The climate crisis and Israel

The climate crisis and its impact on the Middle East. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The climate crisis and the depletion of precipitation in our region

Figure 2: The main characteristics of the Earth's motion in space that affect the radiation it receives from the Sun. Left: the degree of ellipticity of the orbit around the sun, the change in this feature is characterized by cycles of about 400,000 and about 100,000 years. In the center: the degree of inclination of the earth's rotation axis towards the sun, the change in this feature is characterized by a cycle of about 40,000 years. On the right - the direction to which the Earth's rotation axis points in space, the change in this feature is characterized by a cycle of about 20,000 years. Source: Wikimedia.

A new study reveals: the effect of climate change on the Levant basin over the past 5 million years

Researchers from the Geological Survey of Israel have identified climate cycles and their effects on the accumulation of sand and clay at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, combining historical findings and astronomical theory
Designing chips with the help of artificial intelligence. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Advanced hardware device reduces AI energy consumption by 1000 times

Researchers have introduced a hardware innovation called CRAM, which reduces AI energy consumption by up to 2,500 times by processing data within memory, promising significant improvements in AI efficiency.
It's hotter in the summer. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Rain at the time

Recent research has shown that in the future there will be fewer rainy days in our region due to the climate crisis, but there will be more strong rain events. How can this be explained using simple scientific principles?
The climate crisis: if we are all to blame - then none of us is to blame. Image: depositphotos.com

Heat stress in the summer in Israel increases the risk of stroke, especially a week after its occurrence

"Previous studies have shown a connection between temperature and the occurrence of various diseases. In a stroke, apparently, the heat causes a low fluid balance, which leads to changes in the brain, including the expansion of blood vessels, a decrease in blood volume
The Orot Rabin power plant in Hadera. The coal-fired units were supposed to be used only in an emergency but they still run continuously. Illustration: depositphotos.com

According to the rate of electricity production from renewable energies so far, in 2030 its rate is expected to reach only 19% compared to the promise of 30%

This is evident from the chapter Mitigation - actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the special report of the State Comptroller about Israel's assessments of the climate crisis published this week. Instead of reducing carbon emissions, they increased
Cover of the State Comptroller's report - Israel's preparation for the climate crisis, 2024

The State Comptroller: The government is faltering, the actions of the treasury have delayed and even stopped the state's preparation to deal with the climate crisis in certain issues

The government made statements, made decisions - but did not take actions that would allow for real progress.
The Cypriot Depression - the main cause of Israel's rains. Image source: MODIS website

following the barometric depressions

On the factors that may explain changes in the rainfall regime
The drying up of the Dead Sea, one of the results of the climate crisis. Illustration: depositphotos.com

OECD: 45 hot days and 145 particularly hot nights in Israel due to the climate crisis and worsening drought

These are data from the Climate Action Monitor report of the Organization of Developed Countries. The Ministry of Environmental Protection calls for expanding preparedness for climate hazards, but it lacks the ability to influence other government ministries after
Diagram - structure of the Gulf of Eilat. Courtesy of the researchers

the good dust

Every year a dust storm occurs at the bottom of the Gulf of Eilat that may reduce global warming
The price of one etrog may reach 500 shekels. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Etrog in danger: will it be impossible to grow etrog in Israel in the future?

The etrog is currently at risk due to the rise in global temperatures as part of the climate crisis, and it is possible that the day will come when we will no longer be able to grow etrogs in Israel - for the first time in 2,500 years
Among the OECD countries, Israel is almost at the bottom of the list, in 34th place out of 38; And - did not achieve any of the 17 goals set until 2030. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Indexes in indices: Israel is far from being a sustainable country

Not keeping up: a new Israeli study indicates that our country has fallen behind in meeting the UN's sustainable development goals. So what do we do? According to the author of the study, we cannot wait for a legislative change -
The ornate spiny-tailed lizard, Uromastyx ornata, also known as the ornate lizard, is a species of lizard in the agamidae family. The species is endemic to the Middle East. Illustration: depositphotos.com

How is the climate crisis expected to harm the lizard population in Israel?

Climate change may lead to the collapse of the population of lizards that are common in the deserts of the Land of Israel
dust storm Illustration: depositphotos.com

read in the dust

Forecasting dust storms is a complicated matter. A new study was able to predict storms in our region with a high level of accuracy - and thereby outline how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to understand processes in the atmosphere
Israel is not prepared for the climate crisis. Figure using DALEE-2. Definitions: Avi Blizovsky

The power outages prove what the OECD stated: Israel is lagging behind in taking measures to reduce the climate crisis

According to the organization's report published this week in Israel, 5% use renewable energy sources, if we were closer to 12% - the OECD average, it would be easy to avoid the shame of self-initiated power outages during the day in the country
Summer at the beach in Tel Aviv. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The forecast: continuous and deadly heat waves throughout the summer

New research points to an alarming future increase in extreme heat waves, which could increase mortality tenfold. "One heat wave is expected to cause excess mortality equal to the number of deaths in road accidents in a year"
Arganite crystal. Illustration: depositphotos.com

What happens when failures have a fever?

