Haaretz
August 5, 2007
By Tzafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
The cabinet on Sunday approved a second five-year term for Israel Nature and Parks Authority Chairman Eli Amitay, despite criticism of his management.
Continue reading "Cabinet extends tenure of parks' authority head despite criticism" »
Haaretz,
August 4, 2007
By The Associated Press
Israel is reviving plans for a nuclear power plant in the Negev Desert, Army Radio quoted Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) as saying on Friday.
Continue reading "Ben-Eliezer: Israel reviving plan to build nuclear power plant" »
Haaretz
August 5, 2007
By Tzafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
The cabinet on Sunday approved a second five-year term for Israel Nature and Parks Authority Chairman Eli Amitay, despite criticism of his management.
Continue reading "Cabinet extends tenure of parks' authority head despite criticism" »
Jordan Times
By Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- The Ministry of Environment has instructed 16 farms in the Ghor to
relocate to areas removed from residential neighbourhoods after repeated
complaints of foul odours being emitted from their premises, a ministry
official said on Saturday.
Continue reading "16 dairy farms asked to relocate away from residential areas" »
Jordan Times
Aug. 5, 2007
Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN -- The emergence of 11 diarrhoea cases over the weekend in the Rihab District of Mafraq does not constitute another water pollution crisis in the governorate, a district official said on Saturday.
Continue reading "'Rihab diarrhoea cases do not signal new water crisis' -- district official" »
Jordan Times
July 30, 2007
King urges speedy work on "King Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz Al Saud Residential
City" designed to ensure citizens reasonably-priced housing
By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN -- King Abdullah on Monday issued instructions to the government to
accelerate efforts to build the King Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Residential City In Zarqa.
Continue reading "Zarqa residential city project to start in August" »
Jordan Times
July 30, 2007
King urges speedy work on "King Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz Al Saud Residential
City" designed to ensure citizens reasonably-priced housing
By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN -- King Abdullah on Monday issued instructions to the government to
accelerate efforts to build the King Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Residential City In Zarqa.
Continue reading "Zarqa residential city project to start in August" »
Haaretz
July 30, 2007
By Ido Solomon
Workers at the building housing the Tel Aviv branches of government offices will launch labor sanctions this morning, in protest over Finance Ministry delays in fixing a faulty ventilation system and other problems they say constitute health hazards. The 1,700 workers will come to work, but will not provide services to the public, nor answer the phones.
Continue reading "Civil servants protest unhealthy work environment at TA government complex" »
Jordan Times
Jul. 30, 2007
Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN -- The Water Authority on Sunday resumed pumping drinking water from 20 artesian wells to citizens in the northern governorates after lab tests indicated they were free of pollutants, a Water Ministry official said on Sunday.
Continue reading "Water Authority resumes pumping drinking water from 20 artesian wells" »
Haaretz
August 2, 2007
By Jack Khoury
From a distance, the eastern neighborhood of the Galilee village of Majdal Krum looks pastoral, its relatively new homes sitting along green hills. Yesterday at dusk, a lone horse was even wandering in the fields. To the south, the nearby villas of Karmiel come into view. But as you come closer, you quickly see why residents call it "Sewage Valley."
Continue reading "In 'Sewage Valley,' no solution in the pipeline" »
Haaretz
July 31, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked to put off the removal of the fish cages from the Eilat Gulf by two years, despite a cabinet decision two years ago stating that they must go within three years.
Continue reading "Ministry blasts delays in removing Eilat fish farms" »
August 12, 2007
see http://www.foeme.org/events.php?ind=42 for hot links below.
On August 12, 2007, The World Bank has scheduled a public hearing on the issue
of the Terms of Reference for the Feasibility Study of the "Red Dead Canal".
Continue reading "Red Dead Canal / World Bank Public Hearing" »
Haaretz
August 1, 2007
By Eli Ashkenazi
Interest in Lake Kinneret goes deeper and wider than its water level or its recreational aspects, as seen by Monday's seminar marking the establishment of the Authority for the Conservation of Lake Kinneret.
Continue reading "New authority seeks to conserve soil in Kinneret basin" »
Haaretz
August 2, 2007
By Haaretz Editorial
The many visitors to the Kinneret this summer are in for a disappointment. Most of the lake's shores are still surrounded by fences and an admission fee is charged. If this was not enough, entering some of the beaches is impossible because of pollution caused by raw sewage flowing into the water.
The Jerusalem Post
Aug. 1, 2007
rory kress
The Kinneret Basin Authority was established this week to protect the soil in the region surrounding Israel's largest freshwater source.
Lake Kinneret has long been an environmental concern due to its receding water level, and most recently, last week's forced closing of its public beaches due to sewage contamination of the water.
Continue reading "Kinneret Basin Authority formed to revive area" »
The Daily Star
July 25, 2007
By John Ehab
Special to The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The non-governmental organization Bahr Loubnan urged the Environment Ministry on Tuesday to remove polluted sand accumulated along Lebanon's shores during efforts to clean up an oil spill cause by an Israeli attack in 2006. An Israeli air strike on the Jiyyeh power plant during last summer's war spilled over 15,000 tons of crude oil into the Mediterranean, polluting much of Lebanon's coast.
Continue reading "Environmental group presses ministry to clear coastline of polluted sand" »
Haaretz
July 23, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
Residents in Arab and Jewish communities near the Hilazon Stream in the Galilee are fed up with its sewage problem. Last week, they decided to share their troubles with National Infrastructures Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, sending him a petition describing how fecal sewage flows undisturbed into the stream, endangering their children's health. They demanded that Ben-Eliezer order the national sewage authority to immediately address the problem.
Continue reading "Galilee residents make a stink about sewage problems" »
Arab Environmental Monitor
July 14, 2007
For the first time in its history, UNESCO World Heritage Programme had to take the bad decision of removing one site from its glamorous list of global natural wonders, and the site in question is an Arabian Oryx sanctuary in Oman.
Continue reading "A Negative Record: Arabian Oryx Sanctuary Removed from World Heritage List" »
Arab Environment Monitor
July 20, 2007
Batir Wardham
While thinking of which Arab sites can be nominated for the new 7 natural wonders campaign which has started right after the end of the New Seven Wonders competition which saw Petra as a winner, I was trtying to see how many Arab sites are actually inscribed in the official UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. I know they are not too much and I know that one site in Oman was deleted recently for failing to adhere to guidelines, but I have never thought the number will be only TWO sites.
