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Green technology meets high-tech at eco-conference
A three-day eco-friendly conference helps establish business connections, create innovative ideas intended to promote environment friendly living
An unlikely partnership between the high-tech and ecology communities in Israel formed the first ever sustainable technology conference – TentTech.
The camps’ participants, who represent various disciplines such as science, technology, art and agriculture combined their talent and resources in order to build projects and develop innovative blueprints for environment friendly living.
The group’s aim is to rethink sustainability in four different domains – water, energy, shelter and communication.
The conference, called by many a non-conference, was established by a group of high-tech entrepreneurs headed by Ilan Graicer and Gilli Cegla.
Among the Israeli activists taking part in the project was Muhammad Almaki, a student from Mali who came to Israel in order to learn Hebrew so he could translate the bible into the local Mali language. Almaki presented the camps’ participants with one of the major issues the Mali people face – one water well shared by 5,000 residents.
Almaki asked some of the high-tech experts to search for the technology which could improve access to drinking water in Mali. He further asked for them to find affordable solutions for well building, rain harvesting and pumping and water purification.
One of the camp’s participants, Oranit Avidar, who works for WaterWays, a local Israeli startup seeking to find fitting solutions for rural locations lacking access to water sources, approached Almaki soon after he spoke, in effort to help him with the life threatening challenge his country faces.
The conference further held discussions concerning challenges of developing countries in the fields of water and sanitation, shelter, communications and energy.
Moreover, several discussions concerning existing global innovation challenges took place followed by possible projects and solutions addressing these needs.
Among the technological developments presented during the conference was Moti Cohen’s aquaponics prototype, which is a sustainable food production system that combines the traditional aquaculture with hydroponics in a symbiotic environment.
Source: Ynetnews.com
World Bank excited about Israeli cleantech firms’
Ruzgar Barisik says IFC enthusiastic about investing in local industry; adds ‘Israeli technologies are very promising’
Ruzgar Barisik, who serves as senior investment officer at the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) says he sees great potential for Israel’s cleantech industry.
Barisik, who recently visited Israel, said that “Israel is a very exciting place for us: Market interest in a growing number of Israeli technologies makes this a very promising area we want to be part of.”
“I’ll be attending Agritech Israel 2012 this month, and it will be my third visit to Israel since we launched our Cleantech Investment Program this past September, meaning I’ve visited Israel more than any other country,” he told Israel NewTech.
Barisik further explained the IFC’s cleantech program’s motivation to invest in Israel: “The World Bank was founded after World War II, with a mission to alleviate poverty worldwide.
“After 10 years of activity, the organization understood that to do so it needs to be active in the private sector as well as the government sector, and in 1956 the IFC was born.”
Today, IFC is one of the world’s largest financiers for companies in the developing world and holds a $48.8 billion portfolio, spanning almost every major industry, reaching millions of people in more than 100 countries.
The IFC, he added, is looking to invest in innovative, high growth companies who are commercializing new technologies or business models.
“Israeli companies are usually looking to expand their activities beyond their domestic market. They are driven by Israeli entrepreneurs who tend to be very international in their approach, having often been educated or done business abroad.
“Additional success drivers in Israel are the great academic and industrial research programs, the strong venture capital investment community active in the country, as well as the support of government programs like Israel NewTech,” he said.
The IFC has yet to invest in Israel, but according to Barisik, the Cleantech Investment Program of the IFC is planning to invest some $150 million annually in 15 companies worldwide, and he expects that one to two of these investments can be made in Israel every year.
Reprinted with permission from Israel NewTech
New app offers green consumerism tips
Environmental Protection Ministry launches new smartphone application mean to promote eco-friendly consumer behavior
The Environmental Protection Ministry launched a new green consumerism app this week, meant to promote eco-friendly consumer behavior.
The Thinking Green app, which is free, is meant to help and educate consumers on how they can save hundreds of shekels a month by simply opting for environmentally friendly products, purchases and habits.
Thinking Green offers users tips for environmentally friendly behavior at home, at work, on the road and while on vacation.
The application also offers a “test yourself” feature, which allows users to see if they were able to maximize their savings with green consumerism.
“After years of advertisers pushing for excess consumerism we are stepping up on the same platform and urging smart consumerism,” Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan said.
We will appeal to the public wherever they may be, through television, the Internet and smartphones, in order to increase the awareness to the fact that by applying small changes, each of us can both save money and help the environment.”
Source: Ynetnews.com
Israel prepares to turn off lights for Earth Hour
Some 22 cities participate in annual event beginning at 8 pm; cities to hold environmentally friendly parties, events
On Sunday, for one hour, Israelis will turn off the lights and take part in the annual Earth Hour – a worldwide event encouraging households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour, part of the annual Earth Day activities. This year, Some 22 Israeli cities will be participating.
