Environmental Mountains

A few minutes out of Tel Aviv on the left on Highway 1 heading towards Jerusalem, there is a mountain (really more than a large hill) that is covered with some type of grass. It is obviously a landfill. Hiriya is in the process of being converted into a large environmental park and resource center . It’s quite a story and a good introduction to the solid waste environmental challenges that Israel is facing. Other than bins for recycling plastic in Tel Aviv, there does not appear to be much recycling in Israel. The careless use of water--for washing down sidewalks or watering lawns or for very cheap drinking water (for example, water is about $1.30 per gallon in the 1.5 liter six-packs)—is a major story unto itself.