Legendary researcher Jane Goodall, NASA's Chief Scientist Dr. Katherine Kelvin, academics, government, civil society, students and the curious: all of these met at the 50th Annual Science and Environment Conference. "Only when the intelligent mind and the human heart work in harmony can we fully realize our human potential," Goodall said.
At the beginning of the month was held 50th Annual Conference on Science and the Environment of the Israeli Association for Ecology and Environmental Sciences at the Expo Tel Aviv complex. During the two days of the conference (Wednesday-Thursday) it was attended by about 1,400 participants, who listened to 200 lectures that presented everything that is at the forefront of environmental action in Israel and in the world, from researchers, representatives of government bodies and civil society organizations. The conference was held at the same time as Science and the Environment Week, which took place between July 7-3 and included over 70 events in Tel Aviv and throughout the country, with the aim of raising awareness of environmental issues in the general public.
Jane Goodall and the Israeli reality
The main speaker of the conference, Dr. Jane Goodall - primatologist, anthropologist, UN peace ambassador and environmental activist who is best known for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees in the 60s, appeared in the main opening session in a remote speech in which she greeted the participants and stated her hope that the State of Israel would commit to a national strategy for the restoration of nature, in cooperation with the countries of the region. "It's strange that the most intelligent creature that ever walked our world is destroying its only home," Goodall said of the human-caused climate crisis. "There seems to be a disconnect between the intelligent mind and the human heart, love and compassion. Only when the two work in harmony can we fully realize our human potential."
The Minister of Environmental Protection, Tamar Zandberg, also appeared at the beginning of the session (through a remote speech, due to her infection with the corona disease). Zandberg emphasized the great importance of relying on scientific knowledge in making decisions on environmental and climate policy issues, and welcomed the reform in education led by her office in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, which guarantees that this coming September all children and youth in Israel, from Kindergarten to XNUMXth grade, will learn age-appropriate environmental content in the frameworks the formal education and the youth movements.
The second main session of the first day dealt with finding a solution to the global problems that threaten us by using an external point of view - Satellites in space. Dr. Kathryn Kelvin, NASA's Chief Scientist, addressed the conference participants in her remote lecture and presented the way in which the American space agency uses satellites and measuring devices located on the International Space Station to examine the large-scale changes taking place on Earth in recent decades, in which An increase in surface coverage by cities and a decrease in forest areas, and to examine the gases and particles that affect the absorption and storage of heat in the atmosphere.
"We have the necessary talent and creativity"
In the opening plenary held on the second morning of the conference, the country's president, Yitzhak Herzog, spoke about the need to focus and act on the issue of the climate crisis immediately, in order to avoid its devastating consequences that could affect us all dramatically in the future. At the same time, the president also referred to the opportunities raised by the need for technological innovation for the Israeli startup nation. "We have the talent and creativity needed to provide the entire world with the tools to deal with the crisis and improve the present and the future," stated Herzog.
The Minister of Agriculture and Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee, Oded Forer, and MK Gila Gamliel, also spoke at the opening plenary, and emphasized the need to invest in Israeli innovation in green industries and place Israel at the forefront of dealing with the climate crisis among the countries of the world. "We have reached a time when we need another revolution in agriculture," explained Forer. "A revolution of 'agrotech' and 'foodtech', and of the use of precision agriculture that will make it possible to produce food for the growing population while reducing the pollution of the soil and the use of substances that harm the environment." In addition, Forer elaborated on the need to consume less milk and animal meat and to find alternative protein sources through innovative technologies - the subject of a call that was recently launched by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
Democracy in the face of the climate crisis
The chairman of the Israeli Climate Forum, former MK Dr. Dov Hanin, explained at the conference that the climate crisis affects all aspects of our lives today, and therefore "everything needs to change." According to him, the problem today is no longer a denial of the problem - but a denial of the possibility of a solution, and therefore the struggle is against the despair that people feel in the face of the crisis. "Despair is a dangerous enemy and a huge mistake," Hanin said. "The climate crisis is a huge challenge, but we will manage to fight it." In addition, Hanin warned that as the climate situation deteriorates, there may be a parallel deterioration to political tyranny, so according to him the forum is working to mobilize creativity and democratic abilities to deal with the problem.
