Answers to Questions from my class at home

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Here is more information about the dead sea, in response to some questions I received.
Unfortunately, because of so much water consumption and the potash industry in the last 30 years, the Dead Sea’s water has been dropping. Some may wonder why this is such an awful thing and people are so worried. I am here to tell you.

 It is destroying habitats and feeding grounds of indigenous wildlife in the oasis regions nearby.
 It is affecting migrating birds that to pass through this area.
 It is reducing shore lines.
 It is filling the landscape with sink holes. (I could see the “Danger sink hole” signs on the road.)
 It is causing a higher pumping cost for using the sea to get potash (A compound K2 CO3. It has been used for bleach, glass, and soaps), salt and magnesium.
 It is the threatening the production of healing products from the Dead Sea, which many companies rely on.


When we were driving along the Dead Sea’s coast, I could see spots where water should have filled its place - instead of the mud that was there. Since about 1990, I believe the water has dropped 14 km3. That is a lot. The Dead Sea contributes a lot to the economy of Israel because tourists come there and people like to buy Dead Sea products. If the water level keeps dropping, hotels, stores and companies will go out of business. It is destroying animal habitats and the environment. Most closed lakes that shrink, do so because of evaporation and natural drying. The Dead Sea’s drying up is a manmade ecosystem disaster.

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Comments

[Bubbe]

Dead sea
I was really surprised and dismayed at the consequences of the drying up of the Dead sea. Can the damage be stopped or at all reversed?

[Cathy A]

Dead Sea
Your information about the Dead Sea and its drying up was very interesting. We always need to think about changes in the world and how they affect the land and people.