Green Prophet’s Arwa on her decision not to drive a car and the social stigma that comes with it… Maybe it has something to do with my love of trains and car-induced travel sickness as a child, but I can honestly say I’ve never aspired to driving a car. Hitting the open road or whizzing […]
New algorithms make bike sharing more efficient. The environmentally-friendly concept of bike-sharing is taking over European cities like Paris, and Tel Aviv is about to get its own too –– although that’s been in the works for several years. Bike sharing, if you haven’t experienced it allows a subscriber to “borrow” a bike from one […]
[youtube width=”560″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E43mUeMB_Go&feature=player_embedded[/youtube] The Bedouin village of Um Bateen, just outside Beersheba in southern Israel, has no paved roads – which makes it the perfect place for a new mountain bike club. Now the Bikes4All project sponsored by the Israel Cycling Federation and funded by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, has distributed free […]
Everything’s dead at the Dead Sea; even bikes that get left behind. It’s pretty shocking when you are out there to see for yourself how this world’s natural wonder is shrinking year by year. It makes you want to scream. Here are some pictures from my visit to the Dead Sea about 6 weeks ago. […]
During the week of August 16, 2009, researchers from Ben Gurion University began taking steps towards commercializing their cheaper method of reverse-osmosis desalination to clean dirty groundwater. GreenProphet covered Taga’s hybrid bicycle and baby stroller in one and Globes reported on plans to install solar energy systems at Ben Gurion Airport. For these stories and […]
Beer Sheva, the long-suffering capital of Israel’s Negev desert, just broke ground on the biggest shopping mall in Israel. Like the other seven malls of Beer Sheva, this $180.5 million complex will continue to suck business out of the dilapidated but walkable Old City. Unlike the others, this one claims to be green. Architect rendering, […]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNqEkIjLxdc[/youtube] Around two weeks ago, the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation decided not to support a bill that would encourage bike riding as transportation. The bill would have mandated the inclusion of bike trails in urban plans, allow bikes to be taken on intercity public transportation (like trains and buses), and pave the way for […]
We’ve posted here before about a Walk About Love, a hike for Israel and a bike ride to benefit Israel’s environment. This October, get a more regional view through Peace Cycle, a bike trip from Amman to Jerusalem. While the rough terrain and stunning views will certainly be rewarding, Peace Cycle’s main purpose is activism […]
When it comes to transportation around Tel Aviv, there are a number of alternatives to driving a car. For longer commutes, riding public transportation with Dan or Egged buses helps reduce the amount of pollution. For shorter commutes, there is the option of going by foot or the ever-popular bicycle. While the bicycle provides a […]
Do you ever get the feeling that every time you close your eyes, someone in Europe is doing something brilliant for the environment? Well, the residents of Vauban, Germany live in a suburb where most streets are off-limits to cars and the shops are mixed in with housing. The town’s 5,500 people are packed into […]
A couple of months ago we wrote about how the Israeli Ministry of Tourism is investing millions of shekels towards developing clean, green, eco-friendly cycling tourism. That’s great, but how can we make green transportation part of our everyday lives – and not just something we enjoy on the weekends or on vacation? How can […]
No. 3 on Mayor-elect Nir Barkat’s winning list, Naomi Tsur is going to be spearheading any changes the city makes to beautify the city in the near future. Formal head of SPNI’s Jerusalem office and founder of the Sustainable Jerusalem, a coalition of 60 environmental groups is now going to tackle those same issues but […]
You first heard it here on Green Prophet a few months ago – the Israeli Ministry of Tourism is spearheading initiatives to promote eco-friendly, green bicycle tourism. You may also remember that it announced in August that it would be allocating 100 million shekels towards developing the field (which, ahem, is not the number that […]
In a few hours Jews in Israel will start the annual holiday Yom Kippur, and a day-long fast. It is by default, the greenest day of the year in Israel. For more than 24 hours, starting at sunset tonight, Jewish people will not only refrain from eating, but driving, shopping, wearing leather (and body lotion), […]
Who ever said that there’s no nightlife in Jerusalem? When it comes to pubs and clubs, Tel Aviv surely has the edge by a long way. Israel’s Sin City is also more bike-friendly with its tree-lined cycle paths and flat topography, but anyone bold enough to take to Jerusalem’s streets at night on two wheels […]