PhD student Ethan Welty calls himself “the curator of the edible world.” As a co-founder of Falling Fruit, the young scientist has devised a program to map out locations of fruit trees to help users find produce ripe for gleaning. Using Google Maps, visitors to www.fallenfruit.org can pinpoint locations of the nearest edible fruit. Welty said his inspiration for the project came from a summer he spent living off the land. “One summer I foraged for all my fruit and had enough to make jams, …More

Economic woes in the United States and Europe may force one leading environmental group to shutter its doors. The Public Health Coalition, a 12-year-old green group located in Haifa, will be force to close this month if it cannot gather the emergency funding needed to keep afloat. The coalition issued a statement saying that fruitless fundraising efforts in the last year both in Israel and abroad have left the group in the red. “Over the last year, raising money from foundations has been very difficult to …More

St. Louis native Tom Newmark does more than write a check to his favorite environmental charity. The grandfather and attorney works tirelessly to protect the environment, tending his own organic farm in Central America. Newark, who is also the founder of Sacred Seeds, a St. Louis based seed bank, said he has always been fascinated by the outdoors. “I spent a lot of time hiking the rivers and exploring the ponds of our area, a lot of time in the Ozarks, a lot of time in the less developed areas of the …More

In honor of Israel’s birthday, Israel 21c listed 65 ways that Israel is saving the planet. From toilets that need no water to cardboard wheelchairs, the compilation of inventions is a testament to Israel’s ingenuity and impact in the world in the last 65 years. “The country has set itself the goal of becoming a light unto the nations,” wrote Nicky Blackburn, who compiled this year’s list for Israel 21c. “Israel remains true to that vision and every year, with little fanfare, …More

Wild asses are making a comeback in the Negev, nearly 100 years after being driven out of the desert region after World War I. Although the native Negev variety of the species no longer exists, a recent study shows the new, hybrid stock imported from Iran is making the Negev home. "When people hear 'wild ass,' they think 'donkey,'" said researcher Alan Templeton. "But this species is not the progenitor of the donkey. The ass family has two major branches: the African lineage and the Eurasian …More

A plan for a joint recycling center serving both Palestinian and settler communities in the West Bank has sparked controversy. Al Minya, which was funded by the World Bank and is operated by Palestinian entrepreneurs, has been encouraged to accept settler trash and cooperate with the settlements, a move many Palestinians believe would force them to recognize and legitimatize the settlements. Investigative journalist Dror Etkes, who opposes the settlements, pointed out that finding a solution to the …More

Roads in Israel will soon be paved with recycled tires. RuBind, the rubber-infused asphalt compound, was developed by Israeli firm Silica Industries and offers an environmental friendly way to maintain Israel’s roadways and reuse discarded tires. Currently, over 50,000 tires are discarded in Israel each year. Due to strict regulations aimed at preventing toxins such as lead and mercury from entering the environment, the safe disposal of these tires is often costly and resource consuming. RuBind helps solve …More

Residents living near the Dead Sea worry that a sinkhole tragedy, much like a recent incident that took one Florida man’s life, may soon strike the southern Israeli region. The sparsely populated area, which is riddled with sinkholes, currently has no disaster contingency plan in place, if the sinkholes suddenly turn deadly. Geologist Eli Raz believes the shrinking of the Dead Sea is one of the main causes of sinkholes and warns that their unpredictable nature make them a risk for residents and tourists …More

Predatory wasps have reduced chemical pesticide use by 80 percent on many Arava farms. The predatory insects kill thrips, aphids and other pests, protecting crops and eliminating the need to use toxic sprays. “We usually use natural enemies to eat insects that cause damage, and if we do spray it’s only on a small scale for the one or two plants with high infestation,” said Rami Sadeh, a farmer and staff agronomist at Yofi Shel Yerakot, one of the Negev’s largest producers of …More

Recycling took center stage this weekend at a number of events throughout Israel. Green Purim parades and a national bottle-recycling contest sponsored by the ELA Recycling Corporation are all part of a new push to encourage Israelis to recycle more. “In the State of Israel, we’re used to just dumping our garbage,” Yakutiel Tzipori, a spokesperson for the Environment Ministry, said. “We’re a developing country and everything else was more important, like security and defense; the …More

At a rally in Washington DC last Sunday, 50,000 people from across the United States gathered in the National Mall to spread awareness about climate change. Among them were thousands of Jewish activists, representing a handful of Jewish organizations joining the growing public concern for global warning and climate instability. Royal Young decided to attend the rally after the recent devastation on Hurricane Sandy hit too close to home. “Sandy devastated New York. I feared for my elderly Jewish grandparents …More

Going green has been the key for two St. Louis Synagogues emphasizing community renewal. Central Reform Congregation and United Hebrew Congregation have committed to a two-year interfaith sustainability program, GreenFaith, to help make their infrastructure greener as well as incorporate environmental awareness into all aspects of their community life. “What appealed to us about the program was that it encompassed both the greening/sustainability things that people normally think of like energy …More