If you live in a crazy polluted Middle East city, carbon monoxide pollution is the opiate of the masses, according to new study. I dream about living in a car-less city like Vauban. But my love affair with the Middle East keeps me dreaming. Rampant with air pollution, every fall cities like Cairo get covered […]
What is a friendlier urban environment – dense constructed areas dotted with large, open public areas, or a slightly less dense urban environment infused with nature? Living in a city is better for the environment than living in the suburbs. Denser living allows for a lower carbon footprint since people can walk (or bike commute) […]
Hipcycle, a new online marketplace for upcycled products, shows mainstreamers that upcycling can be hip. Shopping local and sustainable is always best, but when you can’t find locally made, sustainably made, or upcycled products around – sometimes the internet is the best way to go. Online marketplaces such as Etsy, Mideast ecostore Ekotribe, or the […]
Studio Ubico has upcycled found wooden pieces back into their original form, a tree. Studio Ubico, an upcycling and environmentally conscious design studio working in Tel Aviv, joins the ranks of other sustainable designers who are trying to make good use out of materials that are already sourced (instead of going out and taking more […]
Green It is Tel Aviv’s new one-stop-shop for green urban living. As the ecological movement becomes mainstream, more and more businesses cater to the green lifestyle. We’ve seen this trend develop in the Middle East, with eco-friendly shops popping up in Beirut, fair trade shops in Masdar City, and even specialty stores focusing on one […]
Israeli bikers are hoping that the new year brings them greater cycling convenience and safety. The Israel Bike Association isn’t a quiet or a shy bunch – they make their opinions about the importance of urban cycling known through naked protests and the like. Which is why it is not surprising that they protested the […]
The protest at its height : nearly 400,000 people jam into Kikar Medinah in Tel Aviv Israel’s seven week housing and economic protests against high housing prices and the rising cost of living in general is finally coming to an end with the dismantling of numerous ‘tent cities’ in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other locations […]
The sting operation “Weeds in the Underbrush” uncovered a cartel of tree-trimmers in Israel. It’s really quite common to see the entire tops of trees lobbed off, and sitting by the side of the road in Tel Aviv, and other cities in Israel. It makes one sad, especially since it’s often done in the summer […]
Locals and holiday makers who love the beautiful Gordon Beach will have to leave their bikinis at home. Contaminated waters off Gordon Beach and Charles Clore Beach in Tel Aviv are stinking up plans to get the summer fun started. Leaked sewage has forced the municipality to shut down the beaches, and signs have been […]
Thanks to Tel-O-Fun, now Tel Aviv urbanites with the tiniest of apartments can bike around without the storage hassle. Despite widespread announcements that it would open its city-wide bike sharing service in April, Tel Aviv’s Tel-O-Fun finally got kick started in May (but, to its credit, in a bigger way than originally intended). 150 stations […]
Three times the size of NYC’s Central Park: Say hello to the New Ariel Sharon Eco Park in Israel. Turning a mountain sized garbage mound into a state of the art national park is now fast on its way to becoming reality outside Tel Aviv. What was formerly (and still) known by many as the […]
Tel Aviv’s architecture weekend takes note of green spaces and green issues. For the past decade or so, Tel Aviv has been undergoing a type of ‘renaissance’ and as a result it is considered one of the hippest tourism destinations in the Middle East. Alongside its architectural facelift and infusion of stylishness, though, the city […]
New rush hour anti-pollution measures may reduce this kind of “morning haze” in major Israeli cities Following plans to ban transport trucks in major cites like Tel Aviv during early morning rush hours, and after the opening of the special toll-run “fast lane” into the country’s largest and most populated city, Israel’s Transport Ministry is […]
With so many food options and food movements out there, what do you choose? Food is a major factor in human health, and in environmental health as well. There are an abundance of eco-friendly food movements out there, including vegans, vegetarians, vegawarians, locavores, and those who eat strictly organic food. By the way, those who […]
If bike riding or jogging in Tel Aviv, the sea front is less polluting Ever wonder why you feel dizzy or have acute shortage of breath when engaging in moderate outdoor exercise like bike riding or jogging in cities where air pollution is higher than normal – especially in heavily polluted Middle Eastern cities like […]
The Azouri brothers and architect Keren Yedvub leave no stone unturned. Their 20-storey “eco-tower” overturns the old n’ ugly world order with a building that is bold, beautiful, and deeply sustainable. The Azouri Brothers’ eco-tower is growing greener and greener by the day. Already featuring a whole host of attributes that make their 20 storey office building as livable […]
Planning out your vacations for the new year ahead? Beirut, Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi make the cut. A few months ago, world-renowned travel guide company Lonely Planet made a list of its top 10 cities for 2011. Tel Aviv made the prized 3rd place spot (after New York and Tangier, but before Valencia, Delhi, […]
Moving from a culture of “me” to a culture of “we”. Rachel Botsman, a researcher and social innovator, is hooked on the idea of what she calls “collaborative consumption” – a phenomenon that is gaining force in the 21st century. She recently gave a TED talk about the concept (see clip above) and said that […]
The Tel Aviv University campus is about to get a little greener. Tel Aviv University is greener because of the activity of the campus’s Porter School of Environmental Studies, which is always starting some new eco initiative. Whether it is the construction of the greenest building in Israel, or the cultivation of a community garden, […]
Commuters will ride for free. But will the toll-run “fast lane” help solve Tel Aviv’s increasing traffic nightmare? Looking for a faster way to get to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem every day? Instead of being stuck in the daily traffic jam, a daily routine for drivers coming from both Israel’s capital and the bedroom communities […]
Was 2010 good or bad for the environment? Depending on whether you’re a glass half full or glass half empty kind of person, you could reflect upon the year 2010 and see it in either a positive or negative green light. There were some environmental catastrophes, such as the Carmel fire – the worst fire […]
Maybe blondes really do have more fun, and more fun composting too. It’s easier to get Israelis excited about blondes than about composting, but if you get their eco-attention using a blonde? That’s a different story. Atar Friedman, a beautiful young Israeli blonde with a mission, has been trying to get Israelis more conscious about […]
Is mate choice determined by bugs in our gut? The latest research from Israel is revealing some unexpected insights about attraction and partner selection. If sparks aren’t flying between you and a potential mate, could the problem may be as close as the bugs in your gut? Right now the findings apply only to fruit […]
Israeli solar hot water heaters are known the world over for reducing the country’s energy needs by about 3 percent. Green Prophet caught up with Reuven Noga from Amcortec, a supplier of Amcor hot water systems at the recent EnergyTech event in Tel Aviv to learn more. The company has started its business for large […]
Israeli celebrities pose for coal-clad glamor shots in order to protest the construction of a new coal-burning electric plant in Ashkelon. Celebrities can often use their star power for good, such as drawing attention to a worthy cause. About a year ago, Lebanese celebrities made a statement about transportation by biking down a green carpet […]