The Heschel Center for Sustainability, one of Israel’s most influential environmental organizations, and one which trains generations of sustainable leaders in media, art and politics, saw its Tel Aviv offices damaged during a recent missile attack from Iran, a reminder that even institutions dedicated to protecting the planet are not immune to regional conflict.

As the old Yiddish phrase says: “Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht” (Man plans and God laughs). Last Thursday, Tamara and Oded from the center dispatch “as we left our offices for the weekend, we had been looking forward to a busy couple of weeks, including a special event for our alumni community around the regeneration of our Heschel Fellows Program and a webinar exploring the transformative practice of “Commoning” within the education system.

“On Saturday, everything changed. The transition from routine to war has become a familiar, painful and all-too-familiar reality in Israel. As we prepared our families and returned to emergency routines, a missile struck the heart of Tel Aviv.

“Buildings in the vicinity were damaged, including the Heschel Center’s beloved offices… Seeing our workspace, our place of gathering and collaboration, reduced to broken glass and debris is deeply painful.

They add, “We are here to stay, fighting for a world that is more just, sustainable, and democratic. We know that better days will come, and we are grateful to have you by our side as we build that future together.”

Founded in 1994, the Heschel Center has played a central role in shaping Israel’s modern environmental movement. Named after the Jewish philosopher and environmental thinker Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, the organization focuses on education, policy innovation, and leadership training aimed at building a more sustainable Israeli society.

Our concern with environment cannot be reduced to what can be used, to what can be grasped. Environment includes not only the inkstand and the blotting paper, but also the impenetrable stillness in the air, the stars, the clouds, the quiet passing of time, the wonder of my own being,” once said Heschel.

“I am an end as well as a means, and so is the world: an end as well as a means. My view of the world and my understanding of the self determine each other. Forfeit your sense of awe, let your conceit diminish your ability to revere, and the world becomes a market place for you. The complete manipulation of the world results in the complete instrumentalization of the self.”

For decades the center has served as a bridge between government, academia, grassroots organizations, and young environmental leaders. Through programs such as its environmental fellows initiative, Heschel has trained hundreds of activists, planners, and policymakers who now work across Israel in climate policy, urban planning, and environmental justice.

They’ve trained Rabbi Pearlman, who I’ve interviewed here.

From its Tel Aviv base, now wiped out, the center has helped push forward conversations about sustainable cities, climate resilience, and responsible land use. It has also worked closely with Israeli universities and municipalities to integrate environmental thinking into public policy and infrastructure planning.

Green Prophet has followed the work of the Heschel Center over the years as part of its coverage of Israel’s environmental innovation ecosystem. In previous reporting we have highlighted the center’s efforts to cultivate a new generation of sustainability leaders, particularly through fellowships that combine academic research with real-world policy engagement.

The organization has also been active in urban sustainability and climate planning, contributing ideas about how Israeli cities can adapt to rising temperatures, water stress, and population growth. These issues are especially pressing in the Middle East, where environmental challenges often intersect with geopolitical tensions. They don’t consider man outside of the environment, but rather part of it, and what that entails.

Despite the damage to its office, the broader mission of the Heschel Center will continue, according to their update.

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Image by Raygar He via Unsplash

Summer in the northern hemisphere, and this thalassophile is here for it—quite literally, as my location is coastal.

Heading seaside during the off-season has its own kind of charm, but there’s nothing quite like a quintessential, sun-soaked summer beach day—the kind that leaves you exhausted from the heat and exasperated with the sand but rejuvenates your soul for the days ahead.

Salt and sand in your hair, but you don’t care? Aggravating for your scalp, but otherwise not a big deal. Don’t care about prepping your beachcapades with earth-approved products? Houston—or in this case, Miami, Nice, Seychelles, etc.—we have a problem.

To refresh my beach bag this year, I curated a shortlist of eco-conscious companies that don’t skimp on style. By implementing green practices, they inspire consumers—and each other—to do better for themselves and the planet.

