Subscribe
type here...
Subscribe
Lifestyle
1 min.Read

Falafel oil fuels Tel Aviv Earth Hour concert

Karen Chernick
By Karen Chernick
39
Earth Hour powered by falafel oil, Tel Aviv
Earth Hour powered by falafel oil, Tel Aviv

Okay, so officially… Earth Hour was a few weeks ago and despite the fact that many other Middle Eastern cities participated, Israel was caught with its pants down.  And yes, it’s probably true that instead of powering down, they were powering up to watch an important football match between Israel and Greece.

But it’s also true that Tel Aviv celebrated Earth Hour last year in a big way, with a large gathering in Rabin Square, by turning off all of the lights in City Hall and the Azrieli Towers, by soliciting the participating of Israeli President Shimon Peres, and by bringing a free bio-diesel and human cyclist powered concert to the masses.

Chances are, many Tel Avivians probably just showed up for the free concert.  But if they were out in Rabin Square listening to the concert then that probably meant that their lights were off at home, right?  Mission accomplished.

And so even though it’s a little belated, Tel Aviv will be celebrating Earth Hour again this year – this time on Earth Day eve (Thursday, April 23rd).  The full day’s worth of festivities have already been described by Karin, but for those out there who may need something like a free evening concert to lure them out of their electrically lit apartments and away from their TVs and computers… keep reading.

The nighttime festivities will begin in Rabin Square at 6:30pm tomorrow with a countdown and many musical performances.  The performers will include Asaf Avidan, Balkan Beat Box, and Shlomi Saranga and will be powered – of course – by biodiesel created from the excess oil of local falafel stands and human powered energy created live by cyclists near the stage.  (Check out one of Balkan Beat Box’s live performances from 2007 in the video clip above.)

At 8:00pm, the lights will finally be turned off for a full hour.  Even if you can’t make it to Rabin Square, feel free to turn (or dim) your lights in solidarity.

Get excited by reading about last year’s Earth Hour celebration::
Putting the Pedal to the Heavy Metal
Tell Me It’s Hot, Tell Me It’s Cold: Tel Aviv Earth Hour Concert 2008
Lights Out for Tel Aviv

 

Karen Chernick
Karen Chernickhttps://www.greenprophet.com/
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
39 COMMENTS

  10. Some interesting points to be taken away from this article. Earth day is an important part of the calendar year now days, especially to reduce our carbon footprint.

  19. Hi, I also heard about “Earth Hour”. When i saw that all the people off their lights of 1 hour i shocked. There may be other ideas but this was very interesting.

  20. Hi there. Thank you for the post! I think that every country and city should do the same and spread the word. Mother earth must be saved! John.

  22. I must say this is required for us to have such events regularly to save the earth…Thanks for the post…this will for sure aware people…Keep up the good work.

  23. Nice article, Earth Day deserves all the publicity it can get as there are still many people who are not aware of it.

  24. Nice article, Earth Day deserves all the publicity it can get as there are still many people who are not aware of it.

Comments are closed.

TRENDING

Quintin Tarantino walks on a bike lane in Tel Aviv

0
Quentin Tarantino lives in Israel now, quietly blending into Tel Aviv life (which is pretty loud and late night!) — until Tel Aviv, of course, notices him.
Read more

Iran’s water mafia and thirst for war leaves the country on brink of being dry

0
Iran’s Lake Urmia, once the Middle East’s largest saltwater lake, has shrunk by 90 percent due to mismanagement, dams, and drought. As Tehran pours billions into foreign conflicts, water activists face repression at home. The crisis mirrors Syria’s drought-driven unrest, showing how water scarcity can destabilize entire regions.
Read more

All 13 Tel Aviv Beaches Reawarded the Prestigious ‘Blue Flag’ for 2025

0
Reaffirming its leadership in sustainable coastal management, all 13 of Tel Aviv-Yafo’s public beaches have once again earned the prestigious Blue Flag certification for 2025. This honor, awarded by the International Blue Flag Committee and the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), recognizes beaches that meet exceptional standards in water quality, safety, accessibility, and environmental education.
Read more

Tel Aviv’s mayor Huldai is taking smart phones from schools – his irony in education

