Conservation Subscribe

A selection of initiatives, blogs, resources and communities on Jewcology which focus on conservation.

Blogs

Jewish FreeCycle

http://www.jewishfreecycle.com/green-video.html Shalom! Welcome! We are a grassroots nonprofit movement of "generous donors" and "gracious recipients". All Free! You have give, you need receive..... Upcycling, Ecycling, Re-purposing, Regifting and Reusing supporting and strengthening our Jewish Community through "Tzedakah" and "Gemilut Chasadim". Membership is free. "He that gives should never remember, he that receives ...

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facebook and the dark side of computers

Dear Friends, I was in our local co-op yesterday and, as often happens, I ran into a friend. My friend started by saying, “you know, I’ve started to sign up for facebook three or four times, and then I realize it wants me to give over all of my emails… I’m just not going to do it. It looks innocent- but it’s all of my emails!” I said, “I know- I’ve been almost logging on to facebook too- and when I get to those emails- I’m out of there!” We talked there in the aisle, me holding my cereal and ...

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Samar Gets Temporary Reprieve — Let’s Make it Permanent!

Israel's Samar sand dunes — and the unique animal species that live there — may be destroyed, unless we act now. (Photo courtesy of Taal Goldman of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies) NEW YORK (Nov. 14, 2011) — We are being heard: The Samar sand dunes have been granted a temporary reprieve from destruction! Although the bulldozers were scheduled to start mining the dunes weeks ago, work has been indefinitely postponed in the wake of our efforts and the protests conducted by our partner environmental organizations ...

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Energy Unplugged

The Jewish Environmental Initiative held a workshop on “How To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient” on October 23rd. The speakers were Gary Steps, Founder and Chief Visionary at Butterfly Energy Works, and Kathleen Engel, a Certified Green Professional through the National Association of Home Builders who works for HomeNav and Home Green Home, two Green Home-related organizations. Here are some tips from the workshop. Following as many of these steps as you can will help reduce your energy bills, will help the environment, and will help reduce waste, ...

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Gadget attaches to faucet to measure each use of water

  • October 26, 2011
  • Team
    Member since 2011

By NoCamels Team Photo by Joe Shlabotnik How many drops of water does it take to wash your hands, or a single glass? Bware, a new Israeli Patent by a2design, is a simple digital device to be installed on any faucet and can count in real time the amount of water in liters or gallons for every use. The Bware not only shows how much water you have used on the LED display, it can also also help detect different kinds of leaks, say its creators, Ariel Drach and Alex Sudak. The device, made from recycled materials, uses flow of water to generate enough electricity ...

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Turning Waste Into Treasure

I read a story last week that really got my attention. It was posted on the New York Times Green Blog (see story here: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/an-oil-bonanza-in-discarded-plastic/), and was discussing a company’s effort to convert discarded plastic into crude oil. Now I know this does not sound like the most environmentally friendly initiative, as the crude oil will eventually be utilized, resulting in the release of green house gases into the atmosphere. However, although I am a huge supporter of renewable energy, I think there is room ...

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Almost Out of Time: Act Now to Save Samar

Israel's Samar sand dunes — and the unique animal species that live there — may be destroyed, unless we act now. (Photo courtesy of Taal Goldman of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies) NEW YORK (Oct. 12, 2011) — The bulldozers and dump trucks are getting ready. Without intervention, they will begin carting away one of Israel’s unique ecosystems, the Samar sand dunes, home to species that live nowhere else on the planet. And soon, at the government’s initiation, the sands of Samar in Israel’s Arava ...

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Eco-Friendly Travels

Heading out of town for a fall foliage trip, a college homecoming event or to visit family members? While traveling does increase your carbon footprint, there are ways to minimize that impact by choosing wisely in terms of how you travel and where you stay. Keeping these tips in mind, it is possible to be environmentally-conscious as you plan your trip and thus to fulfill the Jewish principle of bal tashchit (reducing waste). Getting There Think about using rail service or express bus to get to your destination. Using public transit is better for the environment ...

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Hydrofracking and the Book of Job

By Rabbi Lawrence Troster Most scholars believe that chapter 28 of the Book of Job is a later poetic addition into the text. The poem is nonetheless a beautiful hymn to Wisdom (Hokhmah) and a meditation on how to acquire it. The unknown Wisdom teacher who composed this poem is warning us that we cannot find wisdom in the ingenuity of human activity, which can even encompass the searching the depths of the Earth through the mining of precious metals and jewels. “Man sets his hand against the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots. He ...

