We greens of the Middle East have to take our manna from whence it comes – even if its from liberal economists: In a two-part series appearing on the editorial opinion pages of the April 13 and April 14, 2010 issues of the International Herald Tribune, Nobel Prize winning Princeton University economist Paul Krugman makes the case for potent economic measures aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions. 

In the April 14^th piece he writes: “Current predictions of global warming in the absence of action are just too close to the kinds of numbers associated with doomsday scenarios. It would be irresponsible – it’s tempting to say criminally irresponsible – not to step back from what could all too easily turn out to be the edge of a cliff.”

For those of us who have reached these conclusions without being Nobelists, Krugman’s words offer little insight. However, Krugman stands on the Olympian heights of liberal economics: He has served as a consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, as well as to a number of countries including Portugal and the Philippines. He has been a member of the US President Council of Economic Advisors.

Paul Krugman’s commentary is another clarion call (see my post on Gore’s Clarion Call) by mainstream figures for action aimed at limiting devastating greenhouse gas emissions. Coming from someone who champions the system responsible for global environmental degradation, Krugman’s reasoning that “risk of catastrophe makes the most powerful case for strong climate policy,” is meaningful and is unlikely to be ignored by policy-makers whom he counsels.

In his articles Krugman considers the various contemporary liberal positions with special reference to Pigovian theory, a form of analysis named after an early 20^th century British economist Arthur Cecil Pigou. Pigou dealt with the question of externalities, phenomena like education (a positive externality) and pollution (a negative one) that are not directly tied to the economic production and productivity.

Briefly, Pigou believed that one should subsidize firms that promote positive externalities and tax those engaged in negative ones. In the contemporary context, this involves an attempt to stem greenhouse gas emissions by making those who produce them economically responsible through taxes, fees or the cap-and-trade system of carbon credit exchange.

Krugman reviews the work of contemporary economists such as Yale University’s William Nordhaus, Harvard’s Martin Weitzman and the London School of Economics’ Nicholas Stern who have written scholarly analysis on the economic impact of climate change and measures aimed at limiting it.

These economists argue that “[r]estricting emissions would slow economic growth – but not by much.”  In liberal economics-speak, the position suggests that containing emissions is cheaper than leaving the problem untreated. This is all the more the case given, as Weitzman believes (and Krugman with him)  that “[i]t’s the non-negligible probability of utter disaster that should dominate our policy analysis. And that argues for aggressive motives to curb emissions, soon.” as stated by the columnist  in the April 14^th article.

Both of Krugman’s articles appear under the headline “Green Economics,” with the April 14^th item having the extended heading, “Green Economics: The Cost of Inaction.” As a liberal economist, Krugman is concerned with costs and prices and he advocates the trade-based measures that has been a mainstay of environmentally-concerned policy makers in the affluent countries.

However, as the debacle at the Copenhagen climate change conference and summit last December demonstrated, these countries are unable to forge an agreement for reforms that would significantly prevent the “non-negligible probability of utter disaster” that climate change involves.

Globally, and in the US in particular where there is a laudable effort by a cross-partisan group of senators (Jon Kerry, Joe Lieberman  and Lindsey Graham, representing Democratic, Independent and Republican positions, respectively)  to push cap-and-trade limitations on greenhouse gas emissions,  Krugman writes that “[t]he immediate prospects for climate action do not look promising.”

As pleased as greens might be the advocacy of Nobelists like Al Gore and Paul Krugman for limiting atmospheric carbon, the real problem leading to environmental degradation is the one they are not willing to name: the economic hyper-growth produced by the (more-or-less)  free market system. A system that has made it safe for market forces to have free reign on planetary resources and the global commons is inherently unable to safeguard the environment. The same system that continues to produce sharp social discrepancies within and between societies and that has built great wealth in some countries based on the resource transfer from lands made poorer in the process, can be reformed to become safe for the environment only if it re-forms itself into another system — one based on providing universally  for basic needs and measured growth.

In policy circles existent today from Beijing to Washington, Jerusalem and Damascus, the kind of basic economic restructuring that the global environmental crises requires gets little play.

In the Middle East, thinking that is both green and socioeconomically responsible is particularly remote. In Israel, the Netanyahu government  seeks to privatize anything under the heavens (presumably air and water along with land if they only could) and to affords contractors free-reign in paving every square centimeter available. 

