Page 728 – Green Prophet

Home Blog Page 728

Eilat to Host Major International Energy Conference

Tech

Green Prophet

-

January 13, 2009

Eilat to Host Major International Energy Conference

Despite the ongoing conflict in Israel, a three-day international conference on renewable energy planned for February is going ‘full steam ahead,’ according to organizers.

Far from the range of Hamas rocket strikes, the three-day Eilat-Eilot International Renewable Energy Conference will take place in the southernmost city in Israel, from February 17-19, at Eilat’s Herod’s Palace.

This is the second major renewable energy conference for Eilat, and hundreds of clean technology leaders, entrepreneurs, VCs, companies and government representatives from around the world are expected to take part.

A perfect destination for clean energy

An abundance of blinding sun, and few rainy days, makes the Israeli city of Eilat a perfect destination for farming clean energy from the sun. Located at the tip of the Red Sea, where Israel meets Sinai and Jordan, Eilat has been getting serious about clean technologies for some years.

Noam Ilan, project developer for the Renewable Energy Authority of Eilat-Eilot, the body organizing the conference, says that a major goal of the event is to show how Israel plans to implement its own world-class clean technologies. Known around the world for water technologies and solar energy, the conference will shine a bright green light on local projects, and the region’s own Timna Renewable Energy Park.

The conference will “stir up a great momentum,” for clean technology projects, Ilan tells ISRAEL21c. He predicts that within a short time, Eilat will be a renewable energy hub in Israel, and possibly the world.

Tel Aviv “City Rats” Give New Ideas to Urban Planners

Cities

Green Prophet

-

January 13, 2009

Tel Aviv “City Rats” Give New Ideas to Urban Planners

“Rat tracks” made by rats in two city plans: Manhattan-style (left) and New Orleans or Jerusalem-style (right). In both plans rats cover the same distance, but rats in the “Manhattan” grid cover more territory.

Rats Say: Manhattan Rules!
Before “green” urban planners build that new sub-division, neighborhood, city street, or town, they might want some invaluable advice that can spare years and millions of dollars from going down the drain. They just need to ask the rats.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that if you leave it up to the rats, New York City beats the Old City of Jerusalem or New Orleans any day.

This surprising finding comes from new research by TAU zoologists and geographers, who are working together to invent a novel way to test urban designers’ city plans. Instead of using humans as guinea pigs, the scientists went to their nearby zoo and enlisted lab rats to determine the functionality of theoretical and existing plans.

They’ve already tried their theory in the academic setting by blindfolding human biology students to confirm that human orientation strategies and instincts are similar to those of their fellow four-legged city dwellers.

City Tree’s Composter Workshop in Tel Aviv

Health

Daniella Cheslow

-

January 13, 2009

City Tree’s Composter Workshop in Tel Aviv

If you are looking to sharpen your composting skills, banish flies, kill odors, and speed along the making of rich fertilizer for your garden, while running a greener kitchen, City Tree has the answer.

This Thursday at 8 at Bialik 23 in Tel Aviv is the First Israeli Composters’ Forum.

Bring a notebook and maybe some shekels to buy worms for your indoor bins.

For more information (in Hebrew), check out the Facebook event.

More on green living:

Tel Aviv’s City Tree Hosts Eco Salons All Summer
City Tree: A Green Oasis In The Middle Of Tel Aviv
Gil Peled Creates Israel’s First Green Apartment Building

Achmed Khammas Creates Book of Synergy For Change To Renewables From Within

Tech

Green Prophet Guest

-

January 12, 2009

Achmed Khammas Creates Book of Synergy For Change To Renewables From Within

Green Prophet recently interviewed Achmed Khammas. Achmed grew up in Syria and now lives in Germany, and he tells us about the new popular online resource he built: The “Book of Synergy,” and his vision and research in renewable energy, environmental activism in Syria, and personal views on Middle East peace.

