An update from WordPress has created problems for our mailings. It will likely take a couple of weeks until we have this fixed. Our main site: http://mideastenvironment.apps01.yorku.ca/ is still up and running. Environment and Climate in the Middle East

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Efforts to save the fish population in the Mediterranean waters off Israel’s coast are gaining momentum with the founding of a new organization called Save the Fish. By Zafrir Rinat | Jul. 30, 2013 Efforts to save the fish population in the Mediterranean waters off Israel’s coast are gaining momentum with the founding of a […]

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by Taylor Luck | Aug 07, 2013 | 23:15 AMMAN — Hospitals across Jordan are preparing to switch to solar power in an attempt to cut down on soaring electricity costs. In an agreement signed earlier this week, the Jordan Private Hospitals Association (JPHA) and the Jordan Renewable Energy Society (JRES) embarked on a project […]

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A nature reserve gives a discount to residents of Jewish settlements, but not to the Palestinian neighbors. By Zafrir Rinat | Aug. 1, 2013 With its desert landscape and cool springs, the Nahal Prat ‏(Wadi Kelt‏) reserve, northeast of Jerusalem, attracts many hikers. Admission to one of the main sites in the reserve, Ein Prat, […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Aug 07, 2013 | 23:23 AMMAN — The number of water-related complaints has dropped by half in Zarqa Governorate after authorities started pumping additional water to the densely populated city, according to a government official and residents. In addition, the number of water complaints dropped by 80 per cent in Ruseifa […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/06/2013 Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom took part on Tuesday in inaugurating the country’s largest solar field, a 10-megawatt photovoltaic “oasis” developed by SunPower on land belonging to Moshav Mivtahim in the northern Negev. “Renewable energies are the future of the electricity sector,” Shalom said at the launch ceremony. “The development […]

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Forest fire erupts in north Lebanon August 06, 2013 06:17 PM TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Fire fighters are battling a forest fire which erupted in north Lebanon Tuesday as residence call on authorities for additional assistance. The fire is reportedly raging on a hill between the villages of al-Bira and Sendyaneh and is approaching the village of […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/10/2013 Law requires manufacturers and importers to take responsibility for handling all packaging waste that they bring into the market. Twelve companies who did not act in accordance with the stipulations of the Packaging Law and avoided contact with the Tamir recycling firm each received a fine of around NIS 155,000 from […]

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Untreated industrial waste that was channeled into ground compromised water wells in Israel’s north; three-year-old cleanup appears to be delayed due to funding difficulties. By Zafrir Rinat | Jul. 31, 2013 Cleanup and containment of contamination discovered three years ago at a Rafael Advanced Defense Systems facility in the Haifa Bay area may be hampered […]

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Jerusalem also plans to recycle a large part of the capital’s waste. By Zafrir Rinat | Aug. 1, 2013 The last remaining garbage dump site situated near a major Israeli city is to close by the end of the year. After using the Abu Dis site for many decades, Jerusalem will use the Effeh landfill […]

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August 06, 2013 BEIRUT: Parliament’s Environment Committee reiterated Monday demands to close the Naameh landfill, citing its negative effects in and around Beirut. The committee, chaired by MP Akram Shehayeb, held a meeting in Parliament to discuss the issue, with the attendance of mayors from the areas surrounding the landfill and other officials. The Naameh […]

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With 90-95% of Strip’s only aquifer contaminated by sewage, chemicals and seawater, public taps provide water for only about 20% of population, forcing many more residents to buy bottled water at a premium 07.22.13 A tiny wedge of land jammed between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean sea, the Gaza Strip is heading inexorably into a […]

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The Environmental Protection Ministry is setting up a new unit with the authority to arrest suspects, carry out searches and impound trucks at checkpoints. By Zafrir Rinat | Jul. 29, 2013 The Environmental Protection Ministry will launch a special unit in the next few months to prevent the smuggling of construction debris and other waste […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 07/25/2013 New bill would enable ministry to help weaker local authorities establish waste infrastructure, evacuate hazards from their midst. The Knesset’s Internal Affairs and Environment Committee approved a bill for the Knesset’s second and third (final) readings on Wednesday that would temporarily amend the Maintenance of Cleanliness Law, enabling the Environmental Protection […]

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by Taylor Luck | July 29, 2013 AMMAN — Activists have officially petitioned to establish the country’s first “green party” in a bid to bring environmental issues to the forefront of the national policy debate. According to the fledgling Green Party of Jordan, founding member and human rights activist Ghandi Abu Sharar officially petitioned the […]

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Sharjah, Monday, July 22, 2013- American University of Sharjah (AUS) will host the sixth annual conference of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) on 28-29 October 2013. This was announced today at AUS an AFED academic member. The conference will cover topics including renewable energy prospects, future of nuclear energy, energy efficiency, mitigation […]

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By: Mohamed El-Ashry Let me start with the simple fact that “development is not possible without energy and sustainable development is not possible without sustainable energy.” There is broad consensus that the current path of global energy development is not sustainable in economic, environmental, or social terms. Twenty-five years ago, in 1987, the World Commission […]

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Najib Saab July 2013 Ten weeks after its departure from San Francisco, on the West Coast of the United States, Solar Impulse landed in New York on the East Coast. During many stopovers between the kickoff and final destination, cities were awarded green certificates for supporting eco-friendly technology, and millions visited the plane to have […]

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Anne Saab* Can Climate-ready seeds be the answer to food insecurity in the face of climate change? Climate change is predicted to have dramatic impacts on agricultural production in some regions of the world. Increased incidences of drought, higher average temperatures, and more precipitation are among the symptoms of climate change. As agriculture is highly […]

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July 26, 2013 By Samya Kullab BEIRUT: Ships sailing off Beirut’s coast emit thick plumes of smoke from their stacks, and cars line the main roads for miles during the capital’s grinding rush-hour traffic, with their exhaust pipes emitting dangerous fumes. Many factors are thought to adversely impact air quality in Lebanon, but until now, […]

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