Elsewhere in the region, hugely capital-intensive projects like the Palm Islands (in Dubai), Masdar City (Abu Dhabi), Cedar Islands  (Lebanon) and Burj Khalifa  (Dubai) earthworks that are profoundly dubious environmentally are being erected in the name of some grand distortion of the concept of sustainability.

In the post-Copenhagen 2009 world, Middle East greens and advocates of sustainability everywhere should  localize and echo the powerful voices of the Gores and Krugmans. Right now, these voices are the closest we can get to influencing decision-makers to slow the gallop toward environmental ruin.

::NY Times
::Paul Klugman’s blog

Yosef Gotlieb, a geographer specializing in global change and international development, wrote Self-Determination in the Middle East (1982) and Development, Environment and Global Dysfunction (1996).  He is on the faculty of David Yellin College, Jerusalem.

Will eco-friendly cars ever become popular in a country that prefers status symbol models like BMW’s, Mercedes Benz and even Maserati’s? Not according the AFP which reported on the country’s annual Motor Show which opened in Beirut last week. Spot interviews with Lebanese who were in attendance clearly indicated that of the 400 models in display, the most attention was being given to high priced “glitz-mobiles” including a $300,000 Limited Edition Maserati MC Sport, one of only 15 in existence and definitely not very eco-friendly (12 were produced for Middle Eastern markets).

Hybrid models, such as Toyota’s Prius,  are considered to be much more eco-friendly than normal, all-fossil fuel models; and are increasing in popularity in neighboring Israel. But they didn’t catch the eyes of the Lebanese who don’t see hybrids matching any kind of status they seek.

Lebanon is a country that has to import virtually all its energy supplies, and on which increasing environmental damage  is occuring from ground and sea pollution. So taking all of Lebanon’s energy needs and pollution problems into account, why do the citizens of a country with an average per capita GDP of  $6,500 (4,837 Euros) prefer high powered status cars like the ones already mentioned?

“If we manage to waive customs for these cars, at least half of the next Motor Show will be dedicated to hybrids,” Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud told AFP while touring the biennial expo.

The only green however car drivers in Lebanon want to be connected to is green with envy. To quote Mr. Riyadh Abi Habib, a Lebanon manager for Toyota and Lexus:

“Buyers are generally looking to purchase cars to be seen in. Hybrids like the Prius don’t currently sell like other cars here, primarily because they are pricier than your average small car and yet are not considered status symbols.”

Status symbol car purchasing is not a new phenomenon as America and European countries went through this consumer stage more than 30 years ago.

Besides, with 12 out of the 15 above Maserati’s destined for Middle Eastern buyers, and in light of my recent Green Prophet article on the White Gold Mercedes owned by a Billionaire in Abu Dhabi, what can you expect from young Lebanese professionals like Tareq Saadeh, a 25-year-old engineer, who prefers “to remain loyal to his BMW Sport Coupe: “a fast sports car for my age.”

Fast or not, Lebanese can ill afford gas guzzling high-line status cars while their country still recovers from the ravages of pollution and regional war.

More articles on environmental issues involving automobiles:
Abu Dhabi’s White Gold “bio-fuel” Mercedes Gulf Nations Look to Tesla’s Electric Roadster to Speed Around the Middle East
Does Israel Really Need the INFINITI Luxury Car?

[Image via www.auto-power-girl.com]

They sealed a $15 million round of financing this year; now Abu Dhabi’s solar developer Enviromena Power Systems (“Enviromena”) won the “Sustainable Development of the Environment Award” at the Takreem Arab Achievement Awards held in Beirut last month.

Hosted by Al Jazeera’s star Laila Al-Shaikhli, in Beirut, the awards were to honor achievements in the Arab world. Presented at a gala dinner of over 500, the winners met with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman the following day, and included Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan (who we met 2 months ago) on the jury committee as well as former United Nations Secretary General  Boutros Butros-Ghali.

Enviromena’s CEO Sami Khoreibi was happy to say in a press announcement: “As the only UAE company to be selected for an award, we are particularly pleased to represent both Abu Dhabi and the UAE and wish to thank our investors, management team and the Abu Dhabi Government for their progressive Green initiatives which have helped create the marketplace we operate in.”

Ricardo Karam, founder of the awards explained the concept behind the awards ceremony as a means to dispel negative myths about the Arab world: “The awards are an important tool in dispelling Arabic stereotypes and instilling a sense of pride in the achievements of the Arabic culture, our people and the companies that operate within it. Enviromena is an extremely deserving recipient and through their projects plays an active role in the wide scale implementation of sustainable development across the Gulf.”

Other winners included Nahida Nakad for the “Arab Woman of the Year” award.

For Enviromena, the award is icing on the cake. In the last year, it won a number of Middle East based awards including “Power Plant Operator of the Year” and “Energy Efficiency Awards” at the Middle East Power and Water Awards.  The company, it reports, also completed the largest grid connected solar power plant in the Middle East, the Masdar 10MW Solar Plant in June last year.

::Enviromena website

Israel probably thought it was alone in the region with its plans to lift (and then stiff) taxes from hybrids and electric cars until now: Its northern neighbor Lebanon says it will likely do the same. In the 2010 draft budget, reports the Daily Star, the Lebanon government is factoring in exempting companies and individuals from paying import taxes on hybrid cars. This announcement could boost sales of hybrids and all-electric vehicles, such as Nissan’s LEAF to the Middle East region, especially in oil-less countries where citizens tend to have more modest dealings with environment issues and transport.

Finance Minister Raya Hafar Hassan and Environment Minister Mohammad Rahal made this joint announcement after a meeting on Friday, according to the Daily Star.

“Hybrid cars will be exempted from all import duties in an effort to encourage Lebanese own environmentally friendly vehicles,” Hassan told reporters at a press conference. “We discussed ways to cooperate between the Finance Ministry and the Environment Ministry in an attempt to control pollution,” Hassan added.

The World Bank has recently told Lebanon, the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” expecting a surge in tourism this summer, that environmental degradation will cost it $560 million annually. “What is more important is that an environment disaster will have a serious impact on the health of the citizens in the country,” the minister said.

::The Daily Star

Participants in the forum, which was organized by the McGill Alumni Association of Lebanon, included “decision-makers and stakeholders from the country’s energy sector, governmental and municipal authorities, technology providers in the private sector as well as non-governmental organizations,” according to a report in the Beirut-based Daily Star.

 “We are not ready on the technical and legislative levels but we are committed to deal with these issues and get over with them as soon as possible,” Bassil declared. “We need a smart grid in Lebanon,” he added.

Bassil insisted that the ministry’s goal of 12% usage of renewable energy by 2020 “is feasible due to the highly skilled human resources available in Lebanon, in addition to the special nature of the country.”

Government allots $9 million for renewable energy projects

Bassil applauded the Lebanese government’s decision earlier this month to allocate $9 million for renewable energy projects. “This indicates that the government is highly committed to such projects by taking actions and not just through ministerial statements,” he asserted. “The problem in Lebanon has always been that of a political decision, but I can assure you that today we have both the will and the decision to go on with this project,” he added.

The minister announced that Lebanon recently began a study to determine the best locations in the country for wind power generation, with a goal of generating up to 500 MW of power via wind-turbine installations. He called for the initiation of a similar study to map Lebanon for solar energy potential, but noted that Lebanon’s relatively small size and high-cost of land constitute the biggest obstacle in this field.

(Image via www.gebranbassil.com)

This fusion can be seen in Samir Kassir Square in the heart of Beirut, where two old Ficus trees provide shade and serenity.  The surrounding garden, composed mostly of pools of running water, are also intended to cause passersby to feel connected to a more natural environment (although this Green Prophet wonders how water efficient the pools actually are).

The garden was commissioned by Solidere (Société Libanaise de Développement et Reconstruction) as part of a plan to revitalize the business district of Beirut, and is somewhat reminiscent of Dani Karavan’s Orchard installation in 2008 on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv.  Karavan’s installation asked viewers to think about what Tel Aviv-Jaffa would be like if we hadn’t destroyed the abundant local orchards and had instead created an urban environment in which the orchards constituted an integral element.  Could the installation in Samir Kassir Square be asking the same thing?

The garden, which was designed by Vladimir Djurovic, won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2007, and continues to bring greenery to an area otherwise surrounded by offices in skyscrapers.