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Easy Ways to Use Less Paper

One of Judaism’s important teachings is bal tash’chi, which means “you shall not waste.” In Deuteronomy 20:19, Jews are advised not to cut down or destroy trees, even in a time of war. Using less paper is one way you can do your part to save trees. You can also reduce the use of water and the environmental effect of chemicals that are used to manufacture the paper. It is very easy to use less paper and make a difference to the environment: Don’t discard paper that has only been printed on one side. “GOOS” ...

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The Israeli Summer: Tent Cities, Bombs, Boycotts and Herzl’s Dream

NEW YORK (Aug. 22, 2011) — If you thought Theodor Herzl’s dream was fulfilled with the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948, think again. Thousands are camping out in Israel’s cities, demanding social change. Thousands more around the world, angered by the Palestinians’ situation, seek to boycott Israel. Meanwhile, Egypt, Israel and Gaza volley bombs and rockets in escalating attacks and counterattacks. Which brings us back to Herzl. His dream wasn’t simply the creation of a Jewish democratic state, but the creation of a ...

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Saving Samar: Together We Can Protect the Last of Israel’s Sahara

Israel's Samar sand dunes — and the unique animal species that live there — may be destroyed. (Photos courtesy of Taal Goldman of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies) NEW YORK (May 26, 2011) — Picture a desert and you'll probably envision rolling hills of sand like those traversed by the nomadic caravans of the Sahara. Yet, even though the majority of Israel is desert, almost none of it is like the Sahara except for a small section near the southern tip of Israel in the Arava Valley: the Samar sand dunes. ...

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Environmental Tip of the Week: Apology and a short tip for this week

Cross posted in Environmental Tip of the Week Apology and a short tip for this week Things have been crazy for me for awhile and I didn't post here! Here's a short tip, as I'm running late now: It's still a bit chilly at times here in Seattle. Next time you're tempted to turn up the thermostat, try grabbing a sweater instead. You'll save energy, and cut down your bill, too!

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Environmental Tip of the Week: Support efforts to conserve marine environments!

Cross posted on The Daily Yay! and Environmental Tip of the Week You can provide financial support toward this goal and have a fun, educational experience at the same time by visiting an aquarium and paying the admission fee. My husband, baby Rena, father-in-law, and step-mother-in-law had a wonderful time on Sunday at the Seattle Aquarium. Rena got to hold a starfish and play with felt sea creatures. There were so many pretty fish, and the exhibits were arranged quite artistically! It's my favorite aquarium so far. If you're not in Seattle, check out a ...

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My Oh Mayim: Rethinking Water Usage in a Land Flowing with Milk and Honey, but Little Water.

Ushavtem mayim b'sason.Draw water in joy. A classic song of joy danced to at every celebration by millionsof Jews worldwide. Jews sing and dance about water at every proayer service and celebration. Through our prayer, song and dance, we hope that Israel willhave enough water for the coming year. The last couple of years have seen the harshest drought to hit the region in decades. Demand for water is high and continues to grow as population expands, therefore Israel's fresh (sweet) water resources are quickly drying up, and Israelis know it. Israeli ...

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Chanukah: The Holiday of Energy Conservation

NEW YORK (Dec. 2, 2010) — Chanukah isn’t just our Festival of Lights — it’s our Holiday of Energy Conservation. And the Maccabees are the answer to climate change. Think about it: They made one day’s worth of oil last for eight days! If we conserved energy like the Maccabees did, we could put OPEC out of business. The Maccabees did it with a miracle; we can do it through small changes. The Green Zionist Alliance is working to conserve Israel’s energy through transitioning buildings to energy-efficient lighting and agency ...

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Turning the General Assembly into a Green Assembly

NEW YORK (Nov. 15, 2010) — It’s not easy being green, but it’s certainly possible. While the Jewish Federations’ General Assembly and International Lion of Judah Conference in New Orleans accomplished important work this past week, it did so at the expense of the environment. Organizers of the conferences didn’t provide recycling or composting containers. Instead, the two meetings produced a massive amount of non-biodegradable plastic trash. Every single meal was served on plastic with individually wrapped plastic flatware. ...

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