By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 12/15/2010 01:39 Hoteliers, green groups say public will stay away if solution to salt buildup means massive reconstruction. Ahead of an expected decision by Tourism Minister Stas Mezesnikov regarding the fate of hotels at the southern end of the Dead Sea – where the water level is rising due to a […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Environmental protection organizations and the Dead Sea hotels have found common ground: They hate the idea of razing the hotels and rebuilding them elsewhere. By Zafrir Rinat and Meirav Arlosoroff Environmental protection organizations and the Dead Sea hotels have found common ground: They hate the idea of razing the hotels and rebuilding them elsewhere. Both […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Source: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Date: 01 Dec 2010 Bani Na’im – On Wednesday, December 1, 2010, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and representatives of the Palestinian Authority (PA) together with other dignitaries celebrated the completion of the newly constructed Bani Na’im Water Reservoir. The inauguration was attended by […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH 12/15/2010 06:13 The prize-winning computerized device invented by two 19-year-olds measures household water consumption to avoid waste. Talkbacks (6) A user-friendly computerized device that detects water leaks in apartments, buildings, factories and neighborhoods in real time and can even halt the water flow is among the top winners of this year’s Stockholm […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Authorities are working to clean up Caeserea National Park, which was hit hard during last weekend’s strong winter storm. srael Antiquities Authority head Shuka Dorfman toured the Caesarea National Park on Wednesday, and called the damage caused to the park during last weekend’s strong winter storm a “national disaster.” “The damage is tremendous and dramatic, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Authorities have seized scores of globally threatened animals and birds on Jordan’s borders with neighbouring countries since the start of the year, environmentalists said on Wednesday. Last week, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) and the Jordan Customs Department seized one dozen falcons on the Kingdom’s borders […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The renovation of Dana Village, which sits at the edge of the Wadi Dana canyon, is set to start this month, conservationists said on Thursday. The Dana Village, which serves as a gateway to the Dana Biosphere Reserve, was built on the ruins of a Byzantine castle and overlooks one […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Socotra’s indigenous species are now in danger of being wiped out as conservation is not top priority. Climate change talks in Mexico seem to be heading nowhere, with a legally binding deal on reducing carbon emissions looking highly unlikely. It’s disappointing news for scientists trying to save some of the world’s rarest flora and fauna. […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Monday, December 06, 2010 Clergymen in Lebanon Friday were leading prayers for rain. Perhaps the country’s politicians and officials took notice, and perhaps not. Even if they found the exercise quaint, they could have at least noticed that down in Israel, a deadly forest fire was wreaking havoc, whether in human, material, economic or political […]

Read the rest of this entry »

BEIRUT: The Environment Ministry signed a 1.6 million euro ($2 million) agreement with the Greek Embassy and the United Nations Tuesday with the aim of monitoring environmental resources. The initiative was valued at 1.64 million euros and will include studies of various types of pollution in Lebanon and several environmental projects. Environment Minister Mohammad Rahhal […]

Read the rest of this entry »

ASTANA (Petra) –– Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh on Wednesday called for closer partnership between Europe and the Middle East to overcome common challenges. Taking part in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Astana on behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah, Judeh underlined the Kingdom’s commitment to support OSCE […]

Read the rest of this entry »

The establishment of an institute that will help enhance sustainable development may very well be what the country needs to complement its plans of action to deal with the various dimensions of the issue. Her Majesty Queen Rania, who supported the creation of this institute right from the start, said at the recent ceremony that […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Taylor Luck AMMAN – Consumerism, rapid development and climate change are forcing people and governments to turn to alternative approaches to energy and water use, experts said on Sunday. At the opening of the International Conference on Energy, Water and Environment (ICEWE) 2010 yesterday, researchers from several fields of academia discussed potential green solutions […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Minister calls for hasty government action to address deficiencies in key utilities By Osama Habib Saturday, December 11, 2010 BEIRUT: The dwindling number of engineers, technicians and clerks in the electricity and water departments may seriously affect the overall performance of Electricite du Liban (EDL) if the government fails to take immediate action, Energy and […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 11/25/2010 Scientists prod through test tubes of mud and salt to reveal secrets of half a million years. For the Israeli Dead Sea researchers, the 40 days of drilling that began late last week is the culmination of 10 years of effort. It is also the raw material for at least […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 12/12/2010 06:58 Water situation has never been bleaker; higher costs should be covered by government, not public, Landau to tell cabinet today. Despite this weekend’s rain, the water situation has never been bleaker, National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau is due to tell the cabinet on Sunday. Landau (Israel Beiteinu) will outline […]

Read the rest of this entry »

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian contractor was hired to dump chemical waste from Israeli factories in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, the governor said Sunday. The issue arose in November, when Palestinian Authority security forces seized a truckload of chemical waste originating from Israeli factories. The waste was examined in PA laboratories and found […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 If a major storm bringing hail, winds topping 100 kilometers per hour and snow to the mountains were to occur in September, that would constitute a surprise. For such a storm to arrive in December, however, cannot come as a surprise to anyone in Lebanon. What has been seen, though, is […]

Read the rest of this entry »

oung people clean up the streets near Al-Fayha garden in Suweida on October 31. Two environmental campaigns are focusing on the necessary – but ultimately superficial – tasks of picking up rubbish and beautifying the Syrian landscape. The Governorate of Damascus Countryside declared 2010 to be the “Year of the Environment”, later downgrading that title […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Ali Akbar Dareini The Associated Press TEHRAN – In Tehran’s northern suburbs, 24-year-old Sepehr Shaygan is nursing a stubborn headache he blames on the smog. His mother puts on a surgical mask to do the shopping for a barbecue on the roof. The family then peered out into a soup of yellow haze instead […]

Read the rest of this entry »