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Neaman in the media
We will never be as good at research as we were in the early years of our lives
Why are children such remarkably proficient researchers? What in the most important role of schools? Which subjects should one study to gain admittance into prestigious higher education institutions? And how does the military contribute to academic achievement?
These questions are explored, with insights from Prof. Irad Yavneh
Jerusalem is filling up with towers, but will this really contribute to the city?
Prof. Rachelle Alterman has been warning for years about the negative consequences of flooding Israel’s major cities with towers.
The cost of not adapting to climate change in Tel Aviv-Yafo / Prof. Ofira Ayalon Interview on CAN Environment
Prof. Ofira Ayalon described the research, commissioned by the Tel Aviv municipality, the first city in Israel to prepare a climate change adaptation plan. The study analyzed the cost for the city if climate adaptation actions are not implemented in the year 2050. Cumulative damage of 2-4 Billion NIS resulting from damage to public health and mortality, increase in energy demand, and damage to local employment.
Link to the full interview with Prof. Ayalon on CAN. Starts at 03:00.
Prof. Ofira Ayalon Interview on the 360-radio show / GALAZ
Prof. Ofira Ayalon talks about the energy market in Israel
Failure to prepare to deal with the increasing heat will cost Tel Aviv 4 billion NIS a year by the middle of the century
Ofira Ayalon, Orly Nathan, Naama Shapira
A new study reveals that that insufficient preparedness for anticipated heat waves in Israel’s major economic center (Tel Aviv- Yafo) will lead to high economic costs and higher mortality rates. The study serves as an alert to numerous Israeli cities that disregard this matter. Professor Ofira Ayalon, one of the study’s authors, points out that the proposed property tax fund “could potentially divert funds meant for addressing the climate crisis, will not be available”
Link to the full article on Calcalist
Standardization is important but not enough: what to do to promote green building.
Gershon Grossman, Naama Shapira
The green building standard establishes a baseline for quality standards, serving as an indicator and driver for enhanced and more progressive construction practices. However, according to the new Energy Forum’s report, in practical terms, the standard primarily focuses on scoring sections that are straightforward to implement and economically feasible.
Moreover, the current standard has a relatively narrow scope. Globally, a more comprehensive approach is adopted, encompassing circular planning, considerations of neighborhood scale, as well as factors related to well-being and health. It is crucial to continue pushing the building sector towards improvement, as a significant portion of construction practices in Israel remain outdated.
Government climate law: smaller, weaker – and far from the Western world
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environmental Protection are currently in disagreement over the climate law. Minister Idit Silman has proposed a solution to the issue by implementing the salami method in a softened version and transferring a portion of it.
In the past, Israel recognized the importance of operational plans, but the plan was put on hold and not pursued.
Prof. Ofira Ayalon has highlighted that it has been 13 years since expectations were set for progress on climate issues, and unfortunately, there has been significant disappointment due to lack of progress. The current climate law falls short of addressing this issue. If the previously budgeted plan had been implemented, Israel’s current situation would be vastly different.
KAN Environment / Interview with Prof. Ofira Ayalon
Prof. Ofira Ayalon, talks about the “holidays fever” of cleaning and shopping before Pesach. Some of the solutions regarding the climate crisis is to consume, cook, throw away, use cleaning agents, buy new clothes – less.
The abolition of the tax on disposable dishes and the tax on sweetened soft drinks also have major negative effects on the environment.
Link to the full interview with Prof. Ayalon – starts at 19:45
The forecasts are impressive, but the Ministry of Environmental Protection is unable to reduce waste landfilling
In the past month, the Minister of Environmental Protection, Idit Silman, and her ministry officials have appeared before Knesset committees twice to present the ministry’s action plans.As on previous occasions, Knesset members were shown a presentation that included impressive forecasts of environmental activity. However, recent years have shown that this presentation is disconnected from reality and the Ministry has failed to achieve its declared goals. Just a few weeks ago, Prof. Ofira Ayalon and environmental consultant Dr. Shira Daskal published an analysis of the waste treatment policy led by the Ministry of Environmental Protection between 2007 and 2022, which can be described as a failure.
Israel lags far behind the world: 77% of waste is buried in the ground
At a time when the developed world is already using various technologies to manage municipal solid waste, Israel lags far behind.
Prof. Ofira Ayalon notes that “the landfill tax has not had a significant effect, neither in terms of reducing landfilled waste nor in terms of the actual realization of the ‘maintaining the cleanliness fund’ budget.” “We are in a state of emergency and, therefore, the Ministry of Environmental Protection is presenting short-term solutions, such as expanding existing landfills.”
Link to the full article on ‘Calcalist’
