By EHUD ZION WALDOCKS 03/15/2011 04:58 Material long-known to be carcinogenic still used in mixtures with concrete; bill to go into effect by August. Talkbacks (1) The Asbestos Bill was approved by the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee on Monday for its final readings. The bill is expected to pass through the rest of […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS AND SHARON UDASIN 03/10/2011 05:08 Israel’s development in this sector still in its infancy, environmental experts say. One way the public appreciates the relevance of environmental issues is in relation to their health. While saving the planet might be a little abstract, cancer clusters and pharmaceuticals in the water supply are […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOCKS 03/14/2011 01:57 Public pressure campaign launched against Israel Railways to sink train tracks in massive local project. Talkbacks (5) The city of Haifa and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) launched a public pressure campaign against Israel Railways on Sunday urging the national railroad to sink the […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 03/10/2011 21:30 Fast-track c’tees could endanger public health, destroy green open spaces in cities, ministry says in a statement. If Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s housing solution is approved in its current form, it would be nothing short of an environmental disaster, the Environmental Protection Ministry conveyed in no uncertain terms on […]

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Tests will show where Israel stands compared to other countries in terms of exposure to toxins, and whether exposure is increasing. By Zafrir Rinat The Health Ministry has launched its first-ever research project into the extent to which environmental toxins affect local residents. As part of the project, samples will be taken from 250 people. […]

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Several eco-facilities were inaguarated this month in the context of FoEME’s Good Water Neighbors project; in the Emek Hefer Regional Council, the Eshkol Regional Council and in Baka Gharbia. These eco-facilities – such as ecogardens, rainwater harvesting systems and constructed wetlands – serve to raise awareness of the importance of water conservation and reuse, and […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal FUHEIS – Work is on track on a Japanese-funded project that is expected to “significantly” reduce the percentage of non-revenue water in the Kingdom, according to a water official. The JD3.5 million project, financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will be completed by August 2011 and enhance water authorities’ capacities […]

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Euro-Mediterranean Information System on the know-how in the Water Sector EMWIS is a program of the Union for the Mediterranean. For further information: www.emwis.net Monthly Flash produced by the EMWIS Technical Unit- OIEAU, CEDEX, SOGESID In this issue N°87 (www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash87) ======================== HEADLINE 1- Shared Environment Information System for Horizon 2020 research and monitoring activities IN […]

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By AFIAL In an area of a little over 10,000 square kilometers, Lebanon today has a population of some four million and the figure is increasing by 25,000 yearly. To get a better grasp of these figures, one should take into account uninhabitable areas located higher than 1,600 meters, where mountains rise to nearly 3,000 […]

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By Hana Namrouqa JORDAN VALLEY – Vital ecosystems and rare biodiversity have been restored to the Sheikh Hussein area in the Jordan Valley after land suffering from environmental degradation was turned into a green eco-park. Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) started working on the Sharhabil Ben Hassnah Eco-Park in 2005 with the aim […]

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By Raed Omari AMMAN – An oil producing plant which can generate bio-fuel will be cultivated in the Kingdom on an experimental basis as part of a Jordanian-Brazilian partnership, an agriculture official said on Tuesday. Ministry of Agriculture Spokesperson Rula Mubeidin told The Jordan Times that the move was initiated by Brazilian Ambassador in Amman […]

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By utilizing domestically discovered natural gas, we will both reduce our dependency on imported oil and also demonstrate to the world to do the same. By Amit Mor What’s a politically and economically progressive, ecologically conscientious person to think about the recent spike in gas prices? On the one hand, commentators like Thomas L. Friedman […]

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By AMIRAM BARKAT / GLOBES 03/08/2011 23:59 The idea is for the gas to power the power station in Gaza, which currently uses diesel to supply electricity to Gaza’s residents. Natural gas from the Gaza Marine field is intended for the residents of the Gaza Strip, and Israel will not buy it, people familiar with […]

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Energy Minister Jibran Bassil slams Israel’s ‘aggression’ over gas issue, warns of instability ahead. Lebanon has enough power to react, he says Doron Peskin Published: 03.06.11, 13:03 / Israel Business Share on TwitterShare on Facebook share The Lebanese energy minister in the transit government, Jibran Bassil, discussed the discovery of gas in the Middle East […]

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By Hana Namrouqa JORDAN VALLEY – Conservationists have called for rehabilitating the Jordan River to restore vital ecosystems, save the shrinking Dead Sea and create tourism opportunities in the area. During a tour of the Jordan Valley on Saturday, Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) Chairman Munqeth Mehyar urged the authorities to connect Jordan […]

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March 2nd, 2011 – Jericho InterContinental Hotel First Palestinian Symposium on Water Rights and Access to the Jordan River and Development Needs in the Jordan Valley WEDO / FoEME will hold a symposium that will highlight the importance of a healthy, clean and rehabilitated Lower Jordan River for the development of the Palestinian economy. This […]

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By AMIRAM BARKAT AND LILACH WEISSMAN 03/06/2011 23:06 Israel proposes that negotiations include development of the Gaza Marine offshore natural- gas field and the Noa gas field offshore from Ashkelon, part of which is located in Palestinian waters. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has officially asked Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to resume negotiations for Israel […]

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Nairobi, 25 February 2011 AFED Presents Arab Green Economy Initiative at the Global Environment Forum in Nairobi Nairobi, 25 February 2011 Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) presented its program on Arab green economy, at a special session held during the Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF), which convened in Nairobi between 21-24 February. The […]

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March 2, 2011 Najib Saab is Zayed International Prize Laureate For Environmental Action Leading to Positive Change Dubai, 2/3/2011 Najib Saab, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia magazine and Secretary General of Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED), won Zayed International Prize for Environmental Action Leading to Positive Change in Society. He was among other laureates […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Jordan is preparing its third report on climate change that identifies sectors emitting greenhouse gases and the effect of the phenomenon on gender and socio-economic conditions, officials said on Saturday. The Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) constitutes an inventory of sectors that […]

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