JUDAISM, COMPARATIVE RELIGION, A

JEWISH STATE (ISRAEL) AND

ENVIRONMENTALISM
Steve Albert stevedalbert@gmail.com
1/10/2016

JUDAISM, COMPARATIVE RELIGION, A

JEWISH STATE (ISRAEL) AND
ENVIRONMENTALISM

Sources of Environmentalism in the Torah

Is Respect for the Environment an Example
of Jewish Leadership? Exceptionalism?
Quick Comparisons: Judiasm - Islam
Perspective on Reality: Zionism, the Jewish
State and Ecology? De Jure vs De Facto.
Worst Case Scenario
WARNING DRIVER ASLEEP AT WHEEL!!!
:Impending Disaster: EXTERNALITIES
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SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTALISM IN
THE TORAH
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and
over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that
creeps on the earth." Gen 1:26
God blessed them and God said to them, Be fertile and increase, fill the
earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all
the living things that creep the earth. Gen 1:28
God said, See, I you every seed-bearing plant that is upon the earth, and
every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be your for food. And to all
the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps
on earth, in which there is the breath of life, [I give] all the green plants for
food . And so it was. Gen 1: 29 30
God saw everything he had made, and indeed it was very good. Genesis
1:31
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SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTALISM
AND THE COVENANT IN THE TORAH
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to
till it and to preserve it. Genesis 2:15.
If you pay heed to the commandments which I give you this day,
and love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and
soul, then I will send rain for your land in season Deuteronomy
11:13-17
When you are at war, and lay siege to a city do not destroy its
trees by taking the axe to them, for they provide you with food
Deuteronomy 20:19

THE TORAH PROHIBITS THE

WASTEFUL CONSUMPTION OF
ANYTHING.
When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long
time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding
the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut
them down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you
into the besieged city? Only trees that you know do no yield food
may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siege
works against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been
reduced. Deuteronomy 20:19-20.

SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTALISM
AND THE COVENANT IN THE TORAH

Six years shall you sow your field, and six years shall you prune
your vineyard, and gather in the produce thereof. But in the
seventh year shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a
Sabbath unto the Lord; you shall neither sow your field nor prune
your vineyard. Leviticus 25:1-5
You shall not let your cattle gender with a diverse kind; you shall
not sow your field with two kinds of seed; neither shall there come
upon you a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.
Leviticus 19:19
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SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTALISM
WORK IT, TAKE CARE OF IT

Gen. 2:15-16

HIERARCHY IN JUDAISM
"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and
over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth." Gen 1:26
God blessed them and God said to them, Be fertile and
increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of
the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things
that creep the earth. Gen 1:28
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LET US MAKE GOD IN OUR IMAGE

Rabbi Avraham Arieh
and
RachelTrugmanhave
thirty-five years of
experience in the field
of Jewish education.
They were a founding
family of Moshav Meor
Modiim in 1976, where
RabbiTrugmanserved
several years as the
Director of the Center
of Jewish Education,
which successfully ran
programs for over
5,000 participants
from over 259

THOUGHTS?
Whats your favorite:
Piece of oral Torah?
Mishna?
Jewish myth or legend?
Story your mom or dad told you?
Your bubby or zadie told you?
Memories?
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IS RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AN

EXAMPLE OF JEWISH LEADERSHIP? OR
EXCEPTIONALISM?

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JUDAISM AND ISLAM IN SYNCH

The Talmud tells the story of the sage Choni, who
was walking along a road when he saw a man
planting a carob tree. Choni asked, "How long will
it take for this tree to bear fruit?" "Seventy years,"
the man replied. Choni then asked, "Are you so
healthy that you expect to live that length of time
and eat its fruit?" The man answered, "I found a
fruitful world because my ancestors planted it for
me. Likewise, I am planting for my children.
In fact, tradition values this concept so much that
the rabbis teach that if a man is planting a tree
and the messiah appears, he should finish planting
the tree before going to greet him (Avot d'Rebbe
Natan 31b).
See: http://www.reformjudaism.org/jewish-viewsenvironment#sthash.TkCdOoVU.dpuf

Honi ha-M'agel ( Khoni, Choni, or Honi, HaMa'agel), (lit. Honi the Circledrawer) (1st century BC)