My full name is Achmed Adolf Wolfgang Khammas, and I was born to a German mother and Iraqi father in 1952 in Berlin. I grew up in Damascus.
After finishing the school in Syria I worked, but did not study, for a few years at the Technical University in Berlin (TUB). Then, in 1977, I took over the engineering office of my parents in Damascus.

I started my own experiments and developments in 1979 in the field of domestic solar thermal devices and the training of staff members.

The first solar collector was produced then in 1980, which was the beginning of a ten year long odyssey with a lot of trouble and a lot of fun and success. Our team also worked in the field of wind energy, in which I used to have a European Patent for a new ‘splitted blade.’

From Beer Sheva to the Negev: Hiking Out of Rocket Range

Travel

Daniella Cheslow

-

January 12, 2009

From Beer Sheva to the Negev: Hiking Out of Rocket Range

As a Green Prophet studying at Ben Gurion University, for the last two weeks I have been out of school due to rockets on Beer Sheva. Earlier this week I took advantage of BGU’s location in the desert to hike away from the sirens and remember the beauty of being outside in the undeveloped areas of Israel.

Enjoy this account of a night hike, first posted on January 11 at TheTruthHerzl.com.

***

I woke up this morning thinking I was on the streets of Chicago with the wind loudly blowing between the blocks of skyscrapers. It took a few minutes to realize this howling wind was actually the rocket siren, an especially long one.

The siren is a wail that crescendos and decrescendos; usually the rockets fall 60 seconds after it starts. Since this one was so long, I heard a boom in the middle of it. The house shuddered; the rocket must have fallen nearby (I returned to Beer Sheva last week). The siren stopped and I dozed off again.

Upcoming Event: "Greening of Jerusalem" Forum on Emergence of Cleantech Industry

Tech

Green Prophet

-

January 12, 2009

Upcoming Event: "Greening of Jerusalem" Forum on Emergence of Cleantech Industry

On Thursday, January 15, several organizations are joining together for a forum titled “Greening of Jerusalem.” The event is bringing together local cleantech companies, investors, Jerusalem government officials and the Jerusalem public in a joint effort to make the vision of a cleaner, more sustainable world possible and to make Jerusalem and Israel the center of innovation for it and prime example of it.

The event will feature some of Jerusalem’s cleantech companies including bSolar, Cequesta, Leviathan Energy, EnerT Global, EXX Solar, 3GSolar and Solaris Synergy.

Details:
Date: Tursday, January 15, 2009
Time: 6:00PM – 8:00PM
Location: Weitzman Hall at the Jewish Agency’s offices on 48 King George Street
Cost: Free
To RSVP: http://businessnetwork.meetup.com/501/calendar/9400694/

More About Cleantech in Israel:
2008 a Big Year for Israel Cleantech Investments, Says Ernst & Young
Five Times Cleaner at the December Cleantech Startup Showcase in Israel
Israel Cleantech Guide

Upcoming Green Design Conference: The Jerusalem Seminar in Architecture

Cities

James Murray-White

-

January 11, 2009

Upcoming Green Design Conference: The Jerusalem Seminar in Architecture

During these tough times in the south of Israel and Gaza, it’s heartening to discover that some events are continuing, and that the determination to green things up, either by accident or design, continues apace.

Here at Green Prophet, we’ve kept a keen eye on green design and sustainable architecture, both here and abroad. I was cheered this weekend to discover that the Jerusalem Seminar in Architecture is planning its annual conference shortly, and its to be held here in Jerusalem this month, from the 25th to the 27th, with the theme of ‘Green Design – from theory to practice.’

A distinguished panel of practicing architects and experts, chaired by Dr. Ken Yeang, will explore an array of current projects and technological advancements in the field. Bringing together architects from the US, the UK, Holland and Malaysia and several other nations as well as Israel, this conference promises much in the way of green thinking and reflections upon how the natural world can and should influence our buildings and structures.

Eco Living Is Key to Middle East Property Investors

Business

Green Prophet

-

January 9, 2009

Eco Living Is Key to Middle East Property Investors

We’ve oohed and awed over the green building projects in Dubai: A recent survey has consigned that old saying ‘Location is everything,’ to the scrapheap when it comes to property investors looking to flash their cash in the Middle East. Instead, eco is where it’s at, according to a new United Arab Emirates report.

A recent survey by one of the biggest Gulf developers, Nakheel, has shown that environmental friendliness is top of the list for investors who are considering a purchase.

10 Common Misconceptions About Breastfeeding Your Baby

Health

Hannah Katsman

-

January 6, 2009

10 Common Misconceptions About Breastfeeding Your Baby

Breastfeeding is a natural and “green” way for a mother to feed her baby. Yet misconceptions about how to breastfeed and for how long pervade our modern world. These misunderstandings can lead to frustration and distress for the whole family during a challenging period. Green Prophet gives you 10 reasons to shatter any myths and misconceptions.

Misunderstandings vary, depending on your country and culture, but in Israel, which is similar to European and North American countries, I preface my examples with a telling anecdote. Keep reading for 10 very important misunderstandings and tips about breastfeeding that can change the way your new baby is nourished.

A mother, who worked from home, had just enrolled her 14-month-old daughter in kindergarten (Hebrew: gan) in Israel. Until starting gan the toddler nursed freely throughout the day.

Eco-Art Goes Urban at Gebo Gallery in Tel Aviv

Design

Ayelet Dekel

-

January 6, 2009

Eco-Art Goes Urban at Gebo Gallery in Tel Aviv

Marlene Ferrer and Johanan Herson are “trying to be artists in the middle of Tel Aviv,” without relinquishing their environmental consciousness. Creating eco-art in an urban setting, Ferrer joined with Herson to found Gebo Gallery Studios as a working, teaching gallery that explores artistic choices in the context of social and ecological awareness.

The installation Wrapping Gebo – Art in Action celebrates the studio’s second anniversary. Ferrer and Herson will paint together on recycled paper that covers the gallery walls. “We are opening up a personal process and inviting people to observe,” says Herson.

Visitors will be able to interact with the work by adding words to the painting. The more introspective Ferrer prefers to work in silence; Herson says he will be open to talking to visitors while he paints.

Canadian-born Herson, who immigrated to Israel in the 1970s, has an extensive theater background, which certainly makes him the artist more likely to talk to the audience. Ferrer, originally from South Africa, has always found her inspiration and materials in the natural environment. In the Galilee she collected stones which she either painted or used to construct sculptures. When living in Herzliya she created totems from wood scraps. A move to Tivon ten years ago was once more reflected in her work. She began to collect palm leaves, assembling them into tall human-like figures.

Architect Elias Messinas Brings Green Architecture to Israel

Cities

Karen Chernick

-

January 6, 2009

Architect Elias Messinas Brings Green Architecture to Israel

Last week we wrote about Kibbutz Kramim, a cooperative in the Negev that is currently working on building a multicultural model of environmental sustainability in the form of an eco village.

And this week we’d like to introduce you to Elias Messinas, the green architect behind the operation.

Messinas’ firm is the strategic environmental consultant to the Kramim Eco Village project, which will begin construction during the summer of 2009 and include LEED Platinum certification or compatibility, follow the European Directive for Energy Performance of Buildings, Israeli ‘Green’ Standard IS 5281, and the principle of “One Israel Living.”

The materials used for construction will be local, with an emphasis on low-energy and low-emission materials found in the area such as earth (to make adobe bricks) and straw bale.

In addition to Kramim, though, Messinas works on a variety of architectural projects in Israel, Greece, Cyprus, and the USA. His other projects in Israel include the Mei Mabuah Ecological Center (in the Negev).

1...727728729...783 Page 728 of 783