{"id":2721,"date":"2020-06-18T07:48:56","date_gmt":"2020-06-18T07:48:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/?p=2721"},"modified":"2020-06-21T06:44:20","modified_gmt":"2020-06-21T06:44:20","slug":"peering-into-a-world-of-solarpunk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/en\/weather-climate\/peering-into-a-world-of-solarpunk\/","title":{"rendered":"Peering into a World of Solarpunk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo by John on Unsplash<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Between March and April, the Israeli government incrementally established isolation guidelines to prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading. Along with the closure of multiple businesses and institutions, transportation was severely limited, forcing people to work from home, thus drastically cut the number of vehicles on the road. As a result, Israel experienced a 40%<\/a> reduction in nitrogen dioxide concentrations, a reactive gas emitted by the burning of fuel, during March 2020 compared to prior March emissions. Since then, Israel has gradually lifted its restrictions, allowing the public to freely venture outdoors as well as granting businesses the ability to reopen.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere, cities under quarantine have\nalso detected improvements to their own particular environments. For instance,\nChina\u2019s carbon dioxide (CO2<\/sub>) emissions have been reduced by 18%<\/a>\nbetween early February and mid-March (although this statistic was originally 25%<\/a>\nbefore their economy began to rebound). Coinciding with city lockdowns and\nrestrictions on non-essential travel, Europe has experienced decreases in\nnitrogen oxide outputs of up to 56%\nat Madrid in mid-March.<\/a> India\u2019s capital, New Delhi, has seen a 60%<\/a>\ndecrease in harmful air particulate matter, which can actually be seen. Even\nLos Angeles, a city infamously known for its poor air quality, has had a 20%<\/a>\nimprovement in the three-week period following its mid-March shutdown. Although\nthis might also be a result of the stormy spring weather Los Angeles was\nexperiencing at the time, experts\nsuggest<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although these environmental recoveries are temporary because of eventual economic reboot, we should not be taking these environmentally beneficial changes for granted. Significant reductions in carbon emissions, nitrogen oxide levels, and harmful air particulate matter have given all of humanity a glimpse into what our planet could be like if we lived more harmoniously with our natural surroundings\u2014the very lesson the Solarpunk<\/a> movement imparts. This does not mean we should remain indoors for an eternity for the sake of our environment\u2019s health. Instead, we should seek out strategies and plans to control society\u2019s previously unchecked indulgences in order to have our already existing artificial landscapes function alongside the natural environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As a result of COVID-19 isolation guidelines, Israel experienced a 40%<\/a> reduction in nitrogen dioxide concentrations, a reactive gas emitted by the burning of fuel, during March 2020 compared to prior March emissions. Photo by Shai Pal on Unsplash<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is Solarpunk?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This niche, internet-originated movement is\nrelatively young, beginning in 2008 before it started to proliferate in 2015<\/a>.\nPrinciples of Solarpunk involve a wide spectrum of recognizable activities that\nhave arisen in the age of sustainability. Among those activities are performing\npermaculture, avoiding the use of single-use or disposable items, practicing\nrecycling, saving and conserving water, shrinking our carbon footprint, or\nimplementing land restoration measures, just to name a few. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a conscious and positive response to the\ncurrent Anthropocene (the era of humanity\u2019s significant impact on Earth\u2019s\nnatural systems), the Solarpunk\nmovement<\/a> aims to convert science fiction into science action. This is done by\ncreating visual representations and artistic conceptions of architecture and locally\ngoverned infrastructure that have the ability to harness renewable energies,\nincluding solar design, as a way to achieve greater levels of functioning urban\nbiomimicry<\/a>. Taking\ninspiration from Art Nouveau<\/a>\naesthetics (art inspired by aspects of the natural world), Solarpunk\u2019s imagery\nprovokes a sense of aspiration for a world that values renewable energy sources\nover fossil fuels, with an emphasis on urban centers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to\nthe U.N<\/a>., cities currently consume 78% of\nthe world\u2019s energy and are responsible for producing over 60% of greenhouse gas\nemissions, which will only worsen over the next 30 years. Right now, 55%<\/a>\nof the world\u2019s population lives in cities. By 2050, this figure is projected to\nincrease to 68%<\/a>,\nwhich strongly suggests a further increase in pollution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than creating policies, the Solarpunk movement serves as a source of inspiration for all people to envision a reachable point in time, where the world could be designed for universal coexistence and thus, be built to last. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Israeli company SolarEdge has been working since 2006 to further improve the photovoltaic (PV) system. The company\u2019s technology offers increased energy production and reduces the cost of energy produced by the PV system. Photo by Val Toch on Unsplash<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Solarpunk in the 21st<\/sup> century\nand in Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 21st<\/sup> century has been\nexemplary of incredible urban sustainable expansion considering the numerous\nand various types of innovations, regenerative designs, and architectural feats\nthat have been developed worldwide in notable places such as China<\/a>,\nSingapore<\/a>,\nCopenhagen<\/a>,\nand Italy<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel has also become one of the world\u2019s\nleading contributors towards sustainable development and innovation. Established\nin 2006 and 2009, Israeli companies Vertical\nField<\/a> and Green Wall<\/a>, respectively, have spearheaded hundreds of projects\nthat tackle issues of urban air pollution and future agricultural shortcomings\nby planting plants onto the facades of municipal buildings, private homes, and\noffices with various kinds of vegetation and agricultural produce. Not only do\nthese efforts aesthetically reflect the nature-infused urban imagery Solarpunk\noften exemplifies, but they also provide crucially restorative and essential\nservices to us and the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israeli companies have also turned their\nefforts to the sea for gathering renewable energy. In 2014, Eco Wave Power<\/a> began station\noperations of an innovative technology that generates clean electricity from\nthe movement of waves at Jaffa Port. The station\u2019s impending connection to Tel\nAviv\u2019s electrical network will serve as a step forward towards\nurban-environmental synergy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even more prominent than the waves\nalong Israel\u2019s coastline is the amount of sunlight the country receives due to\nits subtropical latitude and often lack of cloudiness. It\u2019s no surprise that solar heating panels atop roofs for domestic\nwater usage is so common. However, Israeli company SolarEdge<\/a> has been working since 2006 to further improve\nthe photovoltaic (PV) system. The company\u2019s technology offers increased energy production<\/a> and reduces the cost of energy produced by the PV system. With the\nabundance of sunlight so high in this region, the continued investment into solar\ntechnologies will inch Israel that much closer towards a reduced dependency on\nfossil fuels, composing a healthier environment in the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the future may seem unpredictable, especially with the threat of COVID-19 still looming, this pocket of time has given all of us a chance to reexamine the status of our carbon footprint. Perhaps we should take this time of economic recession and environmental rebound to capitalize on the technologies that can mutually improve both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ZAVIT article was also published in Ynetnews<\/a> on 06\/13\/2020.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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