to GreenProphet about renewables, Masdar, education and the absence of women in the climate change debate - both locally and globally