The Story of Life and Environment
Life and Environment was founded in 1975 by former MK Yossef Tamir, with the help of Azaria Alon, a co-founder of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and General Avraham Yaffe, Director General of the Nature Reserves Authority. Tamir previously served as Chairman of the Knesset’s Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, and was the initiator of a number of important environmental laws.
In its early days Life and Environment proposed an amendment to the Planning and Building Law that was approved in 1975. According to the amendment Life and Environment has the right to nominate a permanent representative that will be a member of the National Council for Planning and Construction with full rights. In the same year, the first Knesset Environmental Lobby was also established.
Life and Environment has been involved in a large number of major environmental struggles, including campaigning to establish the Ministry for Environmental Protection, campaigning to establish and approve various nature reserves and national parks that have been awaiting final approval for decades and more.
As part of its public and media activities, the organization held press conferences, conducted media campaigns, authored together with partner organizations position papers and reports (such as the Environmental Injustice Report), and led a number of projects that impacted and decision makers. Some of the more important projects include the Economic Project, the Environmental Justice Monitoring Committee, Organizational Support Center and others.
In the past few years Life and Environment has been updating its strategy of action and it invites its followers and supporters to stay informed through the web site.