Friday, August 3 2012 Cross-border environmental cooperation cannot wait until a final peace agreement is signed. But it also cannot completely disregard political realities: The recent Cross-Border Environmental Conference held by Israel in the settlement of Ariel meant that no Palestinian could dare attend, leaving Israelis to discuss cooperation among themselves. By David Lehrer and […]

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By Reem Haddad In 2009, BankMed came out with a supposedly short term idea: to support some environmental projects. But the demand for projects rained on them and they found themselves adopting a challenging Corporate Social Responsibly cause: encouraging Lebanon to go ‘green’. Today and through a heavy unprecedented campaign dubbed ‘A Happy Planet’, BankMed […]

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Bloomberg news agency says explorations under Mediterranean Sea have uncovered $240 billion worth of gas, which is far more than can ever be used in Israel 08.05.12 Gas exploration companies Noble Energy Inc., Delek Group Ltd. and others have discovered enough natural gas to supply Israel’s domestic needs for the next 150 years, an investigative […]

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Government approves independent energy production ahead of foreseen summer’s ‘electricity drought’ but only fraction used so far 08.05.12 The recent Renewable Energy Summit, held earlier in July, revealed that independent electricity producers may not be as keen to sell solar power-based electricity to the State, saying that their incentive fees are “unrealistic.” Ahead of foreseen […]

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GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The power authority in Gaza announced Thursday it is capable of operating the sole generator in the enclave at full capacity for the first time in six years. The generator is only operating at full power — 100 megawatts — at night. During the day it is working at 60 megawatts […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/02/2012 TAU’s Porter School for environmental studies is getting a green campus that it hopes will lead the way in sustainable construction Overlooking the Ayalon Highway and the expansive Gush Dan region rolling into the distant Jerusalem hills, a brand new green oasis will soon bedeck the highest peak of Tel Aviv […]

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A conference was held in Ariel this week to discuss the West Bank’s environment. No Palestinians attended. By Zafrir Rinat | Aug.02, 2012 In the last two years, Jewish settlers in the West Bank have made a concerted PR effort to showcase their commitment to the environment. At the heart of this campaign, headed by […]

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Two Israeli filmmakers went to the Hebron Hills to document Palestinians eking out a living from scavenging in a dump, and fell in love with their subjects. By Yitzhak Laor | Aug.03, 2012 Initially, I was afraid that “Zevel Tov” (“Good Garbage” ), a documentary produced and directed by Ada Ushpiz and Shosh Shlam, would […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Aug 01, 2012 AMMAN — The amount of garbage generated in Amman each day has nearly doubled during Ramadan, leaving trash containers overflowing on the capital’s streets, officials and residents said. “Waste has increased during Ramadan by about twofold. Our teams usually collect around 1,800 tonnes of garbage per day; now […]

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District S: Green Neighborhood Development – Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia Nader Al-Nakib District S is a neighborhood development project located in Beirut, Lebanon, that employs green planning and design principles in architecture, materials, mobility, and energy and water consumption. The development of the neighborhood adopts the premise that environmentally sustainable communities will offer residents and visitors a […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Aug 02, 2012 AMMAN — Security forces will soon implement a campaign to protect the Kingdom’s water resources from recurring vandalism, violations and theft, officials said on Thursday. The campaign will target areas categorised as “hotspots”, where theft of water and equipment recur, such as south Amman, the Jordan Valley, Mafraq […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/02/2012 Government committee approved plan to expand Habonim nature reserve, preserving natural resources and landscape. Nixing plans to build a resort village and other tourism infrastructure on Nahsholim and Habonim beaches, a government committee has approved a plan that expands and preserves a nature reserve at Habonim. The Subcommittee for Objections under […]

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Despite the efforts of social activists and environmental organizations to maintain the seaside as a resource open to the public, the beaches’ commercialization is continuing. Haaretz Editorial | Jul.31, 2012 The beach is meant to be a public resort that is accessible and available to all. This is especially important in a small, crowded country […]

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Environmental Protection Ministry launches criminal inquiry into ORL operations after measurements indicate gross emission irregularities Amir Ben-David Published: 08.03.12 Israel’s Oil Refineries Ltd. (ORL) has been trying to escape the public image of major environmental polluter but may now have a hard time doing so. The Environmental Protection Ministry recently launched a new criminal inquiry […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/02/2012 Project aims to strengthen cross-border relations with Jordan as well as act as an instigator for regional development. A new NIS 10 million regional cooperation project on renewable energy in the Eilat- Eilot region aims to strengthen cross-border relations with Jordan as well as act as an instigator for regional development. […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/02/2012 Energy Minister Landau demonstrates “cost-effective great light” in new initiative on Reading Power Station’s prominent chimney. The habitually loathed chimney that juts out of north Tel Aviv’s Reading Power Station will now decorate the sky with green, orange and red illumination. The Energy and Water Ministry launched this visual power meter […]

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The Civil Administration is protecting a law that its title in contemporary Hebrew is ‘keeping most of the West Bank Palestinian-free.’ By Amira Hass | Aug.01, 2012 Events in Area C are a burning issue for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot. More correctly, he is infuriated by what […]

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By DANIEL MERON 07/30/2012 Israelis tend to think the United Nations preoccupies itself with classic political issues, but the reality is different “We do not rejoice in victories. We rejoice when a new kind of cotton is grown and when strawberries bloom in Israel” – Golda Meir Israelis tend to think the United Nations preoccupies […]

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AFED 2012 Annual Report The 2012 AFED report will analyze sustainability options in Arab countries, based on a survey of available renewable resources (biocapacity) and consumption (footprint). As basis for the analysis, AFED has commissioned the Global Footprint Network (GFN), who are world leaders in this field, to produce an Ecological Footprint Atlas exploring resource […]

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August 01, 2012 In the two decades since Lebanon’s civil war ended the country’s electricity has proven such an enduring problem it now appears to be as intractable as most difficult international conflicts. It seems as likely to be solved as the Palestinian problem, or the conflict over Kashmir. But it’s not a problem the […]

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