The lights out will begin at 8 pm in a gradual manner – so as not to damage the national electric grid. Tel Aviv, Yeruham and Yavne will be starting off the hour followed by Haifa, Givat Shmuel, Kiryat Yam, Yokneam-Illit, Ma’alot Tarshicha and Modi’in 10 minutes later. Other cities will continue to join in every 10 minutes.
Last year, some 700,000 Israeli residents turned off their lights in 67,000 households for one hour throughout the country, breaking a record in energy conservation and saving a total of NIS 50,000 ($13,000). This year, with the hike in electricity prices, the incentive to join in and turn off the lights will be even greater.
And while it might be dark inside, on the streets things are set to really light up. Many cities will be holding special ‘green’ events to mark the occasion. Netanya will be holding an “earphone party” with each participant receiving earphones that have been charged using solar panels.
In Eilat, residents and tourists are invited to make lampshades for energy-conserving lamps and use “sun ovens” to make pizzas, fondue and roast marshmallows in the city park. Tel Aviv will be holding the main event of the day – a major concert with some of Israel’s biggest stars, all using energy-efficient stages and lighting.
Meanwhile, Environment Ministry senior officials led by Minister Environmental Gilad Erdan will be showing a personal example and visiting high schools throughout the country to share lessons on Earth Hour and explain its importance.
Over the weekend, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and US Ambassador Dan Shapiro also showed their environmentally friendly sides when they planted trees near Jaffa in honor of Earth Hour.
Source: Ynetnews.com
Jerusalem’s new park turns old train tracks into an urban oasis
The local version of New York’s High Line is an important link in the ring of parks going up around the capital.
An old train track on Manhattan’s West Side has been transformed into an urban-ecological paradise. Over the past decade, Jerusalem has been trying something similar with its Train Track Park, which links neighborhoods that would otherwise have little do with each other.
Architect Yair Avigdor and landscape architect Shlomi Zeevi have been busy planning and developing Train Track Park on the historic railway between the old train station near the German Colony and the edge of the new Malkha station near the Biblical Zoo.
It’s an important link in the ring of parks going up around Jerusalem. At the edges are exclusive neighborhoods like the Greek Colony, as well as less wealthy neighborhoods like Katamonim and Beit Safafa.
Along the path south of the Khan train station, the tree saplings along the route haven’t had time to grow, and the spring sun beats down hard on passersby.
“In Jerusalem there is a pleasant sense of expanses and open spaces because of its topography, and when you walk in the city you feel a lot of green,” says Avigdor. “But precisely because of the topography, the number of areas convenient to use is relatively small, and entire neighborhoods have no access to parks.”
Zeevi notes that Jerusalem’s large parks are typically in wadis – low-lying areas – like Sacher Park or the Valley of the Cross.
“They do the job but they provide an answer only on the neighborhood level. That is, you have to organize yourself to go there, and sometimes you even have to take your car. There are few places in the city where the open spaces are part of the urban fabric. Train Track Park was an opportunity for us to create such a place. The moment you’re part of an urban fabric, accessibility is an everyday thing.”
Surprisingly, Train Track Park came together as a by-product of the plan for Nahal Refa’im Park. When Avigdor and Zeevi tried to set the park’s boundaries, they climbed toward the city and looked for its drainage basin. At the top of the Nahal Refa’im basin is the Khan train station, which ceased operations in 1998.
Avigdor and Zeevi proposed to the municipal engineer at the time, Uri Sheetrit, an extension of the park that would include the train tracks’ route and reach the station. Sheetrit agreed, as did the Jerusalem Development Authority, which got Israel Railways on board.
Gestures between neighborhoods
The Ottoman rail line between Jaffa and Jerusalem was the first rail line in the Middle East. Construction began in 1890, at the initiative of Jerusalem entrepreneur Yosef Navon. It took only two and a half years. The track was used throughout the 20th century, apart from of one year during the War of Independence. (Parts of the track were taken by the Arab Legion and returned to Israel in the Rhodes agreements. ) The track served as a major artery to Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem train station was some distance from the Old City, but over the years new Jewish and Arab neighborhoods rose alongside it, including the Greek Colony, Talpiot, Beit Safafa and later Katamonim.
As Jerusalem developed, the track became a kind of municipal border that only exacerbated the economic and social polarization between the neighborhoods. The new park is based on the tracks’ original route; the width ranges between 7 and 15 meters.
The architects’ most important decision was to preserve the rails and tracks as a major design element. They superimposed on them panels of shaded concrete in a wood pattern, creating a path for pedestrians. Alongside the tracks an asphalt bike path has been paved, which connects to other municipal paths. The pedestrians and the bikes are separated by a strip of grass that provides a place to relax.
