Arab scientists learn to fight desertification in China 24/9/2013 Sixteen scientists from Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Palestine and Morocco participated in a month-long desert control training program, which concluded on Monday in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Anti-Desertification Technology Training Program for Arab Countries, co-organized by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ningxia Academy […]

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Municipality says it will take preservation of indigenous flora and fauna into account when approving construction plans. By Zafrir Rinat | Sep. 22, 2013 Dozens of nature spots in Haifa are at risk of yielding to development or are inaccessible to residents because they lack hiking trails, according to experts who have been surveying the […]

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September 23, 2013 12:19 AM By Hugh Pope Israel is quietly challenging Turkey and Cyprus to make a choice: Move together to develop Israel’s share of the East Mediterranean’s natural gas riches, or stay on the sidelines and perpetuate their decades-old stalemate over Cyprus. The Israelis have stated their preference for export pipelines to both […]

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September 23, 2013 12:19 AM By Hugh Pope Israel is quietly challenging Turkey and Cyprus to make a choice: Move together to develop Israel’s share of the East Mediterranean’s natural gas riches, or stay on the sidelines and perpetuate their decades-old stalemate over Cyprus. The Israelis have stated their preference for export pipelines to both […]

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NAJIB SAAB Silent Death 18/9/2013 As hundreds of tons of radioactive water were leaking from the wrecked Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant hit by the tsunami in 2011, thousands of people were being killed by chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus. Killing by radioactive material is similar to killing by chemical agents in […]

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Ministry honours Qatari for solar energy efforts 23/9/2013 The Ministry of Environment (MoE) has honoured a citizen, Hamad Suleiman al-Ghafiri from Al Hadarma, for his efforts in utilising solar energy, local Arabic daily Arrayah has reported. Through his eco-friendly initiative, al-Ghafiri has been harnessing solar energy at his residence for a variety of purposes, including […]

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Israel Railways temporarily suspends train service between Be’er Sheva and Kiryat Gat; firefighters say no leaks found. By Shirly Seidler | Sep. 24, 2013 Train service between Be’er Sheva and Kiryat Gat has been suspended following the derailing of a cargo train carrying hazardous substances near Kiryat Gat on Monday night. In the absence of […]

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Local garbage collection to replace foreign companies 19/9/2013 Ghada Wali, secretary general of the Social Fund, said on Wednesday the fund is studying with the Ministry of Environment and the Cairo and Alexandria governorates the granting of low-interest credit facilities to local garbage collection companies, in a prelude to taper off and eventually end work […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 09/15/2013 Some of the joint committees formed under Oslo Accords were frozen with the onset of the Second Intifada. Israel The Israeli and Palestinian Agriculture Ministries agreed on Saturday night to revive some of the joint committees formed in the 1990s under the Oslo Accords, which were frozen 13 years ago with […]

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An abandoned hydroelectric power station founded in the Jordan valley in 1927 serves as a vestige of regional cooperation; an environmental group is now collaborating with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian planners to preserve the historical site – a process fraught with obstacles. By Keshet Rosenblum | Sep. 12, 2013 “Why hasn’t the train arrived yet?” […]

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What caused the conflict in Syria to erupt when it did, pushing citizens from discontent with the regime to outright rebellion? CONTRIBUTOR Eckart Woertz Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) CONTRIBUTOR John Waterbury NYU Abu Dhabi CONTRIBUTOR Jeannie Sowers University of New Hampshire One emerging theory1 is that environmental factors, particularly a long-lasting drought, were […]

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Alon Tala*, Shira Leon-Zchouta, Itay Greenspan, Liat Oshryc & Shira Akovd pages 779-791 Abstract We report results of a recent national survey of the Israeli environmental movement, assessing its activities, strategies, and financial viability. Since the early 1990s, the movement has undergone significant expansion, with numerous new organisations at both local and national levels. The […]

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Ministry seeks to phase out use of lead-based paint by Hana Namrouqa | Sep 17, 2013 AMMAN — The manufacture and sale of lead paint in the Kingdom will be banned before the end of this year due to its negative impact on public health and the environment, according to Environment Minister Taher Shakhshir. The […]

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by JT | Sep 17, 2013 | 22:24 AMMAN — The government, in cooperation with USAID, is implementing a $19 million Energy Sector Capacity Building (ESCB) activity to create future energy security for Jordan. “The ESCB promotes energy efficiency, building institutional capacity and strengthening energy companies,” a USAID statement said on Tuesday. The four-year project […]

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Drill, which will reach depth of 5,300 meters below sea level, will cost $122 million and last about four months Reuters Published: 09.15.13 The partners in the Tamar natural gas field off Israel’s shore will begin an exploratory drill at a nearby reservoir estimated to contain about 0.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas. The […]

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AMMAN — Natural Resources Authority (NRA) Director General Mousa Zyoud on Tuesday said the authority, along with the Trans Euro Energy Corp., was reviewing the draft of an agreement on oil excavation in Azraq’s Hamzah oilfield, near the Saudi border some 100km southeast of the capital. Zyoud added that he expected the agreement to be […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 09/17/2013 Group claims construction of planned residential neighborhood on cliffs of Ramon Crater would be environmentally destructive. Claiming that the construction of a planned residential neighborhood on the cliffs of the Ramon Crater would be environmentally destructive, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel filed an objection to the project […]

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HAARETZ Facility slated to handle half of Dan region’s garbage, go into operation in year and a half. By Zafrir Rinat | Sep. 9, 2013 | The cornerstone of a new innovative garbage treatment facility at the Hiriya landfill is to be laid Monday. The facility will feature sorting facilities for recyclables and also have […]

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Petra | Sep 09, 2013 | 22:52 AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan on Monday called for concerted regional efforts to address pollution in the Arab world amidst an expected 30 per cent population growth, warning of a “demographic bomb” if no measures are taken soon. Speaking at the opening of the two-day German-Arab Environment Forum, […]

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Environmental Protection Ministry is seven months late in releasing regulations needed to implement electronic waste recycling law. By Zafrir Rinat | Sep. 9, 2013 The Environmental Protection Ministry has yet to release the regulations necessary to implement a new law that would require the 100,000 tons-plus of electronic waste Israel produces each year to be […]

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