A few months ago, Italy took the laudable decision of getting rid of plastic bags. This southern European country used to consume about one-fifth of the plastic bags on the continent, so the move must have been more than welcome. It aimed mainly at protecting the fragile environment, knowing that scientists warn that polyethylene bags […]

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By Hana Namrouqa DANA BIOSPHERE RESERVE – Reconstruction work on Dana Village, a gateway to the Dana Biosphere Reserve, is currently under way to transform the abandoned village into an eco-tourism destination, according to conservationists. Crumbling houses built decades ago in the village, which sits on a cliff overlooking one of the Kingdom’s most scenic […]

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By Hana Namrouqa DANA BIOSPHERE RESERVE – Visitors to Dana Biosphere Reserve can now enjoy a cup of Dana’s famous herbal tea and watch cultural entrainment under the Kingdom’s first bedouin tent lit by solar energy. The clean and environment-friendly energy source has replaced traditional kerosene and gas lanterns at the reserve’s Rummana campsite after […]

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By Olivia Alabaster BEIRUT: In a country with a lack of discernible environmental policy, only a handful of recycling points across the capital, and landfills overflowing onto public beaches, Reversed Garbage has found an innovative way to turn trash into something useful, and beautiful. Chafic Abi Abdallah had been working in hospitality management for eight […]

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Plans to eliminate parking spots on Bloch Street in Tel Aviv in order to make room for new bicycle lanes have local residents up in arms. It’s all about turning this into a city for the rich, they argue. By Ilan Lior Tel Aviv residents are accustomed to wasting time every night searching for parking […]

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A group of engineering students and professors have developed an algorithm that can predict the pace and timing of bike borrowing and returns in Tel Aviv. By Lital Levin While visiting Paris a few years ago, Iris Forma rented a bicycle from the Parisian municipality, run under the same system that will soon launch in […]

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Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) Workshop June 19-24, 2011 ShareThis Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian water practitioners are invited to apply for the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) workshop from June 19-24, 2011 on Kibbutz Ketura, Israel. WEAP is useful microcomputer tool for integrated water resources management that goes a step beyond conventional supply-oriented water simulation […]

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On April 12, under the patronage of HRH Prince Hassan Bin Talal, a GRAND OPENING ceremony was held for the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark in Jordan. More than six years ago, FoEME began with the development of 100 dunams for an EcoPark, fencing off the area to regulate overgrazing that had contributed to the degredation […]

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TEHRAN (AFP) – Iranians are worried by crippling air pollution as “unprecedented” sandstorms mostly originating from neighbouring Iraq hit 20 provinces, forcing the shutdown of schools and government offices. The blinding sandstorms hit western, central and southern provinces on Wednesday due to winds blowing at high speed, considerably reducing visibility to as low as 50 […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is involving hunters in its efforts to preserve wildlife, particularly globally threatened birds, conservationists said on Thursday. With over 4,000 registered hunters in Jordan, conservationists believe raising their awareness of globally threatened species and the importance of abiding by hunting regulations […]

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By Simona Sikimic BEIRUT: Environmental degradation and climate change are harming economic growth and social development in Lebanon, audiences heard Thursday. The warning was made by several regional climate experts gathered in Beirut for the first MEDGREEN conference, which has brought together over 160 delegates from 20 countries to evaluate the “Impact of Integrated Clean […]

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By Kamal Taha Agence France-Presse AMMAN – Following the nuclear disaster in Japan, experts in Jordan want their energy-poor country to drop its ambitious plans to generate atomic power, despite reassurances by the Kingdom’s nuclear regulator. “The project lacks environmental assessment and feasibility studies,” environment ministry adviser Rauf Dabbas told AFP. “We do not know […]

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By Ian Goldin AMMAN – The low price of water is the main factor preventing water conservation in rural Jordan, according to a report issued by the International Water Association (IWA). In contrast, higher prices would provide economic incentives for farmers to be more water efficient and the conserved water could help supply the rising […]

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Fund chaired by former U.S. vice-president and Nobel prize recipient Al Gore increases to $40 million the investments raised by green technology company Tigo. By Haaretz Service A fund chaired by former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore is investing $10 million in an Israeli solar energy company, Army Radio reported Wednesday. The green technology company Gore’s […]

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By YUVAL AZULAI / GLOBES 04/13/2011 20:19 Gore’s cleantech fund to finance Tigo Energy Inc., which develops solutions to maximize output by photovoltaic installations. Talkbacks (2) Tigo Energy Inc. has raised $10 million in its third financing round plus a $10 million credit line from Climate Solutions Fund LP, managed Generation Investment Management LLP, whose […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Starting this year, millions of native trees, some under the threat of extinction, will be planted within a “Green Corridor” that extends from Irbid in the north to Aqaba in the south. The Green Corridor, announced on Tuesday, is a sustainable agro-forestry initiative that aims at expanding Jordan’s limited green […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 04/13/2011 03:04 Next step is to use organic wastes to create fuel for coal-fired power plants. In an effort to combat the annual dumping of 250,000 tons of sludge into the Mediterranean Sea from the Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant, a network of companies have come together to launch a technology that […]

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By Sam Bahour “Store in a clean, dry and cool place” – Text from Coke, Sprite, Jericho Water, etc. labels On Hippocrates Street in Ramallah, two blaring examples of the schizophrenic nature of Palestinian “development” are in full view for all to see, yet, sadly, few are moved to take action. On one side of […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 04/13/2011 19:21 Friends of the Earth Middle East slam request from Environmental Protection Ministry to dump wastewater into streams and sea. The environmental organization Friends of the Earth Middle East slammed the Water Authority on Wednesday for seeking permission from the Environmental Protection Ministry earlier this week to dump 500,000 cubic meters […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 04/12/2011 03:25 Green index shows nation’s cities generally doing “good job” raising environmental awareness, but Netanya, Rehovot fare poorly. Talkbacks (1) The nation’s cities are generally doing “a good job” raising environmental awareness among their residents and advancing long-term policy changes, according to a first annual green index released on Monday by […]

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