“But you have to understand why!” exclaimed Shirly Askary, the store’s proprietor.  Shirly explained that the boots are made of 100% organic cotton and natural rubber soles.  Furthermore, they are hand-sewn by a Palestinian man in Hebron, who receives a fair wage for his labor.

The boots, as well as the organic, hand-loomed cotton clothing, hand-crafted gemstone jewelry, and natural bath and body products reflect Shirly’s ambitious vision for her store.

Shirly eschews the mass-marketing logic of consumerism.  She believes people should invest a little more in a few high quality, long-lasting goods, instead of continously buying more and more to meet consumerism-driven needs.  “You change into living a life where you don’t need much, and instead just enjoy using what you do have,” she explains.

Zendegi, which means “life” in Farsi, aims to express this belief.  The store carries a variety of organic cotton clothes – pants, skirts, dresses, camisoles, etc. – that exceed common industry standards for “organic-ness.”  Although organic cotton avoids the heavy pesticides of conventionally grown cotton (a plus for both the ecosystem and our health!), even “organic” products can contain up to five percent non-organic content.  Dyes, for instance, are not organic, even if they are natural, vegetable-based colors.  Zendegi’s clothes are all a natural white (at least for the meantime.  Shirly plans to experiment this summer with an Indian dying method that uses special bacteria to set colors from flowers and vegetables).

“I think in a country like Israel it’s very important because of the heat, and the sun, and the summer – we sweat so much!” Shirly emphasizes.  “We need clothes that absorb our sweat without the chemicals.”

Sustainability and health concerns aside, Shirly also points out the high quality of Zendegi’s wares.  Hand loomed cotton is a bit open, so when it is washed the fibers cling together, making the garment softer and fluffier every time.  And although other stores in Tel Aviv like Cotton and Katanchic are beginning to hop on the organic bandwagon, Zendegi is still the only store to offer a hand-loomed selection.

According to Shirly, Zendegi, which opened in 2008, is still a work in progress.  She hopes that, “one day Zendegi will be a center where people can come and either buy what they need – clothes, cosmetics, shoes, all the elementary stuff – all natural, all fair trade, and they will know it’s good quality, it’s been made under fair trade.  That everything that’s been promised to them is true.”

:: Zendegi

More on organic cotton in Israel and the Middle East:
Abdulla Carries Natural, Organic Textiles in the Heart of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar
Cotton’s Organic Clothes are Soft on the Environment
No Sweat Apparel’s Organic Ts Help Bring Peace to the Middle East

Israel has no shortage of organic cuisine.  From LovEAT café in Tel Aviv to Mizpe Hayamim in the Galilee and Negev Nectars in the south, this country is chock-full of good organic eatin’.

And here’s one more to add to the list!  Café Louise opened in Haifa in 2007 with a vision to offer a natural, healthy culinary experience.

“At the beginning, people didn’t visit because they said ‘It’s healthy, so it must be not be tasty,’” explained founding partner and manager Shay Hamzani.  “We wanted to show people that healthy food can be good too.”

Hamzani and his team, which includes a clinical nutritionist who ensures each dish is packed with nutrients as well as flavor, set out to prove these disbelievers wrong.  Café Louise prepares meals using whole, fresh ingredients instead of unhealthy ones (translation:  lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and olive oil instead of fatty mayo or butter).  Almost everything is prepared in-house in a specially equipped kitchen to make sure that every dish meets the highest standards of both taste and healthfulness.  And of course, the ingredient list includes a variety of organic ingredients like eggs, pasta, vegetables, coffee, and homemade olives.

Today Café Louise has a rather strong clientel base.  The original Haifa branch was so successful, in fact, that the team opened up another branch in the Northern Tel Aviv neighborhood Ramat HaChayal late last year.

The Café Louise team is eager to build a reputation customers trust. “With all of the manipulations in ingredients these days, someone can sit and think he receives the proper nutrition.  But he receives less!” says Hamzani.  “We don’t want to just use buzzwords.  We really want our customers to connect [to our natural, healthy vision], and to value our product.”

Café Louise’s two branches are located at Moriah 58 (Haifa) and Harugey Hamlachut 11 (Ramat HaChayal).

:: Cafe Louise

More on organic dining in Israel:
Organic Diet and Health Expert Christina Pirello Visits Israel
Putting on the Organic Ritz at “Mitzpe Hayamim” Organic Restaurant, Hotel and Spa
Tel Aviv’s LovEAT Loves to Drink Organic Coffee

Need another reason to eat organic?  Or at least pesticide-free?

