If you think that WWOOF is the sound that a dog makes… well, you’re right. But it also stands for “Willing Workers On Organic Farms,” or “World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.” So keep your ears tuned in for that term, because the WWOOF movement is spreading globally – including right here in the Middle East. […]
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 […]
The Turkish Tourism and Culture Ministry is turning the western Bodrum Peninsula into an official tourism site. The peninsula, located not far from the city of Izmir, will not be turned into a “concrete jungle” the ministry head, Ertuğrul Günay assured concerned residents. Known for its natural beauty, Gunay went on to say “some think […]
If we’d thought that talk about global warming in the Middle East should stay in the future tense, news from Syria suggests a lot is going to change in these parts, and fast. A climate change domino effect has caused the eco-migration of villagers from their homes in about 160 Syrian villages, reports the AFP. Reporting […]
A UN worldwide tree planting campaign has now reached the 4 billion mark in its drive to plant 7 billion trees world wide. The campaign is being undertaken to fight the effects of climate change; as well as to prevent soil erosion, one of the most common reasons for desertification in many parts of the […]
Jabal Moussa, Jordan So we all know that the Middle East is biospherically fascinating, but at the ongoing meeting of the UN International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere last Tuesday, UNESCO took notice as well, adding more Middle Eastern sites to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In fact, for the first time, […]
Who knew that for the last 16 years Istanbul has been host to the International Environment Project Olympiad? According to Todays Zaman an international jury has selected 101 projects from 41 countries to compete in the final competition of the 16th International Environmental Project Olympics in Istanbul between June 1 and 4. Tying in with […]
Global warming and climate change, which we know is threatening the majestic cedars of Lebanon, is now having a serious effect on water resources in Turkey. The situation is getting so bad that is really hard to believe that Turkey is the same country that only a short time ago offered to sell water to […]
(Countries along the Mediterranean Sea basin) Water policy people will like to know about this initiative: Most countries in what is known as the Mediterranean Sea basin have agreed to form a combined group to deal with issues dealing with water reserves for the region. Based on the Mediterranean Water Charter, adopted in Rome in […]
Iraqi boys walk along the Euphrates River New water cooperation could be a new beginning for tensions between Turkey and Iraq: Turkey has promised to give neighboring Iraq and Syria a larger share of water from both Tigress and Euphrates rivers; it was announced by Turkish President Abdullah Gul. Gul, on a state visit to […]
As you sit in front of your computer now, reading the latest from Green Prophet, we challenge you to hark back to all of your former computers, printers, phones, batteries… you name it. Could you say where they are right now? Unless you’re a pack rat, you probably got rid of them when they stopped […]
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of living in or visiting Turkey, you’ll find it’s very hard to get lost off the beaten trail. The public transportation system there is so well oiled; bus owners of private buses or the smaller minibuses –– the dolmus –– are so well organized, you can literally scoot across […]
One of the wonderful customs that the American settlers here in the Middle East has brought over from the old country is Thanksgiving. Here is my green tribute to them! In 1621, the Plymouth colonists, led by William Bradford and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the […]
From September 20-27, a delegation of European environmental journalists, policy makers (ie World Bank and EU parliament), energy and climate change specialists, and activism leaders are coming to the Middle East to explore Israel’s environmental issues, policies, and clean technology. The whirlwind tour will take these leaders to Hiria (Tel Aviv’s rehabilitating garbage dump); they […]
Here in the Middle East, echoes of the Biblical prophets are never far off–even in environmental discourse. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the famous cedars of Lebanon, which have been a wonder to the world for thousands of years, and were used to build King Solomon’s palace. Some of the remaining cedars in […]