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 November, 2012

Algeria to exploit controversial shale gas – Egypt Independent / AFP

AFP Wed, 14/11/2012 ALGIERS — Algeria, the world’s fourth-largest gas exporter, has decided to develop its shale gas potential, but experts fear this could cause severe environmental problems. Officials say the country’s shale gas reserves are 600 trillion cubic feet (17 trillion cubic meters), or around four times greater than its current known gas reserves. […]

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Petroleum Administration to prepare for oil bids – Daily Star

November 10, 2012 BEIRUT: The newly appointed members of the Petroleum Administration held their first meeting Friday under the chairmanship of Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil. Bassil said the ministry and committee would do their utmost to invite international companies to start bidding for licenses to drill oil and gas before the end of […]

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Israel to export gas this decade, developers seek expert partner – Ma’an / Reuters

TEL AVIV, Israel (Reuters) — Israel, once energy poor, is expected to become a gas exporter by the end of the decade and the companies developing its huge offshore Leviathan find are about to pick a fourth partner to gain the crucial know-how. A number of foreign firms have been in a bidding war for […]

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Israel ill-prepared for offshore pollution – YNET

State continues to approve gas, oil drilling permits without having any contingency for pollution scenarios. SPNI’s deputy director-general urges authorities to make sure resources blessing doesn’t turn into a curse Nir Papai Published: 11.13.12 The environmental protection minister is constantly warning that Israel is not equipped to deal with a potentially massive pollution that could […]

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Plans for Ein Shemer airfield meet opposition – YNET

Resident of Menashe Regional Council launch campaign to stop construction of new airstrip; say it will cause insufferable noise, air pollution, harm quality of life Danny Sadeh Published: 11.15.12 The residents of the Menashe Regional Council, east of Hadera, have launched a campaign to stop the construction of the nearby Ein Shemer airfield, saying it […]

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‘Explosive population growth means disaster’ – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 11/14/2012 Technion’s Prof. Uri Shamir: Israel will meet its water needs through 2050. As Gazans continue to rain rockets on Israel, a much greater “security issue” exists in the drastic population rise in both Israel and around the world, an American environmental expert warned in Tel Aviv this week. “People don’t understand […]

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The Dirty Weather Report – 24 Hours of Reality – Middle East

The Dirty Weather Report is featuring a 24-hour program about climate change between November 14-15.  Segment 5 hour 16 is about the Middle East. http://climaterealityproject.org/. segment 5 / hour 16: 14:00 November 15, 2012: Middle East http://climaterealityproject.org/24hours2012/live-broadcast/hour-16-middle-east/ Overview: Throughout the Middle East, access to freshwater and drought are creating flashpoints for conflict between governments and […]

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Ballast Water Management in focus at Safemed seminar in Israel

12-11-2012. Source: EU Neighbourhood Info Centre Around thirty representatives from Israel’s Administration of Shipping and Ports, Ministry of Environment, shipping companies and commercial ports attended a seminar organised by the Safemed II project held in Acre, Israel last month on the environmental importance of effective Ballast Water Management (BWM). The BWM Convention is an international […]

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UfM supports the development of a Mediterranean water data system

Barcelona, 6th November, 2012. Union for the Mediterranean This potential project, which responds to the need for reliable shared data and free flow of information, is a necessary basic tool for the integrated management and planning of Mediterranean water resources at a national or international level. Bringing together promoters and water experts form the initial […]

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UfM and Turkey discuss concrete ways to support the Gaza Desalination Facility project

2-11-2012 The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretariat, the Palestinian Water Authority and the Government of Turkey recently held talks on the technical and financial aspects of the Gaza Desalination Facility project which will require an investment of €310 Million. Turkey expressed its strong interest to support the project and a financial commitment will be […]

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‘Study results being translated into Arabic’ – Jordan Times

by Hana Namrouqa | Nov 11, 2012 | 22:52 AMMAN — Results of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project’s studies are being translated into Arabic in preparation for releasing them to the public, officials said on Sunday. The drafts of the project’s economic feasibility study and the environmental and social impact assessment will be […]

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The silent victims of Israel’s soaring oil and gas exploration – Haaretz

As drilling along the coast expands, environmentalists fear that marine species such as sea turtles will pay the price. By Zafrir Rinat | Nov.08, 2012 The scale of gas and oil drilling along Israel’s coasts has expanded over the last year, and with it, the concerns of experts and environmental organizations over the expected environmental […]

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Research finds undersea gas leaks in Haifa Bay – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 11/09/2012 Geophysics researchers find natural active gas springs leaking on Haifa Bay sea floor, scientists don’t yet know if gas is usable. While drilling companies focus on extracting natural gas buried deep in the Mediterranean’s core, a geophysics research team from the University of Haifa has discovered a series of active gas […]

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Energy Ministry mulls phosphate export caps – YNET

Brewing deal between ICL, Potash Corp sparks concerns over Israel’s future over phosphate reserves. Special ministry team tasked with reviewing possible limitations Amir Ben-David Published: 11.11.12 The Energy and Water Ministry is contemplating placing a cap on the exports of locally-mined phosphates in order to maintain the country’s reserves, Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Currently, some 95% […]

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Energy ministry pushing for state to guarantees for West Bank solar energy projects, as banks balk over settlement investment – Haaretz

By Itai Trilnick and Avi-Bar Eli | Nov.11, 2012 Officials at the Energy and Water Resources Ministry are currently trying to facilitate amended regulations that will pave the way for Israeli entrepreneurs to build solar energy-based generators on the West Bank. In addition, the ministry is attempting to establish a program of state guarantees for […]

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Jordan’s abandonment of nuclear plans ‘inevitable’, expert claims – Jordan Times

by Taylor Luck | Nov 11, 2012 | 22:39 Updated: Nov 11, 2012 | 22:39 AMMAN — Economic realities are expected to force Jordan to abandon its nuclear ambitions, an energy expert claimed, warning that the government’s ongoing pursuit of atomic energy will only deepen the country’s energy crisis. British energy researcher Dave Thomas said […]

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Scientists are enthusiastic about hydrogen’s green applications – Egypt Independent

Rana Khaled Sun, 11/11/2012 As fossil fuel reserves decrease, many countries are turning to hydrogen as one of the main sources of alternative energy. In Egypt, a group of scientists started working on a project for producing low-cost hydrogen that will be used in various environmental applications for the first time in the region. Ahmed […]

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Bid for biggest recycling facility in Israel underway – YNET

Treasury, Environmental Protection Ministry issue joint tender for facility that would turn organic waste into energy. Compound set to be Mideast’s biggest; one of the biggest in the world Ynetnews Published: 11.10.12 The Treasury and the Environmental Protection Ministry have issued a tender for the construction and operation of the biggest trash recycling facility in […]

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Palestinian farmers turn to organic farming -Al Arabiya

By The Associated Press West Bank / Nus Jubail The Palestinian olive harvest, an ancient autumn ritual in the West Bank, is going upscale. In an emerging back-to-the-land movement, Palestinian farmers are turning the rocky hills of the West Bank into organic olive groves, selling their oil to high-end grocers in the U.S. and Europe. […]

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An alternative aid agenda for Palestinians – Maan

By Nadia Hijab, Alaa Tartir and Jeremy Wildeman In an earlier piece on Maan, we analyzed the persistence failure of the World Bank’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territory and argued for alternative models of international aid that “challenge the status quo while enabling Palestinians to survive.” It is often easier to criticize than to […]

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