In a study to be published this month, Israeli researchers examining the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in the Wadi Ara communities in northern Israel found an unusually high prevalence of the disease in Baqa al-Gharbiyeh.  Baqa al-Gharbiyeh has an incidence of 73.39 cases per 100,000 residents, in comparison to surrounding communities like Umm al-Fahm (34.84 cases), Kafr Qara (25.45), and Ara and Arara (18.45 cases).

The reason for this disparity, the researchers explain, is exposure to agricultural pesticides.

Dr. Rafik Masalha, head of the epilepsy clinic at Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, explains:

“In Baqa there is higher exposure to industrial agriculture, which includes the use of pesticides, and there are many more farmers compared to other communities in Wadi Ara, whose livelihood is more based on urban work or construction. It was proved that pesticides inhaled can affect the brain stem, which is responsible for the production of dopamine.”

Dopamine is a vital brain chemical. Deficiency causes Parkinson’s, a degenerative disease of the central nervous system that affects motor skills and speech.

According to the research, residents of Baqa al-Gharbiyeh are exposed to pesticides that are dumped by small airplanes. They may also be exposed to pesticides by drinking contaminated water, although the Israeli Ministry of Health says it has not recorded any unusual concentrations of pesticides in Baqa al-Gharbiyeh’s drinking water.  A statement released by the Ministry stated:

“The use of pesticides in Israel is reasonable and under supervision. Well water is examined routinely and meets the strictest standards set by the World Health Organization and the U.S. health authorities. If pollution is found in a well, it is shut down. Pollution in wells as a result of pesticides is rare in Israel.”

To date, the Ministry of Health does not maintain a database on Parkinson’s patients, so this research is the first to discuss the disease within the context of community and environmental health.

:: Ha’aretz

Image Credit: Wellington Grey

More on pesticide use related to Israel and the Middle East:
Turkey Bans 74 Pesticides for the EU
Make Bugs, Not Pesticides
Souls Wait for Heaven as Toxic Pesticides From Israel Pulled from Sunken Ferry

Rising sea level, one of many climate change-related phenomena expected to occur in the coming years, is a major environmental concern for many Middle Eastern countries where coastlines are long and water resources are scarce.

However, a recent study headed by Dr Dorit Sivan, Head of the Department of Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa, shows that showed that sea level rise (and fall) is nothing new “under the sun” here in Israel.  According to the study, the sea level in Israel has been rising and falling over the past 2,500 years, with a one-meter difference between the highest and lowest levels, most of the time below the present-day level.

“Rises and falls in sea level over relatively short periods do not testify to a long-term trend. It is early yet to conclude from the short-term increases in sea level that this is a set course that will not take a change in direction,” explained Dr. Sivan.

Dr. Sivan and research assistant Ayelet Toker set out to examine Israel’s sea level over the past 2,500 years, based on data deduced from many coastal archaeological findings.  The pair examined Crusader-era excavations from the Antiquities Authority in Acre, which revealed that the sea level during the Crusader period – just 800 years ago – was some 50-90 centimeters lower than the present sea level.  An analysis of other archaeological findings from the same period at Caesarea and Atlit reinforced this conclusion.

When additional sites were examined from periods before and after the Crusader period, Dr. Sivan and Ms. Toker discovered there have been significant fluctuations in sea level: During the Hellenistic period, the sea level was about 1.6 meters lower than its present level; during the Roman era the level was almost similar to today’s; the level began to drop again during the ancient Muslim period, and continued dropping to reach the same level as it was during the Crusader period, but within about 500 years it rose again, and reached some 25 centimeters lower than today’s level at the beginning of the 18^th century.

“Over the past century, we have witnessed the sea level in Israel fluctuating with almost 19 centimeters between the highest and lowest levels,” said Dr. Sivan.  “Over the past 50 years Israel’s mean sea level rise is 5.5 centimeters, but there have also been periods when it rose by 10 centimeters over 10 years. That said, even acute ups and downs over short periods do not testify to long-term trends. An observation of the sea levels over hundreds and thousands of years shows that what seems a phenomenon today is as a matter of fact ‘nothing new under the sun.’ ”

However, although rising sea level may not be new, it may still be incredibly destructive.  Impacts like flooding, underground water salinization, flooded effluents, and acceleratead coastal damage are all associated with sea level rise.  Israel and other nearby Mediterranean countries should therefore make every effort to prepare for and adapt to possible damage in the coming years.

