une 02, 2014 12:19 AM By Ghinwa Obeid BEIRUT: Wiping his sweaty face, Rimon Abi Saber sat down in his shop, exhausted from the day’s work. “We have been working on the farm since 4 a.m.,” he said with a shake of his head. With more than 30 years of experience growing crops, Abi Saber […]

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June 02, 2014 BEIRUT: The entire country, including Beirut, may face up to 10 hours of power cuts as the divide remains wide in the dispute over funding for Electricite du Liban. The local newspaper As-Safir said EDL as well as the Energy and Finance ministries were split over the 2014 budget for the state-run […]

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Precedent-setting decision opens way for more coastal protected areas. By Zafrir Rinat | Jun. 2, 2014 For the first time, Israel has decided to turn part of its deep-sea territorial waters into a nature reserve. But the reserve will be smaller than originally planned. Last week, the Protection of the Coastal Environment Committee approved creation […]

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Dr. Alon Tal is a Zionist, but he’s adamant that Israel’s high birthrate must be curbed. In this episode of the Journeys podcast, he explains why. May 27, 2014 | 9:09 AM Dr Alon Tal, one of Israel’s leading environmentalists, manages to keep a good balance between academic research and public advocacy. Despite his Zionism, […]

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June 02, 2014 12:14 AM By Gareth Smyth Visitors to Tehran are often struck by the city’s smog. It can be especially bad in the winter, when a temperature inversion caused by warmer air from the Caspian seeping over the Alborz mountains traps colder, polluted air. Breathing leaves many of Tehran’s 15 million people with […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 06/01/2014 Fragmentation of communities, losses of habitat are posing threats to otters in Israel. Members of Israel’s otter population are facing grave endangerment due to the fragmentation of their communities and losses of habitat, a survey conducted by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and the Israel Nature and […]

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By The Associated Press | Dubai Tuesday, 3 June 2014 The crown prince of the oil-rich Mideast emirate of Abu Dhabi and other international donors committed a combined $80 million on Sunday to fund the conservation of tigers and other wild cats whose survival is under threat. The donors announced the 10-year funding effort following […]

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RAMALLAH, May 27, 2014 (WAFA) –The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee approved a new master plan to build a ‘national park’ on the land of two Palestinian villages, Al-Issawiya and At-Tur, in occupied East Jerusalem, said the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah) in a press release on Tuesday. Hereby is […]

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Saturday, 24 May 2014 Ceylan Ozbudak Almost all the developments surrounding Turkey in the last months such as the Ukraine-Russia-EU crisis, the Israel-Turkey normalization process, Joe Biden’s visit to Cyprus, andthe biggest mining accident in the history of Turkey remind us of one thing: energy. Between the producers in the Caspian Basin, Central Asia, the […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 05/22/2014 Woodside exit from Leviathan “disappointing,” but partners will move forward with regional opportunities. Despite the universal disappointment surrounding Woodside Petroleum’s decision to abandon the Leviathan gas reservoir partnership, Israeli energy analysts are confident in the developers’ ability to move forward, particularly with regional pipeline options. Following a memorandum of understanding with […]

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By Saudi Gazette | Riyadh Tuesday, 27 May 2014 Saudi Arabia is set to become an electricity exporter with the implementation of a linkage agreement with Egypt and investment in renewable energy generation, the head of the Kingdom’s power regulator told Asharq Al-Awsat. Dr. Abdullah Al-Shehri, head of Saudi Arabia’s Electricity & Co-Generation Regulatory Authority […]

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by Mohammad Ghazal | May 28, 2014 A sign posted by Greenpeace on the 2nd Circle reads: ‘Jordan first, our health comes first, no to nuclear energy’ (Photo courtesy of Greenpeace) AMMAN — Greenpeace called on the government on Wednesday to annul plans to build a plant for the extraction of uranium. Safa Jayyousi, Arab […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | May 28, 2014 Bergesh Forest, where green cover stands at 90 per cent, represents an integrated ecosystem that houses over 100 plant species (File photo) AMMAN — The controversy over uprooting centennial trees from Bergesh Forest for building a military academy resurfaced on Wednesday, after the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) reportedly […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 05/26/2014 The population density and proximity to sources of pollution is exposing members of the public to poor quality and endangering their health, Lahavi argues. In light of the air pollution plaguing dense urban areas like Tel Aviv, the deputy mayor of the municipality has appealed to the environmental protection and transportation […]

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May 26, 2014 06:56 PM By Justin Salhani BEIRUT: A gathering of ministers, scientists and media celebrated the 5th anniversary of the marine data-collecting ship the Cana on Monday at Beirut’s port. The new conference took place on the Cana and celebrated coordination between the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Lebanese government in collecting data […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 05/28/2014 If law passes, plastic bag would cost 60 agorot each; customers would receive free reusable baskets. Environmental Minister Amir Peretz will be submitting to the government in the coming days a bill that would prohibit the free distribution of plastic bags, the ministry announced on Tuesday night. If passed into law, […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 05/28/2014 Desalitech, a Massachusetts-based Israeli firm, will be constructing the reverse osmosis system in Ra’anana. Massachusetts and Israeli government officials and innovators announced the cornerstone laying of a future water treatment facility that is to provide a new water source for the city of Ra’anana, at a water collaboration seminar in Tel […]

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by SHARON UDASIN 05/16/2014 During the “Post”’s visit to the Volcani Institute, the farmers were reevaluating the qualitative parameters, examining the vegetables with various measurement tools. Gathered around two tables in an Israeli vegetable storage laboratory on Thursday, about a dozen Gazan and West Bank farmers concentrated earnestly on the vine tomatoes and red bell […]

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by SHARON UDASIN 05/14/2014 Ministers to sign an agreement that will foster cooperation, with a focus on preventing pollution in the sea from natural gas drilling and economic activity. Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz and his Greek and Cypriot counterparts declared their intent to sign a tripartite agreement toward protecting the Mediterranean Sea, his ministry […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | May 19, 2014 AMMAN — A total of 73 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the Kingdom are generated by the energy sector, according to a report, which indicated that the figure is set to increase in the future. The sector’s greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise to 77 […]

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