The Jerusalem Post
Jul. 19, 2007
MATTHEW KRIEGER
The long awaited multi-billion dollar deal with the British energy company BG Group will be signed "imminently," a high-ranking official in the National Infrastructure Ministry told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
Continue reading "Exclusive: Israel-BG deal 'imminent,' official says" »
Ma'an
July 20, 2007
تكبير الخط تصغير الخط
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel and the Palestinian Authority are reportedly in talks over signing the largest mutual economic agreement since the Oslo Accords, the Israeli Maariv daily reported on Friday.
Continue reading "Israel and PA preparing to sign $4 billion gas deal, Maariv reports" »
Jordan Times
July 18, 2007
Yusuf Mansur
The Ministry of Water and Irrigation is planning to build a water treatment plant less than two miles from the Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA). In spite of its perfect knowledge of the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) plan, the planned and already approved expansion of the airport and the opposition of the Ministry of Environment, the ministry seems adamant. Maybe there should be more communication among the government’s various branches.
Jordan Times
Jul. 17, 2007
Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- The government will introduce new regulations this month to regulate the practice of sandblasting to clean buildings, a government official said on Monday.
Continue reading " Sandblasting harmful to citizens' health, says government" »
The Jerusalem Post
Jul. 17, 2007
Ron Friedman
A series of "green" motions were passed in the Knesset on Tuesday, as part of a day dedicated to environmental causes.
In their attempt to make Israel a more environmentally-friendly country, "Green" lawmakers and activists decided to start from the top. The leaders of the Knesset Socio-Environmental caucus, together with environmental student organization "The Green Course," submitted a report to the Knesset providing practical proposals for making the country's governing body more environmentally conscientious.
Haaretz
July 19, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
A few weeks ago, several school principals gathered excitedly at the Environment Ministry to receive their "green accreditation," certifying that their schools are committed to educating their pupils to protect the environment. To win accreditation, a school must devote at least 30 hours to environmental studies, make intelligent use of resources including water and energy, and operate a program involving community-oriented activity. Green accreditation has been awarded so far to 90 schools and 25 kindergartens. But while the phenomenon is growing, a new study claims that the levels of pupils' knowledge and commitment to the environment are still in desperate need of improvement.
Continue reading "Study: 'Green' education at schools is in poor shape" »
Haaretz
July 19, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
The Water Commission warns of possible exposure to poisonous fumes that could spread from polluted land and water sources on sites planned for construction projects in the Dan region, which includes Tel Aviv and Givatayim. Such plans include the "City Project," located in a major commercial and industrial area in the Givatayim municipality, just south of the diamond exchange. The Water Commission has been running tests of the ground water and land pollution levels in the Dan region for the past three years.
Continue reading "Poisonous fumes threaten building plans in Dan region" »
The Jerusalem Post
Jul. 17, 2007
Etgar Lefkovits
A 5,500-dunam area of natural forest and park land on the periphery of Jerusalem will be designated as Emek Refaim Park and declared a "green area" where construction is forbidden, the municipality said this week.
Continue reading "Jerusalem to declare massive 'green area'" »
Al Jazeera (English)
July 15, 2007
By Farid Barsoum in the Nile Delta, Egypt
Some Egyptians have to walk
many kilometres to get clean water
A large puddle provides the only drinking water for many residents of Brulus on the Nile Delta. The water is putrid.
Jordan Times
Jul. 18, 2007
Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- The Ministry of Environment on Tuesday announced plans to establish a treatment plant for medical and hazardous waste in the Zarqa area.
The plan was announced during a workshop to discuss the ministry's 2007-2009 strategic plan.
Continue reading "Gov't to establish waste treatment plant in Zarqa" »
Jordan Times
Jul. 19, 2007
Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- The winning bidder of the $600 million Disi Water Conveyance Project will be announced in two weeks, Ministry of Water and Irrigation sources said on Wednesday.
Continue reading "Gov't to name winning Disi project bidder" »
The Jerusalem Post
Jul. 19, 2007
RORY KRESS,
The mayors of Palestinian Baka a-Sharkiya (East Baka) and Israeli Baka al-Gharbiya (West Baka)-Jat signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to protect Wadi Abu Nar, a stream that runs through both municipalities.
Continue reading "Exclusive: Palestinian, Israeli mayors battle pollution" »
MA'AN
July 19, 2007
JERUSALEM, 19 July 2007 (IRIN) - Two mayors - one Israeli and one Palestinian - signed a joint declaration on 19 July agreeing to improve cooperation between their towns in water and waste management as well as conservation.
Jordan Times
July 16, 2007
By BEN WINOGRAD, Associated Press Writer
SHEIK HUSSEIN VILLAGE Jordan
For years, Ibrahim Alayyan watched in frustration as rats ravaged the date crop at his lush family farm.
Having no luck with pesticides, the retired Jordanian heart surgeon was only too eager to try a pest control agent widely used in fields just across the Jordan River in Israel owls.
Arab Environment Monitor
Saturday, July 14, 2007
By: Batir Wardam
With a water per capita share of 160 cubic meters per year, Jordan is among the world's top 10 water scarce countries. The struggle to provide adequate and clean water resources is one of the biggest developmental challenges in Jordan. At the center of the debate about water management is the issue of water pricing and valuation.
Haaretz
July 12, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
The Civil Administration and the Water and Sewage Authority recently approved the construction of a pipe to channel purified sewage to irrigate agriculture in the Jordan Valley.
But environmental experts say the move will prevent an overall solution to the problem of the flow of sewage from Jerusalem and Bethlehem into the Kidron Stream toward the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea.
Continue reading "Pipe to channel purified sewage for farming, but problems abound" »
Jordan Times
Jul. 12, 2007
Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- The Ministry of Environment on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Jordan Environment Society (JES) to implement a comprehensive awareness programme aimed at reducing the use of plastics and encouraging the segregation of waste materials.
Continue reading "New strategy warns of dangers plastics pose to environment" »
Haaretz
July 11, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
Two years ago, the Elcon Recycling Center wastewater treatment plant in Haifa Bay received the approval of the Environmental Protection Ministry to transfer hypersaline waste (fluids that contain unusually high concentrations of salt) to treatment pools in an industrial zone in the Galilee region. The ministry later received data that indicated that Elcon's purification process had failed to rid these brine-like substances of dangerous pollutants. Transport of the hypersaline waste to the Galilee was halted. The ministry now maintains it is taking action to remove this environmental hazard.
Jerusalem Post
July 13, 2007
Shelly Paz
Israel ranks 31st out of 108 countries for environment and social responsibility according to a new international report.
The State of Responsible Competitiveness 2007 is a biennial report that sums up the conduct of private and public businesses in 108 countries and examines their achievements regarding encouraging environmental public policy and civilian involvement.