Where the park meets urban intersections or small streets, it makes “gestures,” as Zeevi calls them, in the form of tiny parks. The planners also sought to strengthen the transitions between neighborhoods by creating spaces with benches and lighting.
In parts of the park, original railway installations have been preserved, including signs and poles. The architects plan to add more signs, explaining a bit of the history.
The park is six kilometers long, and the landscape changes along the way. Splendid villas give way to housing projects in Katamonim and private houses in Beit Safafa. Eventually, the urban fabric gives way to the natural expanse of the Jerusalem Hills.
“The strip of park is simple and legible …. What changes is the surrounding landscape,” says Zeevi. “So the park’s effect isn’t limited to its physical boundaries. Its sides become active participants.”
Until a few years ago, the area of the park was “the junkyard of Jerusalem,” as Zeevi puts it. Today we’re seeing a process of the city turning toward it,” he says. “For example, in Beit Safafa … they once asked us to put up fences alongside the park. Today they’re asking us to take those fences down because they want to open cafes there. They understand the potential.”
It’s better in New York
Unfortunately, it appears the park’s design potential has not been entirely fulfilled. One can’t help but notice the low maintenance. And the “simple and legible” design sometimes comes across as monotonous.
Thus, for example, the planners decided to lay rails made of concrete imitations of wooden panels, rather than real wood. (It’s for maintenance reasons, the planners reply. ) It also seems the design accoutrements are very standard and don’t fit the unique landscape.
When discussing parks based on historic train tracks, the High Line in Manhattan is inevitably invoked. This park was built on the ruins of an old elevated track on the western part of the island. The project was initiated by vocal and energetic residents who realized its utility – and real estate value.
The project, planned by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, uses high-quality design elements – such as benches, fountains and railings – that turn the railroad track into an urban-ecological paradise. It’s no wonder that cities all over the world are trying to imitate its success. The question is: Why doesn’t Jerusalem deserve a similar level of design?
Avigdor and Zeevi note that the New York project enjoys a budget 10 times larger per square meter and a municipality that was extremely understanding of the unique design and maintenance costs.
“The Jerusalem municipality accepted many of our proposals, but today many municipalities reject even wooden benches because of maintenance and vandalism problems,” says Avigdor. “We thought it was right to create a simple system that would link up with other parks in the city. For example, we decided that the bike path would look exactly as it does anywhere in Jerusalem.”
Currently the third segment of Train Track Park is being completed, linking Oranim Junction to Patt Junction. The fourth and final segment, which will run though Beit Safafa, is in the planning phase and is slated for completion within two years.
The estimated cost of the project isn’t low – about NIS 40 million – but is seen quite worth it. Even if the park’s design isn’t perfect, it’s hard to argue with its success in developing green spaces and adding a new twist to the neighborhoods along its path.
Source: Haaretz.com
Report: Plastic bottle recycling in Israel tops US, EU
Recycling data for 2011 suggest 50% of all plastic bottles in Israel are recycled; 200,000 tons of bottles recycled
A new report by the ELA Beverage Containers Collection Corporation suggests that in 2011 Israelis recycled over 50% of their plastic bottles – more than their American and European counterparts.
The annual plastic bottle recycling rates was 29% in the US and 48% in Europe.
According to the report, some 20,000 tons of bottles were recycled in 2011, and since the prices of recyclable packages in Israel carry a consumer deposit, the public has been able to regain NIS 1.04 billion (roughly $280 million) in deposit fees over the past decade.
ELA’s report noted that, in total, 77% of all beverage containers, both plastic and glass, were collected for recycling, exceeding government targets of 73%, amounting to some 600 million bottles.
The report’s segmentation said that households recycled about 41% of all beverage containers – about 300 million bottles – also surpassing a the government’s 35% goal.
ELA Chairwoman Nehama Ronen said that, “A year since the Packaging Law came into force – we succeeded in surpassing the goals set for us by the Environmental Protection Ministry.”
The cooperation further notes that in the past year 140 municipalities and regional councils nationwide installed 4,400 new recycling bins, bringing the country’s total number of recycling points to 15,000.
ELA said that the most successful recycling cities in 2011 were Kiryat Ono and Givat Shmuel, and the most successful regional councils were Arava Kfar Shmaryahu. Bnei Brak set a municipal record in 2011, going from having only seven recycling bins across the city to exceeding 400.
“As we gear to implement the Waste Separation Law in Israel, this data suggests that the Israeli public is committed to the issue of recycling,” Ronen said.
Source: Ynetnews.com