Blaze engulfed trees over a 10-dunnum area By Hana Namrouqa – Aug 23,2017 AMMAN — Initial results of an investigation into a wildfire that erupted on Monday in Dibbeen Forest Reserve indicated that it was caused by an act of arson, a government official said on Wednesday. Authorities have no suspects yet, according to Bassam […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By JT – Aug 27,2017 A team of volunteers on Saturday organised a cleaning day at the Dibbeen forest, with the participation of 122 orphan girls from Jerash and Sakib areas, according to the organisers (Photo courtesy of Korea International Cooperation Agency) AMMAN — A team of volunteers on Saturday organised a cleaning day at […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By TOVAH LAZAROFF 08/27/2017 The United Nations has provided the Gaza Strip with $2.5 million in humanitarian aid to help with its water, electricity and fuel crisis. The funds come as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas threatens to gradually cut funding to Gaza if Hamas does not allow Fatah to return to the Strip. Some […]

Read the rest of this entry »

18 August 2017 Lebanon, a country plagued with power rationing, seems to find no solution for its longtime crisis in light of disagreements among political parties over the means to tackle the problem. The government has canceled on Thursday a previous bid to lease Turkish power generating vessels to improve power supply, and has therefore […]

Read the rest of this entry »

ByPAUL ALSTER August 19, 2017 05:00 Citizens of northern Israel campaign against the proximity of natural gas facilities to the coastline. A fierce battle is being waged in the north of Israel. It’s a battle that has been joined late ‒ possibly too late, say some ‒ by residents of the beautiful Carmel coast and […]

Read the rest of this entry »

ByAVI HOFFMANN August 20, 2017 18:22 What started out as the dream of a nonagenarian Jewish philanthropist from Chicago to develop, in partnership with the Technion in Haifa, a groundbreaking source of green energy, has turned into a multimillion- dollar lawsuit against Israel’s vaunted institute of technology by the philanthropist’s heirs. The saga began on […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Reuters, Jeddah Thursday, 24 August 2017 Saudi Arabia aims to exceed its target to generate 9.5 gigawatts of electricity from renewable energy annually, to highlight its long-term commitment to green energy, a senior government official said. “We plan to exceed 9.5 gigawatts,” Turki al-Shehri, head of the energy ministry’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Reuters, Khobar Monday, 21 August 2017 Saudi Arabia will pay solar energy consumers as part of new regulatory framework for electricity consumers issued on Monday. The framework encourages consumers to operate their own, small-scale solar power generating systems and export unused power to the national grid, the government said. The rules will come into force […]

Read the rest of this entry »

A research study is looking at the potential use of geothermal energy — the heat produced inside the earth — as a new source of clean and renewable energy for the UAE. The project, which is being undertaken by researchers at UAE University (UAEU), has studied geological sites in both Al Ain and Ras Al […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Technical training seeks to raise efficiency of energy use and enhance entreprises’ competitiveness By Hana Namrouqa – Aug 22,2017 AMMAN — Six small and medium enterprises (SMEs) producing home appliances and air conditioners have received technical training and support to upgrade their products to energy saving devices, an enterprise development corporation announced on Tuesday. Under […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Researchers have discovered that a green algae found in the UAE could be used to produce an alternative to palm oil, which is environmentally destructive in its cultivation. Chloroidium algae is one of the most prevalent in the region and researchers from New York University Abu Dhabi studied the strain which can be found in […]

Read the rest of this entry »

A group of Egyptian students have built a machine they say can produce fuel from worn-out vehicle tyres, after big rises in energy prices as part of recent economic reforms. The device heats the tyres until they reach evaporation point. The vapor then enters a condenser. The product is “very similar in properties to pure […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Maize and wheat especially vulnerable, rice will hurt and only soybeans seem relatively impervious to rising temperatures Ruth Schuster Aug 16, 2017 Three of the four major grains on which the growing world population depends are vulnerable to global warming, says a new meta-analysis based on more than 70 studies. Farmers have probably known that […]

Read the rest of this entry »

11/8/2017 Researchers are one step closer to seeing if Arabian Gulf corals provide a lifeline for coral reefs worldwide under threat from rising sea temperatures. The Arabian Gulf’s high salinity and temperatures provide scientists with a unique living laboratory in the fight against climate change. NYU Abu Dhabi researchers performed DNA analysis on corals collected […]

Read the rest of this entry »

The Ministry of Finance and Water Authority refuse to foot the bill for a desalination project that could save the river but has swelled to NIS 100 million over budget; southern part of the Jordan already in dire straits. Amir Ben David|Published: 07.08.17 While the Jordan River north of the Kinneret is in danger of […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Environmental Protection Ministry having trouble finding engineering expert to examine the Rotem Fertilizer reservoir that collapsed at the end of June, causing a massive acid spill into the stream; delays in filing indictments often lead to plea deals. Amir Ben-David|Published: 12.08.17 Delays in the investigation into the ecological disaster at the Ashalim Stream could result […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Akram Miknas In too many parts of the Arab world, we are so busy killing each other that we’re hardly aware of the most serious threats our region faces. War is capable of killing hundreds of thousands of people, yet the challenges I’m thinking of could make this region impossible to live in for anyone. […]

Read the rest of this entry »

35,000 barrels of crude may have leaked into the waters off Al Zour By AFP – Aug 15,2017 KUWAIT CITY — Kuwaiti authorities on Tuesday reported a second oil slick off the Gulf state’s shores days after saying another large spill was under control. The new slick was spotted near the capital, some 60 kilometres […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Both Israeli and Palestinian authorities arrive at a solution to drain the Kidron Valley of sewage; pipeline will be constructed carrying the wastewater directly to new treatment facilities. Reuters|Published: 07.08.17 There is a foul smell coming from the biblical Kidron Valley. It’s so bad that King David and Jesus, who are said to have walked […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Aug 05,2017 The fate of the Dead Sea, with its shrinking water levels, has become an increasing concern not only to environmentalists but also for its riparian states which view the salt lake as a symbol of ancient civilisations and a tourist attraction. Pundits differ on how and why the Dead Sea water levels have […]

Read the rest of this entry »