Environment and Climate in the Middle East

news, conferences, policy discussions and academic publications on environmental issues and climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean

Environment and Climate in the Middle East

Archives for December, 2015

Global Climate Accord Forces Israel to Reexamine Its Energy Policy – Haaretz

At Paris talks, Israel presented a target of reducing emission growth by 25 percent by 2030, but internal government dispute puts plans on hold. Zafrir Rinat Dec 12, 2015 10:48 PM read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.691456 The signing of the international climate change accord in Paris on Saturday has created a new situation for Israel, which will […]

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Lead Israeli environmentalist: Country failed to live up to its potential at climate conference – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 12/13/2015 Naor Yerushalmi – CEO of Life and Environment says COP-21 is “a business opportunity that our government has missed.” Departing from the 12-day United Nations Conference on Climate Change without a national action plan to implement its modest emissions targets, Israel has failed to live up to its potential at the […]

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Ali Naimi at COP: reduce emissions not fossil fuels -Environment and Development

Paris, Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia Saudi Minister of Petroleum Ali Al-Naimi, speaking Tuesday at the Climate Summit in Paris, warned against unfair grudge towards fossil fuels and oil-producing countries. He explained at a panel that “the problem is not fossil fuels but the emissions. Instead of phasing out fossil fuels, we have to see how to control, […]

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The Gulf’s climate challenge – Al Arabiya

Thursday, 10 December 2015 Manuel Almeida Contrary to previous international conferences on climate change, the weeks that preceded the U.N. Climate Change Conference currently being held in Paris were not marked by high-profile attempts to cast doubt on the threat of climate change, or the extent of human responsibility in the process. The growing and […]

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Saudi Arabia stresses need for renewable energy – Al Arabiya

Saudi Gazette, Riyadh Thursday, 10 December 2015 The Riyadh Economic Forum (REF) stressed the Saudi Arabia’s need to provide for alternative and renewable energy sources so as to meet the increasing energy needs that are met at increasing rates reaching 4.4 percent annually until 2035. This would require 350 million tons of oil annually, Saudi […]

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Vast Desert Sun Farm to Help Light up Morocco – Naharnet

On the edge of the Sahara desert, engineers make final checks to a sea of metal mirrors turned towards the sun, preparing for the launch of Morocco’s first solar power plant. The ambitious project is part of the North African country’s goal of boosting its clean energy output with what it says will eventually be […]

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A Moroccan village’s long fight for water rights – Al Jazeera

For four years, residents of Imider have held a sit-in against a mine they say is ruining their livelihoods. Nadir Bouhmouch, Kristian Davis Bailey | 13 Dec 2015 Imider, Morocco – For the past four years, residents of this remote Moroccan village in the Sahara Desert have been holding what is believed to be the […]

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Strong climate deal good for Arab countries – Environment and Development

Mohamed El-Ashry and Najib Saab 04/12/2015 Climate change, once considered an issue for the future, has now moved firmly into the present. Few days before a new climate change deal is due to be agreed in Paris, the question is no longer whether there will be an agreement but what shape and how strong it […]

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Climate cooperation – Jerusalem Post

Climate cooperation By JPOST EDITORIAL 11/30/2015 Israel and its neighbors are facing formidable challenges presented by climate change. And the solutions can be found only through cooperation and the sharing of resources. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent Monday in Paris with some 140 world leaders at a conference on climate change. Attendance was particularly high, […]

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Israeli expert: Mideast must cooperate or ‘go to war over water’ – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 12/03/2015 Natural resource loss could spur violence, disease spread in the region, says INSS senior research fellow Dr. Oded Eran. In a region that has grown increasingly vulnerable to the effects of both climate change and cross-border resource depletion, it has become all the more critical that neighbors develop interdependent solutions for […]

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The French climate-terror connection – Jordan Times

Yuriko Koike Dec 02,2015 Since the November 13 terrorist bloodletting in Paris, the City of Light has been practically under martial law. In this subdued and challenging context, world leaders are now convening in the city at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to hammer out a new global agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Could […]

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Climate change cannot be addressed in isolation — King – Jordan Times

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday said the war of “our generation” against terrorism and to defend the values of tolerance, peace and freedom is “also our fight within Islam”, according to a Royal Court statement. In remarks at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, hosted in Paris, the King said: “It […]

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Netanyahu, Gabbay lead 70-strong Israeli delegation to Paris – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 12/01/2015 Participant nations are aiming to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement to ensure that global warming does not surpass 2°C. Some 70 Israeli officials and environmentalists arrived in Paris on Monday for the 12-day annual United Nations Conference on Climate Change. Led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Environmental Protection […]

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‘Using natural gas to generate power saves Jordan JD1m per day’ – Jordan Times

By Khetam Malkawi – Dec 01,2015 AQABA — Electricity generation using natural gas rather than crude oil saves Jordan JD1 million per day at the current oil price of $41.60 per barrel, according to Ghassan Ghanem, CEO of the Aqaba Development Corporation. In a recent meeting with journalists, Ghanem underscored the importance of the liquefied […]

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Increased domestic gas use could cut pollution 99%, says environment minister – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 12/02/2015 “Air pollution is not a matter of convenience and quality of life, but of health and life.” While increasing gas use in the country’s factories and vehicles would lead to dramatic improvements in air quality, the “prohibitive price” of the resource will make such a transition difficult, Environmental Protection Minister Avi […]

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Climate Change Will Only Come From the People – Haaretz

World leaders will produce lots of hot air at the COP21 summit in Paris, but nothing will change unless we all recognize the severity of the problem facing our planet. David Miron-Wapner Nov 30, 2015 Europe is facing influx of hundreds of millions of refugees, Israeli professor warns Israel gears up to forge renewable energy […]

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Most Israelis not engaged in environmental activities, survey finds – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 12/05/2015 With the vast majority of people not taking part in such activities, only 13% said they were engaged in environmental-social efforts, while 1% said they were uncertain. About 86 percent of Israelis have not taken part in environmental campaigns in the past three years, a new survey by the Society for […]

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