INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — On Saturday, Nov. 15 from 2 to 4 p.m., Temple Beth Shalom will be hosting a free presentation by Alex Cicelsky, the founder of the Center for Creative Ecology at Kibbutz Lotan in Israel’s Negev desert.
Kibbutz Lotan was awarded EcoVillage Excellence in 2006 for its work in waste management, environmental education, and sustainability. Local experts, Megan Davis PhD, Interim Executive Director of Harbor Branch, David Cox PhD Environmental Biologist, and Christine Kelly-Begazo, University of Florida Ag Extension Agent will follow up with a panel discussion.
Kibbutz Lotan in Israel’s Negev Desert may be a very different environment than Indian River County but in terms of creating a sustainable environment, the essential issues are not dissimilar. The need to manage delicate resources is the inescapable reality of creating a community in a desert, but many of the same lessons can be applied locally.
For more information regarding Kibbutz Lotan, go to http://www.kibbutzlotan.com.
If people choose to believe that they can continue to build buildings and communities and everything else that goes into the man-made environment the same way that they have been for the past century, they are doing so at their own peril.
It behooves the community to examine old and new models of human habitation with open eyes and minds, and to be prepared to apply the lessons learned. It needs to be clear to everyone that the present is not sustainable.
Temple Beth Shalom is located at the SW corner of 4th Street and 43rd Ave.