By Khetam Malkawi AMMAN – The birthrate in Jordan stood at 3.8 births per woman in 2009, down from 7.4 in 1976, according to a survey conducted by the Department of Statistics. The “Population and Family Health Survey”, released at a press conference on Tuesday, indicated that the average number of children born per woman […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Co-founder of Lebanese animal rights group says flourishing trade in endangered animals ‘can no longer be ignored’ Associated Press 03.23.10, 08:13 A two-year-old lion, emaciated and barely breathing, is found in a tiny cage off a Beirut highway. Monkeys are hauled through the dark tunnels of Gaza, bound for private zoos. Rare prize falcons are […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Ministry of Environment is drawing up a plan to stop the use and trade of untreated organic fertilisers, which attract domestic flies due to their high percentage of humidity. The plan complements a campaign launched in August last year banning the entry of untreated fertilisers into the Jordan Valley, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Taylor Luck AMMAN – Officials marked another milestone in Jordan’s peaceful nuclear programme on Thursday by unveiling the Kingdom’s first storage facility for radioactive waste. The central storage facility, an interim hosting site funded by the US Department of Energy and the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), aims to ensure safe and secure storage […]

Read the rest of this entry »

AMSHEET, Lebanon (AFP) – Rose Hatem’s home overlooks the Mediterranean and is just a short distance from one of Lebanon’s longest rivers. But twice a week the 60-year-old has to buy water for her daily needs. “I have been buying in water since I moved here 14 years ago,” Hatem told AFP in the picturesque […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Taylor Luck AMMAN – Although a majority of Arab countries have announced their intentions to establish nuclear programmes, a number of challenges face the utilisation of the energy source in the region, experts said on Monday. A major obstacle to nuclear energy development in the region is a lack of international support due to […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Taylor Luck AMMAN – The Kingdom’s peaceful nuclear programme took centre stage as an example of regional development energy at the Middle East Nuclear Energy Summit on Monday. In his address at the opening of the three-day conference yesterday, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Chairman Khaled Toukan said Jordan will become an electricity exporter […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Experts in water management and sustainable development on Monday called for mainstreaming women’s leadership in improving water services and natural resource conservation efforts. During the International Conference on Integration of Gender Dimensions in Water Management, which opened yesterday, participants from several Mediterranean countries underscored the importance of empowering women as […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By BEN HARTMAN 19/03/2010 05:14 National infrastructures minister says lessening the world’s reliance on petroleum is a “strategic necessity.” National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau on Thursday called on the United States and the rest of the international community to work with Israel to lessen the world’s reliance on petroleum, something he said would help dry […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Randa Habib’s Corner Nowadays you can judge a country by its public transport system. In the case of Jordan, no one will argue that we are still lagging behind many others and that this sector has to be drastically improved, immediately. Many people have to battle every day to catch buses to go to work. […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Experts in sustainable development on Wednesday called for a “green building movement” in Jordan, which they said would help the Kingdom preserve scarce resources, protect its environment and create jobs. Pointing out that 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions are produced by buildings, they underscored the benefits of green […]

Read the rest of this entry »

AMMAN (JT) – Jordan will select the technology for its first nuclear reactor within the next year, a senior official said on Wednesday. Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Chairman Khaled Toukan said Jordan will select the technology and strategic partner for the Kingdom’s first nuclear power plant within one year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Ministry of Environment is drawing up a plan to stop the use and trade of untreated organic fertilisers, which attract domestic flies due to their high percentage of humidity. The plan complements a campaign launched in August last year banning the entry of untreated fertilisers into the Jordan Valley, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Prominent local celebrities such as comedian Eli Finish and actress Liraz Charchi agree to be photographed buried up to their necks in coal as part of Greenpeace campaign against construction of additional coal-fired power plant in Ashkelon We usually see them at their best – impeccably dressed and oozing glamour – but as part of […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Zafrir Rinat Following a request from UNESCO, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority recently submitted a list of sites it believes constitute Israel’s “cultural landscape.” Cultural landscapes are defined by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as distinct geographic areas or properties “representing the combined work of nature and man.” The list includes at least […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Zafrir Rinat On his travels around the world German chemist Michael Braungart carries a bag whose contents he demonstrates at any opportunity. They include such unlikely items as T-shirts and upholstery samples. None of them will ever see the inside of a trash can, he explains. “Take this T-shirt, for instance: It’s 100%-cotton, without […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 17/03/2010 06:51 Coterie of environmental organizations crafts its own vision of how the water economy should look by 2030. A coterie of environmental organizations led by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) has crafted its own vision of how the water economy should look by 2030. In […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Nehemia Shtrasler Today at noon, Jerusalem will hold its breath. The second Israeli branch of Swedish fashion retailer H&M is opening at the Malha Mall. Oh what a celebration there will be, not to mention the lines. But the Jerusalem opening has no chance of overshadowing the insanity that swept Tel Aviv last Thursday. […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Avi Bar-Eli The state is worried that the pressure at which the partners intend to supply natural gas from the offshore Tamar field will be too high for safety. The partners in the Tamar drilling site, which is some 90 meters offshore, and the state are facing off over the issue. The present plans […]

Read the rest of this entry »