Building on Israel's vision to create a "Silicon Valley" for Renewable Energy, the director of the southern region of Israel's leading research center in renewable energy is planning a visit to the San Francisco Bay Area. The world-renowned research of Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, Director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies' Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, aims to reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels for transportation. He is perfecting a process that would enable vehicles, from cars to planes, to produce their own hydrogen energy on an as-needed basis, using an entirely-renewable system that harnesses solar power. Dr. Abu Hamed has been awarded Israel's prestigious Dan-David Award for this ground-breaking research, which he believes is only a decade away from practical use. As if Dr. Abu Hamed's research isn't in itself compelling enough, the Director of this program at an Israeli academic institution is a Palestinian, helping to lead a student body of Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, and others looking to bridge cultural and political divides through environmental cooperation.
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