Category: Environment
Stephen Colbert congratulates Israel on new national bird and kosher giraffes
Posted on June 15, 2008 | View Comments
As many of you may have heard, Israel recently selected a new national bird: the Hoopoe, or “Duchifat” in Hebrew. I have no idea what the logic was behind this choice, since the Hoopoe is specified as unclean in the Bible and therefore not kosher, but bird fans say the Hoopoe is a kind, monogamous creature that takes good care of its kids. Sounds like a lot of Jewish mothers I know.
Despite its kind nature, the Hoopoe apparently has some disgusting habits, and Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report had a lot to say about it. He suggested that Israel adopt the Hoopoe’s defense tactics on the Golan Heights: squirting fecal matter at intruders. He also congratulated the Jews on a new addition to the kosher menu: giraffe. Yum yum.
What will you be driving in 2010? A Sneak Peek
Posted on May 13, 2008 | View Comments
If you answered “One of the two yellow Hummers in Israel”, you may not really be interested in the rest of this post. For the rest of us, we could end up driving electric cars within the next 2 years, thanks to Shai Agassi and Renault. The latest model has been spotted circling around parking lots in Tel Aviv. I wonder who the lucky guy/gal is that gets to test it and is forced to drive around in circles all day. Weee!
While I admit that this is no flying car, the electric car will create cleaner air and lower our dependency on fossil fuels, a good thing considering the only oil Israel has is olive oil and it’s too tasty to be wasted on transportation.
Newsweek explains that 150 recharging stations aka ‘swaps’ will be built around Israel and will take the same amount of time to fill up as a traditional gas pump. You’ll also be able to recharge at home or the office for shorter distances. Drivers can pay for the recharging with monthly subscriptions, similar to a cellphone plan, and it should end up being cheaper than gas.
When these guilt-free and cheaper fueling electric cars become available to the public, I will definitely want one. But I ain’t getting on the roads until the national aggression level in Israeli drivers is lowered significantly. Where is Project Better Drivers? That is the real question here.
Shai Agassi, of Project Better Place, is speaking at the President’s Conference in Jerusalem this week, so hopefully we’ll learn of the latest status of the project and report it here on israelplug.
Fresh, Israeli organic produce shipped to your door
Posted on October 5, 2007 | View Comments
Or-gani is a new Israeli farm dedicated to providing fresh, affordable organic produce that you can even have delivered to your door! In addition, the farm is open to visitors, and they have plans to open an on-site coffee shop. And somewhere on their site they mention organic beer.
Or-Gani is an organic farm established by a group of friends who were “tired of eating chemical laden crap for vegetables.” Read more»
How and why Israel is a leader in clean technologies
Posted on August 19, 2007 | View Comments
Israeli Ormat and Evogene entering biodiesel market
Posted on July 26, 2007 | View Comments
Ormat Industries and Evogene, two Israeli companies, have reached an agreement in principle to develop oil-rich crops that can be used to produce cheaper biodiesel fuels.
The two companies will embark on a three-year, $2m research project to identify lower-cost alternatives to soy and canola oil for biodiesel fuel. Read more»
Largest solar park in the world to be built by Israeli company
Posted on July 26, 2007 | View Comments
By 2011, the largest solar thermal technology plant in the world will be providing 553 megawatts of solar power, the equivalent of powering 400,000 homes. The Israeli company Solel Solar Systems has just signed a contract with Pacific Gas and Electric Company and will be building the project in the Mojave Desert in California.
When done, the park will cover 6,000 acres of the desert and will include 1.2 million mirrors.
Meanwhile, Solel and Greenpeace in Israel are still working to overcome beaurocratic hurdles in order to begin a similar project in the Negev.
For a really interesting video that explains a little more about the new technology behind this, click here.
Amir Ben David, “Israel company to build largest solar park in world in US”, ynetnews, July 26, 2007
Israeli farmers to follow a full year of rest
Posted on July 24, 2007 | View Comments
Every seven years many Israeli farmers stop farming their land in accordance with the Jewish law called shmita. Religious leaders meet with farmers in order to discuss with them the issues involved in this mitzva (commandment).
Since the 1950s and ’60s, the number of dunams that “rest” during the shmita year has increased from 1000 dunams to around 220,000 dunams. It is estimated that 400,000 dunams will lie fallow during the upcoming shmita year.
Serious financial loss can result to farmers who are willing to stop farming for a whole year. Some farmers are expected to gross $1.5 million for shutting down their operations. Diaspora Jews, particularly from the US, help offset these losses by raising money during the 6th year of the shmita cycle to support the farmers during this year of rest.
Michal Lando, “Mitzva makers”, The Jerusalem Post, July 24, 2007
Israeli researchers find solution for wasp that destroys Eucalyptus trees
Posted on July 24, 2007 | View Comments
A tiny wasp is the chagrin of many countries. And now, those same countries are requesting assistance from Israel after Israeli scientists, funded by the Jewish National Fund (JNF), found the one millimeter Closterocerus to inhibit the wasp.
The wasps subject Eucalyptus trees to continued attack, causing massive damage. An Israeli research team traveled to Australia where they identified Closterocerus. After extended research on the bug, it was released into Israeli forests. A substantial improvement was noticed there and there are reports that the bug migrated to Jordan, Egypt and Turkey.
Israeli experts have already traveled to Thailand and are soon to make a trip to South Africa.
Academics at The Hebrew University figure out how to water plants with salt water
Posted on July 21, 2007 | View Comments
“Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink.” Or so we thought.
Prof. Alex Levine and doctoral student Yehoram Leshem of The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, have been studying how plants react under salty conditions and why.
The results of their work, published in the Proceedings of the (US) National Academy of Sciences, show that through understanding the mechanisms by which plants deal with salty conditions and through genetic manipulation, it is possible to raise plants’ tolerance to what normally would be too much salt for survival.
Improving the salt tolerance of crops can be a life-save to many countries and societies.
About israelplug
Upcoming Events
You may have missed
Tidbits
Search
Subscribe to israelplug
Categories
Sponsors