The almond trees are blooming and the sun is out, which makes many of us start thinking about being outdoors and making summer plans.
Whether you’re an Israeli looking to explore different areas of the country or a visitor looking for a unique way to make a positive change in Israel, the Israeli branch of World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) offers a wide range of organic farming opportunities.
If when you wash your dishes or clothing you wait until the machine to be full you can save between 30%-45% on energy usage. So plan ahead and be a little patient and that way you can GreenYourselfDaily.
Next time you find yourself wandering through the Wilderness of Zin, Trekking in Timna or lost in Lahav Forest, spare a thought for young Christopher Johnson McCandless, whose dreams of tramping to Alaska foundered in 2003 when he died trapped in an abandoned bus on his way there.
He was trapped in the sense that roots he had found nearby had proven to be the ‘wrong’ roots for human consumption, and they poisoned him and weakened him so much that he was unable to hunt wild game or forage further.
This remarkable but tragic true tale was documented by writer Jon Krakauer, ‘Into The Wild’, which has now been brought to the screen by Sean Penn, who wrote the screenplay as well as directed.
Seeing the film, and having read the book a year or two ago, it reminds me of the documentary ‘Grizzly Man’ (reviewed here), which also sees a young guy, (and why is it always guys?) disillusioned with people after a difficult childhood who heads into the wilderness to commune with nature and the beasts that populate it, and also comes to a grizzly end.
“Into The Wild’ has a lot of Hollywood slick production values, and the scenery shots are stunning (as is the multi-media film website), but the essence of needing to escape, being a bit naive, but also very caring to the people he met on his travels, is conveyed well, and the anthropomorphic need to be ‘immersed in freedom’ exudes from the screen.
If there are lessons from the lives and legacies of McCandless and indeed Timothy Treadwell, then they are that we need to tread lightly but with conviction as we explore the inner and outer Alaska, and let that sense of compassion for humanity and the natural world rule at all times.
“There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is rapture in the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea and the music in its roar;
I love not man the less, but Nature more.”
Lord Byron
In the spirit of the 3 R’s see try to think outside of the box. How canyou reuse household items in ways not originally intended for them? Forinstance, want to start an herb garden? Egg cartons make great planters forseedlings. Cottage cheese containers can be used as a great for organizinglittle things.
What once was the considered the basic education needed – reading , ‘riting, and ‘rithmatic – is today’s the abc’s of a greener living: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle.
Reuse – Don’t be a pack-rat, but that is far from the standard of throwing everything away once it was used once.
Reduce – little things add up. Like if you can shut off the water while brushing your teeth, over the years that will make a big difference.
Recycle – while it’s been getting a bad rep lately it’s still better than simply throwing things out.
By controlling the shape in which trees grow, the Israeli company Plantware creates products that are made of living trees. Their vision is to turn living trees and maybe the whole world “into a new building material, making effective contributions to the ecosystem,” they say.
We are thinking giant treehouses for everyone!
Plantware aims to significantly influence initiatives for global warming prevention and eco-living. Though their projects will take a lot of time to grow fruit, we could imagine living in live tree condo one day. Could you?
This weekend the Young Israeli Art Fair, aka Fresh Paint, comes to Tel Aviv with an extra splash of green. The showcase for up-coming, independent artists has a special installation curated by environmental NGO, EcoOcean.
The Green Project will showcase environmental art that, the organisers say, “identifies art as an integral part of our environment, quality of life and future”.
In recent prophecies we showed how environmental issues are filtering into the mainstream of modern culture, whether through the media of clothing, design or poetry. In this spirit, works of green artwork will be available for auction with proceeds going towards EcoOcean’s work to preserve the marine ecosystems.
Fresh Paint runs from Thursday 6 March until Saturday 8 March at 47 Kibbutz Galuyot Road, Tel Aviv. Click for opening times and more details.
Here is a great book for all gardeners and garden lovers who want to go that wee bit further and work with the earth and plants in a truly green way. Joe Lamp’l has filled his new book, ‘The Green Gardener’s Guide’ with tips and actions that every gardener or green-conscious citizen can take immediately to conserve and preserve precious resources.
