Jews all over the world have been working for weeks cleaning their houses from all remnants of unleavened bread. There are Jewish philosophers that explain that by cleaning their houses from this bread they are vicariously also cleaning their hearts from unwanted deficiencies.
Part of daily green living is introspection and thinking of ways that you can green yourself even more. Take this Earth Day to clean your hearts from any unwanted leavening agents hurting our planet.
Mongolia, nestled between twin superpowers China and Russia, is home to the world’s last truly nomadic population of herders, living seasonally across the vast Gobi Desert. I’m a passionate scholar of all things Mongolian, having lived there for nearly a year some years back, and this gave birth to my fascination with Indigenous peoples and desert-dwellers – hence my work with Bedouin here in the Negev, and research upon the impact of humans on the environment.
If you are also interested in foreign-language films that explore culture and environmental issues, ‘Khadak’, a 1996 Belgian-made feature film, offers valuable insight, and reveals not only how Mongol nomads live, but also how it can destroy them once they are uprooted from their natural habitat.
In honor of International Earth Day, which is today, we’ll be devoting a series of posts this week to Israeli ventures and businesses that make our consumption a little greener by reinventing used materials.
If we don’t reuse our resources we may lose them altogether, so these green heroes definitely deserve our attention and support.
So far we’ve got our books and our babies covered, but what about everything else? If you’re looking for something specific or if you’re just wondering what other kinds of second hand items are out there, Israel’s many second hand online resources are the way to go.
For free used items there’s the Freecycle network, which is a global, grassroots, non-profit movement of people who are giving away and receiving items for free (and preventing stuff from ending up in landfills). Freecycle connects people within the same area so that those trying to get rid of used items can post a message to the group and give their items to someone nearby.
In honor of international Earth Day, which is on April 22nd, we’ll be devoting a series of posts this week to Israeli ventures and businesses that make our consumption a little greener by reinventing used materials.
If we don’t reuse our resources we may lose them altogether, so these green heroes definitely deserve our attention and support.
Baby toys and clothes, though irresistibly adorable, have the potential for environmental disaster.
They’re used for a short period of time due to the rapid development of babies, many baby toys are made out of plastic or other non-biodegradable materials, and unless a family is planning on having another child then many perfectly good baby items get tossed out.
Combine DIY eco-tourism with Israel’s new wine industry this Passover: Israel’s Ministry of Tourism offers a website chock full of great ideas. The latest is a biking tour between the vineyards and wineries between Jerusalem and Israel’s Northern Negev.
Although the ministry maps out an itinerary you could follow (which we’ve included here for your reference), the guide can be used as a rough outline for day trips on your bike. While most Israeli wines are not organic *yet*, we’d love to hear about ones that are.
Now for the tour:
Day One
Jerusalem to Ramat Raziel
Approx 35 Km.
The oldest documented wineries in Jerusalem existed in the Jewish Quarter of the old city in the time of the Ottoman Empire. Today several wineries produce wine mainly with locally grown grapes.
Leave Jerusalem through the Jerusalem Forest road heading down the hill to Beit Zait. Enter the moshav (agricultural community) and head towards the Zmora Winery, overlooking west to the Jerusalem hills.
In honor of international Earth Day, which is on April 22nd, we’ll be devoting a series of posts this week to Israeli ventures and businesses that make our consumption a little greener by reinventing used materials. If we don’t reuse our resources we may lose them altogether, so these green heroes definitely deserve our attention and support.
For the avid readers out there, how about greening your reading? Books are a great form of non-electric entertainment, but the paper resources and energy required to produce them are significant. There’s an easy way around this. Read used books and share the books that you’ve finished reading.
Ecover is lauded by the United Nations for protecting the earth, and the company’s products scour many a lean and green TreeHugging homes — even ours.
Looking beyond the products’ labeling and phosphate-freeness, the Organic Consumer’s Association decided to do its own tests.
Among some of our favorite eco-brands emerged Ecover. The much-loved household product, it was found, tested positive for an alleged cancer-causing agent, known as 1,4-Dioxane.
Now before you jump into your nuclear-waste protection suits and dump all your Ecover products into a toxic waste site, what does this all mean?
Is dioxane something we should worry about?
According to Organic Consumers (see PDF), it is. They attempt to debunk the myth that minute amounts of dioxane are not harmful.
If you ask the late Dr. Bronner, of Dr. Bronner soaps, he would probably say that dioxanes are dangerous. But then again, Dr. Bronner’s soap tested for no detectable traces of dioxane, according to the Organic Consumer’s Association.
