By SHARON WROBEL 01/17/2011 07:02 “It doesn’t seem appropriate that two Knesset committees should hold separate hearings on the same recommendations” says Knesset Speaker Rivlin. Talkbacks (1) Knesset committee hearings scheduled for Monday on the Sheshinski Committee recommendations to raise taxes on gas and oil profits have been canceled. “It doesn’t seem appropriate that two […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 01/17/2011 02:26 A 700,000 euro grant from Europe Aid, the Local Energy Center will provide expert assistance to local authorities, conduct energy audits. The “Local Energy Center” was launched Sunday to help local authorities reduce their electricity usage by becoming more efficient. Energy efficiency is considered the cheapest and fastest way […]

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Activists block Jerusalem Chords Bridge in protest of third Ashkelon facility Yael Darel Published: 01.18.11, 07:48 / Israel Activism Share on TwitterShare on Facebook share Greenpeace Organization activists climbed the Jerusalem Chords Bridge on Sunday protesting against the planned opening of a third coal plant in Ashkelon. The activists arrived at the city entrance around […]

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By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH 01/17/2011 03:57 5 people rappel their way up 60 meters, drape sign “Bibi, Stop the Coal Power Station” in protest of Ashkelon coal-fired plant. Although it will be at least seven more months until Jerusalem’s Bridge of Strings is used by the light rail, the majestic structure is already being used for […]

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By Simona Sikimic Friday, January 21, 2011 BEIRUT: Water scarcity in the region can be channeled for a common good and used to reduce, rather than ignite conflict, an environmental report released Thursday has claimed. “The Blue Peace: Rethinking Middle East Water” launched at the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center, proposes radical cooperation between the […]

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By Dureid Mahasneh I never thought that I would write one day an article defending the trees of Ajloun, as I always thought that trees are sacred to Jordanians. We celebrate yearly, on January 16, Arbor Day by planting trees across the country, and pray for rain to keep us and our forests alive. We […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Aleppo pines in the Dibbeen Forest Reserve are recovering faster than expected from a wildfire that destroyed thousands of trees, according to conservationists. A recent study released by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) revealed that the rate of Aleppo pine trees’ natural regeneration reached 175 […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal AMMAN – The number of migratory birds stopping over in Jordan has dropped by 20 per cent due to an “unprecedented absence of rain”, the Royal Society for Conservation of Nature (RSCN) said on Wednesday. Researchers said they are witnessing a significant drop in the number of birds, who are normally attracted […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS AND JPOST.COM STAFF 01/20/2011 12:21 Temporary fishing licenses issued until end of Feb. 2011; fish stocks less than 1/10 of 1999 figure coupled with lowest rainfall since 1920s. Talkbacks (2) The Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry will issue temporary fishing licenses to Lake Kinneret fisherman until final decisions are made regarding […]

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Tu Bishvat celebrations will span over three days this year, metamorphosing from a tree-planting holiday into an occasion with wider environmental and social significance. By Zafrir Rinat The Hiriya former waste dump is certainly an unlikely place for a Tu Bishvat (Israeli Arbor Day) planting ceremony, a holiday that symbolizes the rebirth of nature. Nevertheless, […]

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By Omar Obeidat AMMAN –– Over JD1.02 billion will be spent on water and sewage projects in the coming three years as part of the Executive Development Programme (EDP) for 2011-2013. Representing around 16.5 per cent of the JD6.2 billion programme, the financial allocations will be spent on enhancing water distribution and sewage networks, building […]

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By Van Meguerditchian BEIRUT: Caretaker Environment Minister Mohammad Rahhal Wednesday praised ongoing measures taken by the German government to boost Lebanon’s conservation ability and limit the negative impact of environmental hazards on the economy. An agreement signed between Lebanon’s Cabinet and the German government’s Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) has allocated over 8.5 million euros […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Ministry of Environment on Monday requested an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of a project under way in Ajloun Governorate’s Bergesh Forest to establish a military academy. The ministry’s request for an EIA follows objections by several environmental organisations beginning last week on the construction of the academy in Bergesh […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 01/20/2011 04:03 Sviva Israel launches Web-based ‘Eco Campus’ allowing children to log on, continue expanding their knowledge in fun, interactive environment. Taking advantage of the Web to teach kids about Jewish environmental values, Sviva Israel has recently launched an online Eco Campus. The idea is to provide a “virtual home” for […]

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Fearing financial limitations, factories put spoke in wheel of national program that will address major ecological damage caused to Dead Sea Yael Darel Published: 01.16.11 The Dead Sea has turned into the site of major ecological concern, but the program to restore the area has been bumped off the National Council for Planning and Construction’s […]

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By CHARLES MEAD AND ANNIE SNIDER MEDILL NATIONAL S 01/16/2011 12:39 Environmental issues have long been recognized as key to understanding what might happen in unstable countries. Talkbacks (2) Last summer, as torrential rains flooded Pakistan, a veteran intelligence analyst watched closely from his desk at CIA headquarters just outside the capital. For the analyst, […]

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Israel is driving to become a world leader in alternative energy, with the government throwing its support to encourage cutting-edge technologies. By The Associated Press After a successful run of high-tech and computer-related innovation, Israel is focusing its ambitions on the next big thing — preparing the world for life without coal and oil. Israel […]

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By DAVID SHAMAH 01/17/2011 21:41 The Shari Aronson MECOM Center wants your ecofriendly ideas in its first-ever Eco Clip online Facebook contest. If you’ve got a great idea to help Israel’s environment, and you want to get the attention of the people who can do something about making it a reality, this is your chance […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – “A tree for every student” initiative will be launched today to increase the country’s less than 1 per cent of green cover, officials said on Saturday. Minister of Agriculture Tayseer Smadi announced the initiative last week to mark Arbor Day. One million saplings will be distributed to schoolchildren today to […]

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BEIRUT: Mount Harissa in Kesrouan should be turned into a “natural reserve of the patriarchs,” activists and locals urged a rally in Jounieh Thursday. “Mount Harissa is the lung through which Jounieh and its people breathe, and in the absence of this mountain, pollution will move into every home,” said Mayor Antoine Frem, addressing the […]

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