Establishing Israel as a Model in Environmentalism
Dr. Alon Tal is an environmentalist who understands that ecology is a uniting force for bringing people together and bridging differences in the Middle East. He is the founder of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, a unique education and research program that prepares future Arab and Israel leaders to cooperatively solve the region’s environmental challenges with innovative, peace-building solutions. He is also the founder of Adam Teva V’Din (the Israel Union for Environmental Defense), Israel’s leading environmental advocacy organization.
Dr. Tal received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and served as a consultant to the Environmental Protection Agency. He was appointed Professor of Environmental Policy at Ben Gurion University in 2004. Tal has written and edited six books and published over a hundred academic articles, chapters and reports. His most recent book, Water Wisdom: Preparing The Groundwork For Cooperative And Sustainable Water Management In The Middle East was jointly edited with Professor Alfred Abed Rabbo and published by Rutgers University Press in 2010. In 2006, he became the Chairman of the Land Development Authority committee of Keren Kayemet le'Yisrael (JNF) International Board which oversees forestry in Israel. After winning the Bronfman Prize, the proceeds were directed to creating "The Tal Fund" – which is now a project of JNF/KKL providing grants to grassroots environmental initiatives. To date, over 500,000 dollars have been distributed to over 25 environmental organizations and initiatives.
Beginning in 2006, Tal has chaired the bi-annual Conference on Drylands and Desertification at Ben Gurion University in conjunction with UNESCO and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification—bringing together 600 participants from 63 countries to consider key issues involving sustainable development in the drylands. In the past he has represented Israel at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Tal has served as a mediator among government agencies, developers, and environmentalists on complex development issues. As part of Israel's 60th anniversary celebration, at age 48, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Environmental Protection from Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection. In November 2010, he became chair of the Israel's green political party, "The Green Movement," which emerged as a promising new party in Israel's 2009 elections. Tal just completed a six month sabbatical at Stanford where he finished writing his most recent book; “All the Trees of the Forest – Israel’s Woodlands from the Bible to the Present", to be published in 2013 by Yale University Press.
