KKL-JNF POSITION PAPER ON THE AGENDA OF THE UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

Read About It Here.

And here:

Advanced Environmental Technologies - by the KKL-JNF Delegation in Copenhagen.

COP 15 Update

KKL-JNF at the United Nations Climate Change Conference Copenhagen

This coming December, KKL-JNF will participate in 'COP 15' - the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, which is the periodic gathering of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This year, it will convene in Copenhagen, Denmark and by its finish, it is expected that the Copenhagen Protocol will be signed, a follow-up to the agreements of the Kyoto Protocol, which will terminate in 2012. The purpose is to bring about a reduction in global hothouse gas emissions, in order to address the climate crisis that threatens the world. [Read More]

Bostonian Brings Recycling To Negev

Click here to print article from The Jewish Advocate.

Cap And Trade? Global Warming? Climate Change?

Click here to read an informative article from the other side.

JNF GoNeutral Featured On GreenProphet.com

The Jewish National Fund Meets An Inconvenient Truth

Everyone and their mother is doing it. Talking about global warming, that is. Stumbling around the net, we bumped into this YouTube video sponsored by the Jewish National Fund, which links nicely to our last post on tree planting in Israel. If you’re hip to what’s happening in the environment and the world, the video on its new GoNeutral project will seem a bit arcane, but stick with it – it gets into practical tips of reducing your carbon footprint that are good to share. [READ MORE]

Giant NYC billboard shows carbon counter

Giant NYC billboard shows carbon counter

(AP) - How are those greenhouse gases doing?

New York City residents and visitors will be able to monitor the situation, thanks to a new giant billboard in Manhattan that features a carbon counter. Digital numbers help viewers track the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The 70-foot-high billboard is outside Madison Square Garden and Pennsylvania Station, not far from the Empire State Building. A widget also will be provided to Web sites and blogs around the world. [Read More]

The Body Of Evidence Against Global Warming / Climate Change

Click here to read an informative article by George Abramson. It presents a different perspective about global warming and climate change. Thanks to Mr. Abramson for putting this together!

Greenhouse gas predictions may be too modest

Greenhouse gas predictions may be too modest
Israel 21c

Al Gore may have given us a frightening picture of climate change and our future, but now new research suggests that even his predictions could be too modest, after an Israeli scientist discovered that cracks in the earth are emitting unrecorded greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

This is the first time this phenomenon has been observed, and since gases from these cracks have never been included in previous measurements, the new findings could change the model of how science calculates the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change.

The discovery was made by hydrologist and soil physicist, Dr. Noam Weisbrod from Ben Gurion University. While he was studying fractures in the earth in the Negev Desert, he encountered an unusual phenomenon occurring on a daily basis - an unexpectedly quick accumulation of salt within fractures between flood events. The phenomenon was even more pronounced in winter. [READ MORE]

Empire State Building to Become a Model of Energy Efficiency

Empire State Building to Become a Model of Energy Efficiency

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Empire State Building Company, efficiency solutions giant Johnson Controls Inc., commercial real estate services leader Jones Lang LaSalle and titans in the battle against global warming, the Clinton Climate Initiative and the Rocky Mountain Institute, are teaming up to transform the New York City icon into a model of energy efficiency.

Representatives of the five partnering organizations announced their $20 million project this morning in New York. Their retrofit of the Empire State Building, where a sweeping renovation has been under way since 2007, is expected to cut energy consumption in the 79-year-old, 103-story building by 38 percent and reduce energy costs by $4.4 million a year. [Read More]

Beer Sheva’s Earth’s Promise Offers an Alternative Spring Break

Beer Sheva’s Earth’s Promise Offers an Alternative Spring Break

For those of you familiar with the typical American college student spring break, you know that it generally entails transporting an Animal House environment to exotic locations such as Cancun, Fort Lauderdale, the Bahamas, or the Carribean. However there has been a movement in recent years to offer students an alternative to these stereotypical spring breaks, in equally exotic locations - such as central America, eastern Europe, and yes, even Beer Sheva. [READ MORE]

A GoNeutral Love Story

Buyer’s remorse we’ve heard of, but dater’s remorse?

