Archive | Environment
JNF: Tu Bishvat sees record tree planting
Jewish National Fund said over 600,000 new trees planted over holiday weekend; expects week-long events to see a million more new saplings
The Jewish National Fund reported that a new record has been set this Tu Bishvat, as over 600,000 new trees were planted over the holiday weekend.
According to JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzle, this year’s Tu Bishvat (Israel’s Arbor Day) events, which span the entire week, will see over a million new saplings planted in forests and parks nationwide.
Over 260 cities, towns and communities participated in the JNF’s annual planting event Saturday, as hundreds of thousands of Israelis used the sunny day and came out in droves to celebrate the trees’ annual holiday.
According to Stenzle, 2013′s Tu Bishvat’s planting venture will set a new record.
“We want to thank the hundreds of thousands of people who came out today and took part in Tu Bishvat’s events in Israel,” he said.
Israel, he added, “Is the only country in the world to have more trees in the 21st century than in the previous one… We’re creating a green lung that will benefit all of us.”
Source: Ynetnews.com
Israel joins UN’s Kiev Protocol
Environmental Protection Ministry commits to following UN protocol on air pollution; pledges to grant public access to transparent emissions data
Israel has joined the UN’s Kiev Protocol on air pollution, the Environmental Protection Ministry said.
The Kiev Protocol, also known as the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR), was introduced and enacted in 2003.
The environmental treaty aims “To enhance public access to information through the establishment of coherent, nationwide pollutant release and transfer registers.”
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), it is the first legally binding international tool to that effect.
The Kiev Protocol demands that government exercise freedom of information and transparency regarding emissions data.
By requiring transparency, instead of regulating emissions output, the protocol’s effectiveness hinges on the idea that companies will want to avoid the stigma of being large polluters.
The protocol will enter into force in Israel on April 14, according to UN spokesman Farhan Haq.
“The secretary-general appreciates all ratifications and accessions to the treaties deposited with him, including the Kiev Protocol,” he said.
By signing the environmental treaty, Israel will be joining 36 countries, in addition to the European Union, which have individually signed the protocol.
Kiev Protocol members so far include: Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Macedonia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Israel is the second country in the Middle East, after Cyprus, to join the protocol. The decision also coincides with Israel’s duties as an OECD member.
Source: Ynetnews.com
OECD pleased with Israel’s waste, chemicals policies
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says Israel successfully implementing its policies on waste, chemicals management
srael has received positive feedback from the OECD’s Chemicals Committee and its Working Party on Chemicals Pesticides and Biotechnology regarding its implementation of the organization’s policies in these fields.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s periodic assessment found that Israel’s compliance with its obligations in the areas of chemicals and waste management were successful and satisfactory, the Environmental Protection Ministry said on its website.
A delegation from the Israeli ministry presented the OECD’s committee with the steps Israel has taken in order to meet its commitments to the OECD.
Israel’s has noted several accomplishments since joining the OECD in 2010, including establishing a mechanism for managing and registering industrial chemicals, establishing the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register mechanism to keep track of chemicals emissions, and implementation of Integrated Pollution Prevention Control policies.
Israel also made significant progress in the comprehensive management of waste via legislation, waste reduction at source, the separation of different waste streams, recycling and reducing landfill; as well as management of facilities for waste and for recycling.
The OECD committee recognized Israel’s earnest commitment and efforts in these matters, saying that it had achieved a great deal in the two years reviewed.
“The committee members, as well as OECD Secretariat representatives, said that they see much improvement in our management of chemicals,” said Romy Even Danan, head of the ministry’s Hazardous Materials Division.
The OECD’s Environmental Policy Committee (EPOC) will meet in February 2013, to discuss Israel’s progress related to other environmental issues, including the use of economic instruments to manage biodiversity, environmental information and indicators.
Source: Ynetnews.com
Mongolian delegation visits Ramat Hovav
Ulan-Bator mission visits Israel to learn about treatment methods for contaminated water, soil
A delegation from Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Green Development is hoping to take home practical lessons from a recent visit to Israel.
