Literally, postal. It was quite a pleasant surprise when we found out that in 1975 Israel came out with stamps encouraging civillians to protect their environment. Not only was the message beautiful, but the stamps were pretty darn good looking too.
Designed by Israeli artist and sculptor Eliezer Weishoff (whose monuments and other creations are an inherent part of the Israeli visual fabric), the stamps addressed three types of pollution: air pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution.
You’d think that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in the Persian Gulf would have nothing to do with alternative energy initiatives, right? Since they have close to a quarter of the global petroleum reserves literally underfoot, you might assume that they’d try to prevent the development of alternatives, or at least not be interested in using them. It turns out, however that even the oil rich Gulf is diversifying the energy sources beyond fossil fuels, both for business diversification and as a result of real need.
Selling off natural resources
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are facing increasing shortages in domestic energy supply, and their economies depend on selling petroleum to other countries rather then burning it for their own needs. Many of these countries face gas shortages, and they recognize that petroleum supplies are finite and need to be managed wisely and husbanded for the future.
One way of supplying this power is through renewable energy sources like sun and wind. Saudia Arabia, Oman, Dubai and Kuwait all have programs to promote and develop solar and wind power farms, solar powered desalination, more efficient use of oil through fuel cells, carbon sequestration, oil gasification, and green building. The city of Masdar in Abu Dhabi aims to be the first carbon neutral area in the world through clean energy initiatives and cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
It’s kind of ironic, but good news: As the world suffers from rising fuel costs and weighs the consequences of global warming, investors and oil barons in Dubai may play a pivotal role in a swift move towards green technology and alternative energy, reports Zawya.com.
Swati Taneja, a director from the Private Equity Forum which recently concluded in Dubai, said that people in Dubai have amassed new fortunes from the rising price of oil and gas around the world. They now see massive opportunities in green investing.
(Flickr image credit: shlevich)
Though not a significant supplier of alternative energy, yet, Israel is just about to get a little greener. The country aims to have 5% of its national energy supply come by way of the wind by 2012. Seems like it is on the way. According to Globes, the Public Utilities Authority has granted a license to mineral water company Mey Golan (Wind Energy Development) to build a $500 million 400 MW wind farm spread over 140 km of the Golan Heights — about 150 turbines. Haaretz reports the deal is worth $600 million and that Mey Golan will partner with US energy giant AES Corporation.
The turbines will be constructed between Majdal Shams and Alonei Habashan, predominantly within privately owned orchards in both Jewish and Druze villages.
Mey Golan (alternately known as Mei Eden, Mey Eden or Eden Springs) is the same company that built Israel’s first wind farm more than 15 years ago in 1992 at Tel Aseniya, also in the Golan, where ten turbines generate 6 MW of energy, which goes to “wind power” local factories and about 20,000 people; the rest goes back to the national grid. The wind power supplies power to Mey Eden water factories as well as the Golan Wineries.
Getting regular tune-ups, maintenance and having clean air filters will help you burn less gas, pollute less, save money and prevent car trouble down the line. Lighten the load, the less you shlepp the less gas your burn. Get the extra junk out of your trunk.
Great ideas for changing our planet won’t be implemented overnight, especially if it’s a technology solution like solar energy air con or the fabulously Sci-Fi vortex machine that could suck up greenhouse gas (if investors would only build a pilot plant!).
Green Prophet sees great clean technology ideas every day. People email us trying to convince us why this so-and-so technology surpasses any other solution out there. To take your idea to the next level folks, you won’t have to convince us, but investors.
Guy Kawasaki, an American marketing guru has recently penned a short list of tips would-be entrepreneurs take into consideration before meeting a venture capital firm. He lists 10 things “not to say” and one tip for what you should say.
Zalul, the non-profit marine NGO, has released it’s 2008 State of the Sea Report. Yesterday a press conference was held at Cafe Masada in Tel Aviv with over 20 members of the press gathering to hear the latest news about the state of Israel’s Mediterranean Sea.
This year was a wake-up call to the public and the government. The report discovers that by implementing the law that requires the government to institute a discharge fee for polluters the Ministry of the Environment could double, even triple its (currently paltry) budget!