Ecover on the other hand, was found to have almost twice the amount of dioxane that regular off-the-shelf dish washing detergent (2.4 parts per million, versus 1.6). This is a bit worrying due to the trace amounts of soap that one ingests with every meal, and that the chemical has been linked to immune system disruption.
On the site Buygreenstandards, dioxane is also known as diethylene dioxide, diethylene ether, diethylene oxide, and it is not to be confused with dioxin, they write.
Dioxane is a solvent classified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen, and some research suggests that it may suppress the immune system. Dioxane is listed in the 1990 Clean Air Act as a hazardous air pollutant and is on the EPA’s Community Right-to-Know list. Found in: Window cleaners.
One blogger, Allie’s Green Answers, who this TreeHugger blogged about here, was most concerned with the Ecover dioxane news, and the fact that she’s been promoting Ecover to her readers.
Ecover’s PR people responded with this:
Substantial quantities of dioxine [sic] are found in the production of synthetic fibers, such as polyester, a fabric that is worn daily by roughly 85 % of the planet’s population.
Mainly produced by two US companies, the ingredient is also used in high dosages as a solvent in mass production, including the paper and cotton industry as well as the polymer industry for the production of PET bottles.
It is therefore astonishing that the above-mentioned investigation turned a blind eye on such superabundant and well-spread sources and preferred to single out easy-to-research, mere minute traces of dioxine in detergents.
Several years ago, the European detergent industry put a limit on dioxane traces at 100 parts per million of surfactant. Ecover’s own criterion is set at half, namely 50 parts per million.
This leads to values as low as the 2,4 parts detected in the Ecover product. The threshold for reporting the presence of dioxane in tap water in The Netherlands, a country with a stringent environmental legislation, is 3 parts per million parts of water. This means that, in the unlikely event, you drank an entire bottle of pure Ecover Dishwashing liquid you still wouldn’t reach that threshold!”
We tend to be of the notion what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and that a little bit of dioxane, probably wouldn’t do any harm. It’s most likely that the testers are being overly-cautious, but then again, if you are paying higher “green” prices, one would expect a deluxe product.
Any dioxane/dioxin experts out there who can:
a) Tell us the difference between dioxin and dioxane?
b) Calm any unnecessary fears?
Now the weather is warming up, it’s time to hit the road and escape the urban jungle. But instead of taking the bus to beach or driving to the hills for a hike, you might be pleasantly surprised to find a green oasis closer than you think.
Last week I was lucky enough to stumble upon Bustan Brody, one of sixteen community gardens in Jerusalem, just a few minutes walk from my flat. What was a disused patch of land littered with rubble three years ago has been transformed into a public open space by green-fingered local volunteers (with a little help from the Municipality, the local Community Center and green NGOs the SPNI and Garin Dvash).
“It’s not the community that built the garden, but that the garden itself built the community. By making the garden, suddenly people get to know their neighbors,” explains Danny Brachya, one of the Bustan’s founders.Abba Zadidov, another of the garden’s founders, agrees that its role is as much social as environmental: “We’re trying to reverse for centrifugal force in Israeli society that is pulling people away from the center. It’s creating a center that people will be attracted to and will come together.”
From 9 to 11 this Friday morning, locals will be descending on the Bustan to dispose of their hometz, leavened bread forbidden during the coming week of Pesach.
On other occasions, such as Succot or Tu B’shvat, plants from the Bustan itself become part of the festival. “It’s an opportunity to be hands on. We use what we are growing here to celebrate the festivals,” says Zavidov.
The centre-piece for the Bustan, which translates to ‘orchard’ in both Hebrew and Arabic, are its many fruit trees, which Zavidov says are the ‘backbone’ of the garden’s ecosystem. Priority is given to native species including pomegranate, fig, almond and arava (willow) which, along with the sights and smells of the vegetable patch and herb bushes, owe much of their fertility to the steaming heaps of compost in the far corner, which turn kitchen waste and garden clippings into soil (with the help of bacteria, heat and a few worms).
The garden also reduces waste by using woodchips from the municipality which can be spread on the ground as mulch, a protective layer on top of the soil, or used in compost.
If you live in Jerusalem, or plan to visit, you can find the nearest community garden and other green initiatives at greenmap.org.il Bustan Brody is located at Brody Street, off Rav Haim Berlin Street (near Derech Azza) in Rehavia, contact: [email protected]
More on community gardening:
A Happy, Sustainable Passover to All
Mulch Rot and Reinvigorate: composting (Part 1) and Compost (part 2): A Half Empty Bin and Some Worms.