Continue reading "Report ranks Israel 31 in social and environmental responsibility" »
Jerusalem Post
July 4, 2007
By Etgar Lefkovits
A Jerusalem court has renewed a ban on the opening of a major new thoroughfare in the capital until repairs are made to environmental and landscape damages caused by the paving of the road court documents released Tuesday show.
The Jerusalem District Court accepted an appeal late Monday that was filed by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel which argued that required environmental work in and around the road has not been completed as required by law.
Continue reading "Court once again delays opening of Jerusalem highway" »
Haaretz
July 3, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
A new highway, aimed at substantially alleviating traffic congestion in the entrances to and exits from Jerusalem, will not open until repairs are made to environmental and landscape damages caused by the paving of the road.
The Jerusalem District Court on Monday received a petition, filed by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, seeking to prevent the highway from being opened.
Continue reading "J'lem highway opening delayed due to environmental damage" »
Arab Environment Monitor
Friday, June 29, 2007
By Batir Wardham
A 47-nation survey finds global public opinion increasingly wary of the world's dominant nations and disapproving of their leaders. Anti-Americanism is extensive, but also the growing global concern of environmental threats.
Continue reading "Environmental Concerns rising in global Pew Survey except in Arab Region!" »
Jordan Times
July 2, 2007
Family planning saves women’s and children’s lives and improves the quality
of life for the family as a whole, according to the Population Reference
Bureau.
It is one of the most effective investments for helping to ensure the health
and well-being of women, children and communities, and is a key component of
quality reproductive health services.
Continue reading "Family planning as part of life planning" »
Jordan Times
July 1, 2007
Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN -- The government has issued instructions to the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC) to improve the quality of its diesel, which contains a high ratio of lead that is harmful to the environment, Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said on Sunday.
"The Cabinet recently took a decision to commit the JPRC to set a clear and time-specific schedule for improving the quality of its diesel, which contains lead levels that are much higher than international and local standards," Irani told The Jordan Times.
Continue reading "Gov't instructs JPRC to improve diesel quality" »
Jordan Times
Jul. 1, 2007
AMMAN -- Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Saturday said the government will pursue efforts to solve environmental problems in Fuheis, mainly caused by the presence of the Jordan Cement Factories Company (JCFC) in the city.
During a meeting yesterday with Vice Chairman of the French La Farge Company Eric Meuriot, the premier voiced hope that La Farge would work out drastic solutions for the environmental problems and stabilise cement prices.
Continue reading "Gov't to pursue efforts to solve environment problems in Fuheis" »
Haaretz
July 2, 2007
By Zvi Zrahiya, Haaretz Correspondent
The Knesset approved the third reading of a bill Monday calling for solar powered water heaters to be installed in all public housing apartments so that poverty stricken families will be able to reduce their electric bills.
Continue reading "Bill passed requiring solar powered water heaters in public housing" »
Jordan Times
2 Jul 2007
By Samir Ghawi
Jul. 2--AMMAN -- Technical and economic studies conducted on 20 establishments showed that there is a possibility of conserving 20 per cent of their energy consumption, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Khalid Shraideh told an executive club lunch on Sunday.
Shraideh spoke about the future strategy of Jordan's energy sector saying that the National Petroleum Company (NPC) is seeking a joint venture partner to explore and develop the Risha gas field and the necessary infrastructure.
Continue reading "Studies on 20 establishments show possibility to conserve 20% of their" »
Al Hayat
July 2, 2007
Walid Khadduri
Beirut - Natural gas production and export in the Mediterranean waters off of the coast of Gaza strip bring an added dimension to the ongoing conflict between Fatah and Hamas over the political control of the strip.
The Gaza marine field was discovered in the late 90's by the British Gas company BG Group, but its development was belated on account of the political complications and issues related to the Palestinian cause and the Israeli debate on the safety of gas installations from an Arabic source.
Continue reading "The Conflict in Palestine and its Repercussions on Gaza Gas Export to Israel" »
Jordan Times
July 8, 2007
By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN - Jordan will begin supplying the West Bank city of Jericho with all electricity needs at preferential prices before the end of this year, an official said on Saturday.
Jordan Times
July 7, 2007
By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN — A total of 2,591 environmental violations have been registered since the beginning of 2007, including littering, cutting trees, gas emissions and violations of public health safety, according to the Environment Ministry.
Continue reading "2,591 environmental violations registered this year" »
Haaretz
July 8, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
Tel Aviv area beaches could become heavily polluted due to repairs being done to a cracked sewage pipe in the city.
The Dan Municipal Union for Environment and Sewage, a body responsible for the transfer of sewage across the Gush Dan area, has identified a crack in one of the main sewage lines in northern Tel Aviv. If the crack is not repaired, the pipe could collapse, spilling large amounts of sewage into residential areas. However, while the pipe is being repaired, the sewage would be spilled into the sea, causing large-scale pollution to area beaches.
Continue reading "Repairs on cracked Tel Aviv sewage pipe could pollute beaches" »
Jordan Times
Agence French Presse
July 5 2007
Laith Abou-Ragheb
Giant islands taking shape off the coast of Dubai are sparking interest not only from celebrities but also from environmental campaigners jittery about the man-made structures so large they can be seen from space.
Continue reading "Green campaigners keep watch on Dubai's man-made isles" »
Israel 21c
July 01, 2007
DEMOCRACY
By Ilana Teitelbaum
From the moment we wake up in the morning and open a box of cereal to the hours we spend at work among printers, faxes, and copying machines, to times spent relaxing in the evening with a magazine or mass market paperback, we are constantly surrounded by paper.
Continue reading "Israeli discovery paves way for cost-efficient wood alternative" »
Jordan Times
Jul. 6, 2007
BYLINE: Mohammad Ghazal and Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- The Ministry of Environment has called on Jordan Valley farmers to stop using untreated organic fertilisers, which attract domestic flies, a nuisance for picnickers and harmful to the environment.
Continue reading "Environment officials warn against use of untreated organic fertilisers" »
The Jerusalem Post
Jul. 9, 2007
MATTHEW KRIEGER
Calling his new program "agriculture in service of the environment," Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon on Sunday unveiled his ministry's plan to reward those farmers who demonstrate "eco-friendly" farming practices.
Haaretz
July 7, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
Vehicular emissions count for one-fifth of the total amount of global warming-gas carbon dioxide emitted in Israel each year, according to a report issued last week.