:: University of Haifa

Photo Credit:  Amir Yurman, University of Haifa

More stories on sea level rise:
12 Million Egyptians to be Affected by Climate Change
The Conflicted Middle East to Worsen As Global Warming Causes Rising Sea Levels
Mega Urban Developments In Gulf Region A Natural Disaster Waiting to Happen

The Coastal Aquifer, the main freshwater resource for Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, has been in danger for a long time. The environmental impacts of last year’s war between Israel and Gaza created serious damage, merely compounding years of steady pollution.
Recently, Egypt began construction on a 10 km (7 mile) wall to cut down on smuggling tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.  And as if the beleaguered aquifer didn’t have enough problems, experts in Gaza determined yesterday that this underground steel wall will cause even further damage to Gaza’s aquifer.

A team of Palestinian experts and specialists presented these findings during a symposium called “The Metal Wall between Egypt and Gaza: Impacts, Environmental and Human Consequences.”

Water expert Nezar Al-Weheidi explained that extensive digging could lead to saltwater intrusion, as well as cause the soil, and therefore buildings on it, to collapse.

Abed Al-Fattah Abed Rabu, lecturer in Environment Sciences at the Islamic University added,

“the metal wall, between 20 to 30 meters deep underground, will obstruct the flowing of water in the joint aquifer between Sinai and Gaza, threaten the aquifer which is already suffering from many problems including lack of water, pollution and mismanagement.”

“Construction of the wall will contribute to contaminating the aquifer due to soil weakness and inconsistency which, in turn, will contribute to the deterioration of the quality of water. This will lead to an increase in the poor state of local environment and will affect the health and environmental conditions of those in Gaza.”

In addition, other symposium participants noted the economic impacts of the wall, such as job loss and slowed development of the local markets, and discussed how the media could play a role in preventing this damage.

The Coastal Aquifer is a major source of both drinking and irrigation water in Gaza. It seems that, once again, the environment here in the Middle East is an unfortunate hostage to regional politics and conflict.

:: Ma’an News
Image Credit:  piersonr

More on the environment and environmental damage in Gaza:
Recent Gaza Conflict Has Environmental Impacts, Too!
Gazans Smoke Sewage Peace Pipe With Israel
Solar Cooking Ovens: Another Eco-Solution from the Gaza Strip

Today, Sisters, a five year-old, woman-owned, woman-run chain of Tel Aviv sex shops, is building on this tradition of helping women in Israel get our green groove on!

Sister just introduced a new line of toys with an environmentally friendly “Click’N’Charge” electromagnetic charger.  These toys are the award-winning creation of the German erotic toy company Fun Factory.  The “Click’N’Charge” plugs directly into any wall outlet.  Both the base of the toy and the charger have opposing magnets, that when clicked rev up the toy’s lithium battery engine.  When the battery eventually dies, it is easily and instantly rechargeable with just another touch of a button.

Sisters’ Ayelet David-Koren admits that this is only a “half-green” technology, since it still uses electricity, which ultimately comes from dirty sources like coal.  Still, the Click’N’Charge replaces the need for one-time use batteries, which is certainly a plus for the environment  (Batteries take a lot of resources to produce, and often end up leaching dangerous chemicals in landfills).  It’s also a plus for women, who won’t need to stop and switch or charge regular batteries in the heat of passion.

Although the new line is the first one Sisters is marketing specifically as green, the store is no stranger to environmentally healthy products.  Their raison d’etre is to promote sex toys that are woman-friendly, which, much like organic foods or fabrics, means free of substances that could be harmful to women’s bodies.   All of the store’s toys are made of materials like rubber elastomer or silicone, which are chosen specifically because they do not contain phthalates (a type of chemical used in plastics that is thought to be carcinogenic).

Organic lube, another environmentally and body-conscious erotic product popular in the U.S. and Europe, is something David-Koren would “bring to Israel tomorrow” if she could, but faces a challenge because sexual lubricants in Israel are defined as cosmetics.  This means they require a special license for sale, and must undergo testing by the Ministry of Health.  This process, laments David-Koren, is bureaucratic and can cost several thousand shekels.

In the meantime, Sisters staff remains committed to increasing women’s awareness about their sex products.  “We educate women on what’s good and not good to put in their bodies,” says David-Koren.  “It’s especially important to us because we are women!”

Sisters has two locations in Tel Aviv, one at Ben Gurion Boulevard No. 47 and one at the Tel Aviv Port, Hangar 26.

Until January 31, they are also running a contest on their Facebook page.  Whoever posts the best marketing slogan for the new green vibrators wins one!

:: Sisters [Hebrew]

Related posts on the environment and women’s bodies:
Israel’s Dinah Project Greens Your Sex Life
Ecomum Ecos Your Moon Cycle
10 Common Misconceptions About Breastfeeding Your Baby

Additionally, Abdulla carries organic olive oil and olive oil soaps, honey, and pomegranate syrup, all produced locally and naturally in Turkey (a country which, by the way, is one of the world’s largest growers of organic cotton).

