Environment

Slowly but surely, Israeli companies are becoming strong players in the field of network infrastructure. This time its eVolution Networks, which has developed technology that could reduce cellphone antennae power consumption by 23%.

The first two models of the Renault two-seater Twizy electric car have arrived in Israel. The cars will participate in a trial for environmentally friendly urban transport in cooperation with the Kfar Saba Municipality.

The emblem of Israel is a Menorah with two olive branches. A recent study done at the Hebrew University has shown that the iconic olive tree may also be part of the solution to a burning global issue – desertification.

One of the biggest problems facing farmers worldwide is pests, which can destroy entire crops and are often resistant to pesticides. Israeli startup EdenShield is working on a product that tricks insects into believing that the crops simply aren't there.

Although green roofs, in which vegetation beds are planted on roofs, have been an ecological trend for eco-friendly architects for quite some time, a new research center, established at the University of Haifa is trying to develop green roofs that do not need artificial irrigation.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have managed to produce quality analysis of pollution in major cities around the world – using readings taken in outer space. Using eight years' worth of data collected by NASA satellites, the researchers tracked pollution trends for 189 megacities.

After the success of the city wide bicycle rental program, Tel-O-Fun, the city of Tel Aviv is now considering implementing a similar program using small electric cars intended for short-term rental.

Commercial buildings around the world are looking to reduce energy costs, but overhauling electricity systems can be expensive. That is why Israeli startup BEEMTech came up with a way to save energy without changing the existing infrastructure.

Yosef Abramowitz has spent years promoting solar power plants in Israel, whilst also promoting a social agenda. Now, Abramowitz is working towards bringing solar electricity to remote African villages.

A century ago Jewish chemist Chaim Weizmann invented a method of producing acetone for explosives – helping the British with WWI efforts. Now, scientists at UC Berkeley have found a way to utilize the same formula in order to generate a greener version of diesel fuel made from plants.

One of the biggest drawbacks of common solar panels is that they cannot efficiently store energy, and are most effective when the sun is shining. Technion scientists may have found a way to store solar energy with a special ingredient – rust.

The electricity bill is probably the one that causes most people to do a double take. One of the reasons for the high price of electricity is that electricity companies spend enormous amounts of money generating power during peak hours. Greenlet offers a smart way to reduce your peak electricity consumption and make money in the process.

Seaweed is prolific in Israel’s Mediterranean Sea. It makes sense, then, that Middle Eastern ancients used it to help alleviate a host of ailments from peptic ulcers to fungal infections and wounds. The Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem is looking into how seaweed can be utilized for its nutritional and medicinal properties.

Israeli inventor Izhar Gafni, along with his business partner Nimrod Elmish, will soon begin the mass-production of a cardboard bike. The durable, lightweight and eco-friendly vehicle will go into production within six months and is expected to be sold with a $20 price tag.

When Dr. Daniel Hillel was a child, he fell in love with the soil of Israel. Throughout his life, he's been creating methods of irrigation that bring sustainable life to otherwise barren lands. Now, almost half a century after he invented micro-irrigation and changed Middle-Eastern agriculture – the rest of the world is starting to catch on.