Environmentalists warn plan to link Red Sea with Dead Sea could have dire consequences

[xchrom]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/26/environmentalists-warn-plan-to-link-red-sea-with-dead-sea-could-have-dire-consequences/



A plan to link the Red Sea with the shrinking Dead Sea could save it from total evaporation and bring desalinated water to thirsty neighbours Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians.

But environmentalists warn that the “Red-Dead” project could have dire consequences, altering the unique chemistry of the landmark inland lake at the lowest point on earth.

Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur said on Monday that his government had decided to press ahead with the 980-million dollar project which would give the parched Hashemite kingdom 100 million cubic metres (3.5 billion cubic feet) of water a year.

“The government has approved the project after years of technical, political, economic and geological studies,” Nsur told a news conference.

[Atman]

1. Oh shit. What could possibly go wrong?

[OnlinePoker]

4. Damaged ecosystem now or no ecosystem 35 years from now.

I don't know which is worse.

[Downwinder]

2. How much rise in sea level would it

take for a natural connection?

[OnlinePoker]

3. Just did a quick scan with Google Earth...about 600 feet. n/t

[Downwinder]

5. Didn't realize it was that high in the rift. Thanks.

[Arctic Dave]

6. The Dread Sea!

[hunter]

7. "Natural" ended when humans started diverting water from the sea for agriculture.

The greater environmental impact will be economic growth supported by the new water and power source.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Lousy lead sentence...

"to link the Red Sea with the shrinking Dead Sea could save it"

which sea is the "it" referring to?

[hunter]

9. There's an interesting gif on wikipedia...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_sea

A hydroelectric project from the red sea to the dead sea would stabilize the water level. The industrial salt works might suffer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Seas_Canal