DOCSLIB.ORG

Desalination in the Holy Land: Putting Ecomodernism to the Test

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Desalination in the Holy Land: Putting Ecomodernism to the Test Desalination in the Holy Land: Putting Ecomodernism to the Test Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Isaak, Marissa Tamar Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 29/09/2021 04:01:33 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/630245 DESALINATION IN THE HOLY LAND: PUTTING ECOMODERNISM TO THE TEST by Marissa Tamar Isaak __________________________ Copyright © Marissa Tamar Isaak A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY AND DEVELOPMENT In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GEOGRAPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2018 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certifythat we have read the dissertation prepared by Marissa Tamar Isaak, titled Desalination in the Holy Land: Putting Ecomodemism to the Test and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degreeof Doctor of Philosophy. Date: Feb. 13, 2018 Carl J.�")_ Bauer Date: Feb. 13, 2018 Date: Feb. 13, 2018 Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the finalcopies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfillingthe dissertation requirement. Date: Feb. 13, 2018 Dissert�earl J. Bauer � WA/h,; Date: Feb 13, 2018 sertatioDirectm:Margaret Wilder 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: Marissa Tamar Isaak 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation emerged because an ecosystem of individuals and institutions supported me and this project. Israelis opened their offices and their homes to me and I hope that this work fairly represents each interviewee. I especially want to thank individuals at the Israeli Water Authority and the Israeli Water Association who provided valuable information and documents. I owe a special debt to Drs. Eran Feitelson and Yoav Kislev of Hebrew University who met with me on multiple occasions and helped me develop a deeper understanding of Israeli water works. Any errors are my own. I would like to thank those who committed to this project financially, first and foremost the American-Israel Cooperative Enterprise (AICE) by offering me the Schusterman Israel Scholar Award. Additionally, I received dissertation funding from the Society of Women Geographers, Pruitt Award. The Dorot Foundation sparked my love of the environment in Israel during the Dorot Fellowship in Israel and then continued their support with an Alumni award. Dr. Sharon Medgal at the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) saw my potential early on, backed my studies, and inspired me to pursue this line of research. I received additional funds from the Center for Middle East Studies, the Social and Behavior Research Institute within the College of Social and Behavioral Studies, the School of Geography and Development, and Judaic Studies at the University of Arizona (UA). I received research assistantships that buoyed me at the WRRC and the Institute of the Environment at UA. The UA is truly a place of opportunity. My geographic education began at the University of Oregon and I would be remiss to forget my mentors and advisers there, especially Drs. Shaul Cohen, Alec Murphy, and Lise Nelson (now at Pennsylvania State University). Dr. Innisfree McKinnon, now at University of Wisconsin, Stout was also a huge help. Geography at University of Oregon is a supportive place that trains incisive thinkers and dedicated educators. I want to express particular gratitude to Dr. Susan Hardwick, may she rest in power. I am forever changed for having spun in Susan’s orbit. Dr. Hardwick inspired my love of teaching and commitment to improving lives. I would also like to thank the special community at the City University of New York. At Medgar Evers College and at Hunter College, I remembered why I pursued geography in the first place, to open minds. I owe a particular thanks to all the adjuncts at Hunter and especially to Dr. Allan Frei who made space for me and gave me the positive reinforcement that I needed to keep going. Thank you for believing in me. I am grateful to all the people who taught, challenged, and laughed with me at University of Arizona, both faculty and students. I especially want to thank my water infrastructure reading group who sent me down this intellectual path. To all of you who have become Drs now: Kerri- Jean, Jamie, Zach, Sarah, Majed, Jessie, Audra, and many others who I’ve forgotten to name: THANK YOU! And especially to Dr. Lily House-Peters, now at California State University, Long Beach, who was there for me at nearly every stage of the process, thank you. I want to recognize the long term support I received from my committee. These professors pushed me to 5 produce my best work, and for that I will be forever grateful. To Drs. Carl Bauer, Margaret Wilder, and Jeffrey Banister, I hope to do you proud. My dissertation came to fruition because family and friends cheered me on, cared for my children when I went to the field, and continually believed that this was possible. Sarah, Howie, and Max hosted my writing retreats. Aryeh hosted me during research trips to Israel. My parents-in-law, Jackie and Michael, never hesitated to get on a plane when I needed them. My New York extended family took on special duty caring for us when we lived there: Rachel, Jake, Gabriel, Katie, Allie, Susannah, Jeremy, Amy, Abby, and Johnny. Thank you. To my brothers, Gabriel, Ari, Misha, and their families, thanks for challenging me, believing