Continue reading "Study: Israeli cars emit more than 14 million tons of CO2 anually" »
The Palestine Center
Edited transcript of a presentation by members of the Negotiation Support Unit of the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department on Water
“For the Record” No. 280 (27 June 2007)
At a 14 June 2007 Palestine Center briefing, Dr. Shaddad Attili, Mr. Fuad Bateh and Mr. John Murray of the Negotiations Support Unit of the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department, proposed a positive-sum approach for the resolution of the water crisis in the Middle East. As for the allocation of water, both on the political and topographical level, they maintained that an equitable allocation of water is not only essential for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state but will also help restore relations with Israel and its neighboring countries. They also emphasized the dire need for clean water in Gaza and the creation of a much needed desalinization plant. Ultimately, the question of a viable and sustainable Palestinian state and the long-term interests of all the water-sharing parties—Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syrian and Palestine—depends on a sound and just resolution to the water conflict.
Continue reading ""Palestinian Water Crisis: Bilateral and Regional Perspectives"" »
THE JERUSALEM POST
July 2, 2007
SHARON WROBEL
The government on Sunday agreed to increase the limit of Israel's desalinated water resources to 505 million cubic meters annually, as the country may be looking at a significant water shortage within the next 10 years.
"It has become clear around the world that we need to prepare for a situation of water shortage and Israel is no different and thus we need to adjust accordingly to rectify this situation," said National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who presented the proposal leading to the government's decision.
Continue reading "Gov't to desalinate more water to avert shortage" »
Haaretz
July 2, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
It will be difficult to meet projected water demand for 2008 if next winter's rainfall levels are similar to those of last winter, said the head of the Water Authority Council, Prof. Uri Shani.
Lecturing at the Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot last week, Shani warned that Israel's water problems will worsen significantly in the coming years unless the production of desalinated water rises sharply. The lecture was not intended for media coverage.
Continue reading "Water Authority chief warns of possible shortage in 2008" »
Middle East Times
June 28, 2007
AFP
SAN FRANCISCO-- Humans have domesticated the planet to such a degree that few untouched spots remain, researchers report in a review article published in the journal Science.
Earth is so tamed that conservationism should shift focus from protecting nature from humans to better understanding and managing a domesticated world, the authors said.
Continue reading "Wilderness almost non-existent on planet Earth: study" »
Jordan Times
June 27, 2007
AMMAN (Petra) — Energy specialists reiterated on Thursday the need to rely on local energy resources to increase electrical power generation and reduce the country’s oil bill.
Continue reading "Experts underline local resources to raise electrical power generation" »
Jordan Times
June 27, 2007
AMMAN (JT) — The 2007 State of the World Population report, entitled
Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth, will be officially launched worldwide today.
“In 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of world population, 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas. By 2030, this is expected to swell to almost 5 billion. Most of the new urbanities will be poor… most cities will struggle to meet current needs,” according to the report, released by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
Continue reading "2007 population report to be launched today" »
Haaretz
June 27, 2007
By Tahal Frosh
The failure to rehabilitate land once used by a military factory is costing the state $1 billion in revenues. A seriously polluted 450-dunam (110-acre) plot in Herzliya's Nof Yam neighborhood used to be the site of an Israel Military Industries plant, and the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense is sponsoring legislation to get it cleaned up. The "green" advocacy organization says the state could make about $1 billion in betterment tax on the land if it were to be cleared for construction, based on the local norm of $5 million per dunam. The organization also estimates Herzliya's lost tax revenues at NIS 21 million annually. Developers could see net profits of $900 million from construction at the site.
Continue reading "State delays rehab of severly polluted land, loses $1 billion tax revenue" »
Haaretz
June 27, 2007
By Uri Blau
Last December, as part of the lesson-learning process in the wake of the Second Lebanon War, the Environment Ministry established a public committee chaired by Major General (Res.) Herzl Shafir to examine the preparedness of facilities containing hazardous substances in the north of the country for emergency situations. Initial and partial conclusions of the committee were made public, and seemed to be quite innocuous. Now it turns out that the true dynamite that turned up in the Shafir Committee's hearings remained classified. Haaretz has obtained the complete data about the dangers of the industrial plants in Haifa Bay, as it appears in the committee's internal documents.
Jordan Times
June 27, 2007
ByHani Hazaimeh, Jordan Times, Amman
AMMAN -- American Ambassador to Jordan David Hale on Tuesday awarded a total of JD133,000 in grants to 19 community-based organisations (CBOs) in Amman and Madaba in support of their water conservation efforts.
Funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID), the grants are part of the Community-Based Initiatives for Water Demand Management.
Continue reading " US supports water conservation efforts" »
Jordan Times
June 25, 2007
AMMAN (AFP) --
Eleven firms have qualified to submit a feasibility study to build a canal which would save the slowly evaporating Dead Sea by replenishing it with water from the Red Sea, an official said Monday.
The 25-year project to build a canal linking the two seas would also solve a severe water shortage in the region of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories, officials said.
THE JERUSALEM POST
tamar lafontaine,
Jun. 21, 2007
The battle against the Safdie Plan, which called for building 20,000 housing units on 24,000 dunams in the hills west of Jerusalem, mobilized one of the largest coalitions of activists ever assembled in the city, comprising environmental, planning and social action groups as well as MKs, artists and intellectuals. The effort garnered more than 16,000 public objections, including that of Mayor Uri Lupolianski.
The scope of the opposition campaign, and the Safdie Plan's subsequent rejection by the National Planning Council in February of this year, renewed the public's confidence in its ability to effect change. It also raised questions about the efficacy of the planning process itself, which only involves the public at the objections stage, after a significant amount of time and money has already been spent developing a plan.
Jordan Times
By Khalid Neimat
AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Monday announced the second
phase of its Master Plan, termed the “Corridor Intensification Strategy.”
The Master Plan provides clear direction for the sustainable development of
the capital over the next 20 years, in accordance with new planning legislation.
Continue reading "GAM launches second phase of Master Plan" »
YNET
Activists claim air pollution caused by waste management site of Ramat Hovav
will endanger lives of soldiers who will serve in new IDF compound
Dana Levy
Published: 06.24.07, 11:16 / Israel News
Environmental organizations continued their protest against the government's plan to build a "military town" south of Beersheba, which will house all of the IDF's training bases.
The town is set to be built only 10 kilometers away from the waste management facility of Ramat Hovav, which deals with large quantities of hazardous materials, and is responsible for a severe problem of air pollution in the region.
