Foto Friday – Inspecting the Pipeline with Chaim Daon

November 6, 2009 - 9:26 PM by Rachel Neiman · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Environment, Foto Friday, General, Profiles, coexistence

Chaim Daon is a welding inspector working on one of the country’s most important energy infrastructure projects: the natural gas pipeline. When complete, the gas pipeline – an extension of the El-Arish-Ashkelon gas pipeline from Egypt to Israel, which became operational in 2008 – will be able to transport up to 7 billion cubic meters per year, relieve some of our industries’ dependence on oil, help clean the atmosphere and give additional economic weight to our cold peace with Egypt.

The project, under construction for several years now, comprises hundreds of kilometers of pipeline with joins all along the way, so the work done by welding inspectors like Daon and his colleagues is crucial for keeping pipes intact and leaks at bay.

Daon – or Captain Caveman as he’s known by the Holyland Hash House Harriers, an international drinking and running disorganization (to which I also belong) – allows us a peek at what’s going on just a few meters below the surface…

The tender to build the pipeline was won by a foreign multinational and the teams working on the project come from all over the globe. They work by day…

And by night…

The pipeline is intended to serve Israel’s major industries, chiefly Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), which is in the process of converting its oil-driven power stations to natural gas. IEC noted in its most recent Environmental Report that since the introduction of natural gas in 2004, a carbon dioxide emissions have decreased by 11%. More information about the Gas Market Law and gas reform in Israel is available at the Ministry of National Infrastructures website.

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Tags: Caterpillar, construction, egypt, Foto Friday, gas, infrastructure, israeli photography, john deere, Kerosene, liquid natural gas, lng, natural gas, oil, oil gas, petrol, photographer, photographers, photography, pipeline, roadworks

Nostalgia Sunday – Heaters

October 12, 2008 - 5:05 PM by Rachel Neiman · 6 Comments
Filed under: General, Israeliness, Life

Heaters! Kerosene, electric coil, space heater, oil radiator, electric blankets – I’ve had every single kind of heating device you can get in this country and I’m still cold when the chill wind blows in. Here are some pictures of some of the ridiculous contraptions I’ve had to put up with in my never-ending quest to stay warm in the Israeli winter.

Kerosene heater

Radiant coil heater

Many of the above two were manufactured by a company called Friedman, which also made those squat little fridges so popular with the hipster retro crowd today because they never had to actually use one.

Just for laffs, here’s a picture of the natural gas heater I could never afford to own: glowing ceramic plates heated by pricey blue and orange flames. Ahhh…

Gas heater

They haven’t yet been able to make a heater that can warm an apartment built from porous sandy bricks (1920s to 1930s) or holey cinderblock (1940s to 1960s), not to mention moisture-absorbing Jerusalem stone (a favorite building material from time immemorial). Certainly this kind was tried and found wanting.

Radiator

I’ve never yet had the pleasure of living in an home built from Ytong, the insulating cinderblock, but I’m doubtful it works. Because people here don’t really believe its cold. Basically, Israelis refuse to accept the reality that it is not really a hot country. Israel is a cold country with a very long hot season.

Over the years, my wintertime philosphy has become: seal up the windows, move into the bedroom, get under the covers, crank up the heat and hang the expense — sort of. I cannot still, in good faith, run the A/C on heat continually for 3-4 months, so the best solutions I’ve found, to date:

Space heater