Environmental Awareness in Palestine

These aren't local efforts to get attention, these are ways to survive an brutal occupation. Also, my grandparent used many of the same techniques to grow much of their own food. The lie of liberalism and modernism made certain things “backward” and certain things “forward.” Organic food, composting, water saving techniques etc. became backward, while industrial farming became the enlightening and civilized way to grow food. when Israel was founded on Palestinian land, many of this industrial farming techniques were brought by European Jews settlers. Now, all of sudden, since it popular to return to more natural ways of growing food, many people are jumping on the bandwagon. I didn't say that Israel invented industrial farming. We can blame most of that on the industrial revolution from the UK and US. But I do take issue with Israelis talking about the environment when their is a clear lack of regard for human rights, which in my opinion include environmental rights as well. Look at water usage. Israelis use 4 times the amount of water per capita that Palestinians use. Why? because our water levels are restricted by the Israeli government. Read this recent report for exciting new information. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/0… Is this just another green issue, or a policy of the occupation? This isn't a simple conversation about green news, and you cannot exclude the Political from the conversation. To do so would be dishonest. Ignore the environmental policy, which honestly has the most impact on the environment, and you ignore possibly the most important aspect of the conversation.

Please let us know more about local efforts. We'd like to report on them. Industrial farming is not something Israelis invented. It's also replaced the First Nation's practices in Canada, and that of old school Europe. Again, I think your comments are unjustly over-politicized. We encourage a more moderate voice on this venue. We are not politicians, just people trying to explore green news and solutions in the Middle East.

I know several families in the Bethlehem area (beit jala, beit sahour) who do composting, collect rainwater, and do grey water recycling. But they don't do it because its popular to be green right now. They do it because Bethelehem is surround by a 26-foot wall that restricts their movement. They are green because they get water once every 14 days, and because they don't know when a curfew will stop them from leaving their house. There is a lot of learning that can be done from the indigenous population. Palestinians have been farming and living green (living with nature, not against it) for centuries, long before mechanical and industrial farming ruled the ground.

These aren't local efforts to get attention, these are ways to survive an brutal occupation. Also, my grandparent used many of the same techniques to grow much of their own food. The lie of liberalism and modernism made certain things “backward” and certain things “forward.” Organic food, composting, water saving techniques etc. became backward, while industrial farming became the enlightening and civilized way to grow food. when Israel was founded on Palestinian land, many of this industrial farming techniques were brought by European Jews settlers. Now, all of sudden, since it popular to return to more natural ways of growing food, many people are jumping on the bandwagon. I didn't say that Israel invented industrial farming. We can blame most of that on the industrial revolution from the UK and US. But I do take issue with Israelis talking about the environment when their is a clear lack of regard for human rights, which in my opinion include environmental rights as well. Look at water usage. Israelis use 4 times the amount of water per capita that Palestinians use. Why? because our water levels are restricted by the Israeli government. Read this recent report for exciting new information. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/0… Is this just another green issue, or a policy of the occupation? This isn't a simple conversation about green news, and you cannot exclude the Political from the conversation. To do so would be dishonest. Ignore the environmental policy, which honestly has the most impact on the environment, and you ignore possibly the most important aspect of the conversation.

Please let us know more about local efforts. We'd like to report on them. Industrial farming is not something Israelis invented. It's also replaced the First Nation's practices in Canada, and that of old school Europe. Again, I think your comments are unjustly over-politicized. We encourage a more moderate voice on this venue. We are not politicians, just people trying to explore green news and solutions in the Middle East.

I know several families in the Bethlehem area (beit jala, beit sahour) who do composting, collect rainwater, and do grey water recycling. But they don't do it because its popular to be green right now. They do it because Bethelehem is surround by a 26-foot wall that restricts their movement. They are green because they get water once every 14 days, and because they don't know when a curfew will stop them from leaving their house. There is a lot of learning that can be done from the indigenous population. Palestinians haveing been farming and living green (living with nature, not against it) for centuries, long before mechanical and industrial farming ruled the ground.

Hiba, you are an amazing woman and an inspiration for us all! I am so happy I got the chance to meet you. -Karin