According to the Environmental Protection Ministry the Ulan-Bator mission visited Israel in late December as guests of the Environmental Protection and Foreign ministries.
The Mongolian delegates visited Israel with aim of learning from the Israeli expertise in the fields of water pollution management and prevention, and land rehabilitation.
The delegation met with officials from the Environmental Protection Ministry and from the Water Authority, as well as with representatives of companies that deal with land rehabilitation, biological treatment of contaminated soil, and treatment of other environmental woes.
The mission visited various sites across Israel, including the Shafdan Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Environmental Services Co., a government-owned company in Ramat Hovav, where they learned about innovative facilities for the treatment of organic waste and solid waste.
Mongolia has expressed great interest in forging collaborations with Israel on environmental issues, especially in the fields of air pollution and coping with desertification.
Mongolia has the lowest population density in the world, but the country is plagued by a variety of environmental challenges.
The effects of desertification and climate change have damaged the ability of its grazing animals to survive, and has prompted a mass migration of Mongolian residents from rural areas to the capital city of Ulan-Bator.
Today, 45% of the 2.75 million Mongolians live in the capital, which has registered a sharp increase in air pollution levels in recent years.
Source: Ynetnews.com
France’s EDF launches 3 new solar projects in israel
Three new renewable energy projects launched in Negev with $72 million investment by French national electricity company.
Three new renewable energy projects were launched in the Negev last week, with a NIS 270 million (roughly $72 million) investment by the French national electricity company Electricite de France SA (EDF).
The venture, which will see three new solar fields built in the Negev communities of Gvulot, Nahal Oz and Lahav will become operational within six months and produce 18 megawatts of electricity each. In total 75,000 solar panels manufactured in France were installed in the fields.
Energy and Water Minister Uzi Landau, French Ambassador to Israel Christophe Bigot and EDF Energies Nouvelle Israeli CEO Ayalon Vaniche attended the inauguration ceremony.
“The new arrays are the first of many more ventures that EDF will set up in Israel in the coming year,” Vaniche said.
The venture, he added, “reflects EDF’s long-term confidence in the Israeli economy and its huge potential in the field of energy. We see the local communities as strategic partners in these facilities and we have decided that their operation will favor local suppliers and workers.”
The France-based EDF is one of the world’s largest alternative energy companies.
Story via YnetNews
a STARTUP featured: SDM’s ONE-on-ONE with Greenbo founder and CEO Roy Joulus
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They are one of the coolest and greenest Israeli startups, if you love gardening (even if you don’t) and aesthetics… Greenbo is what you need! We reached out to the founder and CEO Roy Joulus to bring you a little insight into why we LOVE this Israeli product.
Tell us about Greenbo
Greenbo LTD founded in 2008 bringing design & creativity by manufacturing high-end, prestigious design & quality products to the urban gardening domain.
Greenbo product’s main guidelines are based on simplicity, innovation and efficiency, while keeping safety as a priority.
Greenbo’s Designer railing deck planters and flower boxes’ unique saddle design means they can fit onto balcony railings around the world.
Greenbo cares about a green environment and acts according to the “Sustainability” ecological economics principles, by using high quality & recycled materials to ensure a long lasting product life cycle.
Greenbo’s high quality products last more than 3 years, minimizing the need for plastic
Some of our colors are produced from recycled plastic materials contributing to a green environment by re-using material.
The Greenbo product line is designed and manufactured in Israel, in a state of the art factory, with worldwide standardization of injection mold manufacturing, creating hundreds of work places in the plastic, packaging and design industries.
Greenbo’s factory employs people from minority population finding difficulties in job requirements in the free market. Greenbo’s factory is a partnership between Jewish owners and Arab owners showing a full cooperation between 2 populations in Israel in a business manner which can provide a social and financial solution to both sides living together.