Embrace a sustainable summer by putting these brands on your vacay radar:

Skincare:

Earth Harbor

Founded by a professional herbalist and toxicologist, Earth Harbor is committed to using bio-based ingredients boosted by minerals and other nutrients in their bath and body goods, and recyclable and biodegradable materials in their packaging. Ocean inspiration flows through product names: “mermaid milk” moisturizer, “mystic waters” mist, “nymph nectar” facial balm, “sea kiss” lip balm, and many more.

Through Thrive Market, I’ve tried and loved some of these products at a discounted price, and once scored the “beach waves” hair texturizer as a gift with purchase. Visit the website!

Urban Hydration

The clean skincare products by Urban Hydration are widely accessible in the U.S., stocking shelves at more than 30,000 retail locations across the country, from pharmacies such as CVS to beauty-focused outlets such as Ulta. Many of their cleansers, moisturizers, creams and oils incorporate fruit extracts and other plant-based, natural ingredients, giving skin a taste of the tropics.

Try the algae line to “sea the glow” and target blemishes, or the aloe vera collection to soothe the beatings of the sun. Visit the website!

Swimwear:

Vitamin A Swim

As the first swimwear company to use recycled fibers, Vitamin A holds sustainability at its core. Expanding from nylon and polyester, their newest all-recycled material combines 80% ghost fishing nets with 20% spandex. Besides swimsuits, the brand offers a wide variety of other beachwear, such as sarongs, caftans, and loose-fitting trousers.

Collections heavily utilize organic and recycled cotton, high-quality flax linen, and TENCEL™, made from sustainably sourced wood fibers processed in a nontoxic organic solvent. Visit the website!

Rhyle Swim

These bathing suits are responsibly made in Brazil and live up to sexy bikini expectations. Designs are boldly cheeky yet subtly unique, with small cutout features and a range of textures. The details are thoughtful but not over the top, fashioning a girl-next-door vibe. Pieces are luxuriously soft, with a growing focus on using recycled fibers and minimizing textile waste.

And they are delivered in a reusable laundry bag, extending their longevity. Visit the website!

Footwear:

Teva

Going strong after more than 40 years in business, Teva has become a household name in functional footwear. Founded by a Grand Canyon river guide, the company pioneered the modern sport sandal. Specializing in strappy architecture constructed with 100% recycled polyester, “Teva’s,” as the kids call them, provide secure grip, in and out of the water. Water conservation drives minimal packaging goals. Visit the website!

Fleks Footwear

Founded in 2024, Fleks Footwear boldly burst onto the market with a future-focused agenda, offering a curated collection of popular styles in ultra-comfortable, ultra-sustainable form. Slides (platform optional), flip-flops, double-strap sandals, and clogs are proudly made with 85% high-performance foam waste.

The remainder of materials are either salvaged or recycled, and no solvents are necessary. I picked up the East Beach Slide in Coconut Milk and, because I couldn’t resist another pair, which I mainly wear as house slippers, the San Ysidro Slide in Morning Coffee, featuring a fluffy shearling strap. Visit the website!

And there you have it: A handful of brands to help you look and feel your best as you head out to shore.

Add a sunhat—preferably made from raffia, wheat straw, or seagrass—and a pair of upcycled shades, and you’re golden! Just like the sun intended.

The post Head-to-toe sustainable beach style appeared first on Green Prophet.

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has the power to transform our world, helping farmers plant seeds and water plants at the right time. It can help develop solutions in renewable energy so we can scale climate solutions that help wean the world off oil and plastics. But when it comes to AI, we need some kind of global consensus on a couple of things: what do we define is “good” for the planet, and what do we want the future to look like? Global leaders are coming together these questions and fresh challenges and opportunities in AI.

This event announcement comes off the heels of an AI and the planet UN project that includes 193 UNESCO signatories –– with some of the countries being the most violent on earth. Now is the time to wake up stakeholders to build the foundations of AI so we can truly use it for good.

The Accelerate 2050 conference in Brindisi, Italy, brings together visionaries, innovators, and leaders to address global challenges in AI. One of the key focus areas is AI for Good, leveraging artificial intelligence to solve pressing societal and environmental issues. This initiative is not just about technology but about creating a positive impact on humanity and the planet.