in me, and putting me in my place. A special recognition must go to Misha who edited countless proposals and applications during my graduate career. All my love and gratitude must go to my parents, Daniel and Carol, who are unbelievable role models of what hard work can bring. My dad showed me what a first generation American can do when you seize the opportunity in public education and work hard to serve others. My mom never wavered, believing that I could do anything I put my mind to. She listened and listened and listened and then showed up to take care of my life when I retreated to write. And she always made sure I had the right scarf for every occasion. This dissertation took time away from the greatest project of my life: being a mom to Jonah and Louise. Thank you for tethering me to earth, putting it all in perspective, and reminding me of what is most important. Most of all, I want to thank the most supportive lover, partner, and friend, Daniel Wald. There are not enough words in the world to express my gratitude. You have been my loudest cheerleader, drowning out even my own self-doubt. None of this could have happened without you. I’m sorry it took longer than expected. This is for you, babe. 6 DEDICATION To Daniel R. Wald. You made this possible. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………… 8 LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………...... 9 ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………… 10 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: DESALINATION: SOLUTION TO THE WORLD’S WATER WOES?.......................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW: THE ECOMODERNIST MANIFESTO AND ECOLOGICAL MODERNIZATION…………………. 38 CHAPTER 3: ISRAEL: AN ECOMODERNIST DREAM…………………… 65 CHAPTER 4: DESALINATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS: IS DESALINATION SUSTAINABLE?............................................................... 89 CHAPTER 5: REALIZING THE ANTI-POLITICS MACHINE……………. 117 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION: LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE……………. 147 REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………. 152 8 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: Global Distribution of Desalination Capacity of Various Technologies… 17 FIGURE 2: Israel Irrigation Master Plan, 1940………………………………………. 69 FIGURE 3: Simplified Current Map of Israel National Water Carrier……………….. 73 FIGURE 4: Early Schematic of the National Water Carrier…………………………. 74 FIGURE 5: Israeli Institutional Water Sector until 1996…………………………….. 81 FIGURE 6: Block Diagram of a Typical Reverse Osmosis Plant……………………. 95 FIGURE 7: Typical Costs for a Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant……………….. 96 FIGURE 8: Photograph of Jellyfish Retrieved by Israeli Powerplants………………. 101 FIGURE 9: Desalination Capacity in the Mediterranean Sea………………………… 102 FIGURE 10: Schematic of Powerplant and Desalination Plant Integration………….. 141 9 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: Water Price Compared to Global Installed Capacity Over Time…………… 16 TABLE 2: Distribution of Installed Desalination Capacity…………………………….. 17 TABLE 3: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Rest of the World (ROW) Annual New Capacity …………………………………………………………………. 19 TABLE 4: Greenhouse Gas Emissions “Contained” As CO2 Equivalent in Water….... 97 TABLE 5: Level of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)……………………………………… 112 TABLE 6: Historic Rainfall Averages From 1974-2010………………………………. 120 TABLE 7: Government Targets for Annual Desalination Production Capacity………. 135 10 ABSTRACT In the last 15 years, Israel has built the largest seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants in the world. The plants satisfy increased demand from population and economic growth.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Beyond Stewardship: Toward an Agapeic Environmental Ethic
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (1934 -) Projects Beyond Stewardship: Toward an Agapeic Environmental Ethic Christopher J. Vena Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Ethics in Religion Commons, Philosophy Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Vena, Christopher J., "Beyond Stewardship: Toward an Agapeic Environmental Ethic" (2009). Dissertations (1934 -). 16. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/16 BEYOND STEWARDSHIP: TOWARD AN AGAPEIC ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC by Christopher J. Vena, B.A., M.A. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin December 2009 ABSTRACT BEYOND STEWARDSHIP: TOWARD AN AGAPEIC ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC Christopher J. Vena, B.A., M.A. Marquette University, 2009 One of the unfortunate implications of industrialization and the rapid expansion of global commerce is the magnification of the impact that humans have on their environment. Exponential population growth, along with growing technological capabilities, has allowed human societies to alter their terrain in unprecedented and destructive ways. The cumulative effect has been significant to the point that the blame for widespread environmental degradation must be pinned squarely on human shoulders. Because of our dependence on these systems for survival, the threat to the environment is a threat to human life. The root of the ecological crisis is found in human attitudes and behaviors. In the late 1960’s it was suggested that Christianity was a key source of the problem because it promoted the idea of human “dominion” over creation.
