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3 items tagged "Aliya and solar"

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• August 18, 2008
• 11:10

  The Night before Aliya

   » ‎ The Muqata
  This coming Monday morning, at 10:30 AM, another few hundred North American Jews will arrive at the JFK airport in preparation for their flight home.
  
  Its now slightly after 1 AM in NY, and I'm honestly very excited for the privilege to join this flight. I recall almost 18 years ago, the night before I moved to Israel. I couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning with anticipation, excitement, and a bit of trepidation, I could barely squash the jumble of thoughts which prevented me from sleeping.
  
  Songs danced around in my head. Homeward Bound, ושבו בנים, Take me home, אם אשכח ירושלים, and so many others.
  
  In the end, I didn't sleep. It was too much. I didn't sleep on the plane either...all the way home to Israel -- It was far too exhilarating.
  
  But that was almost 18 years ago.
  
  I spoke to one of the families tonight that I will be escorting home on tomorrow's flight. They had already put their kids to sleep, and were very excited about the flight...the culmination of their planning, hopes and dreams to return home.
  
  Please join me over the next few days as I blog about 2 families and their journey home.
  
  My thanks to Nefesh b'Nefesh and Webads for arranging this special trip.
  
  --Jameel
  
  PS; And special, special thanks to my wife and children, for their understanding -- while I "disappeared" for a few days to accompany this special flight.
  
  
  Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
• July 29, 2008
• 17:14

  A Greener Israel

   » ‎ The Muqata
  A "Greener Israel" guest post by "A" (till I'm allowed to provide other information).
  
  I am one of those people who don't practice what they preach. I believe in preserving the environment, consider myself green, and try to recycle. However, in reality I have a huge a carbon footprint: I have 5 children (while visiting in the States I have been told on several occasions that it was very selfish to have so many children because it strains natural resources), live in a Settlement outside the city and commute to work, have a big house , eat meat etc… I have been trying to find ways of reducing my carbon footprint/ease my conscience. To this end I went to a presentation by a company called SolarPower that manufactures a grid connected solar power system based on PV panels.
  
  In the beginning of July, Israel passed a resolution requiring the Electric Company to buy back any solar energy produced by consumers at home. We pay ~ 0.5 NIS per KWH and the Electric Company has to buy it back for ~2 NIS per KWH. It sounds fantastic, but don't go running to get your checkbook so fast. The simple math that the SolarPower representative did was that the units pay for themselves in 10 years. Since the panels are under warranty for 20 year, you get 10 years of profit. However, what they only mention quickly and hope you won't hear it is that the transformer only is under a 10 year warranty. The transformer is expensive and delicate so figure you will need a new one in 10 years. All in all, I think over a 20 year time period we will break even if we invest in this now.
  
  You know what, that just isn't good enough.
  
  

  It is absurd for Israel to invest money in coal and oil from abroad when we have 330 days of sunshine. Much of this money likely winds up with terrorists as well. We should use the model created in the US to give people an incentive to use solar power. Anyone who buys a solar power system should get a discount in income tax. That way the system would pay for itself in 5 years and the average (read selfish) consumer would have a big financial incentive to buy it.

  Jameel adds:
  
  Unfortunately, Israel has a long way to go in terms of encouraging responsible greener policy. For example, I can get a leased hybrid car from work instead of my gasoline-only one -- and this would be much better for the environment. However, since the taxable-benefit class level of the car is above my current one, I would have to pay extra for the "privilege" of lowering the damage to the environment. While I am willing to do my part, if the government makes it more difficult for consumers to be environmentally-friendly I'm not willing to spend even more.
  
  Reminds me of when I purchased a car 12 years ago (full price, not on oleh discount rights) -- I made sure to buy ABS brakes and airbags. Those additional security/safety features were considered "luxury" add ons, and contributed to an even higher tax price on the car! It took time, and now those "luxuries" aren't taxed any more.
  
  And then there's the current water shortage, but that's a topic for another post.
  
  
  
  Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
• July 21, 2008
• 17:38

  Muqata RoundTripping: Israel, NYC, Israel

   » ‎ The Muqata
  A few years back I had some cool ideas for livening up the JBlogosphere. I managed to implement a few; the Purim parody carnival or the Purim collaborative Purim Podcast, yet others never got off the drawing board (like the JBlogosphere Game Show idea, which I think is still a great idea, but don't have the time or advertising cash to make it happen yet).
  
  And then...this opportunity drops into my lap. Not only is it completely in tandem with my blog's goals and aspirations of promoting the good things about Israel, love for the land, and a general feeling of connection -- but the idea spans many blogs and bloggers.
  
  Nefesh b'Nefesh has offered to send me and other JBloggers to the US (and return back) on one of their aliya flights -- to accompany an oleh family and blog their experience before leaving, during the flight, and at the welcome-home reception at Ben-Gurion airport. In addition to helping share their personal aliya, there will be a JBlogger conference in Yerushalayim the next day.
  
  I'm not listed yet on any conference panels...because I haven't yet figured out how to keep the yellow smiley face on my head for so long...
  
  
  Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד