I NEWS A JNF land reclamation project in the southern Arava. Israel Sets Ecological Example For The World SIMON GRIVER Special to The Jewish News R A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR From IMERYONIE at liOSIMIS MMUS Kosins Uptown • Lathrup Village, Southfield at 11 1/2 Mile • Phone 559 3900 Big & Tall • Lathrup Village, Southfield at 10 1/2 Mile • Phone 569 6930 - - 106 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1989 ecent years have seen the world's forests dwindling, ag- gravating such serious ecolo- gical problems as the "green- house effect," desertification and soil erosion. In contrast to international trends, however, Israel's afforestation agency, the Jewish National Fund, last year planted more trees than ever before. Of these environmental issues, the greenhouse effect is causing the most concern. Harmful gases, such as car- bon monoxide exhaust fumes from cars and carbon dioxide, produced by burning other fossil fuels, are accumulating in the lower part of the at- mosphere and preventing ac- cumulated heat from escap- ing. This has resulted in a warming of our atmosphere by an estimated average of three degrees centigrade over the past 50 years. Trees can alleviate the situation by ab- sorbing some of these harm- ful gases and producing ox- ygen through photosynthesis. Dr. Menachem Sachs, chief scientist of the JNF and head of its southern afforestation division, warns that trees alone cannot remedy the greenhouse effect. But, "If man stops chopping down ex- isting forests and increases the planting of new ones," he says, "this will make a signifi- cant difference. What is par- ticularly important from Israel's point of view is that in 100 years time, the semi- arid conditions prevailing in Beersheva and the northern Negev will not have spread upward to the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas." For Israel the problem is considerably less acute than elsewhere, because JNF technology and techniques have resulted in impressive innovative agricultural and afforestation achievements in semi-arid climates, checking such negative ecological phenomena as desertification and soil erosion. While many countries, especially in the developing world, are daily losing land and valuable soil to the desert, Israel is actual- ly succeeding in rolling back the desert. Many of the record 3.5 million saplings planted last 'Nowhere in the world do such large forests flourish on such meager rainfall." year are located in areas of 12 inches of annual rainfall or less. "The Yatir and Lahav forests, for example, each some 7,000 acres in size," ex- plains Dr. Sachs, "are unique. Nowhere in the world do such large forests flourish on such meager rainfall. And, with our new methods if harvesting runoff waters, we can grow trees in areas where there is even less rainfall." For example, JNF has made great strides in developing a green belt around Beersheva, where it employed many of the techniques it has developed for nurturing desert vegetation. By building a ridge here, digging a furrow there or constructing strategic terraces, water can be directed where it is need- ed — either to nurture a new cluster of trees, or to replinish underground water tables. This green belt has provided new leisure and recreational possibilities for the residents of the Negev capital.