Care for the Environment

In September 2015, the countries of the world, including Israel, adopted the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) designed to promote integrative, sustainable development and economic growth under the principle of “Leaving no one behind ". Climate change and depletion of natural resources require urgent action and rapid adaptation. At the beginning of the new decade, the Museum adopted and implemented an “environmental code” that informs all our activities, exhibitions, and curricula, as well as production, consumption, and waste management in the museum.

The Water Ways exhibition was created in the beginning of the last decade, in response to a (then) ongoing drought and water crisis. Together with leading and pioneering water companies in Israel, five interactive exhibitions were curated, developed, and produced. The exhibitions showcased the properties of water, the various ways we use it, the scientific and technological developments associated with it, and, of course, the “innovative Israeli” angle- Israel as a leading country in technological developments for "water production", desalination, recovery, consumption, and transportation. The exhibitions, which were spread over the museum's indoor and outdoor areas, raised awareness among the Israeli public and spurred related activities in the education system.

In 2010, we partnered with science museums across Europe in the ACCENT project, which aimed to increase climate change and global warming awareness and activism. As part of the project, we created a series of programs- under the title “Eco-Friendly”- that focused on climate change. The events included conferences, lectures, informal science gatherings, film screenings, and public debates. The program was a powerful platform for raising awareness and strengthening commitment among citizens, young and old alike, to take personal, practical steps to reduce global warming.
Together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, we developed a kit for elementary and junior-high school educators. The kit, published in Hebrew and Arabic and distributed across the country, was entitled, “Sustainability - Because Everything is Connected”, and presented the complex issues that stem from the interaction between humans and their natural and human-made environment.

In recent years, the world has begun to face the difficult, complex, and looming challenge of feeding a growing population. In 2050, the world's population will number more than 10 billion people, and feeding them all will require innovative solutions. The Fields of Tomorrow exhibition opened in the summer of 2016, with academic support from researchers at the Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and the Environment at the Hebrew University, and in collaboration with government ministries and leading companies in Israel and around the world. Through the presentation of ground-breaking Israeli agricultural and technological inventions, the exhibition touches on the environmental-human-social problem of food waste, and introduces various efficient methods of producing food.

The Museum’s spring festivals of 2017 and 2018 focused on the environment and our role in preserving it. The Cardboard-Only festival displayed the raw material alongside the advanced technologies that depend on it, and demonstrated the importance of recycling it. The following year, even before the issue of disposable plastic entered into the Israeli public consciousness, the Plasticology festival raised questions about the impact of plastic on the environment, and reflected on plastic as a material which has become an integral part of our lives, both scientifically and environmentally-ecologically.

At the beginning of 2020, the Jerusalem Youth Science Parliament dealt with the issue of climate crisis and the ethical questions concerning our day-to-day conduct. A cohort of 10th graders from 15 area schools met with experts from various fields to learn about and discuss renewable energy, urban transportation, sustainable nutrition, and community wisdom. Guided by the experts, the group formulated recommendations and submitted them to the mayor and city council members.

In its day-to-day operations, the Museum constantly takes into account the need to act in an informed and environmentally responsible manner. The Museum has stopped all use of disposable utensils, reuses materials and accessories in workshops whenever possible, and makes every effort to incorporate environmentally friendly materials into any new exhibition. Even at the end of an exhibition’s run, the Museum looks for possibilities to contribute it to other institutions in the country’s periphery, such as was done in the past with Physics and Toys, Science is the Whole Story, A Maze for Peace, and others.

In 2020, in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the importance of working together to resolve global crises has increased. Science museums have a particularly valuable role to play in raising awareness and public motivation for action. At the beginning of this new decade, the Museum will adopt the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as key performance indicators for all its activities, with an emphasis on: Good Health and Well-being (3), Quality Education (4), Gender Equality (5), Innovation (9), Reducing Inequality (10), Sustainable Cities (11), Responsible Consumption and Production (12), Climate Action (13), Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (16), and Partnerships for the Goals (17).