Source: The Jordan Times   By Hala Kilani BEIRUT, Lebanon — Toxic oil covering the sea-bed, black oil-covered beaches where endangered loggerhead turtles nest, dead algae on rocky shores normally feeding fish and other organisms — these are some of the first findings of a mission led by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) to assess the impact of the Lebanese oil spill on species and coastal... [read more]

Source: The Jordan Times   The French Development Agency has initially agreed to finance a project to monitor the quality of air in the country and help conserve the environment. Under the 2 million euros project, scheduled for completion in 18 months, 12 pollutant monitoring stations will be installed in the capital, and the Zarqa and Irbid governorates, especially in areas close to industrial... [read more]

    This is another important article about the environmental impacts of the Israeli agression on Lebanon. This article is written by Arne Jernelöv and this is a re-post of the article published in the Jordan Times on Monday 21-8   In any war, the primary focus is on dead, wounded and displaced people. The number of people killed as a result of Israel’s offensive in Lebanon reported... [read more]

    After the UN security council resolution 1701 produced a much-needed ceasefire to halt the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, it was clear to many people that the magnitude of the environmental crises caused by the big oil spill at the Lebanese coast caused by the Israeli bombardement to oil storage tanks in Beirut airport is a matter of extreme urgency. Many international organizations... [read more]

From the Jordan Times:   The Ministry of Environment (MoE) will soon create a fund to finance environmental projects in the country, the ministry announced on Monday. Sources at the MoE told The Jordan Times that fines collected from industrial facilities and factories that violate environmental laws will contribute to the fund. The source added that the corresponding bill will be discussed... [read more]

  The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has recently release an exquisite series of powerpoint presentations that summarize the findings of the UNEP publication "One Planet, Many People: Atlas of  Our Changing Environmen". The series of powerpoint presentations can be downloaded from here. The presentations are categorized according to themes and regions. As usual we find that... [read more]

Source: the Jordan Times 9-8-2006   AMMAN — The Royal Scientific Society (RSS) on Tuesday launched the hazardous substance information management system, designed to ensure the safe handling of chemical materials and help protect the environment. The project connects the ministries of environment, agriculture, health, trade and industry and the Customs Department to a comprehensive electronic... [read more]

A legislative breakthrough is expected soon in land management policies in Jordan as the government intends to submit a new bylaw to control the land management and land use patterns in a sustainable way. The Jordan Times has published a news feature on Sunday 6-8-2006, following are the main points.   The government will submit to the Parliament next month a draft law to control the misuse... [read more]

Source: The Jordan Times   The first batch of the environmental police unit, which is expected to start operating in early September, will begin a month-long training workshop today, an Environment Ministry official said yesterday. Experts from the ministries of environment, health, agriculture, energy and mineral resources and municipal affairs will today begin  training the first 150 officers, ... [read more]

Source: The Jordan Times   The Cabinet announced late Tuesday that as of Jan.  1 of next year, all cars imported to Jordan, whether new or used, must be equipped with a catalytic converter, a device that enables them to run on unleaded petrol. The converter uses a catalyst to convert three harmful compounds in car exhausts into harmless compounds, helping to convert harmful carbon monoxide... [read more]