Continue reading "Green groups protest plan to build military town in Negev" »
THE JERUSALEM POST
June 14, 2007
RON FRIEDMAN
Jerusalem cleaned up at last week's Green Globe awards, held to honor leaders in environmental protection. The ceremony, organized by Life and Environment, an umbrella organization that includes over 95 groups, was held at the Duhl Center in Tel Aviv to celebrate World Environment Day, a UN initiative.
Jordan Times
June 17, 2007
Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- The Ministry of Environment will set up special task forces to address Zarqa Governorate's environmental problems.
"Zarqa Governorate poses major environmental challenges as it is home to several environmental hotspots, which require exceptional efforts to improve the situation there," Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said during a recent meeting of the ministry's planning committee.
Continue reading " Environmental task forces to tackle Zarqa pollution" »
Jordan Times
Jun. 18, 2007
Paul Tate
AMMAN -- A lack of cooperation and political will among regional states is hampering efforts to address the worsening ecological condition of the Jordan River, environmentalists said on Sunday.
According to Friends of the Earth Middle East, a regional environmental organisation of Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians, poor regional water management has led to the complete demise of one of the world's most famous rivers.
Continue reading "Jordan River among world's 100 most endangered sites" »
The Jerusalem Post
Jun. 17, 2007
JPost.com Staff
As the Environmental Protection Ministry launched a new campaign on Sunday to clean up the country's beaches, a Jerusalem Post reader from Amsterdam wrote in he was disgusted by the dirty beaches in Tel Aviv.
Robert Heilbron, 61, said that while walking on Tel Aviv's Hilton Beach on his last day in the country - June 14 - he stood on a bent, dirty syringe, which had pierced the sole of his sandal.
Continue reading "Environment Ministry threatens to slap fines on beach polluters" »
Jordan Times
June 7, 2007
By Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- Demographic changes and migrations have created an imbalance between available water resources and demand, Minister of Water and Irrigation Thafer Alem said on Wednesday.
In his remarks at the opening session of a regional forum on local water governance entitled "Water is everybody's business," Alem said per capita water supply in 1943 totalled 3,400 million cubic metres annually, but following demographic changes as a result of regional wars and crises, an individual's share of water is now 146 cubic metres.
Continue reading "Pilot water-harvesting techniques to be adopted" »
Jordan Times
June 8, 2007
By Dalya Dajani, Jordan Times, Amman
AQABA -- Beneath the pristine waters of this Red Sea resort, a concrete paradise is giving Mother Nature and the local fishing community a helping hand.
Emerging from a featureless sandy bed in the northernmost tip of the Aqaba coast, an artificial reef has been steadily thriving over the past two years as a safe haven for the fragile marine species of this ecosystem.
Continue reading "Aqaba's artificial reef safe haven to fragile marine species" »
Haaretz
June 9, 2007
By Eli Ashkenazi and Fadi Eyadat
A couple of hungry cormorants circled last week above a school of fish at the mouth of the Kishon Stream running through Haifa. Several fishermen on the banks were also waiting for fish, which were tough to spot. In the past month, the water has grown murky from the booming algae growth that resulted from high concentrations of chemicals in the stream. Despite the cleanup efforts, the Kishon remains polluted.
Continue reading "'Rehabilitated' Kishon Stream still filthy" »
Haaretz
June 12, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
Up until a year and a half ago, the vast majority of visitors to Canada Park, one of the most popular hiking and picnic sites on the way to Jerusalem, had no idea that the park was built on the ruins of three Palestinian villages whose inhabitants were forced to leave in the wake of the Six-Day War. It was only after the Keren Kayemet LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund agreed to the demands of the Zochrot non-governmental organization and posted signs in the park about two villages, Yalu and Emmaus, that their existence first became known to hikers. But since their posting, someone has already made sure to tear down one of the signs and vandalize the other.
Continue reading "Out of sight maybe, but not out of mind" »
Jordan Times
June 6, 2007
Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- Jordan will continue implementing programmes and projects seeking to address environmental hotspots in the country, Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said on Tuesday in a statement marking World Environment Day (WED).
Celebrated annually on June 5, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.
Continue reading " Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a top priority -- Irani" »
Haaretz
June 5, 2007
By Dan Rabinowitz
Forty years after June 5, 1967, a variety of symposia, conferences and discussions are being held that stress the malignant effect of the occupation - on the Palestinians, of course, but also on morality, society, solidarity and politics in Israel. A few weeks ago, when those who have fond memories of 1967 tried to celebrate what they call "the reunification of Jerusalem," the result was a limp demonstration of nostalgic blasts on trumpets. It is good that this week, sane, critical voices are being heard. This will help many people to identify, in anger and anxiety, the depressing future that the occupation is passing down to us for years to come as well.
Jordan Times
June 4, 2007
Aqaba’s diving sites contain some of the world’s most pristine coral reefs
By Dalya Dajani
AQABA — This city’s unique marine habitat is beginning to lose its appeal among several tourist diving groups, who cite serious coral reef damage as a result of littering and other issues compromising their safety.
Continue reading "Aqaba divers concerned about coral damage, safety" »
The Jerusalem Post
Jun. 6, 2007
SAUL ELBEIN
Outsourcing, global warming and terrorism are very different problems, but "green power" could wean the West and the developing world off cheap oil and its accompanying problems, New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas L. Friedman said Wednesday.
Continue reading "'Green power' could help solve many problems" »
Ma'an News Service
June 5, 2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an - On the occasion of World Environment Day, celebrated every year on 5 June since 1972, when the United Nations declared World Day at the opening of the Stockholm conference on human environment, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has issued a press release on the state of the Palestinian environment.
Population density
Continue reading "On World Environment Day, PCBS reveals the state of the Palestinian Environment" »
(subscribers may follow the link to the recent discussion of this issue;
topics
and authors listed below - ed.)
http://www.bitterlemons.org/previous/bl280507ed19.html
Peacemakers or peace industry?
. Something radically different by Yossi Alpher
With respect, we don't belong to any forums of Israeli and Palestinian peace
organizations.
Continue reading "Bitterlemons May 28/07 edition: Peacemakers or peace industry?" »
YNET
March 30, 2007
Joint venture could help save the environment while forging stronger collaborative ties in Middle East
IEICI
Published: 05.30.07, 18:07 / Israel Money
An Israeli-Jordanian automotive project is taking a big leap forward. Executives from Renault and Toyota have been speaking to officials from both sides, in an attempt to launch a joint venture for a factory specializing in
environmentally-friendly electric cars. According to the plan, the location of this factory would be near the border between Israel and Jordan, in an area called Peace Valley.
