Israel Says Shalom to Ecotourism

Israel, which has been waging a widespread campaign to get Americans to travel there, has jumped on the ecotourism bandwagon by transforming the 2,000-acre Hiriya garbage dump on the outskirts of Tel Aviv into what’s now called Ayalon Park, a recreational green space with trees, gardens, hiking trails – and a 75-acre recycling center. Though that’s the largest ecotourism project in the country’s history, the nation has a few others in the works: $6 million worth of new bicycling routes, including the 750-mile Israel Bike Trail, as well as improvements to hiking trails such as the Lower Galilee region’s 580-mile Israel National Trail.

-- Avital Binshtock

Photo: Sunrise on Masada

Green Gatherings: Transportation Resources

Expecting guests? This week we'll offer tips for green celebrations.

Tip # 3: Invite Green Travel

Encourage your guests to minimize their carbon footprint by providing transportation resources in the invitation. Google Maps can help cyclists and pedestrians chart safe routes, or help travelers track down directions for bus and train systems. Make carpool suggestions to partygoers who live near each other. If you're entertaining a tech-savvy crowd, suggest that people try out new ride-sharing applications like Zimride and Carticipate.

 

Daily Roundup

Everest’s New Challenge: Researchers point to mounting evidence that climate change may drastically affect the world’s most famous peak and the people around it. If things keep up, Himalayan glaciers could vanish by 2035, imperiling a billion people. Treehugger

L.A. Solar: Just months after implementing some of the toughest green-building standards in the country, Los Angeles steps it up again and initiates the world’s largest solar plan. CleanTechnica

Icy Friendship: Polar bear news that isn’t bad! Photographer Norbert Rosing captures some unbearably cute photos of sled dogs playing with a polar bear. No Impact Man

Port-a-Hydro: Dartmouth students have developed turbines that provide green power to go for remote areas with no access to electricity. Scientific American

Stroller to Trike: “Kid Kustoms extends the life of the typical stroller with an ingenious design to convert a stroller into a tricycle for a growing little one.” Inhabitat

-- Mario Aguilar

Chew On This, Japan.

Daily Kos has located an oddly compelling piece of media produced by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). It looks as though it could have been produced by the same people who make the airline-safety videos, but the topic is more globally relevant: How runaway diets and food demand are affecting Japan, and what can be done about it.

Green Gatherings: Decorations

Expecting guests? This week we'll offer tips for green celebrations.

Tip #2: Go Natural

Let nature inspire your holiday centerpiece this year: Collect leaves or pinecones from your backyard to create a fall display. Centerpieces of fruits and vegetables can be eaten later. If flowers are a must, opt for fair-trade, organic bouquets. Better yet, decorate with small potted plants and give them to your guests as gifts.

Share your tips: What items do you reuse as decorations during the holidays?

Green Clubbin'

Nightclubs with a green conscience are sprouting up in major cities. San Francisco's successful Temple nightclub has expanded into an "eco-conscious 'edu-tainment' complex." Which begs the question: Can you really go wrong with some alcohol, strategically placed LED lighting and sustainable bamboo walls? At least that's what owner Jon Bakhshi is asking by opening his new nightclub, Greenhouse, in New York City's SoHo district (Green Inc). It'll be the first club of its kind to seek LEED certification and is a 6,000-square-foot, bilevel venue furnished with recycled or recyclable materials and equipped with low-flow toilets, waterless urinals and an HVAC system.

Daily Roundup

Sheep Story: Wondering about wool? A New Zealand company, Icebreaker, includes a "Baacode" which allows customers to access to information about the source of wool and living conditions of the sheep. About My Planet

Shopping Stats: A new study by Plow Earth says consumers are willing to spend more on ecofriendly gifts this holiday season. The Business Journal of Milwaukee

Clearing the Air: The carbon footprint of the aviation industry isn't small, but some airlines are greener others. Find out who soars above the competition. Ecopreneurist

Return to Sea: A group of 11 whales rescued from an Australian beach have successfully joined a larger pod. Sadly, 53 of the beached whales did not survive. LA Unleashed

The Votes are In: Field & Stream magazine named California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger its top villain for cutting funding for salmon and steelhead restoration. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's endorsement of hunting earned her a spot on the heroes list. Field Notes

The Dirt on Biodynamic Wine

So what's the deal with biodynamic wine? Demeter, a biodynamic-certifying organization, claims that "it is the highest paradigm of sustainable farming," and many retailers have reported increased consumer interest in biodynamic beverages. Critics of the process say that it's a fad rooted in bad science and voodoo. While biodynamic farmers use many of the same ecofriendly methods as organic farmers, they must also prepare mysterious concoctions in bull horns and cow intestines. Recently a couple of curious reporters tackled the subject: Joe Eskenazi investigates the industry in SF Weekly, and Joel Stein takes a few good-natured gibes in Sierra.

Share your thoughts: Have you tried biodynamic wine? How does it compare with organic or traditional wine?

Thanksgiving Recipe: Organic Homemade Cranberry Sauce

In the current issue of Sierra, the "Enjoy" section (toward the front of the magazine) features the results of our office-wide taste test of a variety of cranberry sauces. The homemade sauce won by a landslide; our staff deemed it "gorgeous," "fresh," and "delicious."

This might have left some of you might be thinking, "but making cranberry sauce is so much work!" That's why we'd like to share with you a quick, simple, and delectable recipe for spiced cranberry sauce that takes barely more time to make than opening up a can of the Ocean Spray goop. What's more, this sauce can be made up to two days ahead of time and stored in the fridge, leaving you more time to prepare the rest of your feast on Thanksgiving day.

As an added bonus, here are a couple tips to personalize this tasty recipe:

Make it organic: Buy a bag of organic cranberries instead of regular cranberries.

Add some citrus: Instead of water, use orange juice and then reduce the amount of sugar and honey added.

-- Michael Fox

What are your favorite cranberry recipes? Please share them below as a comment.

Green Gatherings: Go Paperless

Expecting guests? This week we'll offer tips for green celebrations.

Tip #1:  Skip the Paper

Make your group gatherings tree-friendly by avoiding paper products. Send invitations electronically using Evite. Create a festive mood by setting the table with the good china and the cloth napkins. If you don't have a complete dinner set, have fun with mix-and-match decor by borrowing plates from friends or finding used dinnerware through Freecycle.

Share your tips: How do you reuse, reduce, and recycle when you're hosting a party?