See more views of the garden in the video clip below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Read more about green urban design and sustainable architecture:
Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard Just Got a Little Greener with Dani Karavan
Hassan Fathy is the Middle East’s Father of Sustainable Architecture
Bring Moshe Safdie’s Green Building to the Middle East

Marine pollution in Lebanon is becoming so severe these days that local fishermen are catching more garbage in their nets than fish. An article on thenews site Inter Press Service said that Lebanon’s 6,500 fishermen are having with the increasing problem of coastal and marine pollution being caused by large amounts of garbage and other forms of pollution finding its way into the sea. Political ambivalence is to blame.

Abdallah Mokad, one of these Lebanese trying to make his living from the sea, said sadly: “We are hauling in more garbage than fish these days. Much of the waste that gets entangled in our nets comes from the Costa Brava dumping ground, which leads out into the sea. This is illegal but waste truck owners enjoy the protection of politicians.’’

Political ambivalence, which prevents any strong action being taken by the government against those violating the laws that are on the books against dumping of garbage into the sea has resulted in the present situation, picked up by Green Prophet when we reported the large garbage mound off the coast of Sidon.  

Today, the Sidon garbage mound is now so large that ships in the vicinity can “smell it before you can see it.”

The IPS article notes that Lebanese fishermen used to bring in  daily catches of as much as 50 kg of fish such as Sultan Brahim, a local species of snapper, plus several kgs of shrimp.

Now, the catches are much smaller, with only a few kgs of fish and less than a kg of shrimp, among the shreds of plastic material and other garbage that gets caught in the nets. Besides garbage, oil spills, raw sewage, and various forms of industrial wastes is making this part of the Eastern Mediterranean increasingly devoid of fish and other marine life, including birds.

Lebanon’s sectarian governmental mixture, that is becoming increasingly influenced by both Syria and Hizbollah, doesn’t seem to have the power or desire to do much to clean up the country’s growing pollution problem.

Although lawmakers met last May in order to establish “environmental police, courts, a prosecutor’s office … and trained environmental prosecutors,” little has been done concerning these as the country now enters March, 2010.

Besides the pollution problems caused by human sewage and garbage, damage from oil spills, most particularly as a result of  Israeli air raids during the 34 day war in 2006, has resulted in substantial environmental damage from as much as 45,000 metric tons of oil seeping into the sea.

Damage to Lebanon caused by the Israel war with the Hezbollah in Summer, 2006. Image via obbino.

Another, much more recent oil spill occurred when the Panamanian ship Danny F II sank last December 19 in stormy waters about 12 miles off the coast of Tripoli.To make matters worse, the ship was carrying 10, 224 sheep and 17,932 head of cattle, whose carcasses are feared to have attracted sharks to the area, further unbalancing the normal marine life in the area.

Twenty-six crew members are also still unaccounted for and presumed to have become shark food, along with the livestock.

Ali Darwich, environmental and agricultural specialist and general secretary of the non-government environmental organization Green Line said there are 8 major dumping sites in Lebanon, with the one near Tyre, Saida, being the most notable.

“Some two million Lebanese people live along the sea shore and the household and industrial wastes they produce are spilling directly into the water. One has to keep in mind that only one treatment plant exists in Lebanon, and it is responsible only for removing large particles from the sewage system and not important pollutants, such as heavy metal”.

Israel, whose Mediterranean coastline is also becoming more and more polluted (especially in the Haifa Bay area), Syria above and Turkey above that, has no doubt already received a portion of Lebanon’s coastal pollution. The question is how much? And how can activists from all countries join together to stop this atrocity?

More articles on Lebanese pollution:
Sidon’s Garbage dump Creating Eyesore and “Smell sore” for Entire Region
Lebanon’s Beaches Become Trash Dumps as More Sewage Poured Into Sea
“Bird’s Eye View” Shows Raw Sewage off Lebanon’s Coast

The circus came to town in Beirut Lebanon; but will have to leave in a hurry after it was discovered that animals brought to participate in the events had been terribly abused. As we reported last week on Lions, Tigers and Bears in Lebanon (thanks to the Media Line), a small circus which brought a number of animals into Lebanon to perform there, were subjecting a lion cub and 4 other lions, three tigers, some snakes and a number of domestic animals to very cruel conditions, including keeping them in small, cramped cages, depriving them of adequate food and water, and (in the case of the lion cub) actually de-clawing it and not providing proper veterinary medical attention.

In fact, the poor lion cub, had not only been de-clawed, but was kept in a small, filthy cage, without medical attention to its swollen paws, which had become infected.