The Jerusalem Post
May. 31, 2007
Gil Zohar
Jerusalem's reputation for the ludicrous was enhanced on May 20, when Jerusalem District Court ruled against the opening of a new expressway that was planned to relieve the perpetual traffic jam at the entrance to the capital. As reported in In Jerusalem ("Warning: Construction ahead," May 18), the road was scheduled to open on May 21.
The Jerusalem
May. 30, 2007
YORAM DORI
It is said of Israel that she is a mini-cosmos. A country of immigrants hailing from more than 120 countries: fair-skinned and dark-skinned, Chinese and Indian, haredim and atheists. An 80 percent Jewish majority that lives alongside an Arab minority, mostly Muslims, an island in an Islamic sea in the throes of a power struggle between Shi'ite and Sunni hegemony, and counting a population of 7 million spread over an area (sovereign Israel) that measures a mere 20,770 kilometers.
Avoiding a Water Crisis
asharq alawsat
May 19, 2007
Hussein Shobokshi
With the growing number of reports and books confirming the words of political experts and strategic analysts that the next war in the Middle East will be fought over water and water resources, it is extraordinary that another type of war is actually being fought now.
The Daily Star
May 28, 2007
An israeli attack caused the disaster, but environmentalists say Lebanese inaction made it worse
By Dona Challita
Special to The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Several forms of pollutants have fouled the sea off Lebanon for decades, including industrial effluents, untreated sewage and runoff from coastal garbage dumps. As though this were not enough, an Israeli attack during the war last summer added another hazardous element to the mix when the destruction of the storage tanks at the jiyyeh power plant south of Beirut released an estimated 15,000 tons of fuel oil into the Mediterranean.
Continue reading "Critics flay official response to Jiyyeh spill" »
Haaretz
May 27, 2007
Sources: Management preferred its offer to Netafim's over concern about their positions
By Amiram Cohen
The Indian agriculture conglomerate Jain Irrigation Systems is buying 50% of Israel's Na'an Dan Irrigation at a company valuation of NIS 140 million.
The two firms will be entering a memorandum of understanding on the transaction next week.
Continue reading "Jain Irrigation of India buying 50% of Na'an Dan" »
Jordan Times
May 26, 2007
Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit and members of the Cabinet attend a meeting at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation on Thursday (Petra photo)
AMMAN (Petra) — The Ministry of Water and Irrigation is exerting efforts to reduce the ratio of lost water in the Kingdom, which currently stands at 42 per cent, by 3 per cent each year.
Continue reading "Ministry working to reduce ratio of lost water" »
Jordan Times
May 26, 2007
AMMAN (JT) — The UNESCO Amman office, in collaboration with the Swedish-based NGO Life-Link Friendship-Schools (www.life-link.org), brought together school teachers from different countries in the region in a two-day workshop this week.
Continue reading "Conference involves schools in environmental programmes" »
YNET
May 28, 2007
Sampling by Environmental Protection Ministry show 46 percent of Israeli factories emit more air-pollutants than allowed, sanctions taken against 22. Over all improvement shown in most factories
David Hacohen
Forty-six percent of Israeli factories emit more air-pollutants than allowed in the Environmental Protection Ministry's guidelines, according to a samplings taken by the Environmental Protection Ministry in 2006.
Continue reading "Nearly half of Israel's factories pollute air" »
Haaretz
May 28, 2007
By Tzafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
The Environment Ministry published on Sunday its annual report which revealed that 46 percent of factories tested in 2006 exceeded air pollution standards.
The figure represents a 20 percent decrease from the previous year.
Continue reading "2006 report: 46% of factories exceed pollution standards" »
Haaretz
May 24, 2007
By Tzafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Thursday submitted to State Prosecutor Eran Shendar, and to the Environment Ministry, policy guidelines for the prosecution of environmental offenders by local authorities.
Continue reading "AG submits guidelines for prosecution of environmental offenders" »
Middle East Times
May 26, 2007
Marian Houk
JERUSALEM -- Movement was reported this week on an Israeli government decision to authorize a long-term agreement to purchase gas from Gaza's offshore wells at market price from the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli cabinet made the decision to go ahead with negotiations to buy Palestinian gas on April 29.
The exploitation of the offshore gas field is expected to generate much-needed revenue for the Palestinians. Some analysts argue, however, that the main advantages of the deal are not only financial - it is hoped that the mutual dependency that will be created by the deal will help create an atmosphere more conducive to peace.
Haaretz
May 27, 2007
By Avi Bar-Eli
Yossi Maiman avers that the Israeli-Egyptian natural gas consortium EMG can sell Israel gas for less than British Gas can.
Maiman owns an interest in Merhav, which owns an interest in EMG. He argues that if the state decided to buy and market natural gas itself, it must hold a tender and allow potential suppliers to compete over price.
Continue reading "Maiman: EMG can sell Israel as much gas as BG can, for less money" »
Ynet
May 24, 2007
London Times reports British Gas close to signing deal to supply Israel with gas from off-shore field near Gaza. Hamas says will block deal
The BG group, former owner of British Gas is about to sign a four billion dollar deal to supply Israel with gas found in an off-shore field near Gaza, the London Times reported Thursday.
Continue reading "British Gas to sign $4 billion deal with Israel" »
Ma'an
May 23, 2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an - British newspaper The Sunday Times has reported that
British Gas (now BG Group) is about to close a deal worth $4 billion, to supply
Palestinian gas to Israel.
Haaretz
May 8, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
Last week the future of the mineral water plant next to the Ein Gedi nature reserve was ensured. The Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority (INNPPA) signed an agreement with Kibbutz Ein Gedi, one of the owners of the plant, to make it possible for the kibbutz to use a large quantity of the water from the springs. In return, the kibbutz will supply the nature reserve with flood water that it pumps from the slopes of the streams in the region.
The Jerusalem Post
Mar. 5, 2007
Sheera Claire Frenke
Despite Israel's carcinogenic waterways, local companies lead the world in clean-water know-how, and 2007 is set to be a banner year for foreign sales of the blue-and-white technology.
Dozens of groups from across the globe are planning trips to Israel this year with an eye toward purchasing some of the environmentally friendly technology being developed by Israeli scientists. The industry brought approximately one billion dollars last year, but Avraham Israeli, head of Water and Environmental Technology at the Israel Export Institute, said Israel's slice of the international pie could be $10 billion.
Continue reading "Israel's green technology leads world, but not at home" »
Haaretz
March 8, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
To this day, Israel has not managed to follow in the footsteps of countries like Japan or the United States in constructing buildings and various infrastructures that can withstand powerful earthquakes. Geologists are currently presenting the National Infrastructures Ministry with a study on a sophisticated system that - while not preventing destruction - may help the civilian population reach safety during an earthquake and aid the public and private sectors to institute functioning emergency systems and essential infrastructures.