Metin Tosun, Abdulla’s founder and proprietor, opened his boutique shop about 15 years ago.  The original concept was a sort of Turkish delicatessen, where he intended to sell a wide array of local Turkish handicrafts and gourmet foods. 

But as he traveled the countryside searching for quality products, he encountered many small textile producers complaining about their lack of business.

“There are very few handlooms left in Turkey,” recalls Tosun.  “In general, everything is industrialized.”  He opened Abdulla to give these local economies and traditional modes of production some support.

More broadly speaking Abdulla is the result of Tosun’s ironclad belief that organic and natural sources create a higher quality product.  All of the dyes used in the store’s products, for instance, are plant-based because, according to Tosun, “Natural dyes are much nicer!  They just look better than industrial dyes.  If you want to dye something brown, you can use an acorn!”  Plus, naturally sourcing his wares adds more local character.  “The herbs that they use in central Turkey to make blue are different than the ones in Eastern Turkey,” he says.

Tosun is hesitant to call himself an environmentalist.  When I asked him if he assumes this label, he laughed and elegantly evaded the question, and once again cited the importance of high quality.  However the store’s owner does or does not label himself and his endeavor, Abdulla is certainly a model of the sustainable values we like to see here in the Middle East!

The original Abdulla is located inside the Grand Bazaar, on Halicilar Caddesi next to the Fes Cafe.  A second branch is located outside the Bazaar  at Ali Baba Türbe Sokak 25-27.  If you are like me, bring your older sister so she can forcibly drag you out of the store.  Otherwise you might never see the rest of Istanbul!

:: Abdulla

Photo by Rachel Bergstein, courtesy of Shira Bergstein’s camera

Previous Green Prophet posts on natural textiles:
Cotton’s Organic Clothes Are Soft on the Environment
No Sweat Apparel’s Organic Ts Help Bring Peace to the Middle East
Bagir’s Recycled Plastic Bottle Suit Gives New Meaning to Euro-Trash

In Israel, kibbutzim (once-socialist agricultural collectives) have risen as a hotbed of environmental activity.  Green Prophet has covered Kibbutz Ein Shemer, which holds environmental education seminars in their state-of-the-art greenhouse, and Kibbutz Lotan, which hosts the Center for Creative Ecology, just as a few of many examples.

Although not physically based on a kibbutz, the newly formalized Cooperative for Renewable Energy is drawing on the kibbutz’s collectivist ethos to continue advancing sustainability in Israel.

Frustrated by what they perceive to be the Israeli government’s lack of investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, a few individuals began pooling their resources to start investing on their own. “The cooperative is not only to support its members,” said founding member and acting project manager Roni Segoly, “but also the society, by promoting projects in areas that the government does not.”

Today the community stands at 100 members. An individual can become a member of the co-op by purchasing between one and ten shares for 1000 shekels each. Unlike a corporation, where more shares equal more power, each member has one vote no matter how many shares he or she owns. Major decisions, like venturing into new technology sectors or changing the constitution, require a vote from all members.

Using their combined resources, the co-op will build projects that both advance environmental protection in Israel and result in a sustainable profit for the cooperative’s members. Each project will have a different way of earning money. For its first project, which started operating in October 2009, the co-op installed a water heating system based on water pumps on Kibbutz Givat Hayim. The new system will reduce Givat Hayim’s environmental footprint, because their old heaters were based on gas. It will also save the kibbutz money by reducing their water heating costs. The co-op will get a chunk of the sum the kibbutz saves over the next six years, providing a dividend on the members’ investment.

Currently, the co-op is in pilot status. In other words, it is in a process of establishing organizational mechanisms and infrastructures. This is the real challenge, says Segoly. “The technology is not the problem. It’s the cooperative itself. Are there enough members? Too many members? What will the costs be for managing more people? Is it a lot of work? Is it easy? Difficult?”

Although there is certainly a profit motive, Segoly emphasizes that the co-op has loftier goals. “We want to be more than just the money. We want to be involved in our projects,” he stressed. “The typical member is someone who cares about the environment and wants to be part of a community.”

:: Cooperative for Renewable Energy [Hebrew]

More on renewable energy in Israel:
Israeli Renewable Energy – Why Israel, Why Now?
5 Must-See Green & Tech Travel Stops at Israeli Kibbutzes
How Israel’s Military Secrets Translate to Clean Technology

Zein Nsheiwat, Sawsan Issa, and Osama Suliman first met in 2005 when they were all students at the Arava Insitute for Environmental Studies in southern Israel.  After they returned home to Jordan, they wanted to find a way to take advantage of what they had learned at the Arava, and to apply it in the context of their home country.