Bad surprise: Israeli research has found large amounts of mineral matter in the eastern Mediterranean whose formation process releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. What it means? That our ocean emits more greenhouse gases than we thought
An example of climate risk maps of the Ministry of Environmental Protection

The Ministry of Higher Education is developing a mapping tool for Israel's risks to prepare for the climate crisis * Israel joins the zero government program

With the completion of the technological development of where and everywhere in Israel there is a danger of flooding, and which areas suffer from high vulnerability to urban heat islands and exposure to climate risks; The ministry revealed for the first time at the climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh
the Middle East. Image: depositphotos.com

Sharm Conference: academic cooperation between the University of Haifa, the United Arab Emirates and Germany on climate change

The tripartite partnership will combine the knowledge, expertise and infrastructure of all the partners, in order to study the consequences of these effects and act to reduce damage and adapt in various areas in the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf
Climate conference in Sharm El Sheikh. Image: depositphotos.com

Ten Israeli start-up companies in the climate field are presenting at the climate conference in Sharm El Sheikh

The pavilion was jointly established by the Innovation Authority, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Plantech greenhouse
The promenade of Eilat. Infrastructure right on the coastline. Image: depositphotos.com

Preparing for floods: The climate is changing but the authorities are ignoring it

Destruction of the beaches and serious damage to the marine environment in Eilat. The residents cried out, the authorities ignored
afforestation of arid areas. Image: depositphotos.com

Extensive afforestation of arid areas will not moderate global warming and may even make it worse

The researchers from the Technion and the Weizmann Institute developed a smart map showing the potential climatic benefits of planting trees in different sites
Fake news - false news. Image: depositphotos.com

How fake science websites hijack our trust in experts to hinder the fight against the climate crisis

The deniers of the climate crisis can't get into scientific journals, so they try their luck using websites that pretend to be such journals. A communication researcher explains how to identify such sites
The hotel area in Ein Bokek, Dead Sea. Image: depositphotos.com

The Dead Sea indicates dry periods in the past

Dramatic drops in the level of the Dead Sea in the last hundreds of thousands of years may indicate prolonged dry periods in the Eastern Mediterranean region. For example, in the time period between 70 and 14 thousand years ago, the lake level
The discussion in the Prime Minister's Office with the participation of the Energy and Environment Service, 31/8/2022. Photo: Haim Tzach/L.A.M

Israel will simplify the procedures for setting up solar power units and reduce customs duty on components

Prime Minister Yair Lapid held a discussion regarding the preparation for climate change and crisis, and the opportunities inherent in it for the State of Israel, as well as the challenges of national security in light of the climate crisis
Pictures from the coral reef in the Gulf of Eilat. Photo: Dror Tsurel Ministry of Environmental Protection

The collapse of the coral reef in Eilat worsened because of the storm in 2020; Extinction of marine species and increase in sea temperature

Alarming findings regarding the future of the Gulf of Eilat: the coral reef in the Gulf of Eilat is having trouble recovering from the damage of the 2020 winter storm, which hit the bay and caused the coral colonies in the reef to break and be covered with sand; Continued decrease in percentage
Drone photo of the drying Dead Sea. Image: depositphotos.com

The government approved the establishment of a national climate calculation center

The center led by the meteorological service will make it possible to predict in detail the effect of global warming on our region
Light pollution in Israel as seen from space. Image: depositphotos.com

The rate of land and sea warming in Israel is faster than the world average - from the State of Nature 2022 report trends and threats

The 2022 State of Nature Report, Volume Trends and Threats, presents a snapshot of key factors and processes that affect the state of nature in Israel as a result of human activity. The Fabric is the national program for assessing the state of nature in
Israel's contribution to the fight against the climate crisis is negative. Illustration: shutterstock

The government will pass a resolution to promote climate innovation worth NIS 3 billion

In a session as part of the Eli Horowitz conference, Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg said that the outgoing government's achievements in the field of the environment were unprecedented, in light of the criminal neglect she said in the previous governments, and it is a shame that
The climate crisis. Image: depositphotos.com

