Dr. Alon Tal
American immigrant receives Bronfman Prize
Alon Tal, one of Israel's leading environmental activists awarded prize for raising environmental awareness in Israel and in the Diaspora.
Dr. Alon Tal has been awarded the Bronfman Prize for his environmental activism, Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's leading daily, has reported.
Tal, an American immigrant, is one of Israel's leading environmental activists and a founder of the Man, Nature and Law organization. He is also Chairman of the ‘Life and Environment' Organization and has received the prize for raisi environmental awareness in Israel and in the Diaspora
This is the second time the prize has been given to an individual "whose efforts symbolize the outstanding values of the Jewish world."
The award was initiated by the children of businessman and philanthropist Charles Bronfman, in honor of his 70th birthday ‘to inspire young people and promote those people who share our father's values.'
Candidates for the award must be under 50 years old. The panel of judges includes James Wolfensohn, currently a Middle East envoy for the EU and former Director of the World Bank, former Knesset Member Dan Meridor and Canadian Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Silverman.
Israeli EPA
In 1990, Man, Nature and Law set up Israel's Environmental Protection Agency, considered one of the country's leading "quality of life" groups.
The agency deals with a wide range of ecological issues, including air pollution, waste removal, recycling, water quality and energy savings.
In 1996, Tal established the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura. The Institute offers advanced studies and serves as a research center for students from the Middle East, especially Israel and Jordan.
In collaboration with the Ben Gurion University Desert Studies Department, it also offers a Masters Degree in Environmental Studies.
Illustrious career
Tal has served in a number of positions over recent years. He was chairman of ‘Life and Environment', the roof organization for Israel's environmental activism agencies, and the organization grew from 24 to 80 under his leadership.
He has also served as a member of the Jewish National Fund's Board of Directors since 2002.
After 15 years of teaching environmental law at Tel Aviv University, Tal was appointed to the Faculty of Desert Research at the Sde Boker campus of Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
Most of his research focuses on environmental legislation and government policy. His first book, "Pollution in a Promised Land," was published three years ago in English.
The Hebrew version will be published in the near future.
His new book, "Speaking of Earth: Environmental Speeches that Moved the World" is due out in the U.S. in the next month.
