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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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November 08, 2012 05:50 PM BEIRUT: Climate change is a matter of serious concern to Lebanon, and the country must implement policies to deal with its fallout and mitigate its future impact, Environment Minister Nazem Khoury said Thursday. “Climate change has serious consequences for the Arab world and for Lebanon, in spite of its relatively […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Nov 08, 2012 | 22:24 AMMAN — Climate change experts and renewable energy consultants on Thursday started formulating a national policy for the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change impact in Jordan. Under the national climate change policy, experts will propose strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in several sectors, […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 11/06/2012 Environmental protection minister at SPNI confab: “There must be separation between permit giver and body that controls everything,” While developing natural gas resources will be crucial to the economy, the government must take much greater care when doing so to prevent environmental disaster, experts agreed at a conference in the capital […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 11/07/2012 Head of association claims 300 MW designated for wind energy is being funneled to solar. The Israeli Wind Energy Association accused Energy and Water Minister Uzi Landau of “burying” the wind energy industry in favor of solar energy development – in a letter sent to the minister on Tuesday. “In recent […]

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