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 […]
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0goOBK3zb8&feature=related Now that Barack Obama is on his way to the White House and the US seems poised for a “New Green Deal”, could things start heading in that direction in Israel as well? While on the national level, a new green party aims to secure a couple of seats in the Knesset, one of the outgoing […]
If you were going to use one word to describe Israel, the word “construction” would be a definite possibility. Visitors who come to Israel within intervals of only a few years are often shocked at the rapid development in the country. At only 60 years old Israel is constantly building and developing, and sometimes it […]
On of the most depressing bus rides I have ever taken in Israel was a late-night local from Kfar Saba to Tel Aviv. In addition to its sheer length (an hour and a half ride for a trip that should take 40 minutes), the bus went from suburb to suburb, revealing identical buildings and streetscapes […]
Sometimes it is necessary to confront our decision-makers with what has been called “the threat of a good example” – to bring them face to face with evidence that, despite their insistence to the contrary, it is possible to do things differently. That, in a nutshell, was the idea behind an event held last week […]
This Prophet recently got the chance to travel to New York City, and was a little bit apprehensive about the green-ness factor of the Big Apple. For a city so notorious for its chic blacks and greys, we figured that a fairly untrendy color like green wouldn’t be too popular. We were wrong. Apparently green […]
Stay tuned for our future eco-tour of Dubai, but in the meantime let’s take a look at some green goings-on in Dubai. Because we’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover that very interesting things are happening over there. For starters, the Dubai government recently issued a requirement that all buildings in the emirate be constructed with […]
It’s not every day that you can party with a group of farmers in the middle of a city. Even rarer, it’s not every day that you can party with urban Israeli farmers on the rooftop of a historic building in the center of Tel Aviv and learn about some green goodness to boot. Which […]
Notice anything strange about this scene? Said Leemor Chandally, who sent us these photos, “I was passing by Rabin Square, when I noticed this situation and had to laugh. A bunch of people were waiting for a bus, but nobody was waiting inside the bus stop, which was obviously brand new. Instead, everyone was crouching […]
You wouldn’t generally think of Tel Aviv as a green oasis. A nightlife oasis, yes. A beachy oasis, yes. A trendy oasis, yeah, you could call it that too. But when you’re walking on busy Allenby Street or Dizengoff – the natural environment is probably the furthest thing from your urban experience. But tucked away […]
With the Shavuot holiday coming up next week, harvest and cheeses (okay, mostly cheeses) are on everyone’s mind. Shavuot is related to ancient grain harvest customs in Israel, making it one of the more significant agricultural holidays in Judaism. And agriculture has a big effect on the environment. Non-organic agricultural practices, such as using pesticides […]
Nachalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv is famous for its weekly market of local, handmade arts and crafts – a market that is very environmentally friendly. But it is also home to some of Tel Aviv’s hippest bars and restaurants. For the sixth time, these restaurants and bars are getting together for the annual Nachalat […]
Designs for new technologies to green homes, or even building new ‘eco-friendly’ neighbourhoods from scratch like in Kfar Saba (Green Building or Greenwashing?), are coming in thick-and-fast in Israel. But what about the millions of people living in buildings that have been standing for decades? One man who has come up with the answer is […]
One weekend a year, Tel Aviv’s architectural treasures open their doors and allow the public to learn about and appreciate the urban environment. In this unique annual event structures such as historical buildings, private homes, designer lofts, unique gardens, and even construction sites are made available in a project called Houses From Within. This year […]
Israel is celebrating 60 years of independence this week, and we’ve come a long way, baby. Long enough to have organic falafel on Tel Aviv’s Ibn Gvirol Street next to the City Hall. Introducing Hippo, the hip falafel joint that ensures that every bite you take out of the national snack is pesticide free and […]