The conferences bring together experts from various sectors—including investors, companies, consultants, non-profits, and government officials—to discuss and promote sustainable practices and innovations.

Key Features of Accelerate 2050 Conferences:

The conferences cover a range of topics such as climate technology, renewable energy, carbon markets, biodiversity, impact investing, and the role of artificial intelligence in promoting sustainability. Events have been held in multiple locations, including New York City and Santa Monica, California. For instance, the New York event took place on May 8-9, 2024, at the New York Society for Ethical Culture Building. The Santa Monica event was held on November 6-7, 2024, at the Expert Dojo.

One of the topics is AI for Good which refers to the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence to tackle challenges like climate change, poverty, healthcare accessibility, and more. It emphasizes using AI not just for profit but to improve lives and promote sustainability. This includes:

• Environmental Conservation: AI models to monitor biodiversity and carbon emissions.
• Social Impact: Enhancing education, healthcare, and community development.
• Ethical AI: Ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI systems.

How Other Generations and Skill Sets Can Contribute

AI for Good isn’t just for the tech-savvy; it requires diverse experiences and interdisciplinary approaches. Here’s how people from different generations and backgrounds can participate:

Mentoring and Leadership:Experienced professionals can mentor young AI enthusiasts, guiding them on ethical considerations and societal impacts.

Policy and Ethics:Those with backgrounds in law, sociology, or public policy can contribute to creating ethical frameworks and guidelines for AI deployment.

Creatives and Communicators: Designers, writers, and educators are needed to make AI solutions accessible and understandable to non-technical audiences. Storytelling and communication strategies can help raise awareness about the impact of AI for Good.

The meeting provides a great chance to network with people in AI who share similar goals. Some of the confirmed speakers include:

• Vanessa Adams – Level4International
  A consultant service that focuses on international development, aiming to drive social impact and sustainability.

• Saeed Al Dhaheri – AI UNESCO / AI Ethicist
  Specializes in AI ethics, ensuring responsible AI deployment globally.

• Niclas Andersson – Untap
  A water from air business.

• Fiona Banister – Decarbonized.org
  Advocates for environmental sustainability through decarbonization initiatives.

• Brian Bartholomeusz – Stanford – TomKat Center
  Leads efforts in energy innovation and tech transfer at Stanford University.

• Karl Burkart – One Earth (Invited)
  Focuses on environmental sustainability, leveraging technology for conservation.

• Michael Capponi – GEM
  Leads global empowerment and humanitarian aid initiatives. Global Empowerment Mission was formed in response to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake to deliver the most amount of aid, to the most amount of people in need, in the shortest amount of time and with the least amount of costs to donors.

• Claudia D’Andrea – Tetra Tech
  Tetra Tech is a global consulting and engineering services firm that provides a wide range of services related to environmental, infrastructure, and energy sectors.

• Edivando Vitor do Couto – Alteromani
  Focuses on renewable energy and sustainable solutions.

• Jillian Dyszynski – American Forest Foundation
  Works on environmental conservation and forestry initiatives.

• Gene Eidelman – Azure Printed Homes
  Pioneers sustainable housing solutions using advanced manufacturing techniques.

• Brian Fairhurst – Anthropogenic
  Utilizes advanced impact intelligence to address environmental challenges.

For more information about upcoming events, speakers, and registration details, you can visit the official Accelerate 2050 website.

The post AI and the Accelerate 2050 conference appeared first on Green Prophet.

IBM (NYSE:IBM) has a new way to help companies accelerate the capture, calculation and analysis of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through an AI tool it developed called Envizi. The new text classification capabilities in this software is designed to help enable a leap forward in efficiency and accuracy by helping organizations automatically ingest, organize and manage the spend data required for emissions calculations and external disclosures.

Taking stock of greenhouse gases is a liability and a headache but when you do it right you can also get good green press and earn a Butterfly Mark (Positive Luxury) or B Corp status. Companies like Estee Lauder have taken it very seriously, aiming to not buy carbon credits but stop them at the source by using upgrades like solar energy.

