Chairman of the Science Committee MK Uri Makalev: We must prepare for climate change

Makleb said these things at the discussion to mark Environment Day * Dr. Sinia Netanyahu, the chief scientist at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said at the same meeting: "The latest reports are a wake-up call to action. Global warming has an impact on sea level rise, on infrastructure, the water sector and agriculture, on public health, geo-strategy and policy issues"

The Science and Technology Committee of the Knesset held a discussion today on the topic of threats to ecosystems in the age of climate change - to mark Environment Day.
The chairman of the committee, MK Uri Makalev said "The threats to the ecosystems in the era of climate change are no longer concerns, but facts. Unfortunately, there is a gap between the importance of the issue and awareness, as well as between awareness and responsibility, even those who are aware do not always take responsibility. We raise the issue, with the hope that the government and the relevant bodies will invest incentives to prepare for climate change."

The chief scientist of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Dr. Sinia Netanyahu, said, "This is the third time I have appeared in the committee on this issue. The first time we talked about climate change in general, the second time about forecasts and trends and today we have precise measures with the help of the meteorological service. The various models speak of forecasts for an average increase of between 0.3 and five degrees per year on average until the end of this century. The latest reports are wake-up calls to action. Global warming has an impact on sea level rise, on infrastructure, the water sector and agriculture, on public health, geo-strategy and policy issues."

Unlike the chief scientist of his government, the new minister Avi Gabai did not mention global warming in his first speech in the Knesset in this position.

The Director of the Meteorological Service, Dr. Yoav Levy, presented the warming report as the service predicts it "Since the 60s, we have seen an increasing concentration of CO2 - carbon dioxide, which causes the atmosphere to warm. There are different scenarios about the future. There is a scenario that claims that only in 2030 will there be a decrease in emissions, there is a more pessimistic scenario that only in 2050 will the world start to come to its senses, and there is an extreme scenario that says that the world will continue to emit. We build the models based on those scenarios. In our region, by the end of the century the temperature in winter is expected to rise between one and a half to three degrees, and in the summer there is a probability that the temperatures will rise between one and a half to four degrees. The increase in the coastal area will be lower. In terms of precipitation, the picture is less clear, but with moderate probability, there will be a 10-20% decrease in the average rainfall."

The Chief Forester of the National Fund for Israel, Dr. David Brand, said, "There are threats to the ecosystem such as drought, droughts, floods, forest and forest fires, the intrusion of pests and diseases, and more, and we have found solutions for this. KKL-Junk's knowledge and rich experience in this matter are recognized by many countries in the world, even those that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, which send representatives here who learn from us the methods of operation and fighting in the desert."

The representative of the Society for the Protection of Nature Ofri Gabai said "as part of Israel's efforts to reduce emissions and switch to non-polluting energies, solar farms and wind turbines are being established, but it is important that these solutions do not harm the environment. Israel consumes 0.2% of the world's total energy, but its ecological contribution is immeasurably high."
The CEO of Hadera Paper, Mr. Guy Yadlin, said that the factory has developed a method to produce 100% recycled paper. "The use of paper causes significant ecological damage," he said. Our ambition is to reduce the use of paper to such an extent that a person would be ashamed to consume with a notebook and paper."

Uri Nachmani, an activist in the Green Trend organization, proposed that the State of Israel join the global ecological conventions. According to her, "the public is interested in a policy of planning and opening up cities in a way that does not harm nature."

The website editor's note: Regarding the language used by some of the speakers, the use of the term "climate change" instead of "global warming" coined to please the conservative right in the US does not oblige us, as Dr. Netanyahu pointed out, there is a change and it is in one direction only. And in addition, there is no longer any doubt that the changes caused by the warming are already here and in a noticeable way.