The problem reached a stage where the animals should have been confiscated and sent to  a zoo or similar facility where they would receive better treatment. But the laws being what they are in a country that is being increasingly influenced by Islamic Law, in which animals and other aspects of the environment are supposed to receive better treatment, all that could be done was to order the animals’ owner  to leave Lebanon within 24 hours.

Lebanese Agriculture Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan declared the circus illegal and ordered its immediate closure after animal welfare campaigners alerted his office to the circus’s mistreatment and incorrect paperwork.

As said by Jason Mier, Executive Director of Animals Lebanon to The Daily Star:

“I would have preferred for the animals to be confiscated and the minister indicated that’s what he would have preferred to do, but the legal framework just isn’t there.”

Speaking of zoos, the Animals Lebanon animal rights group was able to force the closure last February of a small filthy “zoo” containing nearly 40 animals living in rusty cages and in the midst of their own feces. These unfortunate creatures included some bears, a monkey, porcupines, and vulture, and others.  In the case of the circus, all that could be done is to force the promoters to take the animals out of the country.

Incidentally, Animals Lebanon not only succeeded in convincing Lebanese Agricultural Minister Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan to close down the Monte Carlo Circus (the circus that brought these animals to Lebanon from Egypt), but may also convince the Lebanese authorities to confiscate the animals and send them to a protective sanctuary in order to prevent their further abuse.

What is interesting is that of all the countries which represent the Arab World, Lebanon and Bahrain are the only Arab states who have not signed the 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), to which 175 states are a party. The treaty not only prohibits the trade of wild animal species, especially those being imported and sold as pets, but also clothing and other items made from the feathers and skins of these animals . Israel ratified the Treaty in 1979, although even there some wild animals are still smuggled into the country and sold in pet stores, etc. A huge shipment of coral, for example, was confiscated by the authorities last year on its way to the West Bank.

But despite this minor victory in respect to the circus being forced to leave the country, the affair is a long way from being over and family members of the circus owners are trying to overturn the court ruling.  Even some big name circuses have been accused of abusing their animals, including ones like Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey.

Animals are as important an aspect of our environment as climate factors. But unfortunately not enough is being done on their behalf. While no zoos or circuses are perfect, many do make efforts to care for the animals they are in charge of, including Israel’s Safari Park near Tel Aviv. We prefer animal-less circuses, anyway, like Cirque de Soleil.

:: Daily Star

Read more on animals in circuses and zoos:

Gaza paints donkeys to look like zebras

Non kosher turkeys going to the wolves in Tel Aviv

Lebanon’s lions, tigers and bears take the heat

Image via @NOO

I love this blog. I love Lebanese food, and author Joumana, a Lebanese ex-pat living in the States, presents recipe after delicious-looking recipe, Slow Food style.

Just a small example – the Toom garlic paste, a staple flavoring in Lebanese kitchens. Whirl garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil in the blender, thickening the paste if you want with a cooked potato or bread. Use it to flavor almost anything. That won me; I’m an unabashed garlic fan.

Then there are at least four recipes for kibbeh, recipes for flatbreads (the one featuring baby artichokes brought water to my mouth), and many more.

The last time Joumana visited Beirut, Lebanese chef and food project genius Kamal Mouzawak gave her several packages of za’atar spice, herb salt, khamouneh, a spice mix based on cumin, and freekah, wheat smoked in the fields while still green.

She is now running a raffle for them, including a recipe booklet. The raffle is on till Jan. 31st, so if you’re interested, leave a comment on her post about Kamal Mouzawak and the amazing work he’s done with small farmers and local ingredients, here.

Good luck!

More recipes to enjoy:

• Vertical Farms May Be The Only Crop Solution For The Middle East
• Ful and Choumous, The Middle-Eastern Working Man’s Lunch
• Community-Supported Agriculture: Organic, Local, and Tasty!

::Taste of Beirut blog

Abuse of circus animals comes to forefront of Lebanese politics: When the Monte Carlo Circus’ lions and tigers arrived in Lebanon two weeks ago they were meant to be welcomed by beaming children, adoring parents and cooing students on field trips. But after Lebanese animal rights activists received an emergency alert from THE Jordanian border about abused circus animals en route from Egypt to Lebanon, endearing scenes of charming animals entertaining humans is not at all what took place.