    [Show full text]
  • Learning to Be Postmodern in an All Too Modern World Whatever Action
    University of Groningen Learning to Be Postmodern in an All Too Modern World Bargues-Pedreny, Pol; Schmidt, Jessica Published in: Global Society DOI: 10.1080/13600826.2018.1539952 IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2019 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Bargues-Pedreny, P., & Schmidt, J. (2019). Learning to Be Postmodern in an All Too Modern World: "Whatever Action" in International Climate Change Imaginaries. Global Society, 33(1), 45-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600826.2018.1539952 Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). The publication may also be distributed here under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license. More information can be found on the University of Groningen website: https://www.rug.nl/library/open-access/self-archiving-pure/taverne- amendment. Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.
    [Show full text]
  • Theology of Stewardship
    Verbum Volume 10 Issue 1 Article 4 December 2012 Theology of Stewardship Katie Kreutter St. John Fisher College Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum Part of the Religion Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited ou?y Recommended Citation Kreutter, Katie (2012) "Theology of Stewardship," Verbum: Vol. 10 : Iss. 1 , Article 4. Available at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum/vol10/iss1/4 This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum/vol10/iss1/4 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at St. John Fisher College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Theology of Stewardship Abstract In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph. "Introduction As a fundamental directive within Scripture, the biblical call for human beings to serve as good stewards of the earth has been considered through various lenses for centuries. On a daily basis, Christians and non-believers alike engage with decision-making in regards to consuming food and resources, both natural and human-made. These decisions affect their own quality of life in addition to the well-being of other people and creatures across the globe as well as the condition of the planet itself. Varying interpretations of Genesis 1:28 have led to an attitude towards consumption that varies from conscientious to exploitive, especially in westernized culture and society." This original essay is available in Verbum: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum/vol10/iss1/4 Katie Kreutter Theology of Stewardship Introduction As a fundamental directive within Scripture, the biblical call for human beings to serve as good stewards of the earth has been considered through various lenses for centuries.
    [Show full text]
  • Stewardship and the Kingdom of God
    Stewardship and the Kingdom of God Stewardship and the Kingdom of God Copyright © 2001 Ronald Walborn and Frank Chan All rights reserved. Office of Church Stewardship The Christian and Missionary Alliance 8595 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 800-485-8979 • www.cmalliance.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . 1 Ch. 1 — Stewardship Defined . 7 The Concept of Stewardship in the Old Testament . 8 The Concept of Stewardship in the New Testament . 10 Principles of Stewardship . 13 Ch. 2 — Practical Directives on Four Related Issues . 19 Spiritual Warfare . 19 The Health-and-Wealth Gospel . 23 The Spirit of the Tithe . 28 The Stranglehold of Debt . 33 Summary . 41 End Notes . 43 Introduction There is a crisis in Christianity today. Many churches and denominations are struggling to reach their financial goals and fund their visions. We in The Christian and Missionary Alliance are no strangers to this struggle. But the crisis we face is not primarily a struggle of stewardship. It is a crisis of discipleship. Certainly, stewardship flows out of this broader category of discipleship, but the central issue is the totality of what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the twenty-first century. The church in North America has tragically and unknowingly reduced following Jesus to a series of creeds to believe and a group of prayers to be prayed. Lost in our evangelism is the radical call to leave the kingdom of this world and come under the rule and reign of God. Our call to become citizens of the Kingdom of God has made few demands on previous worldly allegiances.
    [Show full text]
  • A Degrowth Response to an Ecomodernist Manifesto
    A Call to Look Past An Ecomodernist Manifesto: A Degrowth Critique Authors and Endorsers: Jeremy Caradonna, Iris Borowy, Tom Green, Peter A. Victor, Maurie Cohen, Andrew Gow, Anna Ignatyeva, Matthias Schmelzer, Philip Vergragt, Josefin Wangel, Jessica Dempsey, Robert Orzanna, Sylvia Lorek, Julian Axmann, Rob Duncan, Richard B. Norgaard, Halina S. Brown, Richard Heinberg One of the counties within the province of sustainable development is now called “ecomodernism,” and it has come to prominence over the past few years, in part because of the figures associated with it, including prominent environmental thinkers such as Ted Nordhaus, Michael Shellenberger, and Stewart Brand. The New York Times recently praised the ecomodernist message in an article called, misleadingly, “A Call to Look Past Sustainable Development.”i Why is the article’s title so misleading? For the simple reason that the figures within ecomodernism want cultural and economic change that is sustainable, just like the rest of us; they simply want to move the focus of development in a new direction, even though this “new” direction seems surprisingly and troublingly conventional at times. The New York Times article mentions a new statement of principles that the ecomodernists published this year. It is called An Ecomodernist Manifesto (2015) and is co-authored by eighteen leading lights of the sustainability movement, including Nordhaus, Shellenberger, and Brand, but also the physicist David Keith, the scientist, Nobel Prize Winner, and Indian economist Joyashree Roy, and
    [Show full text]
  • The Context of Eco-Theology