With our Greenbo XL designed rail & deck window box we had just won the Red dot product design award for best designed product 2012.
http://en.red-dot.org/index.php?id=2839&detail=9849&no_cache=1
In addition, The Israeli Greenbo was the finalist in the YBI entrepreneur of the year competition in London sponsored by HRH the Prince of Wales s and bank Barclays,
http://awards.youthbusiness.org/winners/shortlist-roy-joulous/
and won the second place in the Creative Business Cup global competition
http://www.creativebusinesscup.com/greenbo
All of the above makes Greenbo a high end design environmental unique company.
Greenbo’s main products
Greenbo XL Designed Rail & Deck Flower box
Provides a unique solution for growing plants/flowers in an urban environment by simply placing it over your rail or deck, saving your balcony floor space.
Greenbo XL unique design allows it to be placed over any shape or form of railings without the need for special adjustments or effort.
With its built-in draining solution – 2 removable, cleanable & replaceable trays, anchoring mechanism for theft protection, patented stability mechanism and 6 special modern colors, Greenbo XL is a perfect design solution for a balcony.
• Fits all railing shapes and sizes up to 6” \ 16cm wide
• Patented rail design holds securely. Self-mounting – no screws or brackets necessary
• Patented anchoring mechanism for theft protection.
• No drip drainage – Recycles water. Contains a built-in drainage solution – two removable & cleanable trays.
• High quality materials ensuring long lasting product lifecycle
• Constructed from 100% weatherproof resin
Greenbo Planter | Designed Rail & Deck Flower pot
Provides a unique solution for growing plants/flowers in an urban environment by simply placing it over your rail or deck, saving your balcony floor space.
Greenbo XL unique design allows it to be placed over any shape or form of railings without the need for special adjustments or effort.
With its built-in draining solution – 2 removable, cleanable & replaceable trays, anchoring mechanism for theft protection, patented stability mechanism and 6 special modern colors, Greenbo XL is a perfect design solution for a balcony.
• Fits all railing shapes and sizes up to 4” \ 10cm wide
• Patented rail design holds securely. Self-mounting – no screws or brackets necessary
• Patented anchoring mechanism for theft protection.
• No drip drainage – Recycles water. Contains a built-in drainage solution – two removable & cleanable trays.
• High quality materials ensuring long lasting product lifecycle
• Constructed from 100% weatherproof resin
How will Greenbo revolutionize gardening?
Greenbo revolutionizes gardening by changing the perception of growing vegetables, flowers and plants in an urban environment, bringing nature into your apartment in an innovative attractive way.
The Greenbo planters and flower boxes patented design allows it to be placed over any shape or form of railings without a need for special adjustments or effort. With a variety of 16 vivid colors, High end plastic polymers, and advanced planter mechanisms: Stability ribs mechanism, Water recycling and more, Greenbo is a world leader in the urban gardening domain.
Who came up with the concept/design, what was your inspiration?
I came up with the Greenbo railing & deck planter concept from a real need\problem I had trying to grow my herbs and vegetables in my small apartment’s balcony while living in Tel-Aviv for many years.
Design and gardening were not my specialty. After completing my first degree, I got a job in the Hi-tech industry, for years I bounced from start-up to startup, filing different roles and climbing up to managerial roles.
After years of hard work and long hours working and achieving for the companies I worked for, I realized I could do the same things and better on my own. I decided to pursue my dream and study design (…which was always a hobby of mine) and so I did. As a gardener and design graduate, I was really amazed how many things can be created differently, with more design, more colors, more efficiency and simplicity. That was the moment I knew I was going to start my own business based on my ideas in the product design field.
The idea for Greenbo came as I was renting an apartments in Tel Aviv. The rent was expensive and the apartments were very small, I remember I could barely stand in my balcony. As a nature lover living in an urban environment, I really wanted to grow my own garden and so I insisted on doing so. So I started thinking creatively on how I could keep my small apt/balcony and still have a lovely garden with flowers and colors.