Lamp’l is a gardening writer and host of several tv shows in the US, with a clear passion for communicating about gardening and environmental stewardship. This book is in effect, a ‘call to spades’ for gardeners worldwide, detailing ecological methods to get, and keep, the garden green.
Green building in Israel seems to be gaining momentum, as witnessed by the recent breakthrough of scientists from the Technion whose prize-winning research is going into building a green sanctuary in China (alas, not here!).
It’s being spearheaded with particular enthusiasm by architect Joseph Cory, whose company Geotectura professes to be committed to creating buildings that are environmentally friendly.
When trying to stay warm in the winter make sure that your heater has a thermostat. Using a thermostat will make sure that you do not use excess energy. It’s great to reap the benefits of modern living and technology. That used to mean that you could stay warm at all. In today’s world it means that you can stay warm and save! Check your thermostats and GreenYourselfDaily!
There has been much talk about water shortage, eco-energy, peace and the drying up of the Dead Sea. Here’s a solution, long talked about and now may solve all of these (and it might even cover up that embarrassing bald spot on the top or your head! – well no.)
“Together with President Shimon Peres and the King of Jordan, I believe we will succeed in building the Peace Channel,” Yitzhak Tshuva said Wednesday morning in New York at the opening of the two-day U.S. Israel Executive Summit.
While it might not restore follicle damage this project has much potential creating opportunities for desalination and electric plants for both Israel and Jordan. It can potentially be harmful as well.
Israeli clothing company Bagir outfits about 1 in 6 UK men. A fraction of those men are set to become more chic with Bagir’s Eco-Gir, a suit made from 100% recycled materials, 30 PET plastic bottles.
The company is also set to become the first in the world to label its products with a carbon label.
How is that Israel is so behind in the environment circle one minute and then leagues ahead the next? Maybe divine intervention to quenching the Israeli thirst for plastic? For those suave men who don’t like polyester, Bagir has also developed a line from organic cotton.
See also the funky stain hiding stickers of Sticky Stains and the most perfect way to slip into winter without having to turn up the thermostat wearing the Slipper Rocker.
Every single degree that you raise your central heating raises the cost of running your heating by 5 percent. Try to sharpen your awareness to what temperatures you are comfortable at. Do you need to keep your heat on quite so high? We’re not suggesting that you should be cold.
Just be aware of how high you keep your heating.
Even one degree can make a big difference and that way you can GreenYourselfDaily… in the winter.
Well of course I am going to tell you that organic is best for lots and lots of reasons, but first the high note: it actually can work out a lot cheaper as well. All those prepared baby foods are far more expensive pound for pound than organically grown food.
In the next few weeks I am going to introduce you to your toxic world and why it is so important to really make the change when a baby comes along. I am starting first with food because this is usually our first introduction to an organic lifestyle.
We all know that conventional foods use hundreds of different synthetic chemicals–from the field to manufacturing–but did you know that the levels deemed acceptable in foods are based on adult consumption? A bit scary when you think about your children and babies whose small bodies are still growing and are therefore so, so much more vulnerable to all these nasty chemicals. Babies are able to absorb food far more efficiently than adults, increasing their susceptibility to toxins in their food. Organic food production is closely monitored (always look for certification) providing you with healthy, chemical free food and tastier to boot! And if that isn’t enough, you can also feel good about promoting a healthier environment for your child’s future.
It may be a status symbol to wear the latest styles, but every think about wearing the best? If it works, why fix it?
There’s a new movement now among the avant-garde to mix-match old clothing. It gives a retro funky look and now represents caring about your world.
I’m not telling you to look like a derelict. But think twice before you throw it out. And if you wont wear it again, there are plenty of places that will take it and give it a chance to be someone else’s new look.
Be creative, and it can become another way you can GreenYourselfDaily.
Have news to share? Renewable energy news, architectural, artificial intelligence, biotech, sustainable design ideas, eco-architecture, green travel?
Email us: [email protected]
Get important news delivered directly to your inbox and stay connected!
© 2007 to 2026 Green Prophet, All Rights Reserved