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 August, 2012

Israel’s solar power struggles against government – Bloomberg

KVUTZAT YAVNE, Israel (AP) — Israel has developed some of the world’s most advanced solar energy equipment and enjoys a nearly endless supply of sunshine, but when it comes to deploying large-scale solar technology at home, the country remains in the dark ages. Solar power provides just a tiny percentage of Israel’s energy needs, leaving […]

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Political risks keep Lebanon behind in terms of energy exploration: BMI – Daily Star

August 31, 2012 BEIRUT: Lebanon will continue to lag behind its regional peers in oil and gas exploration and production due to persistent political risks, Business Monitor International said. Disputes within the government coalition are also impeding oil and gas exploration, BMI added, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of Byblos Bank. […]

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New recycling program bogged down in local government orange tape – Haaretz

Bat Yam, Eilat, Herzliya and several other cities join project aimed at recycling two-thirds of household containers within three years. By Zafrir Rinat | Aug.28, 2012 ave your holiday garbage, people of Israel: save your emptied plastic bottles of floor cleaner and cans of consumed corn. No, the trash doesn’t have to stay festering and […]

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Net profit in Israel’s south? – Haaretz

Environmental activists are working to remove fishing nets from the Gulf of Eilat, claiming they are death traps for sea life. By Zafrir Rinat | Aug.12, 2012 Having fought for many long years against the practice of raising fish in cages in Eilat, due to concerns about pollution from fish excrement, environmental activists have discovered […]

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A sustainable world is one in which well-being is defined broadly – Daily Star

August 23, 2012 12:47 AM By Mahmoud Mohieldin Achieving a more sustainable world presupposes a worldview that considers well-being not only in terms of income, but also in terms of human security and opportunities for every person to thrive. It is worth considering what the world would look like from such a perspective. For starters, […]

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Five men arrested for cutting down olive trees – Daily Star

August 30, 2012 01:16 AM By Antoine Amrieh KOURA, Lebanon: A group of five men were arrested for allegedly cutting down 115 olive trees in the Koura village of Harisha which they planned to sell as wood. The village’s custodian, Aziz Alawa, first noticed from a hill in Anefh village that trees in an olive […]

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Israel to Remove Source of Electricity south of Hebron – WAFA

HEBRON, August 27, 2012 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Monday notified the residents of Khirbet al-Taban, a locale east of the town of Yatta south of Hebron, of their plans to remove the solar cells in the area; the only source of electricity there, according to a local activist. Ratib al-Jabour, coordinator of the Popular Committee […]

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Report: West Bank environment in danger – YNET

editor’s note: see for background the previously posted article, “The Settlement Movement and The Environmental Card [Daily Beast]” New environmental report compiled by ‘Green Now’, association of cities in Judea and Samaria finds that West Bank environment is in danger, quality of life harmed Aryeh Savir, Tazpit Published: 08.30.12 A new environmental report compiled by […]

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Water Authority Condemns Israeli Demolition of Wells – WAFA

RAMALLAH, August 27, 2012 (WAFA) – Head of the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) Shaddad Attili condemned Israel’s destruction of Palestinian agricultural wells in the Kufr Dan area, near Jenin, according to a statement by PWA on Monday. The statement came following the Israeli military threat to destroy more wells in Jenin area if Palestinian farmers […]

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Limiting climate change impact on water resources

EU project to hold training workshop in Amman 30-08-2012 Source: EU Neighborhood info centre A training programme is being organised in Amman to help actors in the water sector across the southern Mediterranean to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. The three-day workshop is part of the EU-funded project ‘Sustainable Water Integrated Management […]

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Risk of water wars rises with scarcity – Al Jazeera

Almost half of humanity will face water scarcity by 2030 and strategists from Israel to Central Asia prepare for strife. Chris Arsenault 26 Aug 2012 The author Mark Twain once remarked that “whisky is for drinking; water is for fighting over” and a series of reports from intelligence agencies and research groups indicate the prospect […]

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Gaza not ‘liveable’ by 2020 barring urgent action : UN – Jordan Times

GAZA — Gaza will no longer be “liveable” by 2020 unless urgent action is taken to improve water supply, power, health, and schooling, the United Nations’ most comprehensive report on the Palestinian enclave said on Monday. “Action needs to be taken now if Gaza is to be a liveable place in 2020 and it is […]

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Greenpeace warns of Lebanon’s toxic waters – Daily Star

August 24, 2012 BEIRUT: Greenpeace Lebanon warned Thursday that there are hundreds of dangerous chemicals in the waters off the country, which pose dangers to people and the environment. A total of 30 samples were collected for the study and the environmental watchdog’s new report shows that the pollution is highest in Beirut, Tripoli and […]

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Comptroller to review Haifa ammonia tank’s defenses – YNET

Environmental Protection Ministry raises concerns over sensitive facility’s fortification; severe impact should it suffer a missile hit Amir Ben-David Published: 08.22.12 State Comptroller Joseph Shapira is set to review the security and fortification arrangements set in place for the Haifa Bay ammonia depository, Yedioth Ahronoth reported. The ammonia depository is considered one of the major […]

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Village residents block access to new dump in Kfour Valley – Daily Star

August 27, 2012 01:17 AM By Mohammed Zaatari KFOUR, Lebanon: Dozens of residents of the southern village of Kfour blocked access to a newly established dump in a nearby valley over the weekend, pledging to protest until a deal is struck to relocate the waste. The new dump was opened last week in the Kfour […]

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Are Israel’s eco regulations forcing industries out? – YNET

Big businesses claim environmental regulations too strict; Environment Protection Ministry insists law on par with other nations worldwide; public health must come first News agencies Published: 08.23.12 Are Israel’s industry environmental regulations driving local industries out of the country? Many businesses would say yes. Israel adheres to the same environmental regulations practiced by the European […]

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Ministry: IDF fails to deal with asbestos hazards – YNET

Environmental Protection Ministry says military insists on dealing with hazardous material despite being ill-equipped Amir Ben-David Published: 08.26.12 The Environmental Protection Ministry warned recently that IDF soldiers are required to deal with asbestos without the appropriate protective gear. Asbestos is an extremely hazardous material. Its carcinogenic properties have resulted in a ban on its use […]

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NIS 30m. environmental center to be built in J’lem – Jerusalem Post

By MELANIE LIDMAN 08/27/2012 The 2,000-square-meter facility will focus on the academic study of sustainability. Jerusalem will soon be home to an environmental studies institution from the Council for a Beautiful Israel, donated by a former deputy mayor of New York City. Robert Price, an attorney who served as deputy mayor under John Lindsay in […]

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Gov’t okays cliff stabilizing bill – YNET

New bill mandates formation of government firm tasked with preventing seaside cliff erosion; cliff stabilization efforts to cost half billion shekels Zvi Lavi Published: 08.27.12, The Knesset recently approved a bill presented by the Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan, which intends to protect the stability of the seaside cliffs that face the Mediterranean Sea. The […]

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The demolition of homes in the Palestinian village of Sussiya – Jerusalem Post

By MICHAEL M. COHEN 08/20/2012 Using force against a helpless, weak civilian population stands in opposition to Jewish and humanitarian values. Since 1996 the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies has brought some 700 Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and international undergraduate and graduate students together on its Kibbutz Ketura campus, where they have been provided with the […]

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