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ISLAMIC ECOLOGICAL PARADIGM

Addresses concern for both human and non-human
beings on planet. Gained momentum in 19th Century
Asserts that Prophet Muhammad is a green Prophet
who sought to maintain the harmonious balance
between humankind and nature
Old Philosophy, New Movement: The Rise of the Islamic Ecological Paradigm in the Discourse of Environmentalism Md
Saidul Islam Nature and Culture 7(1): 72-94.
Human-Animal Relationship: Understanding Animal Rights in the Islamic Ecological Paradigm Md Nazrul Islam, Nanyan
Technological University, Singapore, Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies (2015)

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ISLAMIC ECOLOGICAL PARADIGM

(NEW)
States that human beings are largely responsible for the
global environmental and ecological destruction
Mischief has appeared on the land and sea because of (the
need) that the hands of men have earned. That God may give
them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may
turn back (from Evil) Quran 30:41
Climate change is argued in this light as the earths attempt
to regain balance after mankinds assault on it.
Old Philosophy, New Movement: The Rise of the Islamic Ecological Paradigm in the Discourse of Environmentalism Md Saidul Islam
Nature and Culture 7(1): 72-94.
Human-Animal Relationship: Understanding Animal Rights in the Islamic Ecological Paradigm Md Nazrul Islam, Nanyan
Technological University, Singapore, Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies (2015)

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DE JURE (RULES) OR DE FACTO

(RESULTS) ?
De Jure: The Law
(of the Occupiers)
De Facto:
Reality
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DE JURE: RULES OF LAND

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DE JURE: TORAH: LAW: CORRECT

INCENTIVES? YES! AS GOOD AS U.S.

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DE FACTO: ONE METHOD FOR MEASURING

ENVIRONMENTALISM ACROSS SOVEREIGN
BORDERS IS THE ECOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE INDEX
EPI ws developed by Yale University (Yale Center
for Environmental Law and Policy) and Columbia
University (Center for International Earth Science
Information Network) in collaboration with the
World Economic Forum and the Joint Research
Centre of the European Commission.
The ESI was developed to evaluate environmental
sustainability relative to the paths of other
countries.
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ONE METHOD FOR MEASURING

ENVIRONMENTALISM ACROSS NATIONAL BORDERS
IS THE ECOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE INDEX

The two objectives that provide the overarching

structure of the (2014) EPI are:
Environmental Health. Environmental Health
measures the protection of human health from
environmental harm and
Ecosystem Vitality. Ecosystem Vitality measures
ecosystem protection and resource management.
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ACTUALLY, IT IS A LITTLE MORE

COMPLICATED BUT NOT MUCH
These two objectives are
further divided into nine issue
categories that span highpriority environmental policy
issues, including air quality,
forests, fisheries, and climate
and energy, among others.
Underlying the nine issue
categories are 20 indicators
calculated from country-level
data and statistics.
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DE FACTO

RESULTS?
Where does Israel (Waldo) rank?

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ISRAEL

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USA

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EPI GLOBAL
GDP PER CAPITA VS EPI PERFORMANCE
SCORE

Size of Circle = f (Population)

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EPI GLOBAL
GDP PER CAPITA VS EPI PERFORMANCE
SCORE

USA
IsraelCyprus Greece

Size of Circle = f (Population)

Czech Republic

Russia
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EPI MIDDLE EAST

GDP PER CAPITA VS EPI PERFORMANCE
SCORE

Size of Circle = f (Population)

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EPI MIDDLE EAST

GDP PER CAPITA VS EPI PERFORMANCE
SCORE

Qatar

Kuwait
Israel

UAE
KSA

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ISRAEL VS MUSLIM WORLD IN THE MIDDLE

EAST ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDING
NOT GOOD

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WHATS THE PROBLEM?

