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A young Israeli woman sprays water on people dancing during a street party in downtown Jerusalem, as temperatures reached between 93 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit in most parts of Israel, July 27, 2007. (Photo: Michal Fattal/Flash90)
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An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man passes by young Israelis dancing during a street party downtown Jerusalem, a few minutes before the beginning of Shabbat, July 27, 2007. (Photo: Michal Fattal/Flash90)
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| By Israel Insider staff July 30, 2007 |
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| Young women cool off during a street party in downtown Jerusalem, as temperatures reached between 93 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit in most parts of Israel, July 27, 2007. (Photo: Michal Fattal/Flash90) |
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Israelis have been sweating more than just the security situation as the scorching heat wave burning through the Holy Land has broken the record for electricity demand and claimed three lives.
Yesterday broke the record in Israel for electricity demand, reaching 10,070 megawatts, nearly surpassing Israel Electric Corporation's total capacity of 10,500 megawatts.
This is the second time during the heat wave that the record has been broken, and the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) has warned that, with only a 4.4 percent reserve, if a problem were to occur in energy production, it could lead to blackouts.
Even though temperatures have begun to fall, Tel Aviv, where Israel Insider is located, melted under 90-degree weather with 79% humidity, making it feel as if a thick, impenetrable, yet invisible, fog had arrived to suffocate the city Sunday. In Eilat, Israel's southernmost city, temperatures reached a blistering 111 degrees.
The unrelenting heat wave has already claimed three lives. On Sunday, a French tourist died of heatstroke while he was hiking in Nahal David at Ein Gedi near the Dead Sea. The man, an epileptic, became unconscious and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Beer Sheba. Doctors originally thought he had suffered an epileptic attack, but realized that the man, in his 40s, had suffered heat stroke. He later died in the hospital.
Over the weekend, two Yeshiva students also died of dehydration while hiking. On Friday, a 15-year-old yeshiva student collapsed of dehydration while hiking in Nahal Amud in the North. He suffered serious head trauma and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Safed where he later died.
The day before, a 20-year-old Yeshiva student also died of dehydration while hiking at Nahal Tze?elim in the Judean Desert, with temperatures reaching 118 degrees.
Since the heat wave began last week, 14 others from Israel's north have been hospitalized due to dehydration, and a series of fires have also plagued the country.
"I think there is absolutely no doubt that this is one of the effects of global warming," said Professor Dan Rabinowitz, Chairman of environmental agency Chaim V'Sviva, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post Sunday. "This is not going to get any better. In fact, it's going to get worse."
According to Rabinowitz, the past eleven years have yielded nine of the hottest years ever recorded worldwide. He criticized Israel for "lagging at least a decade behind the rest of the world" on the issue, and suggested that Israelis write the government and start creating buzz about the issue.
Rabinowitz also suggested that the budget for the Environment Ministry should be increased by at least 25 percent. In Israel, Environment Ministry receives less than 0.5 percent of the yearly budget, equaling approximately NIS 250 million each year.
The Environment Ministry receives roughly NIS 250 million annually, less than .5 percent of the total state budget. Rabinowitz estimates the ministry's allocation should be at least 25% larger. |
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