Greenmap.org.il contains a list of Jerusalem’s community gardens here and composting sites here (in Hebrew).
Photo: Michael Green
Green Prophet today heard about an interesting environmental conference we thought readers would like advance warning of: the Jerusalem Environment & Nature Conference, to be held at the capital’s Binyanei HaUma Conference Centre, on May 18-19. The conference features 6 sessions over the 2 days, all exploring the perspective of what has been achieved here within 60 years, and what needs to be addressed (it’s a long uphill battle, folks…).
On the surface, arts and ecology don’t seem to intersect, yet some artists have discovered a connection between our relationship with the earth and their creative endeavors. With Robert Hass, we explored the relationship between poetry and the environment.
Now Vertigo Dance Company, one of Israel’s best-known modern dance companies, is exploring the relationship between the environment and the world of dance. The dance company is creating an “Eco-Arts Village” in Ella Valley, a spot of Israeli countryside.
Green Ps (that’s a new abbreviation we made up today), are of the notion that only people who are housed, employed, healthy and happy can take on extras like yoga classes and only then start worrying about issues such as climate change and the environment.
That’s why we were happy to see that the US is going to finance mortgages for people in the Palestinian Authority. The houses may not be green, but it’s one step, we believe, to creating sustainable communities and an all round greener Middle East.
In a press release we received this week from the US Embassy, they write that the President of the US government’s Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Robert Mosbacher, Jr. will provide up to $500 million for a residential mortgage loan program to support the expansion of affordable housing for Palestinians.
You wouldn’t think that a vegan burger joint would be able to draw a crowd in a city where shwarma stands, hamburger restaurants, and steakhouses run rampant. But Tel Aviv’s Buddha Burgers proves that theory wrong.
And the name “Buddha” is right on – this place has karma like you wouldn’t believe. Green karma, that is.
For starters, this burger joint is 100% vegan – meaning, no animal products whatsoever are offered on the menu. No meat, no dairy, and no eggs. This, in and of itself, is incredibly environmentally friendly since livestock production and the consumption of animal products contributes around one fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. And there’s no tradeoff on taste, for those of you who are hardcore carnivores – their burgers are delicious.
But there’s more. If you want to order a Buddha Burger delivery to your apartment then they offer human-powered, emission-free deliveries. The deliveries made from their Yehuda Halevy branch are by bicycle, and the deliveries made from the Ibn Gvirol branch are on foot.
If low-emission food is your thing, Buddha Burgers also offers a variety of raw food snacks which are healthier for both you and the environment.
Wait, it gets better. The Yehuda Halevy branch is constructed from and decorated with reused materials. Stools are made from old pipes, the walls are made of old olive oil tin boxes, and chairs are decorated with old newspapers.
Now that’s a burger I’d like to sink my teeth into.
Buddha Burgers: 21 Yehuda Halevy (03-5101222), 86 Ibn Gvirol (03-5223040)
More on organic food:
Sarahle Organi – New Organic Restaurant in Tel Aviv
The tell-tale sign of an apartment being renovated in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem is the huge green dumpster holding piles of wood, doors, windows and tiles. Green Prophet says it’s time to reclaim some of those perfectly useful materials instead of sending them to landfill.
Why not bypass that trip to IKEA and create simple, useful and beautiful furniture from material rescued from the trash. Be inspired by the creations of Brazilian designer Carlos Motta.
Ten miles from Mexico, nestled in a humid valley in Arizona we arrive in Canelo for a straw bale building workshop. This is a place where 11-year olds drive, breakfast with songstress Linda Ronstadt is not uncommon, and people from all walks of life share a common ground.
The workshop hosts, Bill and Athena Steen are natural building gurus who call their non-profit organization The Canelo Project. They have helped thousands of people locally and around the world build sustainable homes from a low-cost, readily available material: straw bales.
Athena was raised in a New Mexico Pueblo Indian family and witnessed her family building their home from adobe. Bill has been photographing and writing books on alternative buildings for many years. With his small, pantless son Kalin balancing off his hip, Bill tosses me a delicious quesadilla and talks about how peaceful his homestead is:
“Here, [in Canelo] there are several small buildings in various stages that allow you to see, touch and experience many of the materials and techniques that we teach. You will leave inspired – empowered with new possibilities and skills.”
Throughout the week we learned about the advantages of straw bale for the outside environment and the human body.
Contrary to the ‘Little Pigs’ fairytale, buildings made with straw bales are unusually strong and sturdy. Bill says that when a hurricane ravished a barrio in Sonoro, Mexico the only buildings left standing were the ones made of bales.