TRENDS, EXTERNALITIES

AIR
POPULATION DENSITY
WATER SHORT
WATER QUALITY

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ISRAEL AIR POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION
Israel's major cities Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa as well as industrial
centers like Ashdod, face severe air-pollution problems, primarily from
industrial and automobile emissions.
In 2003, the Israel Union for Environmental Defense (IUED) published the
results of a study it conducted with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency that indicated that 1,400 Israelis die each year from exposure to air
pollution in Tel Aviv and Ashdod alone. (2,500 deaths country-wide.)
This is more than twice the number of Israelis who die annually
due to traffic accidents and terrorist acts combined. One out of six
Israeli children suffers from asthma, primarily caused by air
pollution.
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ISRAEL POPULATION DENSITY

(FORESHADOWING), OCCUPATION
POPULATION DENSITY AND LOSS OF OPEN SPACE:
Israel is one of the world's most densely populated countries.
With more than 6.5 million people in a country about the size of
New Jersey, Israel is more densely populated than India.

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ISRAEL POPULATION DENSITY

POPULATION DENSITY AND LOSS OF OPEN SPACE:
Safeguarding its precious land resources is a major
national challenge. This will be more critical as Israel's
population continues to grow.
Poor planning and improper development is leading to
accelerated suburbanization in Israel's densely
populated central region.
Economic pressures for urban development are leaving
towns bereft of parks, gardens and play areas that are
essential to health and quality of life.
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ISRAEL WATER POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION:
All of Israel's rivers, except those flowing through sparsely
populated areas, are much more polluted than rivers in Europe
and the United States.
For example, the Kishon River has been especially hard hit
because for more than 40 years Haifa Bay's chemical industry
discharged its raw industrial wastes directly into the river.
Israel ranks 88th out of 122 selected countries in terms of
water quality, according to the 2003 United Nations World
Water Development Report.
Water quality is higher in some developing countries. A recent
nationwide survey found that more than half of Israel's

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ISRAEL WATER POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION:
Water quality is higher in some developing countries. A recent
nationwide survey found that more than half of Israel's
drinking-water wells are significantly polluted.

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ISRAEL WATER SHORTAGES

WATER SHORTAGES:
Potentially severe water shortages may become the most crucial
problem that Israel will face, touching on its very existence.
Since the mid-1970s, demand for water has often times outstripped
supply. Israel is a semi-arid country where no rain falls for at least six
months a year.
While Israel was known as a country that practiced water
conservation and pioneered the development of the drip irrigation
method, the country recently has been using increasing amounts of
water per person, often for non-essential uses.
Israel's main water sources are expected to continue to decline,
endangering drinking-water quality, and raising the specter that it 35

WERE ZIONISTS
ANTI-ENVIROMENTALISTS?

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WHATS THE WORST CASE

SCENARIO?
Deutoronomy 28:58-69

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IS THERE ANY GOOD NEWS?

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ENVIRONMENTALISM IN ISRAEL

Food Finalist:
Netafim (Israel)Gravity-powered irrigation
Netafim is behind a low-tech drip solution for
smallholder farmers in developing countries. The
innovation increases and secures yields while saving on
water and cutting costs. The irrigation system drips
precise quantities of water and nutrients right at the
root zone of crops.

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ENVIRONMENTALISM IS ALIVE IN
ISRAEL
Abraham Path: A Walking Trail
Across the Middle East

ACHLA: Quality of Life for Residents

of the Sharon Area

Adam v'Adamah

Adam-Yam

Al-Amal Hatikva Association

Amakim VeMerhavim

Arad Against Phosphate Mining in Sdeh

Barir

Arad-Yehuda Group

The Ashdod Committee for the

Conservation of the Environment

Association for the Advancement of

Environmental Education and Recycling
in the Galilee

Association of Environmental Justice in

Israel

The Association for the Preservation of

the Nature and Landscape in Kiryat
Shmona

The Association for Quality of Life

and Environment in Nahariya

The Association for Quality of

Environment and Life in Petach Tikva

Beyond Business: Corporate Social

Environmental Responsibility

A Breath of Air

Bustan
The Center for Ecological Systems
and Technologies

Campaign to Save Samar

The Center for a Healthy Environment in
the Arava

Carmel Public Forum

Citizens for the Environment in the
Galilee

The Cellular Antenna Forum

CityTree

Clean Nature
Council for a Beautiful Israel (and
its Robert Price Center for
Environmental Studies)

