Unlike other environmental organizations, ICSD focuses on encouraging religious groups and leaders to make environmentally-conscious decisions. Currently, the ICSD is working on environmental education programs in Israel, renewable energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa and a variety of other projects around the world. Working at ICSD has opened a variety of doors for me to better understand STEM and environmental efforts in Israel.
All my colleagues at ICSD are vegan, and they introduced me to "vegan-friendly.co.il." This website is a database of businesses in Israel that are vegan-friendly. The database is continuously updated, and food producers are even adding a "vegan-friendly" sticker to their products to encourage a wider audience of people to purchase them! These stickers promote an environmentally-friendly vegan lifestyle and make it accessible to more people in Israel.
In addition, ICSD has begun working with a number of local rabbis to promote environmentally-friendly actions in Jerusalem. Two rabbis will soon give lectures about lessening meat consumption and turning towards more plant-based diets! ICSD is also partnering with the University of Notre Dame to host a conference in November to discuss ecology and religion in Jerusalem with key religious leaders from Israel and elsewhere.
Though many of Israel's innovations and the extent of its environmental prowess are still inaccessible to me, I have recognized that diverse forms of STEM surround me in everyday life. I just have to uncover them!
