Planting berries instead of bombs in the West Bank. The next step is to make them organic. There was a time when Kalkilya was the focus of bomb making and terrorism but a new program is aiming to turn this Palestinian city into the strawberry capital of the West Bank. The first crop of the ruby red fruit in this pilot program is halfway to harvest. The Palestinians hope to be able to cash in on the lucrative Christmas markets in Europe and possibly sell strawberries to a major international... Read Full Story

Will The World be saved? UAE attempts to rescue collapsed real estate market in Dubai. The massive world-shaped islands off the coast of Dubai have been an environmentalist’s nightmare. With little regard to marine ecosystems, and the future impact of these buildings, Dubai ’s building of The World has been brought to a halt due to billions of dollars worth of debt, much of which is held in UK banks, we reported last week. But Dubai’s real estate debt crisis may not be as s... Read Full Story

Most of us are familiar with the movie Fight Club, where the protagonist’s house is blown up as a result of a gas leak. Gas leaks are serious, if you smell a leak you should stop what you are doing immediately and call a technician. However, not all leaks are noticeable. You may have a small leak where the gas dissipates before you can smell it. The good news is that most gas suppliers offer a free yearly check. So call up your gas provider and ask them to send someone your way. Also, ... Read Full Story

Israeli-Arab Dr. Sobhi Basheer of TransBioDiesel: using his experience with enzymes to replace conventional polluting practices. Many people today know that science can make biofuel from organic waste. But what a large percentage of people don’t realize is that the biofuel process actually creates pollution and waste. Looking to minimize the damage, and set an example for his community in Israel, is Dr. Sobhi Bashee, founder of TransBioDiesel based in Shfar’am, Israel. Bashee has... Read Full Story

Captsone’s microturbine could be fired up by solar power in new project with Heliofocus. California based Capstone Turbine Corporation (NASDAQ:CPST) and Israel based HelioFocus Ltd,  have entered into an agreement to develop a micro-turbine to produce power from concentrated solar energy.  The project is being funded in part with a $800,000 grant from the B.I.R.D Foundation, as well as a larger grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE). The goal of this project is to convert conce... Read Full Story

Rima Malallah, a young woman living and creating in Amman, Jordan, is bringing her colorful handmade art to the Ammanian masses.  Different from other galleries in Amman, Malallah offers a wide variety of products (including original paintings, prints, postcards, journals, cards, jewelry, handpainted ties, hand-knit scarves, bottle vases, key chains and coasters) and encourages interaction with her clients.  Customers can walk in and commission a piece from her directly. What this means, in ... Read Full Story

In advance of Copenhagen, a new survey shows that Israelis seek action against climate change. The Israeli public is a few steps ahead of its government in wanting to see strong action on climate change, according to a new poll conducted by Ben Gurion University. The survey was done ahead of the international Climate Summit which will convene in Copenhagen on December 7th, where a new international framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is hoped to be created. The survey found tha... Read Full Story

Chickens won’t cluck at this: Aside from making life more comfortable for the hens, Agrotop’s henhouse incorporates wind and solar power, recycles wastewater, and even processes chicken waste into biofuel. Chicken is a consumer favorite all over the world, but many people aren’t happy with the way chicken arrives at their table – both from a humanitarian and an environmental point of view. Most of the poultry you buy in the market is raised in factory farms, where the... Read Full Story

Masdar starts testing feasibility of solar energy at eco city. Will Abu Dhabi’s dust let the sunshine in? Abu Dhabi’s Future Energy  Company, Masdar,  and Spain’s Instituto De Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentracion S.A. (ISFOC) have signed an agreement to conduct a test and study concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technologies in the Emirate’s unique subtropical climate. Although blessed with ample sunshine for most days of the year is occasionally bothered with haze an... Read Full Story

Muslims succumb to swine flu during annual Hajj pilgrimage. One of the biggest concerns to Saudi Arabian health authorities has unfortunately become a reality at this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, now underway in Islam’s holiest cities of Mecca and Medina. This year’s pilgrimage, which began on Saturday, November 21, has already claimed at least four lives to the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus, according to an article published in Al Jazeera. The article , which came out last ... Read Full Story