Environment

כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַֽעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ

thats what left

‘Avatar’ is one of my favorite films, truly a masterpiece. In Avatar, the Nabi people fight to keep their home and show that life in harmony with nature is better and happier than the super-modern life. A bit like what is happening these days in our seat.

We live in a calm place, close to the sea. To preserve life in Moshav, they built a gas rig a few kilometers from the house. Now they want to build an airport and a fuel farm near the seat. Our fear is that if something happens to the fuel farm, the whole seat will be damaged. In the same way, you can also build a small nuclear reactor in a playground in the middle of the seat, it makes just as much sense as a fuel farm.

This is the direction the world is going. The energy is not invested in the reconstruction of nature, but in building on it, and not next to it. The war is to preserve what is there. Just like in Moshav we are fighting for the house, all the inhabitants of Israel and the earth should fight for the house.

An unusual book in the study of the collapse of different civilizations from history, Collapse, Jared Diamond, in which it is said that in fact civilizations collapsed not only because of the destruction of the environment, but also because of the government’s attitude to that destruction. As an example of survival, the most Icelander who knew how to adapt to life in Iceland and avoid as much as possible the destruction of the environment is given. By looking at history it is possible to better understand the situation today. History shows that deforestation, soil problems associated with agriculture and over-irrigation, over-hunting, over-fishing, population growth and environmental destruction have led to the collapse of civilizations in the past. It seems that today the danger is not only for a certain culture, but for all of humanity. Burning coal in China is affecting Canada’s weather. Just as everyone is affected, so the response should be global.

The bad wins the lottery, the good changes its ways

Even if humanity finds a technological solution to global warming and the destruction of the environment, if human nature continues as it is – other damage will simply occur. Therefore, the solution should come from education and changing behavior to flow with nature and goodness. 300-200 thousand years humans (homo species) have been walking on the earth. As a result of their activity in the last 50 years, there are decades left until it gets too hot here, and already today we see the change in all kinds of places in the world. It is important to understand that this is not only warming, but also the acidification of the oceans, the extinction of biological species, damage to the ozone and a host of other problems on the planet, whose effects we do not know. It seems that the only way is to stop fighting nature and look for new technologies, but to make “peace” with nature. In man’s war against nature, history and logic show that nature will remain. The solution comes in the exercise of free thought .

It is necessary to face harsh facts and respond to them, not ignore them. It is worthwhile to imagine the earth in its natural appearance again and implement the desired solutions, even if they are difficult.

Know that we have reason to be pessimistic. Humans do not take care of themselves, you can see this in the global obesity epidemic, so how will they take care of the environment. After all, it is clear that people think about themselves more than about the environment.

We are like the earth

Today humanity is poisoning the earth just as it is poisoning itself with an incompatible diet. It’s an interesting reciprocity. In order to be healthy, there is no need to make big changes, but only to eat food that suits us, just like that on Earth – no special actions need to be taken, but only not to harm its natural processes.

Removing carbon from the atmosphere artificially is just like taking a pill for diabetes. The carbon should not be in the atmosphere at all.

There is something ironic in the fact that we are poisoning the one who supposedly created us, the Earth.

The right way is to balance the grip of humans on nature, today we are strangling nature to death. We need to change the balance between man and nature, and not take too much from nature in order to leave nature for our grandchildren as well.

Forgot to add a damage fee

Today there is no component of the economy that takes into account damage to the environment. The force that drives everything is economic, and every economic process calculates profit and loss without considering other factors in the equation. It is necessary for the state to intervene in the matter and impose a fine or a reward, award a reward for any course of production or service that does not harm the environment.

The only way to prevent damage to the natural processes on earth is to put a price tag on damage to them, today in most cases it is simply close to zero. Let’s assume that a company that produces a substance that causes ground water pollution, pays a fee equal to the cleanup of that ground water. Today there is no cost to damage the environment in the business processes. That’s why only the state, and preferably the whole world, will pay for damage to the environment exactly in the amount it costs to repair the damage.

This task should be assigned and carried out by the Ministry of the Environment, which will do its job and act in accordance with the vision of protecting the environment.

It will be amazing to see how quickly the economy will rearrange itself with zero damage to the environment when there is a constraint of paying for damage to the environment.

Such a move may change the structure of the economy, whose only consideration today is money. The economy prevents the human desire to be lazy, most businesses help us to “work” easier, but it is necessary to add an element of protecting the environment to the minimum “work” formula – for the sake of the future it seems worth giving up laziness.

Tesla developed precisely because of a US “government award”, and this is actually an example of how a financial interest can solve the poisoning of the world, i.e. the planet.

As for the size of the population! It is required to reduce the population of the earth by limiting the birth rate. Difficult but necessary. It is recommended to watch in chapter 4 the state of air quality in Israel is in a bad state due to the government’s lack of understanding of the situation.

