In Israel the organic food market is still comparatively small and underdeveloped. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz organic food only comprises one and half percent of Israel’s agricultural output. A whopping 90% of it is exported abroad, mainly to European markets. An annual Agriculture Ministry survey in 2011 discovered that 37.4% of the organic […]
In a post-apocalyptic world, you must be prepared to face everything! Are you prepared for what could happen in the event of a total economic collapse or natural calamity, a terrible war, or serious civil descent into anarchy generated by a prolonged food crisis as already occurring in a number of Middle Eastern countries such as […]
Environmentalists have been telling us for years that we need to stop focusing on the economy and consider nature. Will a ‘Green GDP’ help us do just that in the Middle East? GDP is probably one of the very few widely recognised abbreviated economic terms in the world. It stands for Gross Domestic Product and […]
View of the Israel Carmel Forest fire encroaching on the University of Haifa campus. Image credit University of Haifa An act of God, arson, or negligence? A lot of questions are being asked by Israelis as to why they needed to suffer the worst fire in the nations’s histrry this weekend – a fire that […]
If Ramadan and Yom Kippur have given you a taste for fasting, why not try the latest eco friendly fast: the oil fast. Fasting is a natural, religious and spiritual affair which is practised by many people all over the world. Muslims give up food and drink between sunrise and sunset for an entire month […]
Mark Boyle, otherwise known as the “moneyless man,” says that the Middle East’s emphasis on caring and sharing should make adopting a “freeconomic” lifestyle easier than in the West. Frustrated and worried about the state of our environment, we chomp at the bits and engage in frothy conversations about irresponsible citizens and politicians, but few […]
Though the practice of establishing Himas to protect nature had previously declined, the Middle East is currently witnessing a resurgence of this ancient tradition. Now that Green Prophet has looked into the tradition of ‘Hima’ or environmental preservation in the Middle East, this post will explore some of the most famous examples of Hima and […]
One man goes on a mission to live a year without money; James tells us how it’s done. If we take green living seriously, we all must examine every aspect of life, from consumerism through to energy use and our personal economic and social attitude. This is what Mark Boyle has done, to an extreme […]
Eco Options Egypt is working on becoming a one-stop shop for resources on leading a green lifestyle in Egypt. It’s not always easy to be green. Good intentions aside, if you habitually need to go out of your way to be eco-friendly then the chances are that eventually you’ll give up. If you can’t find […]
Syrian’s police and vegetable vendors play a game of cat-and-mouse; will authorities find a way to let the market prevail? With its campaign against plastic bags and its shiny new renewable energy plan, Syria’s environmental esteem is rising high. Moshe’s weekly flight to the greater Middle Eastern blogosphere demonstrates all kinds of awareness from Damascus […]
In order to change our unending addiction to Stuff, we need to redefine progress. We need to realize Stuff doesn’t make us happy. The Story of Stuff is subtitled “How our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health – and a vision for change.” Its author, Annie Leonard, is not […]
During the Holy month of Ramadan, followers have the opportunity to reflect on and reduce their consumption patterns with the “buy-nothing” challenge Despite many people’s initial impressions, Islam’s holy month of fasting known as Ramadan isn’t all about food and drink. It is a time for Muslims to reflect, to re-asses their faith and also […]
These solar cookers are very inexpensive to make, and yet their impact on Darfur’s families is immeasurable Spreading compassion for all things and attending to the suffering of others is steeped in the Jewish tradition, in part as a result of deep scars left behind by the holocaust. Nor does this philosophy extend to Israel […]
Billboard in Honor of World Breastfeeding Week, Sydney, Australia. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) sponsored the 2010 celebration of World Breastfeeding Week on August 1-7. The theme, “Toward a Baby-Friendly World,” highlights ten steps to ensure success in breastfeeding. Breastfeeding reduces the rate of infant illness and mortality and protects mothers from post-partum […]
“For me green living is part and parcel of being a good Muslim- it’s a spiritual requirement.” Kristiane Backer has undergone various transformations in her life but none as big as the move from a rock and roll lifestyle as MTV reporter, interviewing the Rolling Stones and Lenny Kravitz, to an Eco-Muslimah promoting the green […]
Some locals fear that too much environmental regulation will imperil crucial source of income [image via neiljs] Prior to the installation of an asphalt highway connecting the once peaceful region of Bahariya to Cairo, the oasis was mostly hidden from the greater world. Then archaeologists re-discovered the Valley of the Golden Mummies and tourism in […]
Wael looks into the horizon (on Mount Nebo, Jordan) and sees a new “green” economy that could radically improve life for Palestinians. The Marda Permaculture Farm is a working farm and a demonstration site for permaculture principles, techniques and strategies in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority. Based in the community of Marda, the project promotes […]
During these tough times in the south of Israel and Gaza, it’s heartening to discover that some events are continuing, and that the determination to green things up, either by accident or design, continues apace. Here at Green Prophet, we’ve kept a keen eye on green design and sustainable architecture, both here and abroad. I […]
Well, winter is upon us and the rain is finally dampening the earth but that does not mean that we should forget about our water conservation efforts. One way of saving water and keeping our little ones a little more dry-eyed is by cutting back on bath-time. Coming from England where water conservation was never […]
(Map of Nurit, from Google Earth) It’s one thing to adopt environmentally conscious behavior, such as recycling, taking public transportation, and saving water or electricity. But that’s not enough for the future residents of the now developing community of Nurit. They plan to live green. That’s because the Mt. Gilboa town of Nurit is set […]
Well the kids are back at school, time to pamper ourselves a little. Being an EcoMum is not all about being knee deep in cloth nappies, eating organic and recycling. Okay, I admit, I do not spend hours shopping for the new trendy look and yes second hand shops and organic clothing are my buzz […]
Every ton of paper, roughly 200,000 sheets, that is recycled saves approximately 17 trees. The average school tosses 38 tons of paper each year, the equivalent of 644 trees. When you buy notebooks and paper think green and spend a couple extra to get recycled (it’s not always more expensive). Raise the awareness in school, […]
The noise about the importance of fixing our climate has been growing louder and louder over the past few years. We can only hope the the damage we have caused to our planet is not irreparable. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it all. To say: “What can I do?” and just give up. […]
Due to not having a yard and feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt every time I throw away my food scraps in a conventional garbage, I spent my first few months in Tel Aviv trying to figure out some plausible composting options in the city. This was harder than expected because so many Israelis have […]
Every Israeli knows what the Sea of Galilee’s (a main source of Israel’s drinking water) red line means. It’s bad. It means Israel is running out of water and we’re all in trouble. So when the Israel Water Authority came out with a campaign about two weeks ago saying that Israel’s water levels were deteriorating […]