Findings released in the the IBM 2023 Sustainable Business Snapshot revealed that there’s a perception gap among corporate sustainability professionals, including sustainability and IT decision-makers. Some 93% of respondents think their company is somewhat or very mature in using data to track sustainability progress. But only 45% say they are ready to report on Scope 3 emissions. The sample included 250 participants from 13 markets, including US, UK, UAE, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and Spain.

Applying AI to green the gaps

IBM’s new AI and emissions reporting tool called called Envizi has been helping organizations to collect, calculate, analyze and report on GHG emissions for over a decade. The product isn’t a new startup promising the moon: it offers coverage for all 15 Scope 3 categories, using a calculation engine to apply GHG Protocol calculation methods that are underpinned by a robust data management system, says material provided by IMB.

It includes automated data capture, supplier survey data capture, Scope 3 emissions factor libraries, reporting framework templates, a dedicated Scope 3 analytics dashboard, audit tools and functionality to support supplier benchmarking analysis.

A spend-based emissions factor library that is harmonized across over 180 countries, creating uniformity in Scope 3 calculations for purchased good and services. These datasets are designed to help organizations to produce their emissions calculations quickly, accurately and efficiently.

“Growing regulatory requirements and external interests are driving organizations to disclose GHG emissions, including those from Scope 3,” said Christina Shim, VP and and Global Head, Product Management and Strategy, IBM Sustainability Software. “As requirements increase and as organizations prioritize enhancing operational insights, so does the need for robust, auditable data management, calculation, and reporting processes. IBM Envizi is now integrated with the new capabilities to help organizations seamlessly garner insights from spend data to facilitate Scope 3 emissions calculations for ESG reporting.”

For example, a manufacturer may buy computer and electronic components from various suppliers. In one entry, these components may be recorded as ‘chips,’ and in another, they may be called ‘hard drives.’  Ultimately, they all need to be in the category of ‘computer and electronic components’ so the correct emissions factor can be applied.

This application of text classification can help to automatically categorize potentially thousands of lines of spend data so teams can focus on higher value work.

Green Prophet is covering new ground in sustainability by featuring companies using AI in sustainable development. Have an MBA, software, company idea to share? AI@greenprophet.com

The post IBM’s sustainability software Envizi uses AI to green GHG gap appeared first on Green Prophet.

Nullker: Who We Are and Why Us?

We won’t brag. We did NOT invent a revolutionary way to save the planet – we simply discovered it! It was hidden in plain sight, in everything that surrounds us, in nature per se.

Nature has been managing itself for millennia, making everything work and stay balanced. Human activity has disturbed this balance. Yet, knowing nature’s ways, we can easily restore equilibrium by synchronizing with it.

In the natural world, everything exists in the form of networks and closed cycles, where all the elements engage in multiple beneficial connections. Think of ecosystems. Everything is at its best. And nothing is ever wasted – it just gets redistributed, reformatted, and reused. The same should be done with the resources people consume and the effort we put in to preserve those resources. 

Translated into the language of economy, the revolutionary way lies through uniting the already existing environmental effort and channeling it in a manner that would enrich all the parties involved: business, communities, and nature.

On “Natural” Economy. 

We believe that the economy should become more… natural (pun unintended)! People should stop fighting against consumption, for it is now an integral part of the modern economic and social reality. What we can and should do instead is change the format of consumption to make it less wasteful and more inclusively beneficial. If you take from the environment – give back in any form convenient. It is already a win-win situation. However, Nullker knows best!..

Our Win-Win-Win Strategy. 

Many of you have heard of the non-zero-sum game – a theory where one participant’s gain does not necessarily mean the other one’s loss. This theory is applicable to economy, as well as ecology. When we consume, nature should not necessarily lose. When we invest into the environmental effort, the economy should not automatically lose. It’s as simple as that. It is the “eco Nash equilibrium” of sorts, where “eco” stands for both ecology and economy.

Nullker went even further and took the standard win-win scenario to a whole new level. The resulting “win-win-win” approach presupposes that people take from nature, give back, and still receive more – from other people and businesses who also value nature and with whom they can create more joint initiatives mediated by Nullker. We bring sporadic eco effort together in a self-perpetuating cooperation on a single platform, making economic and cultural growth easier and more integrated. 