“We received a tipoff from someone at the Jordanian border about some six lions and three tigers coming from Egypt to Lebanon,” Maggie Shaarawi, co-founder of Animals Lebanon, told The Media Line. “They had asked the people transporting the circus animals how long it had been since they had been fed and they said three days. They asked how many days the animals had been in cages and they were told 10 days.”

The tipoff, from the Princess Alia Foundation in Jordan, stated that the animals had been put in crates on December 11, shipped out of Egypt on December 21, and delayed for two days on the Jordanian border as the crew did not have the proper paperwork to continue with the animals to Syria. The crew admitted that the animals had not been provided with food or water since leaving Egypt, alleging that they had not been provided with funds to provide for the animals.

The Jordanian foundation purchased food and water for the animals and they were transported through Jordan, entering Syria on December 26. The animal rights group in Lebanon, meanwhile, had alerted the country’s Agriculture Ministry about the case.

“We opened a small investigation and before the animals arrived at the Lebanese border we contacted the head of animal resources at the Ministry of Agriculture and asked him to check the paperwork and health of the animals before allowing them into the country,” Shaarawi said. “He did not call us back and when we finally spoke with him he said that the animals had already arrived healthily and that the veterinarian at the border had reported that they are happy and jumping around.”

“So we went and waited all day at the circus for the animals to arrive,” she continued. “Beyond not being fed, it turns out the animals had been living in small cages for six months. The lions had recently been declawed and some of them were still bleeding and had infections. There was also an adult lion who does not move at all.”

There are no lion specialists in Lebanon, so the activists contacted Paul Hart, a specialist at a sanctuary for lions in South Africa. “He responded that the conditions that the lions are in are abysmal,” Shaarawi said. “He said that the lion cubs should be immediately confiscated.”

Less than 24 hours after arriving from the arduous journey, the animals were on stage, performing to a $40-per-seat audience aside snakes, jugglers and clowns. “We took high resolution pictures of the animals and the next day went to the agriculture ministry and showed the same man the pictures,” she said. “He didn’t care so we went to the minister himself.”

Lebanon’s Agriculture Minister, Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, told the Animals Lebanon representatives that because Lebanon does not have robust animal protection laws, he did not have the legal framework to act against the Monte Carlo Circus’, which had brought the animals to perform in Beirut for six months. In the end minister agreed to launch an investigation into the health of the animals and whether the circus had followed the law.

“He told us to please go back tomorrow with the veterinarian of your choice,” Shaarawi said.

But a series of Agriculture Ministry officials tried to block the inspection, twice requiring the animal rights have their inspection permit reissued. When the inspection team finally made it to the circus grounds with the Agriculture Ministry’s veterinarian, a tense interaction ensued and the veterinarian allegedly did not take any notes.

Nabih Ghaouche, the director of animal resources at Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture, declined to comment on the matter when contacted by The Media Line. Various other officials at the Ministry of Agriculture, including the minister, could not be reached for comment.

The animal rights advocates claim that beyond the mistreatment of the circus animals, their permits to travel internationally were invalid.

“They didn’t meet any of the international regulations,” Jason Mier, the Executive Director of Animals Lebanon told The Media Line. “They have no valid microchip paperwork. They have no health paperwork. The animal’s transport didn’t meet even basic standards. Every single step of the way what they did was illegal.

“We are not against having a circus,” he said. “It’s a lot of work but you can do it legally, so if you want to do it, just do it legally.”

“But this circus is known for smuggling,” Mier said. “This is a bad guy and I hope someone shuts him down.”

Under pressure from the assiduous activist, the minister declared the animal’s transport to have been illegal and announced on Thursday that they would be sent back to Egypt within 24 hours, effectively closing down the circus.

“He warned them that he was being very lenient by not prosecuting the circus,” Meir said after a joint meeting with the minister and the local circus organizer. “But what they’re doing now is to try to use any connections they have to get the minister’s decision overruled.”

“They are supposed to leave today or tomorrow,” he said. “But this is Lebanon and if someone tells you they’ll be there in 5 minutes, it will take an hour.”

The story continues…

(This story is written by Benjamin Joffe-Walt and is republished with permission by The Media Line, the Mideast News Source.)

More on Middle East Zoos:
Gaza Zoo Paints Donkey to Look Like Zebra
Gaza’s “Heaven” Zoo is Untold Hell for Animals
At Tel Aviv Safari Non-kosher Turkeys Go to the Wolves

Image of caged lion cub from the Princess Alia Foundation