    CHAPTER 29 The Context of Eco-theology Laurel Icearns The phrase "I'm a tree-hugging Jesus freak," a self-description uttered recently by a Pentecostal environmentalist, demonstrates the complexity of contemporary eco- theology and religious ecological activism. For the past two decades or more, the com- bination of these two identities seemed unthinkable, for Christians were still struggling to articulate a response, much less a response that would appeal to Pentecostals, usually viewed as un-ecological. This chapter examines many of the historical and more contemporary contexts that shape what is now a rich eco-theological conversation. Although the chapter tries to give a broad international sense of the movement, it draws heavily upon the US context where a diverse and multi-faceted conversation about eco-theology has been going on for over three decades. Furthermore, while there are now ecological voices within all the major religious traditions, this chapter will primarily focus on Christianity as the context of eco-theology. While there are many historical precedents that one could acknowledge leading into the contemporary environmental movement, such as Aldo Leopold's Sand Country Almanac (1949),most scholars agree it began in the 1960s, marked by a variety of pub- lications that brought attention to the issues at hand. In fact, many historians of the movement date the birth of the modern environmental movement to Rachel Carson's 1962 paradigm-changing book Silent Spring, which detailed the damage wrought by pesticides throughout the ecological web. Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons" (1968),a doomsday scenario about population growth, was published toward the end of the decade.
    [Show full text]
  • The Interventions of the Situationist International and Gordon Matta-Clark
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Potential of the City: The Interventions of The Situationist International and Gordon Matta-Clark A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Art History, Theory, and Criticism by Brian James Schumacher Committee in charge: Professor Norman Bryson, Chair Professor Teddy Cruz Professor Grant Kester Professor John Welchman Professor Marcel Henaff 2008 The Thesis of Brian James Schumacher is approved and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2008 iii EPIGRAPH The situation is made to be lived by its constructors. Guy Debord Each building generates its own unique situation. Gordon Matta-Clark iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page…………………………………………………………… iii Epigraph…………………………………………………………………. iv Table of Contents………………………………………………………... v Abstract………………………………………………………………….. vi Chapter 1: Conditions of the City……………………………………….. 1 Chapter 2: Tactics of Resistance………………………………………… 15 Conclusion………………………………………………………………. 31 Notes…………………………………………………………………….. 33 Bibliography…………………………………………………………….. 39 v ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Potential of the City: The Interventions of The Situationist International and
    [Show full text]
  • The Potential of Religion for Earth Stewardship
    EARTH STEWARDSHIP EARTH STEWARDSHIP EARTH STEWARDSHIP 368 The potential of religion for Earth Stewardship Gregory E Hitzhusen1* and Mary Evelyn Tucker2 Religious communities are playing an increasingly important role in advancing Earth Stewardship. We briefly summarize the potential of religions and religious values to support this initiative, characterizing its develop- ment and acknowledging the inherent tensions between the problems and promise of religious influences. Mobilizing religious believers to contribute to responsible stewardship of the Earth requires a critical appreci- ation of the complexity of religious traditions and the ways that religious communities view nature, as well as the cultural and spiritual resources that religious teachings provide in confronting change and human suffer- ing. We emphasize religious virtues that favor sustainable resource use and key developments that have prompted fruitful dialogue between ecologists and religious believers. We also describe promising alliances between scientists and spiritual leaders that may help to encourage cooperative Earth Stewardship. Religions have great potential to transform cultures toward improved Earth Stewardship, in collaboration with key scientific, economic, public policy, and education partners. Front Ecol Environ 2013; 11(7): 368–376, doi:10.1890/120322 he various manifestations of the most pressing con- religious tradition, and these affiliations influence Earth Ttemporary environmental problems – collectively Stewardship views both directly and indirectly. Scholars in referred to as the “environmental crisis” (eg industrial religion and ecology began important explorations of the pollution, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, climate ecological influence of the world’s religions in the 1960s, change, and overpopulation) – are well documented which led to the emergence in the 1990s of the disciplinary (MA 2005).
    [Show full text]
  • GEOPOETICS in the ANTHROPOCENE by Eric Magrane
    Creative Geographies and Environments: Geopoetics in the Anthropocene Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Magrane, Eric Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 28/09/2021 00:18:37 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624580 CREATIVE GEOGRAPHIES AND ENVIRONMENTS: GEOPOETICS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE by Eric Magrane ____________________________ Copyright © Eric Magrane 2017 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY AND DEVELOPMENT In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2017 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Eric Magrane, titled Creative Geographies and Environments: Geopoetics in the Anthropocene, and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ___________________________________________________Date: 4/11/2017 Sallie Marston ___________________________________________________Date: 4/11/2017 Diana Liverman ___________________________________________________Date: 4/11/2017 John Paul Jones III ___________________________________________________Date: 4/11/2017 Alison Hawthorne Deming ___________________________________________________Date: 4/11/2017 Harriet Hawkins Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement.