Trees, fish and pasture

In order to feed humanity and protect the environment, you have to go with nature and not against it.

The solution is in the oceans, days and tree crops.

These days there is enough fishing space for all of humanity, and there are also enough fish. But a global regime on fishing and the quality of the seas is required in order to have enough fish, which are also the most suitable food for humans.

Growing fruit on the trees has an environmental advantage because you don’t have to leave bare soil and you don’t have to plow it every season, which causes huge environmental damage.

The important field crops are rice, wheat and teff, they should be grown in the areas that are most suitable for them. Crops should be completely stopped in order to feed the household animals and feed the cows, sheep, goats and chickens with natural grass.

As for lab-grown meat, we must find out what its costs are, what the extent of the environmental damage is, what minerals it contains, and whether it is toxic to humans. I doubt the answers to these questions will be positive. The natural pasture has the solution for raising cows, sheep and goats. It is necessary, by decision and management of the state, to allow their breeding in nature reserves and open areas and to prohibit breeding in barns, chicken coops, etc. which is in fact animal abuse, damage to their being kosher (because the spirit of the Bible forbids animal abuse) and damage to the quality of their meat, which becomes unfit for humans Because of the food they ate and their growing conditions.

It is possible, you just need a state decision and its management of the issue.

First thought experiment

Imagine that you see the earth you created from above, how would you prefer to see humans:

  • Looking for new technologies to protect the planet?
  • Returning to natural processes and sustaining from nature with the help of contemporary knowledge?

A second thought experiment

Imagine that you are in the year 2100 and there are only a million people left on Earth after the increased temperatures make life impossible in most places. What would you advise us to do if you could go back in time to our time?

Technology has put us in a hole, but it won’t get us out of it

Technology is measured only by its immediate usefulness and not by its impact on the environment. They did not know that the technology was problematic for processes on Earth, and even if they had known, they would have ignored it.

While technology has led to great progress and convenience, it has also caused environmental degradation.

If you haven’t taken anything from here until now, at least take this; The solution to the quality of the environment and global warming is no longer technology, but a change in conduct and behavior. All the technology we need to live with nature, and not on it, exists.

Or as Herzl wrote in his book ‘Altneuland’: “With the ideas, means and knowledge in the hands of humanity today, December 31, 1902, it can certainly help itself. There is no need for the wisdom stone or any new inventions, everything that is needed to make the world better is already there.”

It’s amazing how smart humanity is and even brought a man to the moon, but is not ready to give up a flight to Rhodes or a 7,000 cc car. Humanity fought Hitler and lost millions of people, but is not ready to give up “quality of life” which actually aims to heal the planet.

Earth is alive and kicking

The earth is a kind of living being with millions of processes that preserve the conditions of life in it. Technology will not replace these natural processes. Just as technology does not solve health problems in humans, only a natural process will solve the root of the problem, and so it is on Earth.

The root of today’s environmental problems can be traced to our dependence on technology, which often prioritizes short-term benefits over long-term environmental impact. This short-sighted approach has resulted in harmful consequences, such as global warming, air pollution and ocean acidification. The Earth, a complex living system with millions of life-sustaining processes, is significantly affected by the misuse of technology to fulfill human needs, such as energy, food and other resources.

Just changing people’s behavior

Addressing environmental problems requires utilizing existing knowledge and reducing the use of harmful technologies. Sustainable practices can satisfy human needs without harming the environment. For example, adopting smaller and more environmentally friendly housing can maintain or even improve the overall level of happiness. Harnessing renewable energy sources, promoting sustainable agriculture and practicing responsible waste management can also contribute to a healthier planet.

Several factors hinder the solution of environmental problems. One such factor is the lack of a world government or a unified global authority that allows short-term thinking to dominate policy decisions and prevent technology’s harmful impact on the environment from being ignored.

With the help of the knowledge that exists today, it is possible to satisfy all the basic needs of humans without destroying the earth. The level of happiness will not decrease, but will increase.

either all or none

In order to effectively deal with the environmental challenges, cooperation between powers such as the United States and China is essential. These countries have the potential to influence other countries and promote global initiatives focused on sustainable development and environmental conservation. Radical and global measures are required to reverse the damage done to the planet and secure its future.