Here in the Middle East, echoes of the Biblical prophets are never far off–even in environmental discourse.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the famous cedars of Lebanon, which have been a wonder to the world for thousands of years, and were used to build King Solomon’s palace. Some of the remaining cedars in Lebanon are in fact 2,000 years old.
But now global warming, which we have seen will be particularly pernicious in the Middle East, threatens the existence of these ancient trees.
Use Your Brakes Less, Don’t Accelerate Quickly. Look far down the road ahead, even if “far” means half a city block. Get into position for turn-lanes smoothly and early so that you don’t have to accelerate to get in front of traffic. Remember that the guy who leaves the stoplight the quickest also pays more at the pump. Being a cautious driver will not only save you, but will help the environment too. Make sure to green your tires too.
Over the past few months, we’ve seen a lot of Prophecies about eco-tourism all over the Middle East. There are dozens of eco-travel options in Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Egypt, and Yemen.
There is also, however, a very special opportunity for eco-tourism right here within our own borders – and those of our neighbors. Since 2007, the tri-national NGO Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) has organized a series of “Neighbor’s Paths,” community-based eco-tours that deal with both water and peace-building between Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian communities.
When I was pregnant with my daughter I found it an ever upward struggle to understand my options here in Israel, especially as I wanted to go down a less conventional path to child care. The information was out there but so widely spread and in little known corners that more often than not I gave in. I often faced stony walls from conventional doctors when I tried to ask about my options in regards to vaccinations and the idea of combining non-conventional therapies ie homeopathy with conventional medicine.
So I was thoroughly delighted when I met Tal Kabessa and toured her new clinic Mamay in Kriyat Ono.
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We are undeniably in the thick of beach season. Deeply tanned French tourists with gold colored sandals and other stylish accessories line the beaches, the smell of sunscreen is in the air, and the plywood percussion of matkot (paddle ball) is the reigning summer symphony.
Unfortunately, all of this beachy goodness comes with a whole lot of trash.
You know the drill, you go to the beach and bring food, bottles of water, maybe some cigarettes… And when you leave the beach, all the leftovers pretty much stay there. We already know how bad incorrect disposal of cigarette butts is for the environment, but all those non-biodegradable plastic bottles aren’t great either.
I finished reading Food Not Lawns on my roof, just after I checked my new vermi-compost bin. The roof compost represents my adaptation to life in the modern world whereby I try and lead a more sustainable lifestyle within my means and ability. I was hoping to read Flores’ book and gain tips on how to build and maintain an edible yard in my future home, and possibly how to manage to grow edibles in the most unlikely of places like a concrete wasteland in Tel Aviv.
As it turns out, I was in for a bit of a surprise.
Flores sets out to write two books: the first on how to convert one’s lawn into a garden and thus live a more ecological life (in which she includes sweet anecdotes and exercises like planting one’s self in their own garden); and the second on how to reject modernity and reclaim our land, government and culture from post-industrial life.
I’ll begin with her first book. Flores is clearly an accomplished landscape designer and permaculturist, though her writing is a bit dry. She starts each chapter with a brief, somewhat vague meditation on the state of our modern world:
Next week, fans of eco-art in Jerusalem won’t have to travel all the way to the eco-arts village in the Ella Valley for a fix. Instead, some of Israel’s finest eco-art will be on exhibition in the heart of Jerusalem on August 12th, in the Merkaz Hamagshimim community center (located near Emek Refaim, and where this Prophet had her theatrical debut).
Volunteering at the event will be our very own James Murray-White.
The exhibit will include eco-furniture, accessories, and eco-fashions, and will end off with a special auction. A full schedule of the event from the Merkaz appears after the jump:
The chief scientist of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Yishayahu Bar-Or, released a statement yesterday Aug. 4, (and here [in Hebrew]) warning of the well known consequences of global warming that are expected in Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean.
These include a rise in average temperature of 1.8 degrees Celsius already by 2020, a rise of 10 cm in the Mediterranean Sea above the 8 cm rise in the last 15 years, a drop of 10% – 20% in precipitation, and extreme weather events. These will cause the degradation of fresh water resources and the spread of pests and diseases, leading to severe public health problems.
Dr. Bar-Or called on the Government to establish a national program to deal with these potential disasters, and identified the opportunity for Israel to leverage its vast experience in water innovations and solar technologies to position itself as a leader in dealing with the problems caused by global warming.
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