I started playing around with all kinds of ideas but at that point the only products available were the chip regular window boxes with metal hangers. I bought one and hanged it on my railing facing the street. I was amazed that the only color available at the time was white, dark green and terracotta brown which were terrible.
After hanging it I discovered few things:
1/ The window box was directed to the street and located beneath the railing so I couldn’t enjoy my flowers.
2/ Both the metal hangers and my railing got rusted.
3/ It was very unstable, a little disturbance and it could fall down
4/ It was not asthetically pleasing, to enjoy it, I had to cover it with HUGE flowers.
That was the moment I realized I have the perfect solution. While looking at the 2 regular flower boxes hanging facing each other (the street and the balcony), I’ve noticed the saddle shape they created, with that in mind, I decided to design a on-top railing flower box, made only of plastic with no metal hangers including a rib safety mechanism. In addition to the mechanism, I gave it a state of the art design available in many colours, making the flower box a designed object on its own. We made it wide enough to be able grow flowers but narrow enough to not to take too much space (…space is precious in Tel Aviv), and from there Greenbo started its urban gardening revolution. 2 of my best friends joined me Maya Golan & Meir Haklai and I convinced my father, Avi Joulus to come along on our journey, together we established Greenbo, an Innovative Israeli design global leading company.
Are you inspired more by Design or Gardening ?
I was inspired by the combination of creativity and nature completing each other.
I love nature, flowers, and plants and wanted to keep it in my life though living in an urban environment. I’ve also been designing for years always looking to bring clean designs and efficiency to my life. Once facing the need to solve the problem I had, I really felt that with the combination of these 2 hobbies I can bring innovative, simple solution for growing my own garden in the city.
The solution was so simple and so “reality demanding” that since day one I thought about it, it felt right.
Gardening is a way of natural design AND design is really using the beauty of nature, all is needed is keeping it simple, clever and always inspire to improve while keeping the environment natural and sustainable.
People are more and more interested in products that are environmentally friendly, what makes Greenbo GREEN ?
Greenbo cares about green environment and act according to the “Sustainability” ecological economics principles, by using high quality & recycled materials to ensure long lasting product life cycle.
Product life cycle
Greenbo planters and flower boxes are very solid, making them safe in extreme weather conditions over high floor buildings, in addition Greenbo products have a life cycle of more than 3 years, compared to the 1 year life-cycle of a regular planter, resulting in a lot less plastic waste.
Recycled materials and recycled products
All Greenbo products that are returned to us are recycled and used to manufacture other products. In addition, Greenbo’s white and black products are manufactured from recycled materials
Saving water and recycled water
Greenbo products have 2 removable drainage trays that the extra water drains to.
The extra water can be reused either on the same planter or on the one next to it. We wanted to give people the option of re-using water.
In addition, the roots of the plants are totally separated from the extra water allowing the plants to grow better and safer.
What do you mean when you say “Ecological economics principles” and how do you follow them ?
As stated above, at Greenbo we care a lot about the environment so we are implemented “Sustainability” ecological economics principles from our initial design and planning process.
Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony which permits a fulfillment of the social, economic and other requirements for the present generations to come.
In brief, there are two major ways of managing human impact on ecosystem services.
One approach is environmental management; this approach is based largely on information gained from educated professionals in earth science, environmental science, and conservation biology.
Another approach is management of consumption of resources, which is based largely on information gained from educated professionals in economics.
All of the above reflects the real revolution in Greenbo products embracing the main “Sustainability” principle of
Management of consumption of resources:
From the early stages of our product design we insist of bringing and designing our products to be environmental friendly. Besides the “green” mechanisms in our product like grey water recycle mechanism, Greenbo is very strict regarding the earth resources and continuity.