YNET
March 5, 2007
Pollution costs as mush as Israel's defense budget; new bill proposed to deal with air pollution, cut costs
Amir Ben-David
Israel Money
Air pollution in Israel places a financial burden of NIS 11 billion ($2.7 billion) on the country, equal to 2.26 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This figure is the amount the state pays on such expenses as sick leave and medical treatments for those who suffer from severe illness and early death fueled by pollution.
Continue reading "Israel loses up to NIS 11 billion a year on air pollution" »
Haaretz
March 2, 2007
By Eli Ashkenazi
Many countries have a national flower, bird or animal, and some places have certain districts that glory in their own representative plants or animals. Choosing a national animal is part of the culture of nature-loving nations and a tool to generate local identification. It is also a way to raise the issue of environmentalism and animal protection.
Continue reading "Looking for a national bird - does the bulbul fit the bill?" »
Jordan Times
March 9, 2007
Khalid Neimat
AMMAN -- The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Jordan has called on the private sector to support the Amman Master Plan, announced by the Greater Amman Municipality's (GAM) last month.
"We will prop up the plan internally and globally to attract foreign investments," AmCham-Jordan Chairman Azzam Shweihat said.
Jordan Times
March 1, 2007
Mohammad Ghazal, , Amman
AMMAN -- The Ministry of Environment on Wednesday proposed an alternate location for the construction of the JD100 million tourist complex in Dibbeen.
"The ministry suggested the new site due to many reasons, mainly because it believes that implementing the project in the new site will cause no environmental damage to Dibbeen Forest," Minister of Environment Khalid Irani told The Jordan Times yesterday.
Continue reading " Environment Ministry proposes alternate location for Dibbeen tourism complex" »
Haaretz
March 8, 2007
By Pe'er Visner
It's just like Israel to take a great idea and execute it badly, wasting taxpayers' money and even putting lives at risk.
That's the case regarding the idea of levying congestion tax on travelers using the Ayalon Freeway, to reduce traffic in Tel Aviv.
The Jerusalem Post
Feb. 22, 2007
LISA ALCALAY KLUG
In summer, fig trees bear their succulent fruit; in autumn, boughs of olives suggest the impending harvest; by winter, citrons hang heavy with scent.
This is Neot Kedumim, Israel's biblical landscape reserve.
The Jerusalem Post
Mar. 1, 2007
ryan nadel
One p.m. at the Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall. A choir of Chinese Christians serenely sings hymns as a bearded man hocks tefillin to passersby. Just meters away, a self-declared prophet preaches redemption and a steady stream of shoppers stroll by without taking note.
Welcome to Jerusalem's city center.
Haaretz
March 1, 2007
By Avi Bar-Eli
All month a private consultancy has been assessing the possibility of imposing congestion charges to ease traffic in Tel Aviv.
Transportation engineers, academics, economists, pollsters and other professionals at the consultancy recently completed a survey of congestion charge implementation around the world and have begun to think of a plan for Israel.
Continue reading "Tel Aviv mulling London-style congestion fees" »
The Jerusalem Post
Mar. 1, 2007
shelly paz
Dozens of Greenpeace activists demonstrated in front of the Rabin Lights power station near Hadera on Wednesday under the slogan, "Pollution is returned to the polluter."
The protesters used pipes to blow thick, gray but harmless smoke toward the facility, and later spoke with Hadera residents.
Continue reading "Greenpeace protests at Hadera power plant" »
Al Jazeera English
March 1, 2007
By Nour Odeh in Gaza
Sewage runs through the streets of Gaza
The Gaza Strip is the most densely populated piece of land in the world but it has had little or no investment in infrastructure for years, and the situation has worsened since sanctions were imposed last year.
Jordan Times
Feb. 28, 2007
AMMAN -- The Greek government is to contribute $1 million for the feasibility study of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project.
Ambassador of Greece to Jordan Troyphon Parakevopolos on Tuesday submitted a letter from Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Evripidis Stylianidis to Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali, affirming his government's commitment in this regard.
Continue reading "Greece to co-finance feasibility study for Dead-Red project" »
Asharq Alawsat
18 February 2007
Hussein Shobokshi
More than a year has passed since my last meeting with the former Vice President of America, Al Gore, in Jeddah, which he visited as part of the economic forum. My meeting with him was long and he explained to me his new priorities away from the political world and far from his famous defeat in the race for presidency against George Bush in 2000.
The Daily Star
February 26, 2007
State inaction allows industry to imperil water resources and depress property values
By Hani M. Bathish
Special to The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Some of Lebanon's most picturesque areas bear the unsightly scars of quarrying, a frequent visual reminder of what can happen when the state consistently fails to regulate an industry whose work has so much potential for far-reaching side-effects. But the damage is more than skin-deep: The quarry industry's de facto freedom to act as it sees fit also contributes to a variety of economic, environmental and public-health problems whose impacts are no less damaging for their lower visibility.
Continue reading "Quarries do damage you can see - and some you can't" »
The Daily Star
February 24, 2007
By Maher Zeineddine
Daily Star correspondent
CHOUF: Chouf residents and officials staged a rally on Friday to protest waste shipments to the region from Beirut, vowing not to accommodate the unwanted garbage and to escalate their campaign until the transfers stop. "We refuse to see our region transformed into a waste dump," said Ktar Matta Mayor Mohammad Najib Hassan at a rally in Sibline, where garbage from the Normandy landfill in Beirut is being dumped.
Continue reading "Chouf residents protest waste shipments from Beirut" »
Haaretz
February 27, 2007
By Mijal Grinberg and Tzafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondents
Representatives of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Society for the Preservation of Nature said Tuesday they would battle against plans to establish new communities in the northern Negev for families evacuated from the Gaza Strip.
Continue reading "Green agencies oppose construction for Gaza evacuees" »
Haaretz
Updated March 1, 2007
By Haaretz Editorial
The theft of private land and lawless construction, with the authorities' collaboration, have long been routine in the land of the settlers. The scope of these deeds and their seriousness are described extensively in the report on illegal outposts compiled by Talia Sasson, formerly a senior state prosecution attorney. The report was buried almost two years ago.
Haaretz
February 22, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat
A new report released yesterday by Peace Now says that several West Bank settlements have annexed land from nature reserves for construction purposes.
The group's claim is based on a comparison of aerial photographs of settlements and outposts and nature reserve maps.
