By Taylor Luck AMMAN – Versatility will be a deciding factor as Jordan considers firms to build its first nuclear reactor, an energy official said. According to Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Vice President Kamal Araj, Jordan’s selection of a reactor vendor will hinge on the ability of firms to adapt their technology to the […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Muath Freij AMMAN – The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has rehabilitated four of its public parks under an initiative launched last month that ultimately aims to renovate every park in the capital. The initiative was launched following several complaints from Jordanians about the lack of facilities in some public parks and the need for […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Israel would also have to divert less water from the Kinneret to the National Water Carrier, according to study by Friends of the Earth Middle East. By Zafrir Rinat The southern stretch of the Jordan River will remain in poor condition unless less water is diverted for agriculture, a study sponsored by Friends of the […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By SHARON UDASIN 11/18/2011 03:58 Green group suggests reduction in agricultural water consumption, farmers say impossible. Talkbacks (6) Environmentalists and farmers clashed in a heated debate about whether agricultural water consumption should be significantly reduced, at a conference on Wednesday at Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee. The conference, hosted by green group Friends […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Taylor Luck AMMAN – Jordan’s energy sector received a boost on Friday after Egypt began preliminary pumping of natural gas to the Kingdom. In a statement issued on Saturday, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Qutaiba Abu Qura announced that Egypt has resumed gas supplies to Jordan, which has been without its main energy […]

Read the rest of this entry »

CAIRO (Ma’an) — Egypt resumed supplies of natural gas to Israel on Saturday, more than a week after a northern Sinai pipeline was bombed, Egyptian media reports said. An official from Ampal-American Israel Corp, part of the consortium that exports gas to Israel, said: “It was advised by East Mediterranean Gas Co, in which Ampal […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By BEN HARTMAN 11/16/2011 20:20 Municipality says heavy work has been carried out to renovate city drainage system, prepared for winter. Talkbacks (6) Anyone who has been in Israel during a downpour knows the drill. The clouds open up and within minutes the city streets are covered in ankle-deep water that remains long after the […]

Read the rest of this entry »

11/18/2011 06:50 Although ongoing heavy rains have help slightly, Lake Kinneret still needs “major help.” Talkbacks (8) Despite the ongoing rains that have soaked pedestrians for the past couple days, and that are expected to continue through Saturday, Lake Kinneret water levels have seen little improvement. While the water level did not budge from Wednesday […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Olivia Alabaster The Daily Star The CANA-CNRS is named after Qana in southern Lebanon. The CANA-CNRS is named after Qana in southern Lebanon. BEIRUT: A former Italian fishing vessel began its new life as a marine research boat at the Beirut naval base Friday, under the auspices of the Italian ambassador to Lebanon. A […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Study finds ‘lutra’ otters disappearing from areas in northern Israel; population remains stable in region stretching from the Jordan River tributaries to the Harod and Beit She’an valleys. By Zafrir Rinat The lutra, a local type of otter, has disappeared from areas such as the Jezreel and Zevulun valleys in the north, plagued by hunting, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Rare find is akin to the Dead Sea Scrolls of nature conservation. By Zafrir Rinat Nature and Parks Authority warden Yoram Malka set out Tuesday for a routine patrol to monitor the birds in the Hula Nature Reserve, but he was also keeping his sharp eyes peeled for a specific type of frog. frog – […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By NADAV SHEMER 11/17/2011 05:47 Cooperation with both countries to increase after WATEC 2011 conference on water, renewable energy and environmental control. Talkbacks () Israel signed agreements with Taiwan and Kenya on the sidelines of the WATEC 2011 conference this week, which will see it increase water-technology cooperation with both countries. The three-day international exhibition […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By SHARON UDASIN 11/14/2011 05:35 Protesters attempt to unveil giant banner on Jerusalem city hall flagpole; municipality says environmental issues are top priority. Talkbacks (4) Two Greenpeace activists were arrested in Jerusalem on Sunday morning when they climbed up eight-meter flagpoles outside city hall. The protesters attempted to display a giant banner to convey their […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By ARIEH O’SULLIVAN / THE MEDIA LINE 11/09/2011 19:17 Jerusalem belches out its untreated waste to areas once known for their beauty, holy sites. Mohammed Nakhal is normally a calm man, but he’s seething now. The stench of raw sewage is overpowering. It is rushing by, down the biblical Kidron Valley through the Judean Desert […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Taylor Luck AMMAN – The Middle East’s first particle accelerator project is looking to succeed where many initiatives have failed – to unite people across the region in a common cause. Synchrotron light for Experimental Science and Application in the Middle East (SESAME) is accelerating its efforts to open a world of opportunities to […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Drilling below the sea floor shows a roller-coaster ride for the region’s climate. By Zafrir Rinat The Dead Sea may be drying up, but research by Israeli scientists and colleagues abroad shows that the water has risen and fallen by hundreds of meters over the past 200,000 years. The goal is to study the region’s […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Dead Sea comes up short in natural wonders vote – Jordan Times By Khetam Malkawi AMMAN – Although the Dead Sea was not among the winners in the New Seven Wonders of Nature contest that concluded on Friday, it remains a natural wonder and one of Jordan’s main tourist attractions, officials and Jordanians said on […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Israeli green groups push bill to protect Dead Sea ahead of New 7 Wonders competition – Haaretz ‘Protection and Rehabilitation of the Dead Sea’ bill drafted by Israel Union for Environmental Defense, submitted to Knesset by MKs headed by Dov Khenin (Hadash). By Zafrir Rinat This weekend, the winners of the worldwide New 7 Wonders […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Two blasts hit Egypt’s gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan – Al Arabiya An Egyptian pipeline sending gas to Israel and Jordan was hit by two explosions early Thursday, Egypt’s security services and the official news agency said. A first blast occurred around 1:00 am (2300 GMT Wednesday) 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Environmentalists on Thursday expressed concern that the Gulf of Aqaba will turn into a “junkyard” of ships unless naval authorities step up regulations governing maritime activities at Jordan’s sole seaport. The calls came after the sinking of the passenger ferry “Pella” early Tuesday in international waters off Aqaba 800 metres […]

Read the rest of this entry »