Greens Press for 50-Year Gas Plan

Now that the long-dreamed-of natural gas has actually begun to flow from the offshore Tamar reservoir, the national debate over what exactly to do with it has begun as well.

On Wednesday, Green Course, an environmental organization based on university campuses, weighed in with its opinion.

In a letter to newly appointed Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom, Green Course activist Udi Hen urged a policy that will keep Israel energy-independent for the next 50 years, The Jerusalem Post reported.

“We have no intention of closing the State of Israel, not in another 10 or 20 years, but to stay here much longer, and therefore, you need to ensure that gas reserves will cover market needs for at least 50 years,” the letter said.

Other environmental activists and leaders, including Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz and his predecessor, Gilad Erdan, have also gone on record advocating caution in reaping profits from natural gas sales abroad lest the domestic supply be jeopardized.

Also in line with an assessment made by Environment Ministry officials, Hen asserted that the conclusions of the Zemach Committee were short-sighted and based on flawed data.

“We want the gas that arrives here in Ashdod to stay with us for a long time and fulfill all of our needs — economical, industrial, transportation, electricity production — for both my children and the children of the people [standing] here,” Hen said in a video that accompanied the letter to Shalom.

The Energy and Water Ministry was noncommittal in response, saying only that the issue will be on the agenda at government discussions in the near future.

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the April 5th, 2013 edition of Hamodia.