At issue is 100 acres of open space, home to large gazelle population and ancient wine presses; even municipality opposes construction in area. Zafrir Rinat Nov 08, 2015 A battle over Jerusalem open space between developers on the one hand and residents, environmentalists, archaeologists and the municipality on the other is expected to be decided […]

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Nov 07,2015 Thursday’s heavy downpour in most parts of the country wreaked havoc on normal life, bringing it to a standstill in some areas. Worse, it took the life of four people, two of them children. The damage was quite extensive. Many downtown shops were flooded, as were many building basements. Around 1,000 vehicles broke […]

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Report: New Committee to Tackle Exporting Waste – Naharnet A new committee has been formed on Thursday to tackle the controversial trash crisis and to study the proposals presented by some companies to export Lebanon’s waste abroad, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Friday. Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb heads the committee which is comprised of three new […]

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By Dana Al Emam – Nov 05,2015 AMMAN — Jordan plans to commit to decreasing greenhouse emissions by 14 per cent at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (CoP21), if the required funds are provided, an official said Thursday. The convention, which will be held in Paris from November 30 to December 11, […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal – Nov 04,2015 – AMMAN — The government on Wednesday approved the formation of the International Advisory Group (IAG), which will be tasked with reviewing Jordan’s progress in implementing its nuclear programme. The group is chaired by former prime minister Marouf Bakhit, while its members include former energy minister Khaled Shraideh and […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal – Nov 07,2015 AMMAN — Jordan and the EU on Saturday launched a media campaign to acquaint the public with the importance of using renewable energy in the country, which imports almost all of its energy needs every year. The campaign, launched by the Energy Ministry and the EU delegation in Jordan, […]

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by Reem Al Rawashdeh – Nov 02,2015 AMMAN –– The government recently decided to raise a fixed charge included in the water bill by nearly 100 per cent. Under the decision, which went into effect as of October 1, water bills for the fourth quarter of this year will be issued according to the new […]

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Thursday, 5 November 2015 A former Iraqi environment minister has been sentenced to two years in prison for corruption and ordered to pay some $280,000 to the state, the judiciary said Thursday. Sargon Lazar Slewa, a Christian who served in former premier Nuri al-Maliki’s government, was tried on charges “related to corruption,” a judicial statement […]

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Israel Nature and Parks Authority warns that decision to cut funding risks outbreak of disease among unimmunized animals. Zafrir Rinat Nov 04, 2015 Israel’s rabies vaccination program for wild animals is in danger after the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry announced this week it had spent the allocated immunization budget on other projects. The move […]

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Abdulrahman al-Rashed Recent scientific studies suggest that in 60 years the temperature and humidity in our region will reach 70 degrees Celsius; it will be impossible to live in the Arabian Peninsula. Indeed, the presence of oil resources and air-conditioning technology changed our lives in the region, but the world is now a whole lot […]

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Op-ed: Give Israel seven Arab armies and they’ll be dealt with within six working days. But rain? Rain is above all the budgets and technologies we are familiar with. Raanan Shaked 10.31.15 Not so long ago, I asked the prime minister (in my undeveloped imagination, yes?): Will we forever live by the sword? And I […]

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The Director’s and staff of EcoPeace Middle East recognize this month’s newsletter is being issued at a time of continuing violence and hostility in our region. We remain determined as ever to advancing cooperative relations between Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians that help resolve on the ground issues that impact people’s daily lives for the better, […]

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By Raya al-Jadir Gaza’s devastated infrastructure and fuel shortages cause avoidable deaths. A crowd-funded initiative will save lives with solar power in hospitals. It has been eight years since Israel imposed a paralysing blockade on the Gaza Strip, during which time it has launched numerous military offensives against the Strip, crippling its economy and demolishing […]

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The largest fire in Israeli history swept through the area in 2010, destroying much of the natural habitat – Here’s a look at the restoration’s progress. Zafrir Rinat Oct 30, 2015If you visit the Carmel Park these days you might just encounter a fallow deer with white spots and a gentle gaze, on one of […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 10/30/2015 Large-scale farm projects slowly overcome bureaucratic hurdles Although the government has thus far failed to realize its visions for the wind energy sector, those involved in the industry are hopeful that the gap between plans and reality will soon begin to narrow. “I believe that wind energy in Israel is just […]

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Shehayyeb Speaks of ‘Progress’ in Trash File as Arslan to Voice his Concerns at Tuesday’s Dialogue Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb revealed that progress was made in recent days over resolving the trash disposal crisis, justifying the decision to set up a landfill in the Khaldeh region, reported As Safir newspaper on Monday. He told the […]

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Civil society activists on Sunday staged what they dubbed a “March Against Disease” to raise the alarm over the health and environmental hazards that the trash disposal crisis poses with the coming of the rain season. Protesters marched from Sed el-Bauchrieh, where a huge “mountain of garbage” has formed, towards the site containing piles of […]

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‘Deadly’ heat waves predicted for Gulf states by 2100 – Al Jazeera Study finds Gulf cities could “experience temperature levels that are intolerable to humans” if climate change persists. Teo Kermeliotis | 28 Oct 2015 11:22 GMT | Weather, Environment, Climate Change, Hajj, Middle East Scorching temperatures are already standard for people living in the […]

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In footage circulated by activists, refuse piled up during months-long crisis is seen floating through Lebanese capital. 25 Oct 2015 [for video see http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/video-garbage-beirut-151025171759582.html] Streets in parts of the Lebanese capital turned into rivers of garbage as heavy rains washed through mountains of rubbish that have piled up during a months-long waste collection crisis. In […]

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Prime Minister Tammam Salam will not step down from his post on Thursday, as media reports have been claiming in recent weeks, reported An Nahar daily on Wednesday. It said that the premier “will not give up his political mission even if his personal interests lie in resigning.” “Resignation however will not serve the country’s […]

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