Today, on April 22nd, world marks Earth Day. Today, boundaries and borders are less important than ever when we realize that we all share the same planet, and how we interact with it has a global effect.
Of all the countries taking the time to celebrate Earth Day, Israel is by far one of the smallest. But its one that, out of pure necessity, has spent decades developing alternative fuel, agricultural solutions, and has been "thinking green" long before it was cool.
Tonight at 8PM, millions of Israelis will be marking their own Earth Hour by shutting off lights and powering down. But the real story behind Earth Day in Israel isn't just about Israel trying to reduce its carbon footprint, but how its green innovations and technologies have been adopted all over the world, reducing humanity's collective carbon footprint, and aiding developing countries.
RUNNING ON ISRAELI INNOVATION
Faced with an ever present water shortage, Israel is the world's leader according to the United Nations when it comes to recycling waste water. Israel, with a 75% water recycling rate, is the world's number one water recycler. To put that in perspective, the second largest water recycler is Spain, at a rate of 12%.
Israel established its reputation as leader in water technologies in the early 1960's when Israeli researchers and farmers created drip irrigation technology. This innovation addressed the worldwide demand for efficient, water saving irrigation techniques and created a global drip irrigation market. Conservation is especially important in the developing world, as 82% of the developing world's global water consumption is funneled into agriculture. Spreading Israeli technology, whether for the production of clean water or renewable energy is done by both government initiatives, such as MASHAV, and also a myriad of NGOs.
One such organization is Innovation: Africa, an American NGO that brings Israeli innovation to African villages. Founded in 2008, in five years Innovation Africa has provided light, clean water, food and proper medical care to more than 450,000 people in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda.
EARTH DAY IN ISRAEL 2013
Twenty-six Israeli cities will be marking Earth Hour at 8PM tonight. In Jerusalem, Mayor Nir Barkat, along with Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders, will be ceremoniously turning off the lights illuminating the Western Wall.
Speaking of Jerusalem, for the next five days the city will be hosting the First International Jerusalem Symposium for Green and Accessible Pilgrimage, which seeks to answer the question, "How can you make a religious pilgrimage 'green'?" Jerusalem will welcome over 600 entrepreneurs, innovators, and faith and community leaders, who share the goal of treasuring our heritage whilst moving into a greener future. Every year, there are 250 million people traveling to special places of worship, whether it be the Hajj to Mecca or the nine million who traverse the Old City of Jerusalem each year.
Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Naomi Tsur is the Green Pilgrimage Network Ambassador, and she notes, "The idea is at once both grand and simple, since while there is nothing new in pilgrimage, the idea of a global pilgrim partnership is an entirely new concept, which sets goals for urban sustainability and economic growth on the one hand, and for interfaith dialogue on the other."
WHAT A DUMP!
Also taking place in Israel this Earth Day is the 10th Annual Green Globes Awards, which are presented by Life and Environment, the umbrella group for over 100 Israeli environmental groups and NGOs.
Where the awards are taking place is a story in of itself. Ariel Sharon Park was inaugurated just a few years ago, having been completely transformed from its former name, Hiriya waste disposal site. As you can see in the picture above, Ariel Sharon Park stands as a living, breathing model of the Israeli spirit. Just as Israeli pioneers made the desert bloom with advances in agriculture, they turned a literal garbage dump into a model of recycling and an ecological miracle.