In the various sessions of the conference, dozens of different lectures were held by researchers, environmental activists, government bodies and representatives from the business sector. One of the sessions, held under the auspices of the Israeli Climate Forum, included the presentation of initiatives on a variety of environmental issues, whether national ones that appeal to the entire population or those that deal with a specific sector and a limited issue. Prof. Yuli Tamir, president of Beit Berel Academic College and former Minister of Education, presented a proposal to add a mandatory environmental curriculum for all those involved in teaching - including math or history teachers, for example - in order to raise environmental awareness among teachers in Israel, and through them also among students. Mittal Pelag Mizrahi, a sustainable fashion researcher and one of the founders of "Matbaleshot", the movement to promote fair fashion in Israel, described the severe environmental pollution that the fashion industry causes and presented "Beit Matalbeshot" - a center for sharing knowledge in the field of sustainable fashion and creating a cooperative community that offers sustainable products under A supervised government note that will prevent fraud.
Another interesting initiative was presented by Eint Kramer, the founder and director of the "Teva Hebrew" association and the educational director of the "Hashomer" organization. Kramer, who deals with assimilating a Torah-environmental discourse in the religious and orthodox public, talked about a recent discussion that arose among the "No Plastic With God's Help" coalition that operates in these sectors following an article on the "Srogi" website that presents the claim that the climate crisis is not scientific. According to her, the case demonstrates the problematic nature of the discourse on the subject in the religious sectors - and therefore, she proposes to encourage the integration and development of a gothic-halachic-environmental language of intra-sector discourse on the climate crisis and the environment.
For the youth who want a future
In the closing session of the conference, studies conducted by teenagers were presented. Among the presentations was the inspiring one by Ella Navi, Naama Eisen, Tal Lerner and Yuval Gofer, students of the "Ecological Greenhouse" farm in Ein Shemer, who participated in the ISDG (Israel Sustainable Development Goals) competition of KKL-Junk, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, to implement one of the goals The sustainable development of the United Nations. The group has developed a system that makes it possible to produce food in rural and needy areas in Africa, without the need for electricity and clean water, and without creating waste. They found the solution in duckweed, a small green plant that grows locally in Africa, that grows in stagnant water, contains 40 percent protein and is characterized by an extremely high growth rate. The complete system they designed also includes a compost system that allows the use of household organic waste to fertilize the plant's growing area. When the water lentil is ripe, it can be harvested and ground into an odorless and tasteless powder, which is why it is suitable for cooking and baking as a protein-rich food supplement. In the future, the young researchers aim to establish two functioning systems - one in Israel, and one in a place where it is needed in Africa.
During the conference, the speech of Alok Sharma, President of the UN Climate Conference (COP26), was also broadcast. which took place in Glasgow last year. Sharma spoke of the need to increase public understanding of the challenges posed by the climate crisis through science education. "Science allows us to understand how and why our climate is changing - to understand the risks that are posed, and of course the solutions available to deal with it," Sharma explained. Although the situation is critical, Sharma opined that the possibility of changing the future for the better still exists. "The future has not yet been written," he said. "It is time to define clear plans to implement our climate commitments. The collective interest of the entire world is to act - and now."
"The most significant environmental arena in Israel"
Beyond the fact that the conference, held this year under the auspices of the Tel Aviv Municipality, is a meeting place for the best experts in the environmental arena in Israel, part of its purpose is to present a model for holding an ecological and sustainable conference, with minimal harmful environmental consequences. "This year more than ever, we have chosen to be a self-sustaining model, and to implement the principles of preserving nature, while avoiding wasting resources and using disposable tools," says Dr. Uri Sharon, CEO of the Israeli Association for Ecology and Environmental Sciences. The food served at the conference is local, seasonal and fresh, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions during transportation and preventing food waste, and comes through the association "The food saviors” which collects vegetables and fruits that are intended for throwing. Likewise, the food serving utensils at the conference are made of stainless steel and other materials that are intended for multiple use, and can be recycled at the end of use.
"The conference brings together the researchers with the latest scientific knowledge, the civil society organizations and the decision-makers who deal with all the issues that affect the lives of all of us - from protecting the forests, dealing with invasive species and restoring streams, to preparing for the arrival of electric cars, using renewable energy to promote disadvantaged populations and development Circular economy models", concludes Sharon. "Thus, it is the most significant environmental arena in Israel."
