Earth Day is an international initiative held on the twenty-second of April every year, in order to raise awareness of the need to protect the globe and preserve a green and sustainable environment.
Public awareness of the factors that pollute the Earth and harm it is important as it leads to a reduction in the use of non-perishable waste, along with an increase in use of products and systems with a high energy rating and energy savings. However, awareness by itself is insufficient when it is not supported by an orderly policy, raising the issue in local authorities, state authorities, organizations and companies.
Awareness alone is not enough to attain the ambitious goal of protecting the planet from threats including climate change and global warming, loss of energy sources, greenhouse gas emissions and ozone expansion, rising sea-levels due to melting glaciers and water volume changes due to global warming and pollution.
Genuine protection of the planet is achieved through legislation, together with initiatives undertaken by local authorities, using innovative technological systems in a variety of fields.
How can a local authority contribute to protecting the planet and creating a green urban environment?
The local authority is responsible for a variety of measures for protecting the environment, with many tools at its disposal, both in the treatment of waste and sanitation, as well as being responsible for buildings, infrastructure and transportation, education, safety, water resources and resident services
MIC (Municipal Innovation Center) presents a wide range of systems and tools, which make use of the latest technologies to enable local authorities to improve the resident services, whilst also offering economic savings and maintaining a green urban environment with energy efficiency. Here are some examples:
Water economy management
An advanced system from Aquarius Spectrum allows the municipal authority to anticipate and locate leaks and latent leaks, and to evaluate the condition of the pipes at any time. The system is based on “cloud” technology that enables documentation, storage and comparison of data. The system supports all types of pipework and infrastructure, and is designed to locate leaks, even those which originate from holes with a small diameter, which significantly reduces the costs of water loss and pipe malfunctions as well as the costs of maintenance and repairs as needed.
Smart transportation
Israeli software company Axilion has developed a quality solution for managing traffic for local authorities in Israel , to address the challenges of congestion and traffic jams, and for managing a smart, efficient and safe transportation system. The company develops and implements networks of smart traffic lights that help regulate traffic, identify hazards, congestion and unusual events, prioritize and manage means of public transportation and optimal pedestrian infrastructure. The systems, which are already being implemented in a number of cities in Israel and around the world, boast an increase in safety of tens of percent, a significant reduction in traffic jams, and a reduction of travel times in urban areas of nearly fifty percent.
This translates to a reduction in fuel and energy use, reduced pollutants and gas emissions from vehicles and improved quality of life for residents.
Public health
A smart system for monitoring noise, abnormal radiation levels and air pollution in educational buildings, education centers etc enables rapid treatment of any problems and helps to maintain the health of citizens and residents. The system from the Israeli company RADGREEN combines a large number of sensors for monitoring a variety of factors and is already prominent in its efficiency and contribution to the urban environment, in cities in Israel and abroad.
Waste disposal
The ECOCAL system from Maskal operates smart bins within a municipal framework, which provide savings and increased efficiency, using sensors that monitor the weight of public bins, the level of acidity and their temperature, while transmitting the data in real time to the municipal control center.
The sanitation departments in the authority receive guidance and management of employee efficiency, as well as help in creating routes for the prioritization of waste disposal, leading to a saving in manpower and prompt removal of bins that emit toxins and constitute a sanitary hazard, whilst maintaining transparency and full control.
The question often arises as to what is actually the responsibility of a local authority in the field of preserving the environment, the contribution to global ecology, and the impact on the interactions between the man-made and serviceable systems, and the existing natural systems. Over the last decade, there has been a growing understanding that the connection exists in synergy, which actually enables municipal and local authorities, by making the right choices and investments in systems and infrastructure developed with environmental vision, to increase residents’ level of happiness and satisfaction, make savings on expensive operating costs and contribute to preserving the planet. .
MIC, The Innovation Center from Mashkal, offers an innovative experience and a glimpse into a green, efficient and innovative future world, where you can find solutions and advanced systems in all areas of life in the public sphere. Come and visit, we’re looking forward to meeting you.
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