In essence, the key to saving the planet is in working together to unify and multiply the efforts. And this key is held by every single member of the growing Nullker community. The more of us – the bigger the impact.

Same Money – Different Outcome. 

Nullker’s philosophy is the money spent for connecting people and businesses, for popularizing green ideas and brands, for growing the community of people who care – about each other, about the economy, and about the planet.

For us, donation is not a matter of “how much” but more a matter of “how”.

Same money can make a different impact. Here is an example:

#1 A direct donation to an account of an animal shelter is what it is – a good act with a proportional, converted value. The donor’s money converts into a certain amount of food, vaccines, rehab, etc.

#2 A donation via the Nullker platform splits and restructures charity to convert it into a direct monetary input PLUS an investment into bonding with the like minded people and brands, immediately returning to the donator in the form of new contacts, discount points (NULLs), and information.

In the first case, animals get help and donors get moral satisfaction. That’s good, but could be better.

In the second scenario, animals get help, donors get moral satisfaction and NULLs that they can further use to their benefit, for example, by choosing among our partner brands to discover more eco products and services, more stories of people who care. In response, the partner brands are expected to invest more in the ecological initiatives. The bigger the donor base – the bigger the brands, their quantity, and their interest.

All in all, money is the same, but the impact is of tremendously different proportions and reach.

Would you like to join the green new world in the making? Join now https://nullker.com/ Let’s unite our natural and economic resources for a greater and more balanced future!

The post Nullker: A Sustainable Global Community where “ECO” stands for Ecology as much as Economy  appeared first on Green Prophet.

Pellet stoves take condensed biological matter –– wood or biomass pellets –– to create a source of heat for residential and industrial spaces. They burn slower, for more time and can lower the heating bills. Environmentalists see pellet stoves as a “green” solution.

A group of disadvantaged youths in Israel are taking this concept but are applying it to ordinary wood stoves. They are creating compressed logs of olive tree waste to supply biofuel from olive waste. They are not the first group of Israelis to recycle olive waste, but the social aspect of the project makes it much more than the usual environmental solution.

Here’s Olivebar’s story:

A group of youngsters — many of whom were homeless until they were gathered together by a man named Yossi Sadeh, first in Beit Shemesh, then at the Sde Bar farm, a kibbutz-like framework that’s turned their lives around — are changing the face of energy production.

Their work is to help create Olivebar’s rolls to heat homes in wood-burning stoves which general manager Eli Karniel describes as “ecologically perfect.”

The rolls are made from the waste produced after olives are pressed at Israeli olive presses, known in Hebrew as gefet. The material is rich in oil and superb for heating, but if left behind at the presses to seep into the soil, will destroy ground water and render the soil infertile.

The simple act of collecting it is the product’s first ecological benefit.

But the huge piles of gefet trucked to the factory aren’t enough. While two Tel Aviv entrepreneurs patented the idea of using the material for the stoves, it was entrepreneur Avi Lerber who recognized the potential, bought the patent, and after experimenting with more than 100 substances, found the right one to allow the material to solidify.

From there, he developed a method to make the resulting product into convenient rolls, which have many advantages over wood for heating purposes.

2.5 Times the Energy of Wood

Chief among them is the energy component, with a cube of the Olivebar rolls producing almost 2.5 times energy as a cube of wood. No mice or worms come with the rolls, which are aesthetically wrapped in paper that is recyclable and can be used to light the oven. The smoke released has no negative impact on neighbors or the environment, and the ash left in the stove can be used for fertilizing gardens and plants.

Using the rolls will also fit into recent moves both here and abroad to avoid cutting down trees for energy use. “It’s a totally green product, all natural, without any glues or chemicals,” Karniel says.

“Whereas once it was more economical to buy heating oil, today people are looking for all kinds of alternatives,” Karniel explains. “People went over to wood, but now governments don’t want people to cut down forests, so they’re turning to natural alternatives like ours.”

Once the material is mixed, it’s pressed into rolls at the factory, then taken out to the warm climate of the area around Herodion, southeast of Jerusalem, where it’s easily dried before being packed for shipping.

