Comments on: Israeli Eco-Conscious Town Nurit is in the Works in Gilboa

By: Daniel Pedersen

Daniel Pedersen — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:18:21 +0000

Check out this article in Haaretz by Daniel Orenstein. Even though it’s from 2007 and focused on the Negev, it details the objections listed in my previous comment
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/841397.html

echoed by Michael’s greenprophet post
http://greenprophet.com/2008/06/02/566/forbidden-fruit-eden-hills/
who also quoted the government’s own ‘Israel 2020′ plan:
“Its underlying planning principles include: concentrated and dense development, urban renewal, prevention of new settlements and increased density of existing ones, improved public transportation, and emphasis on green buffers, open spaces and the preservation of heritage and nature values.”

By: Daniel Pedersen

Daniel Pedersen — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:14:32 +0000

Development in Israel, as defined by the planning committees and the environmental groups in Israel, should expand existing towns and not build new ones. The environmental impact of establishing a new yishuv, especially in sensitive areas like the Gilboa, is huge: roads, electricity, pipes, sewage, transportation, waste removal, and more have a great cost in the reduction of open spaces, energy and other resources.
It isn’t simple to compare the environmental damage of creating a new town with the benefits from the solar and wind power, grey water, etc. – but it’s hard to see how a new town can be called “Eco-Conscious” when it is not an expansion of an existing place.
I’d also be willing to bet that Nurit will largely be a bedroom community and residents will commute rather than work locally – no word on the employment that will be developed on site to provide local work for the residents

By: Nehemiah Bar-Shlomo

Nehemiah Bar-Shlomo — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:05:33 +0000

This is interesting.
I love a lot of the ideas here but I take issue with the fact that residents will be “required” to do certain things as opposed to “encouraged” and that they assume that of course one can work from home or in the local area, ( for high-tech, etc. types only?), not all of us have the type of job that can be performed from home or in a small village. Good ideas but a bit on the “eco-facisct” side, being green because you’re required to do so, as well as falling into the common trap of a few people creating an “exclusive” community away from the rest of the society as opposed to working to change existing communities.
Also why the need to create a whole new settlement in an unspoiled area anyway? Why not just try to implement these ideas in established towns and cities?
The time, money and energy required for this project would be better spent in helping to reduce the environmental impact of already existing towns and cities in Israel and educating others.