Today, this team is conducting a pilot project on clear thin film photovoltaic (PV) cells in the Middle East.  Thin film PV cells are made out of bendable plastic.  They use less silicon than traditional PV cells (the ones you find on roofs, for instance), which is part of their raison d’etre – because of the global boom in solar technology, silicon is getting more and more expensive.

Zein, Sawsan, and Osama are using clear thin film PV cells, a special subset of thin films, to line the tops of greenhouses in Jordan.  Their hope is that the because the cells are transparent, they will both let enough sunlight in for photosynthesis, thereby increasing plant productivity, and produce electricity for Jordanian farmers who often live off the traditional energy grid.

There are a few downsides of thin film technology.  Since the panels use less silicon, they have lower efficiency. PV cells usually capture about 18 percent of the sun’s energy, but think film captures 8-11 percent.  The clear thin film is even lower – in lab conditions they capture about 5 percent, or even lower.

“Lab conditions,” however, is the operative phrase.  By engaging in a 14-month pilot study in the field, these researchers aim to study how this technology actually behaves in the field.

If their pilot study in Jordan is successful, Zein, Sawsan, and Osama aspire to enable small farmers to sell solar energy to the Jordanian grid, contributing to both sustainable development and overall environmental wellbeing both in their country and the entire region.

More on solar energy in Jordan and beyond:
Ausra Reflectors to Power 100 MW Solar Thermal Plant in Jor
danJordan Launches EDAMA Initiative on Energy Independence, Water Conservation
Lebanon and United Nations to Develop Solar Energy Projects

Read more on our green workshop:
Multifaith Writers and Activists Unite in Jordan
Green Bloggers Page (with all updates)
Meet the green bloggers and activists from Jordan
Part I: Learn About Jordan
Instigating Environmental Awareness in Palestine

Image via GJSolar

Delegates gathered in City Hall Square of the city to publicly light the Channukah menorah, but with a climate-flavored twist.  Instead of singing the traditional words to age-old Channukah songs, the activists changed the words to reflect their reason for attending the conference.  “We light this candle for coal, and for cars – when will Israel have a [climate] plan?” they sang with mischievous grins (see video below, in Hebrew).

This clever stunt is one of thousands of NGO (non-governmental organization) activities taking place throughout the duration of the Copenhagen conference.  According to the UN framework, only official representatives of nations can make decisions in climate negotiations.  But that hasn’t stopped hordes of activists from descending on the Danish capital to push their leaders toward a strong, effective, and just international climate treaty.

Activist strategies range in scope and intent.  An estimated 60,000-100,000 marched through the streets over the weekend in support of a just climate treaty (including almost 1,000 who were arrested for more disruptive, riot-like protest tactics).  But the nature of the conference allows activists to get creative, too.  Lebanese climate rock-stars IndyAct (who we’ve interviewed live from Copenhagen here), for instance, dressed up as “850” delegates, representative of oil industry interests, and satirically lobbied official conference delegates.

The Israeli NGOs, too, are using their creative juices to make their presence known.  In addition to the Channukah gathering, the delegation is sponsoring a bike ride through Copenhagen, a screening of the film Urban Legend and discussion with director MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), and a debate on “No to Coal” campaigns, co-organized with 350.org.

The Israeli delegation sits under the umbrella of the Paths to Sustainability Coalition, which was founded in 2002 to promote and lobby for national policies addressing the climate crisis and its impacts.  The coalition includes dozens of Israeli environmental organizations, many of which are represented in the 30+ person delegation to Copenhagen.

The NGO delegation believes that, to date, the Israeli government has not taken sufficient action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  They therefore

[call] upon the government of Israel to formulate a comprehnsive, ambitious and bold climate policy and to allocate the resources necessary for its implementation.  Israel must set clear and substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets, on par with the standards of developed countries of the world, and in accordance with Israel’s level of economic development.

Their demands encompass a holistic array of climate related policies, including energy, transport, water, waste, and more.

Click here to read the Paths to Sustainability Coalition’s policy platform, or here to see the official invitation to this week’s events.

Click here to view the embedded video.

:: Paths to Sustainability, New York Times, IndyAct Blog

For more on the COP-15 climate conference in Copenhagen:
From the eye of the reporter: Finding the Arab delegates in Copenhagen
Greenpeace Petition Calls on Netanyahu to Attend Copenhagen Climate Change Summit
Lebanon’s Wael Hmaidan From IndyACT Reports From Copenhagen While “Saving the Planet”