Karniel is particularly proud of the project’s Biblical roots, with the idea of heating with olive waste mentioned in the Talmud. “We’re going forward to our sources, instead of backwards,” he notes. “It’s a great feeling; you can really feel these ancient writings come alive.”

Arabs and Bedouin were also known to make use of the olive waste for heating.

Heat for the whole family

The product is also most effective in one or two-story homes that can best make use of wood-burning stoves

The piles of drying rolls look a bit odd on the semi-desert landscape, but the boys of Sde Bar love working there, aware that the stuff is at the cutting edge of an energy revolution, Karniel explains. “They’re proud to work in the factory because it helps support their activities, and they definitely compete for the chance to work there,” says Karniel

“It’s also important to note that the olive tree, which is one of the seven species of the Land of Israel, is what’s leading this progress, even in the field of ecology,” he says. “It definitely spurs us on, and we see a great deal of importance in the fact that, thanks to us, we are contributing to our environment both here and around the world.”

The post Can you power wood stoves with olive wood pellets? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Image above by Prasanta Biswas – People living in West Bengal, India, face regular water shortages. Climate change has increased temperature and precipitation, increased salinity and extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones and droughts.

CIWEM (The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management) is a powerful lobbying force within the UK and abroad. Dating back to 1895, they’ve worked with governments, international organizations, NGOs, and faith groups for a holistic approach to environmental issues.

Atkins, one of the world’s leading design, engineering and project management consultancies, is sponsoring this year’s competition, which is open to amateurs and professionals – for free!  It aims to provide photographers a chance to share images of environmental and social issues with a global audience, broadcasting the causes, consequences and – ideally – inciting solutions to climate change and social inequality.

Image above by Taylor Weidman – An indigenous Munduruku man and a federal policeman during an occupation of the Belo Monte Dam near Altamira, Brazil. The first of a series of dams planned across the Amazon, it will alter the ecosystem of more than 1,500 km2 around the Xingu River, depleting fish stocks and limiting river access for indigenous fishermen whose livelihoods depend on the river – who have been fighting the project for over 20 years.

Entries are judged on impact, composition, originality, creativity and technical ability. CIWEM says prior winners examined innovation, sustainable development, biodiversity, poverty, climate change, human rights, culture, natural disasters and population growth.

Image above by Kevin McElvaney – Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana is one of the world’s largest e-waste dump site, with over 400 ship containers of unusable electronics – falsely labelled as ‘development aid’ or ‘2nd hand products’ are dumped there annually. Children smash stones against old monitors to collect metal. Workers suffer from severe headaches, lung problems, eye and back damage, and insomnia. Most die from cancer before they turn 30.

Winners are chosen from over 10,000 entries. Prizes for this year’s competition were announced on 24 June, and include:

• Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year – £5000
• Atkins CIWEM Young Environmental Photographer of the Year (Under 18) – £1000
• Atkins CIWEM Environmental Film of the Year – £1000
• Atkins Cityscape Prize – £1000
• Forestry Commission England Exhibition Award: one photographer will be invited to exhibit a solo show at one of England’s public forests

The 2014 finalists will be displayed at the Royal Geographical Society in London from 23 June – 4 July 2014, followed by a tour to other UK venues.

Image above by Tuyet Trinh Do – Women weave fishing net in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, in prep for the annual river flooding. Communities rely on flooding to bring a fish and shrimp to the region. Worsening climate is making flood levels inconsistent, with devastating impact to local livelihoods. In 2012, lower than average flood levels saw fish yields decrease by 40% compared to previous year.

Image by Luke Duggleby – Following uncontrolled forest destruction in the Central Cardamom Protected Forest in south-west Cambodia, an eco-warrior monk movement began to try to protect forests at risk. Arriving too late to stop the destruction completely, they wrapped orange cloth around the remaining trees and prayed, making the trees sacred with the hope to deter future loggers. This photo was this year’s winning entry.

Green Prophet was unable to verify if any of the shortlisted images depict Middle Eastern sites – but there is no shortage of opportunity for photographers to capture the negative impacts of climate change in our region. From water-starved farms in Lebanon, to the dropping levels of the Dead Sea, and the knock-on increase in sinkholes along it’s western shores.