Brenda and David Jaffe experienced this phenomenon and it had nothing to do with their feelings for each other. No, the chagrin was over the effect their long-distance courtship was having on the environment. Their answer? Well, for starters they got married. And to address their environmental concerns they turned to Jewish National Fund (JNF) and its GoNeutral program.

The two of them, each in their mid 40s, were both divorced with two children apiece. Brenda lived in Dover, DE; David in Havre de Grace, MD. They met on JDate and took a liking to each other. So much so that between them they were soon driving almost 375 miles weekly just to see each other.

“That’s a lot of carbon let loose in the environment,” said David, a physician. “I try to leave as small a footprint as I can in whatever way I can, so I looked for a way to reduce our impact.”

The couple turned to www.jnf.org/goneutral, where, using a calculator, they were able to determine the approximate amount of carbon their cars had emitted during their three-year relationship, and then plant trees in Israel to help offset those emissions.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis, releasing oxygen into the air while sequestering, or storing, carbon. About half of the weight of a mature tree is carbon.

With over 100 years of experience as caretaker of the land of Israel, Jewish National Fund has planted more than 240 million trees, transforming over 250,000 acres of arid land into lush green forests. Because of JNF’s forestry expertise and commitment to environmental protection, Israel is one of two countries to leave the 20th century with more trees than it had at the start. The trees already planted by JNF have absorbed an estimated 110 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“I am a supporter of the State of Israel, environmentally concerned, and Jewishly involved, so this was a nice way to do it all,” said David. The gift was announced at his son Micah’s bar mitzvah last year.

Now happily married and living in one place (Havre de Grace), the couple is indebted to JDate for helping them find each other, and to JNF “for making the courtship easier on the planet,” said Brenda.

Wear Green, Drink Greenly

Is it greener to drink from cans or bottles? The answer depends on how far you live from the place that produces your drink of choice. We figured this might be appropriate since there is a certain Irish holiday being celebrated today. [Read more]

Tip Of The Week: Buy Used Products

Buying used items on sites like eBay and Craigslist can help you reduce the emissions associated with manufacturing and decrease the need for new raw materials. Check out this New York Times article below:

As Earth Day Nears, eBay Shows Its Green Side

In a new program centered on Earth Day, eBay is becoming the latest company to promote its green credentials.

EBay is now a green company?

Yes, said Alan Marks, senior vice president for global communications at eBay. Its business model encourages reselling old items rather than throwing them out, and buying used merchandise rather than making new stuff reduces carbon emissions that go along with production.

“We never set out to be a green business,” Mr. Marks said. “We realized it’s intrinsic.” [read more]

Turn Off The Lights

Earth Hour - an annual event led by World Wildlife Fund, asks cities, business and individuals to turn off their lights for 60 minutes March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM in a unified call for action on climate change.

You can learn more here: http://www.earthhourus.org/

2nd Annual JNF GoNeutral Shabbat Weekend

We invite you to participate in the

2nd Annual JNF GoNeutral Shabbat Weekend

March 27-29, 2009

Join synagogues, schools and communities across the country by celebrating Shabbat in an eco-friendly way and studying the connection between Judaism, Israel and the environment.

You will receive a complete JNF GoNeutral Kit, including a re-usable tote-bag, JNF Blue Boxes, an environmental DVD, flyers, maps of Israel, downloadable educational resource guides with specific programming for students, families and congregations and much more.

Click here to learn more or contact us at education@jnf.org or at 212-879-9305 ext 263.

Book Swaps

Swapping books or visiting the library is the best way to read, while minimizing your toll on the environment. Learn more about book swapping here.

Cellphone Makers Start Offering ‘Green’ Models

The New York Times reports that cellphones are becoming environmentally friendly:

Another way manufacturers are promoting their environmental credentials is through the applications their phones can run. The Nokia 5630 Xpress Music released last week has a preloaded application called “we:offset” that lets users measure their carbon emissions. There is also a link to a payment form for people who want to pay to offset the pollution they create. [Read More]

How to erase carbon footprints in Israel

TEL AVIV (JTA) -- Out of a towering mountain of waste near Ben Gurion Airport, methane gas is being captured to create thermal energy for a nearby factory.