Straw Bale homes are perfect for places with hot summers and cold winters. The thickness of the walls and the large overhang of a typical straw bale home make the interior cool in the hottest days of summer and warm in the coolest days of winter.
When heating the home, many families attest that a small wood stove is enough for heating the entire home, even in cooler climates, like Canada. So, energy savings by building with straw bale can save heaps of cash in the long run.
“We explore ways of living that connect us to others and the natural world,” says Bill. “Athena and I seek to balance the wisdom and skills of the past with those things which have value today. We combine our efforts with others to create simple, comfortable shelter using local and natural materials with handcrafted care.”
Straw bale homes breathe. Contrary to modern homes built with, bricks, stone and drywall, the straw bale home is alive. Air can pass through the earthen plaster, through the straw, through another layer of earthen plaster to you. As the materials you build with are usually natural and best if local, i.e. no artificial additives to the paints, sealers, insulation, you and your family can breathe toxin-free air.
You can also do it yourself. With basic knowledge on building, gathered from a workshop, books, and the Internet you and yours can put a straw bale home together in no time. You can create niches and rooms that softly embrace you.
The late alternative builder Nader Khalili from California via Iran calls his sleeping enclaves ‘bedwombs.’ Made to nurture the human psyche, the caverns are soft and organic (like people), without modern sharp, square edges.
Straw bale buildings are beautiful. Living inside these spaces can dramatically affect your quality of life. Imagine the difference between living in a home with natural walls that breathe as opposed to being surrounded by cement.
Straw bale homes can be built with less than half the money of traditional homes. There are even those who manage with a few thousand dollars. See testimonials in Bill and Athena’s book “The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes.” Because straw bale building is a ‘new’ concept, homebuilders can host onsite wall raisings where participants will pay to learn more from the hosts.
“Many facets of designing and building a straw bale home are similar to that of building a conventional house,” comments Athena.
“Developing small and efficient straw bale buildings that are well matched to their climate and context and maintain a level of comfort through passive conditioning is a strong focus of our workshop. As are simple and sensible methods and skills that allow for the artistic creation of a uniquely personal and handcrafted home.”
Sounds good. So what are the drawbacks?
Straw bale walls are thick. The homeowner can lose considerable floor space or property. For this reason, it is more practical to build in the countryside than in the city, especially in Israel where urban land is scarce.
Another issue to consider is moisture retention. If not properly sealed and maintained, the straw bale home can rot. It is important to maintain the walls and ensure roof overhangs are large enough to prevent moisture buildup. Even in places like Amsterdam and Montreal, healthy happy straw bale homes and institutes are housing people during persistent rain and extreme temperatures and snow. So, it can be done.
In Canelo, we wake every morning to a serene desert landscape, sparse shrub brush and cottonwoods dancing across the meadows.
At an elevation of 1500 meters, altitude and plenty of trees and grasses buffer the usual Arizona heat and dryness. There is a disproportionately large population of frolicking deer. The home-schooled children meld with the landscape and the barefoot boys are by far the best-adjusted and mature kids I’ve ever met. Each day I take a walk with the eldest son, Benito. We discuss philosophy and colors.
The participants come from all walks of life – there were two Christian missionaries working in non-profit organizations, a talent agent from Hollywood, a real estate agent who wanted to sell homes she felt good about, a potter, a carpenter, an ex-advertising agent, a Mennonite parson…all of them had a common dream – to build homes they feel good about.
For more information about building with natural materials, check out the Steen’s website at www.caneloproject.com
Nader Khalili’s superadobe homes fit for space
Spring is here at last which also means the festival of Passover (or Pessach in Hebrew) is soon upon us. Many Jewish festivals represent an opportunity to reflect on our ecological and ethical footprints and this is especially true on Pessach when our thoughts fall on the issues of our food, freedom and those who have none to take for granted.
With this in mind, our friends at Hazon, a Jewish community group that reveres sustainability in the United States, have put together a set of Healthy and Sustainable Passover Resources which include tips on everything from disposing your hametz to how to green your seder, including shopping for local, organic and Fairtrade ingredients as well as welfare-friendly meat and eggs.
“Pesach offers a perfect opportunity to combine the wisdom of a traditional Jewish holiday with our contemporary desire to live healthily and sustainable in our world. For example, some families put an orange or olive on their seder plate to recognize women’s rights and solidarity with Middle East peace,” say Hazon.
A Hazon’s Sustainable Passover Menu includes almond quinoa salad, matzah lasagna and chocolate dipped macaroons. Yum.
More on sustainable Jewish holidays:
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