Image by Steve Morgan – The Gemasolar solar tower power plant in Fuentes de Andalucía, Seville, Spain, is a circular solar field of 2,650 heliostat mirrors covering 185 hectares. It concentrates sunlight onto the central receiving tower, storing it via molten-salt heat storage technology (which can reach temperatures above 5,000 C) to generate steam which in turn, produces electricity. The plant – which is up to 3 times more productive than other renewable technologies – could supply clean, safe power to 25,000 homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30,000 ton annually.

More interested in innovation? Snap the emerging clean-tech explosion happening in Israel, or bring out a new angle on Masdar City.

The flooding on the Somerset Levels at Burrowbridge. Numerous properties in the rural areas of Thorney, Muchelney and Burrowbridge in Somerset were hit with up to four feet of water when the nearby River Parrett burst its banks in January 2014.

Too late to enter this year’s contest – but mark your calendars for 2015.  A picture is worth a thousand words; it transcends the barrier of world languages.  Keep your eyes peeled for this year’s winners – and grab your camera. Sustainability is ready for its close-up.

The post The best environmental photographs in the world appeared first on Green Prophet.

Last year, Israel’s parliament announced plans to run entirely off solar energy by the end of 2014, but it turns out the Knesset is going even further to clean up its act. The new “Green Knesset” project will completely overhaul its ethos to stand as a symbol of the country’s environmental revolution.

Israel has long been a pioneer in clean technology, renewable energy, and water conservation, but for the longest time, so many of the nation’s brilliant inventions, such as BrightSource Energy’s utility scale solar energy plants, were shipped elsewhere.

The nation that spurred such smart ideas was not yet ready to incorporate them. But that has appeared to change, and in a big way.

While there is no question that the pursuit for oil and natural gas will always be Israel’s achilles heel, at last the nation’s leadership has embraced the wisdom of exploiting renewable sources of energy and conserving natural resources that do exist, including water that is in such short supply.

At the turn of the new year, the Knesset unveiled an outline of their Green Knesset project, which broadly aims to teach everyone who works in and around the parliament building to act in a manner that is ecologically, economically and socially sustainable.

While critics will no doubt find fault with this plan given the prevailing political conditions, there is something quite radical and fresh about the government’s intention.

In addition to implementing 12 specific projects in 2014 and 2015 that will reduce the building’s energy and water consumption, including a 48,000 square foot solar field, replacing all existing bulbs with more energy efficient LED lights, switching out the current air conditioning system with a new energy center and recycling water produced during air-conditioning for use in irrigation projects, the Knesset will actively engage employees and Knesset members in a systemic reconstruction.

National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Minister Silvan Shalom said, “The Green Knesset project will be a source of pride for Israel and will inspire other countries. Encouraging energy efficiency, saving electricity and advancing the use of natural gas and renewable energy will reduce pollution, preserve the environment and save a lot of money.”

Computers will be programmed to shut down every night and studies will be conducted to improve the irrigation system on the grounds to optimize conservation, and this won’t happen in the shadows. Everyone will be involved in order to create a new culture of sustainability. This same culture will hopefully follow people home and spread like a fan to the rest of the nation until conserving water and energy and recycling becomes as natural to Israelis as breathing.

$2 million will be set aside in the Green Fund to finance the Knesset’s greening, and new energy and water conservation measures are expected to save $290,000 per year.

Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz said, “At a time when my office is leading an environmental revolution in industry and in the residents’ homes, the symbol of the country must become a leading element in the green revolution, because it is the Knesset’s duty to protect the next generations, and protecting the environment is the way to do it.”

Lead image courtesy the Knesset

The post Israel’s environmental revolution starts with greening the Knesset appeared first on Green Prophet.

We’ve collected a number of films from around the net on Estidama, a LEED-like sustainability rating for communities, villas and apartments in the United Arab Emirates. A system that makes sense for the challenges of the desert climate, and Muslim communities.