    [Show full text]
  • Pope Francis, Laudato Si', and U.S. Environmentalism
    William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review Volume 42 (2017-2018) Issue 1 Article 2 November 2017 Pope Francis, Laudato Si', and U.S. Environmentalism Jonathan Z. Cannon Stephen Cushman Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmelpr Part of the Environmental Law Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, and the Sustainability Commons Repository Citation Jonathan Z. Cannon and Stephen Cushman, Pope Francis, Laudato Si', and U.S. Environmentalism, 42 Wm. & Mary Envtl. L. & Pol'y Rev. 1 (2017), https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmelpr/vol42/iss1/2 Copyright c 2017 by the authors. This article is brought to you by the William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmelpr POPE FRANCIS, LAUDATO SI’, AND U.S. ENVIRONMENTALISM JONATHAN Z. CANNON* & STEPHEN CUSHMAN** Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home (2015) is an ecclesiastical declaration of interdependence between humans and the rest of nature.1 Having taken the name Francis when he was elected Pope in March 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires chose to align himself with the saint he described as “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects cre- ation.”2 Two years later he issued Laudato Si’, the title of which is taken from Saint Francis’s “Canticle of the Sun.”3 Throughout the encyclical, Pope Francis emphasizes ecological interconnectedness, a staple of con- temporary environmentalist thought, but his concept of interconnectedness generously includes the equity and cohesion of human society as well as the health of natural systems.
    [Show full text]
  • Israeli Cows Are Taking Over the World
    Israeli Cows are Taking Over the World Sara Toth Stub Israel’s high-tech expertise is being applied to milk and cheese. Dairy farmers from India to Italy are learning how to increase their yields by traveling to kibbutzim. And that’s no bull. On a recent hot afternoon, a group of farmers from around the world wandered through the cow barns at Kibbutz Afikim, an agricultural cooperative founded by Jewish immigrants from Russia in 1924. It was late June in the Jordan Valley; the temperature spiked at 90 degrees. But the delegation of farmers had just asked to leave an air-conditioned conference room and use their limited time to see the cow barns. Despite the high temperatures, the nearly 900 cows were calm, many lying in the mud that covers the floor of their barns, which are partly open to the outside and cooled by large fans. These barns at Afikim, and Israeli milk cows in general, are a growing attraction for visitors as Israel’s dairy industry has emerged as one of the most efficient and productive in the world. Despite limited rainfall and high summer temperatures, Israel has the highest national average of milk production per cow. And amid the fast-growing global demand for dairy products, especially in the developing world, there is increasing interest in how Israel gets so much milk out of each cow and the technology it uses to do so. “Happy cows give a lot of milk. People from around the world are coming here, and they see that it’s terribly hot, but that the cows are happy,” said Ofier Langer, a former executive at several Israeli high-tech companies who established the Israeli Dairy School six years ago.
    [Show full text]
  • Deliberation and the Promise of a Deeply Democratic Sustainability Transition
    sustainability Review Deliberation and the Promise of a Deeply Democratic Sustainability Transition Michael B. Wironen 1,2,* , Robert V. Bartlett 2,3 and Jon D. Erickson 1,2,* 1 Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA 2 Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; [email protected] 3 Department of Political Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA * Correspondence: [email protected] (M.B.W.); [email protected] (J.D.E.) Received: 21 December 2018; Accepted: 11 February 2019; Published: 16 February 2019 Abstract: Ecological economics arose as a normative transdiscipline aiming to generate knowledge and tools to help transition the economy toward a scale which is sustainable within the bounds of the earth system. Yet it remains unclear in practice how to legitimize its explicitly normative agenda. One potential means for legitimation can be found in deliberative social and political theory. We review how deliberative theory has informed ecological economics, pointing to three uses: first, to support valuation of non-market goods and services; second, to inform environmental decision-making more broadly; third, to ground alternative theories of development and wellbeing. We argue that deliberation has been used as problem-solving theory, but that its more radical implications have rarely been embraced. Embracing a deliberative foundation for ecological economics raises questions about the compatibility of deeply democratic practice and the normative discourses arguing for a sustainability transition. We highlight three potential mechanisms by which deliberation may contribute to a sustainability transition: preference formation; normative evaluation; and legitimation.
    [Show full text]