Tu B’Shvat is just around the corner! Traditionally known as the “New Year of the Trees”, in modern times it has been reinterpreted as the Jewish Earth Day. Each year, Jews around the world come together to celebrate the holiday by planting trees, cleaning beaches, and participating in other acts of “Tikkun Olam” (repairing the […]
Thanks to Tel Aviv based blog, Oh So Arty, we recently learned of a new decorating trend hitting the sometimes dirty and dreary streets of Tel Aviv. Urban knitting. If the term “urban knitting” makes you think of old ladies sitting in the middle of Rothschild Boulevard with needles and yarn in tow, think again. […]
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of living in or visiting Turkey, you’ll find it’s very hard to get lost off the beaten trail. The public transportation system there is so well oiled; bus owners of private buses or the smaller minibuses –– the dolmus –– are so well organized, you can literally scoot across […]
Qatar’s environmental goals and ambitions will be discussed at a national seminar organised by the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) on January 27 at the Four Seasons Hotel, according to the Gulf Times. The seminar’s aims are twofold. The first is to identify and discuss issues and challenges related to achieving the environmental goals […]
We were too distracted by the war with Gaza over the last few weeks to take notice that Shai Agassi from Better Place, the Israeli electric car guru, is now working on a deal with Canada. Those Canadians love their SUVs, and trucks to plow through Canadian winters, but maybe some Torontonians and yuppies that […]
People love their cars, even environmentalists. In the Middle East, it’s less so, but in America, people and own more cars per capita than anywhere else on earth — some 765 for every 1,000 people. But turbulent financial times everywhere threaten both the automotive industry and the ability to put gas in the tanks of […]
I was in Grade 4, in Canada, and learning about all the secrets and marvels of life. There was the discovery of books like 1984, new information about sex and how our parents’ genes combine to make us who we are; we were taught how to make our own movies, and program computers – and one […]
How do changemakers form bold ideas, and turn them into a massive project like a major documentary film? Today we talk with Courtney Nichols, producer of the new film Blood For Water, on how she came from the world of business to take on the global problem of water politics head on. She’s planning on turning […]
Each week Orthodox Jews read one segment of the Five Books of Moses so that they can complete the entire Five Books within the course of a year. In last week’s Eco-Rabbi post we discussed the Jews slavery in Egypt along with Moses’ first prophecy via a burning bush. This week continues Moses’ fight for […]
Last week with our recipe for the Syrian dip muhamarra, we embarked on a perilous culinary adventure: trying to recreate authentic versions of classic Middle Eastern dishes. Why perilous? Well, my grandmother and grandfather couldn’t, between the two of them, agree on the best way to make charoset. Trying to come up with a recipe […]
Windows are one of the most significant costs in building projects or home renovations. Next to that are the bills homeowners have to pay for heating and air conditioning. Solving two problems under one roof — literally — is an Israeli company Alubin that has developed all-season reversible windows. The solution is also good for […]
With everything going on over the past month, many of our thoughts have been turned towards the southern area of Israel and the Negev. At more than 60% of the country’s land mass, however, the Negev desert should really be part of the Israeli consciousness more often. Community based NGO Shvuat ha-Adamah/Earth’s Promise, based in […]
The historic discovery of a large deposit of natural gas off of the Israel coast has the potential to restructure the Israeli energy market, with effects reaching into other countries in the region as well. The “Tamar 1” deposit, located 90 km west of Haifa, is projected to begin delivery in 2015, and contains at […]
Israelis come from a variety of countries and their diets tend toward the eclectic. My own culinary heritage is staunchly eastern European. But while my mother rendered chicken fat from time to time, she preferred adapting traditional foods to make them lighter. Alternet‘s Terence McNally interviewed Michael Pollan, ecological food expert and best-selling author of […]
Amidst all its struggles to develop clean and cleaner technologies (and a war with Gaza), it seem that Israelis got a huge gift this week: Israelis were celebrating this week over the discovery of a massive 3 trillion cubic feet natural gas pocket found buried 1.5 km below the sea floor, some 90 km off […]