0
Waldorf schools, created by Austria's Rudolph Steiner, are the fastest-growing school system in Israel because of their focus on arts and crafts and their avoidance of technology in the classroom. It’s ironic that Huldai is being praised for pushing a tech-free school environment while his administration shattered a community that has been practicing this philosophy for over a decade.
Read more

Tel Aviv is giving away free fruit trees to turn the city into an urban edible forest

0
Orange trees are everywhere in Jaffa. So are grapes, loquats, and olives. The city is giving away free fruit trees so the entire city will be an edible urban forest
Read more

Impact Investing

Turning Your Energy Consultancy into an LLC: 4 Legal Steps for Founders in Texas

0
If you are starting a renewable energy business in Texas, learn how to start an LLC by the books.
Read more

Tracking the Impacts of a Hydroelectric Dam Along the Tigris River

2
For the next two months, I'll be taking a break from my usual Green Prophet posts to report on a transnational environmental issue: the Ilısu Dam currently under construction in Turkey, and the ways it will transform life along the Tigris River.
Read more

6 Payment Processors With the Fastest Onboarding for SMBs

0
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Read more

Qatar’s climate hypocrisy rides the London Underground

0
Qatar remains a master of doublethink—burning gas by the megaton while selling “sustainability” to a world desperate for clean air. Wake up from your slumber people.
Read more

How Quality of Hire Shapes Modern Recruitment

0
A 2024 survey by Deloitte found that 76% of talent leaders now consider long-term retention and workforce contribution among their most important hiring success metrics—far surpassing time-to-fill or cost-per-hire. As the expectations for new hires deepen, companies must also confront the inherent challenges in redefining and accurately measuring hiring quality.
Read more

8 Team-Building Exercises to Start the Week Off 

0
Team building to change the world! The best renewable energy companies are ones that function.
Read more

Thank you, LinkedIn — and what your Jobs on the Rise report means for sustainable careers

0
While “green jobs” aren’t always labeled as such, many of the fastest-growing roles are directly enabling the energy transition, climate resilience, and lower-carbon systems: Number one on their list is Artificial Intelligence engineers. But what does that mean? Vibe coding Claude? 
Read more

Somali pirates steal oil tankers

3
The pirates often stage their heists out of Somalia, a lawless country, with a weak central government that is grappling with a violent Islamist insurgency. Using speedboats that swarm the targets, the machine-gun-toting pirates take control of merchant ships and then hold the vessels, crew and cargo for ransom.
Read more

Related Articles

Popular Categories

CitiesHealthLifestyleBusinessGreen Tech and GadgetsTravelDesign
Previous article
James Laps Up Simon Barnes's Book 'How to Be Wild'
Next article
How to turn a vintage fridge into a chair and stool

Have news to share? Renewable energy news, architectural, artificial intelligence, biotech, sustainable design ideas, eco-architecture, green travel?
Email us: [email protected]

Company

Headlines

Key Rules Recreational Cannabis Users Must Follow in Pittsburgh

0
Adults who are 21 or older can carry up to 30 grams. This amount applies to personal use within Pittsburgh’s limits. Carrying more could lead to confiscation or legal action. Staying under the limit avoids problems during any public stop.

Turning Your Energy Consultancy into an LLC: 4 Legal Steps for Founders in Texas

0
If you are starting a renewable energy business in Texas, learn how to start an LLC by the books.

Ancient Chinese medicine might heal spinal cord injuries

0
In the study, the scientists didn’t just test one plant compound at a time. They tested two traditional Chinese medicine compounds together — luteolin (from flowers like honeysuckle and chrysanthemum) and astragaloside IV (from astragalus root, Huang Qi). These plants have been combined in Chinese herbal formulas for centuries to help the body recover from injury and inflammation.

Luxury meets the textile waste stream with Coach – Bank & Vogue

0
A new collaboration between luxury brand Coach and textile reuse pioneer Bank & Vogue attempts to stitch those two worlds together: high fashion and the global textile waste stream.

Newsletter

Get important news delivered directly to your inbox and stay connected!

© 2007 to 2026 Green Prophet, All Rights Reserved