At long last, the Lebanese Cabinet has approved a plan to solve the country’s long-standing electricity problems, relying on a typically Lebanese solution. Ministers spent much of the last few weeks sniping at each other, issuing threats and doomsday scenarios, until finally pulling back from the brink and arriving at a compromise in which each […]

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By SHARON UDASIN AND LAHAV HARKOV 09/08/2011 23:22 Minister says compliance with environmental demands can help solve housing crisis. Talkbacks () Addressing the government’s ability to solve the housing crisis, Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan said he felt that intrinsic to preserving the economy and providing affordable housing to all is the duty to “comply […]

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  1) Arabs make the desert bloom – Haaretz In the ultimate of ironies, there is no better manifestation of the Zionist concept of making the desert bloom than the unrecognized Arab villages of the Negev – vibrant islands in a sea of gold, in the middle of nothing whatsoever. By Oudeh Basharat While the […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The number of wildfires and cases of illegal logging in the Kingdom’s forests has dropped this summer, the Ministry of Environment said on Thursday. “The number of wildfires dropped because the ministries of environment and agriculture and the Rangers intensified monitoring in heavily wooded areas,” Ministry of Environment Spokesperson Isa […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Chukar and partridge populations are declining due to a scarcity of rainfall and illegal hunting, according to conservationists. Hunters’ ignorance of the hunting schedule set by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) has led to a decline in the number of the two species – ground-nesting birds […]

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Wineries fencing off vineyards in Judean Hills face boycott calls – Haaretz SPNI says 16-km barrier near Jerusalem endangers wildlife. By Zafrir Rinat The fencing of vineyards in the Judean Hills is creating death traps for wild animals, leading nature and animal rights groups to consider calling for a consumer boycott of the wineries behind […]

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editor’s note: the publications mentioned in this newsletter are available for download from the website of Friends of the Earth Middle East: foeme.org Friends of the Earth Middle East would like to wish all our Muslim friends a Happy Eid following the completion of the Holy month of Ramadan. We also take the opportunity to […]

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Volume 16, No.160-162, September 2011 5 Environment’s share in revolutions (editorial by Najib Saab) 22 Investments in green energy: $211 billion in one year (cover story) 29 Green Pioneers Najib Saab on CNN 30 Killing a Tunisian forest 32 Emirates Group evaluates its environmental performance 34 Arab bread security 40 The hidden city protecting Petra […]

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In a decision, made by a Ministry of Interior appeals committee applying to the nature reserves in the area of the Na’aman Stream east of Acre, give green groups say in matters formerly exclusively in the hands of the Water Authority, which opposed the decision. By Zafrir Rinat Environmental groups are to be involved from […]

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80% of Israel’s desalinated water is treated by a single company – IDE, which is using its position to play hardball with the government, turning down an ostensibly profitable offer to increase its output. By Avi Bar-Eli While the public is protesting against economic concentration, one highly concentrated area is behaving as if nothing’s changed: […]

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Finance Ministry says five plants will together supply 75% of country’s drinking water by 2013 Associated Press Published: 08.09.11, 08:07 / Israel Activism Share on TwitterShare on Facebook share The Israeli Finance Ministry says it has granted a license for the country’s fifth desalination plant, to be built in the coastal city of Ashdod. The […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 09/01/2011 03:20 School for local and international students with socioeconomic challenges prides itself on being at the forefront of technology. Talkbacks (5) As 800 boys from all over the world rung in the new school year on Wednesday at Boys Town Jerusalem in Bayit Vagan, with them was a brand-new addition to […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) installed night vision cameras to monitor alleged new animal species in southern Ghor, according to officials. The cameras were installed after local communities in Ghor Fifa and Ghor Safi claimed sighting new animals and expressed fear that they could be predators. […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/31/2011 02:58 The summer began with numerous beach closures due to sewage spilling incidents and storm damage. Talkbacks (1) As summer vacation – and beach season along with it – draws to a close, the Environmental Protection Ministry has determined that most of Israel’s beaches made dramatic improvements in cleanliness and quality […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/30/2011 05:31 Despite acknowledged high installation costs on 48 roofs, the investment should return on itself within 10 years, development company says. Talkbacks (2) Installations of NIS 35 million worth of solar systems have gotten underway on the roofs of 48 capital city schools and community centers under the administration of the […]

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By Fahed Fanek Many observers thought that the minister of finance went too far when he estimated that imported energy, petroleum and electricity will cost the country $4 billion this year. In fact, the minister was very conservative in his prediction. The imported petroleum bill during the first six months of this year reached JD1,587 […]

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By Omar Obeidat and The Associated Press AMMAN – Jordan will sign an agreement with Egypt next month to resume natural gas supplies, the Associated Press reported, quoting Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaled Toukan. Toukan said several attacks this year on Egypt’s pipeline delivering the fuel may prompt the Kingdom to look for […]

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August 30, 2011 01:28 AM By Van Meguerditchian The Daily Star BALLOUNEH, Lebanon: The people will bring down any pylon carrying high voltage electrical lines that run near homes, activists and residents of the Kesrouan town of Ballouneh said during a demonstration Monday. Dozens of Ballouneh residents joined civil society activists in their march toward […]

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AMMAN (Petra) – Local and international companies have started to develop the first electric charging plant using solar power. The project, to be built in cooperation with El Hassan Science City and financed by the USAID, seeks to provide clean energy resources to charge electric vehicles to help the Kingdom reduce carbon dioxide emissions and […]

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Environmental Protection Ministry installed new system for monitoring radiation from cellular antennas a year ago; despite findings, ministry has no intention, or authority, to penalize the offending cellular companies. By Amitai Ziv * * Published 10:41 30.08.11 * Latest update 10:41 30.08.11 State: 8% of cellular antennas exceeded radiation ceilings Environmental Protection Ministry installed new […]

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