Dealing with environmental challenges requires a comprehensive approach that combines sustainable technology, global cooperation and a change of thinking from short-term profits to long-term environmental management. By harnessing existing knowledge and promoting environmentally friendly practices, human needs can be met and the planet preserved for future generations.

script options

Option A

option b

Wait and see how much the earth warms the earth

Change consumption and production habits now

Ask for the public’s help in sorting the garbage

Changing economic laws so that they support environmental processes

replace all the cars

Reduce travel to a minimum

to look for a method that will remove CO2 from the atmosphere

Do not cut down forests, plant trees

to look for technologies to reduce the environmental signature of humans

reduce childbirth

to look for technology to grow fish on farms

Global regulation on fishing that will allow fish culture

to look for technology to produce meat in the laboratory

Raise animals naturally and reduce environmental footprint

A refuge on Mars

rearrange the environment

look for meat substitutes

Grow meat naturally

Collect plastic parts

not produce them in the first place

An economy based on consumption and production that harms the environment

Economy based on zero environmental signature in production. Government change

Give everyone an environmental signature as they can

Give each person an annual quota for an environmental signature

to protect specific animals such as sea turtles

Maintaining the entire natural system of the earth

Everyone preserves the quality of the environment as they see fit

Global regulation for the preservation of the environment

An intelligent humanity would matter today

An intelligent humanity will make some significant changes to preserve the environment and ensure a sustainable future.

As part of these changes, it is required:

  • Change tax laws to encourage environmentally friendly production and services while punishing those who cause damage to the environment. This approach will encourage businesses to adopt greener practices.
  • Implement population control measures, such as limiting families to one child per family in certain areas. For example, Israel can aspire to a population of one billion people. This will help manage resource consumption and reduce the environmental burden.
  • Assign an environmental signature quota to individuals that will gradually decrease over time. Although this step may compromise privacy and require monitoring, it will promote responsible use of resources and reduce our collective environmental impact.
  • To define significant parts of the earth as nature reserves and to protect these “green lungs” in order to preserve essential natural processes and maintain ecological balance.
  • To change the paradigm of food production and consumption with a focus on naturally raised beef and chickens, organic food and sustainable fishing methods. This approach will not only benefit the environment, but also improve human health. Adjusting our diet may be challenging, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the potential costs to future generations.
  • Prioritizing environmentally friendly transportation and encouraging the use of sustainable means of transportation for non-essential needs. Energy production will rely exclusively on renewable sources, such as solar and wind energy to minimize environmental damage.
  • To reduce waste and pollution through the production of only biodegradable and organic products in the manufacturing industry. Plastic production will be regulated and the production of non-recyclable plastic items will be banned.
  • Carefully manage water resources to ensure clean water for all. Agriculture will transition back to natural and sustainable practices that prioritize ecological preservation.
  • Reduce the chemical industry to reduce pollution, while switching to cleaner and greener alternatives.

Why does humanity not work for the long term

Long-term thinking is essential for effectively dealing with environmental problems and ensuring a sustainable future for humanity. However, various factors prevent the adoption of such an approach, including the provision of short-term rewards, a focus on immediate profits, and the need for global coordination. Studies have shown that people tend to prioritize immediate rewards over distant future gains, a cognitive bias known as ‘temporary discounting’ (Frederick, Loewenstein, & O’Donoghue, 2002). This short-term focus prevents people from considering the long-term consequences of their actions. Strong leadership is necessary to shift public attention toward long-term goals as leaders can inspire collective action and encourage farsighted decision-making (Bennis & Nanus, 1985).

Many businesses and industries prioritize immediate profits over preserving processes and natural resources. This focus on short-term profits undermines long-term sustainability and contributes to environmental degradation. Incorporating environmental considerations into economic calculations, such as through natural capital accounting, can help address this issue (Costanza et al., 1997).

A significant portion of the world’s population is preoccupied with day-to-day survival, which leaves little room for long-term planning. Poverty and economic inequality exacerbate this problem as people struggling to meet their basic needs are more likely to prioritize short-term rewards (Haushofer & Fehr, 2014).

Large corporations have considerable influence over political and economic decisions, and often prioritize profit maximization over environmental stewardship. Limited environmental responsibility in corporate practices contributes to the continuous degradation of natural resources (Vogel, 2005).

Addressing environmental problems requires global coordination as unilateral efforts by individual countries are not sufficient to achieve significant change. International cooperation and agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, are essential for implementing collective action and promoting long-term thinking (Bodensky, 2016).

The struggle to prioritize long-term thinking in the treatment of environmental problems is influenced by various factors, including cognitive biases, leadership, economic considerations and the need for global coordination. To overcome these challenges, strong leadership, corporate responsibility and international cooperation must be fostered to shift humanity’s focus from short-term gains to long-term sustainability.

Good for the environment, economical, tasty, healthy

We want a real solution – good for the environment, economical, tasty, healthy. You have to remember that there are no calories – that means it’s not tasty.

Meat – it is important to raise the animals in a natural way. Chicken and goat convert grass and the like into calories in a good and efficient way for humans. I mean, eggs and goat’s milk are ideal and have indeed been so for thousands of years. The huge advantage of goat and chicken is that they eat things you don’t have to grow. A chicken eats everything and so does a goat.

Goat’s milk, eggs, fruits, fish, fruits of all kinds (preferably fatty and preserved). Vegetables are very inefficient to grow because manual labor is required. On the other hand, trees are very efficient to grow. Bananas bear fruit all year round – this is a huge advantage.