“My story gathering has led me all over the world. Each journey took me to a perfect example of one facet of the problem or one hint of a solution. I was near the end before I realised that I had looked for my answers on several of the world’s most forgotten islands, self-contained places […]
In this week’s segment Jacob leaves his parent’s home. Jacob just out-maneuvered Esau, his brother, for the birthright and now Esau wants revenge. Jacob hopes to stay with family in Haran. On his way there Jacob sets up camp in a special “place.” Sources explain that that place is holy and is either the Temple […]
A day before Buy Nothing Day in 2008 an American salesman lost his life, as bargain hunters in a Wal-Mart shop in Long Island trampled him to death.
The winter months are fast approaching, and more of us are feeling the need to look for things to keep us warm – whether it be soup, sweaters, slippers, or socks. And for those of us who are trying to be green, the more we can avoid using electricity and non-renewable energy for our heating […]
The video is a bit slow to start and speaks to a somewhat unsophisticated audience, but it introduces an important concept of charity in Islam (sadaqah jariyah), and why Muslims should support “Waqf” –– for the environment’s sake. Or at the very least political stability. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Waqf […]
Famous for his Orange Suspendu sculpture in Jaffa, I had the pleasure to interview environmental artist Ran Morin. Rarely granting interviews with the press, Morin spoke with me a little about living and working in Israel, and man’s place in the environment. Earlier this week Ran Morin sent me an invite to the launching of […]
The leader of the Atid Yarok (“green future”) environmental group in the Merkaz Hamagshimim community center in Jerusalem is leaving. Now Atid Yarok must have a new leader, or the group will fade away. The initiatives of Atid Yarok have included the Jerusalem of Green project, which James reported on last February; and perhaps the […]
Slow Food has been garnering lots of attention lately, with an international convention in San Francisco in September and another in Italy just this week. It seems like the perfect time to pull out the Slow Food anthology, this week’s entry in our eco-reads review series. ‘Slow Food’ is one of those elusive yet still […]
Winter is on its way, and with it the bone-chilling cold that penetrates every poorly insulated apartment in Israeli cities. Now is the perfect time to stop contemplating global warming alone, and one American Web site, Greensingles, promises to help its members connect to other carborexics with this pitch:
“Look at My work, how beautiful and perfect is everything that I created. I created it for you. Be careful not to ruin and destroy My world. If you ruin it, there is nobody to restore it after you.” (Ecclesiastes Rabba 7:28) What is an eco-rabbi? It’s a person who brings the Jewish faith message […]
Today’s book review, part of our ‘eco books review festival’, is by guest writer Gil Peled: Jerusalem-based Israeli eco-architect Gil (who trained in architecture in the wilds of deepest Scotland…), has been involved in planning and designing on the green scene in Israel for many years. His ongoing project is coordinating a Jerusalem apartment building […]
Sunday’s New York Times featured an environmental article (“Extreme Approaches Toward Living a Green Life”) with an interesting twist. After describing what many everyday Americans, such as fellow green bloggers Sharon Astyk (of Casaubon’s Book) and Colin Beavan (of No Impact Man), do in their daily lives to alleviate their negative impact on the environment […]
Freelance writer James Glave has successfully turned the planning and construction of a shed on his property in British Columbia into a thriving trade. His book, “Almost Green,” his own blog site devoted to the book and his promotional activities selling it, coupled with the Facebook group and the website devoted to renting out the […]
Last week, Green Prophet Daniella Cheslow got her teeth into The End of Food, a book which critiques, and predicts the decline of, the modern global food system. This prompted the question: what could be next to face a sticky end? According to a documentary by the same name, The End of Suburbia is also […]
Kids on bikes cruise past Azrieli towers. A couple of years ago I read a book called Carfree Cities, which put forward a very convincing case for reducing the use of private cars in the city, and set out a whole series of design alternatives which, according to author J.H. Crawford, would obviate the need […]