By Ulla Hadar
SHA’AR HANEGEV, Israel–Many ecologically-motivated students from the Sha’ar Hanegev High School demonstrated last week against plans to build an additional coal power station in Ashkelon. The demonstration took place at Sapir College where a conference was going on to examine social relationships in the neighboring city of Sderot.
Attending the conference and symphatizing with the demonstraters were several delegates from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. These delegates were: Nitzan Horowitz, Arie Bibi, Eitan Chevel and Shai Hermesh (former mayor of Shaar Hanegev municipality).
Racheli Feinstein, director of environmental studies at the Shaar Hanegev High School, said “As part of our environmental studies at the High School, it is extremely important that our students are exposed to the planning going on in our area, plans that will have an impact on their future as well as ours.We want our students to become motivated, active, caring and responsible citizens in their future lives.”
The coal power stations are the major pollution factors in Israel today. The addition of the coal power station in Ashkelon will raise the level of pollution for another quarter of a million citizens situated in the Northern Negev, the area surrounding Gaza and Ashkelon.
Joint studies executed by the Brazilai hospital and the Ministry of Health have shown a significant increase in citizens arriving at the ER with breathing difficulties.
The decision to build the coal power station was taken by the government in 2002 as an attempt to cover the future demand for electricity.
Although technology has advanced and more ecological and clean solutions exist to create electricity, the government has taken no steps in reevaluating its decision to build the power station.
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Hadar is Sha’ar Hanegev bureau chief for San Diego Jewish World