Continue reading "Peace Now: W. Bank settlements annexed nature reserve land" »
Jordan Times
February 22, 2007
AMMAN (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday reiterated the importance of the land use plan, part of the Amman Master Plan prepared by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM).
Continue reading "King reiterates importance of land use plan" »
Haaretz
February 20, 2007
By Tzafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
The Israel Defense Forces has begun planning a town in the Negev that will accommodate several army training camps currently located in the center of Israel, Haaretz has learned.
The town will be erected in the northern Negev, some ten kilometers south of the Ramat Hovav industrial zone. IDF planners received the go-ahead after the Ministry of the Environment and Ramat Hovav factories reached a settlement agreement on the treatment of environmental hazards, which delayed the army's final decision on whether to build the town.
Continue reading "IDF begins mobilizing on 'training camp' town in Negev" »
Haaretz
February 14, 2007
By Avi Issacharoff and Aluf Benn
A group of Palestinian entrepreneurs yesterday presented plans to create a new Palestinian city in the West Bank, located between Ramallah and Nablus.
The group, headed by businessman Abd al-Malik Jabbar, presented its plan to Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials during an economic conference at the home of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Richard Jones.
Continue reading "Palestinian Authority proposes building new city in West Bank" »
Haaretz
February 22, 2007
22.2.07 | 10:31 By Sharon Kedmi
After years of delays and procrastination, a tender for building Israel's first solar-power plant is to be issued this year.
The 250-megawatt plant will be built on 4,000 dunams (1,000 acres) in the Ashalim complex in the Negev.
Continue reading "Israel to get its first solar plant, at last" »
Arab Environment Monitor
February 17, 2007
By: Batir Wardam
Planning and policy formulation in Jordan prior to the 1990s was based on a sector-specific approach with little consideration for environmental concerns. It can be said that environmental planning and policy formulation came to age in 1991 when the National Environmental Strategy (NES) was formulated by a national consultation process led by the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and the Environment with the technical assistance from IUCN and financial assistance from USAID.
Continue reading "History of Environmental Policies in Jordan" »
Haaretz
February 19, 2007
By Sharon Kedmi
The incompetence surrounding the plans to construct a highway connecting Modiin to Rishon Lezion just can't seem to stop. Now it appears that the cost of building the segment of Highway 431 inside the city of Modiin will be double the original budget, or around NIS 280 million, instead of NIS 147 million.
.
Continue reading "Road to Chelm: Highway 431 to cost double the budget, or NIS 280 million" »
Haaretz
February 18, 2007
By Ronny Linder-Ganz
The green Star of David stamped on products to indicate that the product is environmentally friendly does not appear to be backed up by any environmental criteria, testing or supervision, an investigation by TheMarker, in conjunction with consumer law expert Dr. Shmuel Becher, has found.
Continue reading "Green Star of David isn't backed by solid criteria" »
Haaretz
February 7, 2007
By Ronny Linder-Ganz
The green Star of David stamped on products to indicate that the product is environmentally friendly does not appear to be backed up by any environmental criteria, testing or supervision, an investigation by TheMarker, in conjunction with consumer law expert Dr. Shmuel Becher, has found.
Continue reading "Green Star of David isn't backed by solid criteria" »
Jordan Times
By Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) has transformed an old British military field hospital in Azraq into an eco-lodge.
Continue reading "Azraq eco-lodge offers history and local flavours" »
Arab Environment Monitor
February 20, 2007
Press Release from EMPOWERS
The EMPOWERS Partnership has now available the 'Guidelines for Improved Local Water Governance'
The Guidelines consolidate the experience gained over the past 4 years in developing and testing a range of participatory planning tools for local water development. These have been developed through action research with a wide range of stakeholders in Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan.
Continue reading "Guidelines for Improved Local Water Governance in 3 Arab Countries" »
Greenpeace
February 18, 2007
International — Greenpeace today called for urgent discussions about a Nuclear Free Middle East to create a region free of all nuclear technology, civil and military, as essential to increasing peace and stability in the region. The international peace and environment group said nuclear technology is not the solution to either national security or energy needs.
Continue reading "Greenpeace calls for a Nuclear Free Middle East" »
Al Jazeera
February 18, 2007
The plant could be operational by 2009 [EPA]
Abu Dhabi is to build a $350m solar power plant, the first of its kind in the Gulf, according to an investor in the project.
Abu Dhabi holds more than 90 per cent of the oil reserves of the United Arab Emirates, the seven-member federation.
Arab Environment Monitor
February 20, 2007
Derek Sands
UPI
CAIRO -- Egypt may soon harness the same physics that a child uses to burn an ant with a magnifying glass, to generate electricity from the sun, a move that reflects the growth of Concentrating Solar Power technology worldwide.
YNET
February 18, 2007
Government slated to okay proposal for privatization of Israel Electric Corp and its division into several subsidiaries
Tani Goldstein
Continue reading "Cabinet to approve Electric Corp. reform" »
Haaretz / Jordan Times
February 15, 2007
By Margaret Beckett
[listserve note: published in both Jordan Times and Haaretz, unusual for the region]
All too often the news is dominated by conflict and disagreement. Then a threat of such magnitude comes along that it forcefully reminds us of our common humanity - in other words just how much all of us, whatever our background, creed or colour hold in common. For our generation that threat is climate change.
Haaretz
Last Update: February 24, 2007
By Esther Zandberg
Apart from any other implications, the affair of the new Mugrabi bridge is an extreme example of the dark and covert way in which Israel's professional and political planning world conducts itself. This case is neither an exception nor a surprise. This is how the sector has conducted matters for years - as if it were the government's secret service. It is no secret that planning is conducted under a veil of total secrecy. Very few things filter out to the general public in an orderly fashion - and when they become known, it is often too late to do anything. The difference is that this time the affair did not merely leak out, it burst out with a resounding blast.
Continue reading "The architectural conspiracy of silence" »
Haaretz
February 16, 2007
By Ora Coren
A car travels from Hadera to Ashdod on Road No. 6. The driver should pay for every section of toll road used during the trip. How much will the driver pay at the end of the journey? Don't rush to answer. Sometimes the answer is: Nothing.
Continue reading "Toll-busting trick provides car leasers with a free ride" »
Haaretz
February 16, 2007
By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
Recently completed research indicates the problem of serious groundwater contamination is widespread throughout the greater Tel Aviv region and covers huge areas of Gush Dan, with several contamination sites.
Six years ago, when the Tel Aviv Water Authority discovered serious contamination on the site of the former Israel Military Industries factory Magen, it thought the problem was contained.
Continue reading "Greater Tel Aviv area riddled with serious groundwater pollution" »