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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July 27, 2013 BEIRUT: The National Commission for Lebanese Women and the Friends of the Cedars Forest Commission in Bsharri signed a cooperation protocol Friday to plant a new cedar forest. The project entails planting 1,000 cedar trees in a 30,000 square meter area in the qada of Bsharri. Lebanese expatriates and tourists can sponsor […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 07/17/2013 18:32 Select Language​▼ Report says Israel Military Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries sites pose public health hazards that must be rectified. Polluted stream – illustrative photo Polluted stream – illustrative photo Photo: Zalul The long-standing failure of Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to rehabilitate areas polluted by […]

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The state comptroller cites problems such as a rocket-fuel ingredient polluting water used at orange orchards. By Zafrir Rinat | Jul. 18, 2013 A number of ministries have failed to address polluted soil and groundwater at Israel Military Industries sites in the Haifa and Rehovot areas, the state comptroller said in his report on security […]

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State Comptroller finds lack of law enforcement for traffic, construction violations, illegal theft of water in West Bank; reveals major shortage of ABC kits Yaron Druckman Published: 07.17.13, 19:47 / Israel News State Comptroller Judge Joseph Shapira has released his annual report Wednesday, revealing a string of failures in the field of security, specifically in […]

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Annual Palestinian loss of electricity increases debt to Israel by $70 million. Fear of Israel pulling plug, sinking Palestinian authority into darkness The Media Line Published: 07.18.13, 08:17 / Israel News RAMALLAH – During the pre-dawn hours in the holy month of Ramadan, while many are preparing a pre-dawn breakfast in preparation of the daylong-fast, […]

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By Zafrir Rinat | Jul. 18, 2013 Amid the plethora of environmental crises the world is facing, the disappearance of bee colonies has been pushed to the margins when it comes to public awareness. But in the long run, it is hard to ignore a problem that poses a threat to food production and will […]

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Petra | Jul 18, 2013 | 23:32 AMMAN — Water Authority of Jordan security personnel have detained several people who attempted to steal the main water pumps, electric lines and control panels at a water well complex in Karak, Water Ministry Spokesperson Omar Salameh said in a statement on Thursday. Salameh said stealing electricity control […]

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July 18, 2013 TRIPOLI, Lebanon: High temperatures and strong winds Wednesday resulted in several fires, threatening motorists along the Tripoli highway and residential neighborhoods in Qalmoun. A huge fire erupted in the reed groves in the Bahsas area near the Olympic Stadium, and spread to the international highway between Koura and Tripoli. Security forces warned […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Jul 18, 2013 | 22:54 AMMAN — Pumping from the main pipeline supplying Zarqa with water resumed on Thursday, after authorities fixed the damage inflicted by unknown persons, a government official said. The perpetrators severely damaged the pipeline while trying to divert water to irrigate their farms, according to Ministry of […]

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uly 18, 2013 01:00 AM By Mohamad El Amin BEIRUT: The U.S. offered Wednesday to help mediate a dispute between Lebanon and Israel over the demarcation of maritime borders, Lebanese officials said after meeting with the top American energy diplomat. Both Lebanon and Israel have claimed a disputed maritime area of 874 square kilometers, which […]

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Location: Chania, Crete Dates: 23-25 July 2013 source: http://www.cyi.ac.cy/dareclimed-2013-conference.html The Conference aims to: I) bring together data owners, data users and stakeholders from the MENA region II) increase awareness on existing databases on climate, water and energy III) enhance collaboration and data exchange among Eastern Mediterranean countries IV) define a common basis for data formats […]

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source: EU Neighborhood Info Centre, 11-07-2013 More than 40 representatives of Ministries of Education, Ministries of Environment, regional and international organisations and NGOs from 14 Mediterranean countries met in the Croatian capital Zagreb on 17-18 June to work on the final draft of the Mediterranean Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The meeting, entitled […]

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by Avi Zimmerman, July 15, 2013 Germany’s well-intentioned waste disposal plan for the City of Ramallah has Palestinians, Bedouins and Settlers up in arms. The growing regional campaign to thwart the short-sighted and environmentally unsound project is driven by those who prefer the long-term sustainability of their shared living space over petty politics and quick […]

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