Israeli and German scientists fight against climate change together

The Haifa Center for German and European Studies at Haifa University recently held its first conference on decarbonization in Germany and Israel.

Given the record-breaking nature of the conference, a large number of experts showed up to participate and share decarbonization approaches.

Israel and Germany have vastly different environments, but they're eager to help one another work towards a common goal of fighting carbon emissions in the atmosphere. It's an issue that will affect the entire world, so both sides see it as crucial to work together on this issue.

Germany is a pioneer in the field of decarbonization, and German experts in this field have come to realize that simply transforming the energy market will not be enough to meet their Paris Protocol targets. What's required are cultural and societal reforms. Climate change is not merely an environmental problem; it's a cultural challenge.

Israel falls behind Germany in renewable energy, largely due to the cost of energy being much lower in Israel. The high costs in Germany have required the nation to come up with alternatives.

But Germany is lagging much farther behind Sweden, which puts the efficiency of Germany's practices into question.

Being in the desert, Israel has its own challenges with climate change.

Both countries aspire to come up with new and more effective initiatives, so they've chosen to come together and learn from each other.

Read more about it here.




Off to enjoy a walk through some greenery, till next time!

J

Israeli Start-Up Finds Solution for Urban Trees

Urban trees don’t just improve aesthetics and offer cooling shade and better air quality. Recent research has shown that they also have lesser-known benefits, such as reduction in childhood obesity rates, better mental health (decrease of cognitive fatigue, stress, and feelings of anger, depression, or anxiety), noise reduction, and stronger social cohesion and community empowerment. Unfortunately, maintenance costs and price of water supply limit availability of urban vegetation, especially in low-income neighborhoods.

Israeli start-up FrizWeed helps address both problems by introducing their latest invention – TreeTube, a modular root structure system designed to enable the growth of healthy trees in urban environments.

Mankai duckweed plant: the next superfood?

Could a water weed, generally considered a fast-breeding, invasive nuisance in freshwater be the world's next superfood?

A team of researchers from Ben Gurion University found that mankai, a form of duckweed, can control blood sugar levels, especially after someone chowed down a hefty dose of carbs.

A study conducted by offering participants a mankai-laden shake vs a regular shake, containing yogurt, but having an otherwise identical nutritional profile, showed serious potential for controlling blood glucose levels, and providing more satiety for the mankai-drinking group.

Mankai duckweed is grown in Israel, in a controlled environment. It's also highly sustainable, as it requires a fraction of the amount of water to produce each gram of protein compared to soy, kale or spinach. It can be grown year-round hydroponically. It has no taste or odor, so it's easily integrated into recipes.

It's also high in protein, polyphenols, dietary fibers, minerals (including iron and zinc), vitamin A, vitamin B complex and vitamin B12, which is rarely produced by plants.

Read all about it here.

Off to have a green smoothie of my own, till next time!

J

Israel Has One of the World's Healthiest Diets. Do You Eat Like an Israeli?

Do you eat like an Israeli?

A better question is--how often do you eat your vegetables, and what goes in your salad?

An in-depth study, taken last year of people living in 187 countries found that Israelis are some of the world's healthiest eaters.

Israelis got quizzed by their government about the fruit and veggie consumption.

A whopping 4 out of 5 Israelis said that they eat fruits and vegetables nearly every day.

Israelis especially love tomatoes and lettuce, ranking their eating habits as the 9th healthiest diet in the world.

Israeli also ranked 3rd in the OECD nations in terms of vegetable consumption.

In a world where trees are being cut down to make room for cattle grazing, emitting greenhouse gases in an era where the earth is overheating, nothing could be better for the earth, not just Israelis, than planting and eating more fruits and veggies.

Read all about it here.


Off to enjoy some fruits and veggies that are local here, till next time!

J.

Solar Start-up Seeks To Energize Gaza Border Economy

Solar cell printing technology start-up Utilight is looking to kill two birds with one stone--they're bringing much need manufacturing and jobs to the hard hit communities on the Gaza border.

They're also bringing eco-friendly technology to a region that desperately needs it.

Founded in 2009, Utilight has developed game-changing laser printing technology to manufacture superior, cheaper and lighter solar cells, which improved energy harvesting.

To promote their game-changing technology, the company created a new business model by developing its own brand of solar panels, called SilverLight – manufacturing cells with less silver that harvest more light.

The expected explosive growth in the near future of the solar panel industry makes Utilight's solutions perfect for war-ravaged communities close to Gaza's border.

Utilight has already made its way into the Chinese and Australian market, making Israel a front runner in the global surge.

Read all about it here. 

Off to enjoy a bit of sun and fun of my own, till next time!

J

Sustainable Way to Create Plastics From Seaweed

Everyone knows plastic is bad for the environment. That’s why bioplastics – plastics made from renewable sources like plants or old waste – were invented. But these bioplastics can’t be created everywhere since the plants they use require fresh water, a scarce resource in many countries.

One such country is Israel, which does not have a surplus of fresh water. Other countries suffering from the same problem are China and India, whose size and resulting plastic consumption are very bad news for the planet.

This is the problem researchers from Tel Aviv University wished to solve by developing bioplastic polymers derived from microorganisms that feed on seaweed. These can be bred in salty seawater without impinging on scarce freshwater resources. The result is a biodegradable polymer that produces completely non-toxic organic waste.

Plastics take hundreds of years to decay. So bottles, packaging, and bags create plastic “continents” in the oceans, endanger animals and pollute the environment. A partial solution to the plastic epidemic is bioplastics, which don’t use petroleum and degrade quickly. But bioplastics also have an environmental price: growing the plants or the bacteria to make the plastic requires fertile soil and fresh water, which many countries, including Israel, don’t have.

New process developed in Israel produces plastic from marine microorganisms that completely recycle into organic waste. To do so, the researchers harnessed microorganisms that feed on seaweed to produce a bioplastic polymer called polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).

There are already factories that produce bioplastic in commercial quantities, but they use plants that require agricultural land and fresh water. The new process will enable countries with a shortage of fresh water, such as Israel, China, and India, to switch from petroleum-derived plastics to biodegradable plastics.

Plastic from fossil sources is one of the most polluting factors in the oceans. Israeli researchers have proved it is possible to produce bioplastic completely based on marine resources in a process that is friendly both to the environment and to its residents. This study could revolutionize the world’s efforts to clean the oceans without affecting arable land and without using fresh water.

Further research will focus on finding the best bacteria and algae combination that would be most suitable for producing polymers for bioplastics with different properties.

Source: Israel21c

Israel's New Year for Trees

Israel just celebrated New Year for Trees. Tu BiShvat 2019 began in the evening of Sunday, January 20 and ended in the evening of Monday, January 21. It is all about celebrating nature, raising ecological awareness, and planting trees.