Many of the Greenbo products are made from recycled plastic materials, but not only this, each product returned to us or any damaged product from the production processes, recycled and new different product are manufactured from it, so every resource taken from our ground is used for eternity saving the resources and keeping our planet greener and stronger. In addition, Greenbo implement one of the most important “Sustainability” principals of smart quality consuming, which means that each product produced must be in high quality and last for years and by that saving return purchase of cheaper low quality product and wasting the plant resources. In the last few years the attitude of purchasing cheap, low level, un-designed product become very common and caused a major waste in our earth resources consumption. In Greenbo we have decided to change it. We design a very thick product, with extreme high quality which made the product highly durable and lasting for years keeping top quality and design. This non-economic step created a different environmental change, instead of buying in 3 years 10 cheap planters that will waste huge amount of the earth resources, you can buy 1 Greenbo product which will last for years. To see the world wide consumers today understating the importance of “Sustainability”, appreciate it and purchasing our product not only for its design and functionality but for a global cause like our environment and green earth is a rewarding exciting moment for us all.
Your product has recently received the reddot design award, Congrats! tell us about that.
As designer, the top acknowledgment you can receive is winning with one of our inventions the Red dot product design award that was always a dream of mine (and for many other designers around the world) and for Greenbo as a company. This year I and my partners made this dream come true with our Greenbo XL flower box.
Our second product won the prestigious prize of Red Dot product design winner 2012 along with companies like “Apple” Porche” and “HTC” and become one of the top leading design company who dictates the way along with other major companies globally. Receiving the letter of our win in this global prestigious competition, participating in the amazing winners ceremony in Essen Germany and being announced as the winners of this year and representing Israel in the top design global industry was a special moment for us all which will be long remembered:
Greenbo XL Designer Rail & Deck Window box awarded with important design prize – great success at the “red dot award: product design 2012”
Greenbo ltd. convinced the international expert jury of the “red dot award: product design 2012”. After an evaluation process lasting several days, it received one of the coveted awards, assigned by a 30-member expert jury. Creative heads and manufacturers from all over the world had submitted 4,515 designs altogether to the renowned product competition. With its high design quality, Greenbo XL Designer Rail & Deck Window box could inspire the experts. It received the globally sought-after red dot for its fine design language in the home & garden product design category.
Statement by the jury
“The innovative way of attaching these flower boxes gives them an unconventional and appealing appearance.”
http://en.red-dot.org/index.php?id=2839&detail=9849&no_cache=1
Your product is now being sold all over the world, how is the response?
The reactions are AMAZING!! Greenbo exports its product today to the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America, the Far East and more creating a real global revolution. Consumers from all around the world contacting us to thank us for the products allowing them to bring nature again into their apartments and balconies, and the new perception we’ve created in the urban gardening domain.
In addition, due to the great responses and activity, few months ago we’ve established our local US company in addition to our base company in Israel, Greenbo LLC
The expansion to global local areas is done by the characteristics of each market and according to each market consumers’ needs and appreciation of new design home & garden products in this domain.
Our global attendance so quick to all world continents shows the amazing response we have from our consumers globally.
But we’ve only just started. Recently we’ve launched our Mix & Match products which allow consumers to design their Greenbo Planter and Flower box with amazing colors of the drainage trays.
On April 2013 we are planning to launch our new INNOVATIVE amazing NEW patent product which will be revealed globally continuing our Greenbo Urban Gardening revolution.
Why is it, in your opinion, that Israel is such an innovation hub ?
Yes, Israelis are very creative and practical people at the same time and I believe this is the exact qualities you need in order to bring innovation to the world and become an innovation hub.
When it comes to Innovation and Israel, does Size Matter ?
Size Does Matter when it comes to Israel and global innovation.
While facing a hard reality and the need to find sophisticated solutions to major problems in our small country, we are always thinking creatively. This situation creates a real innovation country –hub which produces each year many new creative innovative solutions, products and services to the global reality.
This year Greenbo won 3 major global competitions representing Israel in the creative industry with worldwide attendance of many countries from all continents, only strengthen the fact that we are an innovation hub wanting and creating a better world regardless of our country size and population.