July 4 - Dozens of lectures on the climate crisis throughout the country

The Israeli Young Academy, in collaboration with "Bashar - an academic community for society in Israel" and the Israeli Association for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, will hold dozens of lectures on the topics of the climate crisis and global warming as part of the "Science and Environment Week"
The cave of the ancient man. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The weather in the Middle East during the last ice age contributed to the movement of people to permanent settlements

A new study reveals that an increase in the frequency of storms, along with a decrease in evaporation about 20 years ago, were likely significant factors that enabled the transition to permanent settlements and an agricultural society
In the photo: Phytoplankton algae of the coccolithophore type, through an electron microscope

First clues to the extinction of species in the Gulf of Eilat

A new study found that a significant decrease was observed in the amount of one of the phytoplankton species in the Gulf of Eilat.

Do young people in Israel care about the climate crisis?

New findings reveal that Israeli youth are aware of and interested in environmental problems and feel responsible for the climate issue. The chance for a better future is getting better and better
A lightning storm in the Red Sea near Eilat. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Towards the next storm - less rainy winters, but the storms will be more powerful and concentrated

After we experienced the storm Carmel this week, a new study shows that the storms of the future will be drier and more concentrated, that is, focused over smaller areas in space. They will last for short periods of time
The climate crisis. Illustration: depositphotos.com

"The state must take sides in the climate lawsuits"

At the Faculty of Law conference we discussed the issues discussed at the Glasgow Climate Conference
Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg at the Knesset Finance Committee meeting, 16/11/2021. Photo: Knesset Spokesperson

Minister Zandberg: We must stop the use of fossil fuels gradually but quickly. Without us starting now, it won't happen"

The Ministry of Environmental Protection presented to the Finance Committee of the Knesset the milestones for the transition to a zero emissions economy
storm. Illustration: depositphotos.com

New research: the amount of rain will decrease by 25%, but most of it will fall in storms with unprecedented intensities

A new study reveals that the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases will lead to the intensification of extreme storms, along with a decrease of about 25 percent in the amount of rainfall. The gloomy forecast, but the researchers believe: "The control is still in our hands"
Minister of Environmental Protection Tamar Zandberg. From a video she distributed

Minister Tamar Zandberg: The climate conference will be dramatic

In an email she sent to her circulation, she writes that until now the government has neglected the treatment of the climate crisis, but now that a global understanding of the severity and urgency is emerging, Israel must also act
A sandy road in the south of the country. in the background of the Dead Sea. The desert is spreading illustration: depositphotos.com

"Almost all the models show extreme dryness this coming winter"

"If we look at almost all the existing models this year, we see extreme dryness as something that fits the climate changes in our region. This does not mean that there will not be extreme rain events in the near future, by the way, but that amounts
Israel's contribution to the fight against the climate crisis is negative. Illustration: shutterstock

State Comptroller: Israel's progress in dealing with the climate crisis - negative to zero

The report shows that the State of Israel is not prepared for the climate crisis and there has not yet been a change of perception in Israeli policy on the issue. 84% of the public bodies have no plan at all to deal with the climate crisis. Israel is
Electric car charging. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The clean transportation plan: by 2025 all new buses will be electric, and then the rest of the vehicles

The plan includes a wide deployment of charging stations for electric vehicles and the conversion of gas stations to hydrogen refueling
According to experts, the flooding phenomenon is expected to continue to worsen. Photo: GPO. Bat Yam in 2000. Photo: Moshe Milner, CEO

Just before the first rain

Last week we finished celebrating Sukkot, after which the rains are supposed to come - and unfortunately, also the floods. Nature has already developed an excellent tool to deal with this problem: streams, and now we just need to
An arch over the promenade in Tel Aviv. A sight that will become rare. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The fall season has become a continuation of summer

Autumn is disappearing and turning into a continuation of summer. Studies have shown that in Israel and its surroundings the warming was much greater than the world average. A study by the Institute for National Security Studies showed a connection between climate change in the area
Detachment of corals from waste items in the Red Sea. Photo: Omari Ozami, Nature and Parks Authority

The corals are crying out - we must take the pressure off the Red Sea

The Ministry of Environmental Protection publishes the national monitoring report of the Gulf of Eilat for the year 2020, carried out by the Inter-University Institute in Eilat * The sea surface temperature rose, enormous damage was caused to the reef in the great storm
The Leviathan gas rig near Dor Beach. Photo: By Amir.bendavid - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86431120 from Wikipedia

To meet the goal of the Paris Agreement, most of the world's fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground

Almost 60% of the oil and natural gas (methane) reserves and 90% of the coal must remain unused in order for us to meet the carbon budget for an increase of 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial period, the researchers write *