In the Negev Desert, solar panels are on loan to Bedouin villages that don’t have electricity, allowing the residents to run refrigerators needed to store medicine for ill children.

These are two of a small but growing wave of Israeli projects to help reduce the country's carbon footprint by curbing carbon dioxide emissions -- part of the global battle to arrest climate change.

Along the way, the projects are helping bolster Israel's energy independence by promoting energy efficiency and homegrown clean technologies. [READ MORE]

JTA's Eco-Jews

The arrival of Tu B’Shevat, Judaism’s annual ode to the trees, is the perfect time to examine the most significant players and trends in Jewish environmentalism—and offer some hands-on advice for marking the holiday and greening your communities.

Visit http://jta.org/eco-jews/ for more info!

Check Out Our Sponsors Of The Month!

In April 2007, Jeffery Press launched a new line of eco-friendly “Go-Neutral” papers. In six short months, they have helped 75+ clients convert to a 100% post consumer waste sheet at no additional cost to their fine quality writing grade sheets. Internally, they have rebranded all of their packaging materials to reduce shipping waste by 30%, introduced a variety of green products such as a biodegradable window envelope made from corn, have begun printing with soy inks and are buying 25% of their envelopes converted from wind power.

They offer a variety of specialized production embellishments that help clients make a positive impression with every use. Foil stamping, embossing, laser-engraving (a cost-effective alternative to steel die engraving) and short run custom watermarks (embedded into the page) differentiate their clients from the competition and serve as a reflection of how their clients go about conducting their business. Jeffery Press invests up to 3 hours with all new clients to review existing layouts and to prepare files for our presses. Once a client, they maintain all corporate brands absolutely free with 100% consistency guaranteed and are able to expand those brands with new items on an as requested basis.

Designed to address the needs of a growing population of environmentally-conscious shoppers around the country, BuyGreen.com delivers a wide variety of environmentally-friendly products through its website to provide consumers with ease-of-shopping, broad selection, good prices, and great service. For businesses that wish to employ an Environmental Preferred Purchasing program, BuyGreen.com offers a broad, growing selection of products to meet their needs also. In addition to providing green products for purchase, BuyGreen.com also serves as a resource to help consumers understand why a particular item is ‘green’ and to what extent it is ‘eco-friendly.’

“Given the choice between purchasing and using a traditional product versus an environmentally friendly product, I believe that most people would choose the environmentally friendly product,” stated Allison Huke, President of BuyGreen.com. “However, until now, the ability to find and purchase green products has proven to be challenging for consumers who have not had a one-stop shop for their household needs. Our objective is to not only provide easy and affordable access to the broadest variety of green and ecofriendly products, but to also educate consumers and businesses on the importance of and benefits of going green to both the end users and the environment. For instance, taking the simple step of using a reusable bottle for your beverages eliminates a huge part of our waste stream, reduces potential toxins and can save consumers a lot of money.”

JNF: Brand New Environmental Video On Water

Check out our brand new WATER video which highlights all of the great environmental work were doing in Israel -- from buiding reservoirs and drip irrigation to water conversation projects and education programs.

Check Out Our Sponsors Of The Month!

Recycled Office Products - A Full Line Office Supplies Company with 48 Distribution Points in the U.S.A. It includes eco-friendly products at the lowest price.


From the company: Recycling is one of the easiest ways we can help slow climate change and global warming. By recycling at home, we help significantly lower carbon emissions associated with extracting virgin materials and manufacturing those materials into products. Making goods from recycled materials requires less energy and generates less water pollution than manufacturing from virgin materials, and it reduces damage to forests, wetlands, rivers and other places essential to wildlife.



Buygreen.com - A market leader in the sales and distribution of green and eco-friendly products, BuyGreen.com is a website that serves as an educational resource created to inform and educate the population regarding the importance of living in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, and how to transition to a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Designed to address the needs of a growing population of environmentally-conscious shoppers around thecountry, BuyGreen.com delivers a wide variety of environmentally-friendly products through its website to provide consumers with ease-of-shopping, broad selection, good prices, and great service.