Environmental, economic, social and cultural aspects are woven into the rating systems to include homes, mosques, schools to meet the challenges of Abu Dhabi’s challenging environment: hot and dry!  Watch these films to learn more about this unique system developed to reduce the consumption of local resources. Any companies looking to work in the United Arab Emirates’ green space should watch these movies to get the basics.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0_GBt-0i5U[/youtube]

This film here offers a sales pitch to average people who may not know what a green rating system is:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxrefYbhXlY[/youtube]

Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 to regenerate Abu Dhabi neighbourhoods of Khalifa City A and B, central of which will be sustainability and Estidama:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPOGF4g_1YM[/youtube]

A tour around an Emirati eco-home: what your green home would look like if you live in Abu Dhabi:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3VYHTCRvfc[/youtube]

Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council and its green vision for families? This organization builds the standards for Estidama.

What do Estidama communities look like? This video below shows the futuristic ideals planned by the Abu Dhabi government, which explains how the new communities will be built to encourage people to walk and cycle more.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiAKLfEFAjw[/youtube]

Learn more about Estidama here.

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Odeh Al-Jayoussi, the current vice president of Jordan’s Royal Scientific Society, has certainly had an interesting career. As well as working for the International Union for Conservation of Nature, he’s spent time at the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and been a consultant for the United Nations, the EU and the World Bank.

All of these positions as well as his personal experiences have clearly informed his book Islam and Sustainable Development: New Worldviews which explores “a new paradigm of sustainability that is informed by Islamic worldviews and Islamic ecological ethics”. Indeed, the book includes lots of topics and stretches itself a little too broadly with chapters exploring Islamic banking systems, the role of the Muslim artist and the Islamic perspective on evolution. Still, a highly recommended read for those interested in sustainability and particularly those new to Islam’s contribution to the debate so far.

Al-Jayoussi starts by pointing out something that most of us will probably agree with. The current development model isn’t working – more money seems to be spent on aid every year and yet poverty keep rising. With this in mind, he states there is a need for a new model that promotes prosperity without overconsumption and pollution. Again, I would say most of us agree. The model that Al-Jayoussi presents is based on four Islamic principles which are then explored across four chapters.

These principles are:

1) Adl or good governance

2) Ihsan or excellence

3) Arham or social capital and

4) Integrity without corruption or Fasd

Bringing these four principles together is quite new and interesting and whilst he sets out the Islamic backing and advantages of following these principles, I think there are lots of questions left unanswered.

Is this model meant to be universal or specifically tailored to the region? If the latter than great but I got a sense it was meant to be universal which I find problematic for a couple of reasons. What about those religious communities or atheists in the MENA region/globally who want to move away from faith-based models? Where do they fit in? Shouldn’t more localised solutions to tackle the problem of climate change be considered? After all, it was the dominance of the Western development model which seems to have cause widespread problems. Isn’t it time we recognized the value of diversity?

A video featuring Odeh Al-Jayoussi

[vimeo 54954387 w=500 h=375]

Another issue which kept nagging me whilst reading this book is that the huge contrast between the Islamic principles and the way that Islamic countries actually operate.

Yes, colonialism has a lot to answer for and the author is honest that the framing of these Islamic principles around sustainable development is new but there were a couple of case studies which highlighted the consistent gap. For example, Al-Jayoussi points out the real compatibility between Islam and fairtrade principles. Yet a fairtrade movement emerged without Islamic principles and Islamic economies have played a limited role in the growth of the movement.

I was also worried that ‘a good idea’ wasn’t enough to make it reality. Although the author highlights the model as an Islamic worldview rather than faith-view, he didn’t fully explore its weaknesses or real life applicability. However, there’s a lot for also a lot of interesting bits of history and insights which I think will be referring back to regularly and would be of great interest to new readers exploring the Islam and sustainability nexus.

In terms of the unanswered questions, I got in touch with Al Jayoussi and spoke to him over the phone about these issues. The full interview and his insightful answers will be published shortly so keep an eye out for part two of this debate!

For more book reviews and green faith news see:

Sharing Eden – Green Teachings from Jews, Christians and Muslims
London Mosques Start Beekeeping Trend – Interview
The Eco-Mosque Checklist – 7 Steps to a Greener Mosque
Consumerism, Ecology and the Sabbath

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