Clean the Land

The Council for Sustainable
Development: Kfar Saba

Clean Up Israel
Cycle Jerusalem

The Coalition for Public Health

Earth's Promise

EcoCinema

EcoOcean

EcoOp: Israeli Co-Op for Renewable

Energy

EcoPeace / Friends of the Earth

Middle East

Eco and Sustainable Tourism Israel

The Environmental Forum Midreshet

Ben Gurion

Environmental Policy Center at the

Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies

Eretz Carmel

Eretz L'Lo Bdal (No Cigarette-Butts

Land)

The Galilee Society

Ginger Vegetarian Community Center

Good Energy Initiative

Green Action (Peula Yeruka)

Green Change

Green Beer Sheva

Green Course (Megamah Yeruka)

Green and Blue

Green Eye

The Green Cell: Acre

Green Pilgrim Jerusalem

Green Now
Greens of Megiddo
Haredim laSviva

Green Rahat
Guardians of the Environment
International Birding and Research
Center in Eilat

Green Triangle
HaLevav
Israel Bicycle Association

Greenpeace Mediterranean
HaPardes
Israel Civic Action Forum

Israel Energy Forum

The Israeli Forum for Ecological Art

The Israel Green Building Association

Israel Green Building Council

Israel Healthy Cities Network

Israel Long Term Ecological Research

(ILTR Ma'arag)

Israel-Palestine Center for Research and

Information

Israel Union for Environmental Defense

(Adam Teva V'din)

Israeli Cooperative for Renewable

Energy

Israeli Forum for Ecological Art

Israeli Meteorological Society

The Israeli Permaculture Organization

The Israel Society of Ecology and

Environmental Science

The Israeli Society for Sustainable

Economics

Jerusalem Bird Observatory

Jerusalem Green Map

Jerusalem Nature / Natural History

Museum Museum

Jewish Climate Initiative

Jewish Eco Seminars

JiVE! Jerusalem Volunteers for the

Environment

Kayak4All Zebulun

Keren Kayemet LYisrael / Jewish

National Fund in Israel (KKL-JNF)

The Keshet Association

Kurkar Hills Forum

Life & Environment (Chaim VSviva)

Link to the Environment

Local Sustainability Center

Lotan Center for Creative Ecology

LOTEM: Integrated Nature Studies

Malraz: Council for the Prevention of

Noise and Air Pollution

Movement for Israeli Urbanism

The Naga Association

Neighborhood Sustainability
Center

Neot Kedumim

Ramot Favors Environment

Red Sea Environmental Centre

Sabbatical Year Project (Shnat

Shmita)

SAHA (Fair Trade)

Samson Riders Bike Club

Save Adullam

Save the Krayot Beaches

Sayarut
Shomrei HaGan

Save Our Sea

Settling with the Environment
The Society for the Conservation of the
Red Sea Environment

Save Palmachim Beach

Shaharit
SPNI: Society for the Protection of
Nature in Israel

Save Timna
Shomera
SPNIs Open Landscape Institute

Sustainable Development for the

Negev

Sustainable Jerusalem Coalition

Sviva Israel

Tel Aviv Hiking Club

Teva Ivri (Hebrew Nature)

Teva Naki

Tevel Be'Tzedek (The Earth in Justice)

Three Sycamores Association

Towns Association for

Environmental Quality

Transport Today and Tomorrow

Walking Towards the Future

Zalul (protection for Israel's seas and

coasts)

Named one of the top 100 environmental think

tanks in the world, the Arava Institute is a leading
environmental and academic institution in the
Middle East, dedicated to preparing future leaders
from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and around the world
to cooperatively solve the regional and global
challenges of our time.

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ENVIRONMENTALISM CAN BRING

PEOPLE TOGETHER

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JUDAISM, COMPARATIVE RELIGION, A

JEWISH STATE (ISRAEL) AND
ENVIRONMENTALISM

In Theory, Respect for the Environment is

an Example of Jewish Leadership.
But Not Exceptionalism vs Mid East Peers
or Developed Christian Countries
TREND: WARNING DRIVER ASLEEP AT
WHEEL!!! Impending Disaster:
EXTERNALITIES AHEAD
42

SOURCES OF JEWISH
ENVIRONMENTALISM

The Coalition on the Environment

and Jewish Life (COEJL)

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