If you live in America, a country where the average person is faced with thousands of dollars of personal debt – see here for the average credit card debt of card users - obviously you will be looking out for the best deal and rates on a credit card. And just like car and house insurance policies you can shop around for the best card offer. If your biggest concern is just cold hard cash, then choose a card with the lowest interest rates, and ones that give cash back.

If you can add a little bit of your green consciousness to your shopping profile, shop around for cards that can help you reward the planet as well. Whether you are a student, a small business owner, have bad or no credit, there is always going to be some company that will be willing to take on a new client, provided you pay your bills – eventually.

So if getting approved for a card is not your problem, you have all the reason in the world to shop around. And some of the benefits the most sophisticated cards offer, can also be good for Planet Earth.

Consider that when mega-banks take your interest rates and payments, they are making a lot of money, some which comes from predatory lending, which they then try to turn into other profits which turn out to be very destructive to the Earth. The question you want to ask is do you want to pay for your solar energy panels by credit card, only to find out that the bank you work with supports Big Oil? Since the mid-2000s, banks in America have been giving their discerning clientele alternatives.

Some mega-banks will offer affinity cards that lets users allot a certain amount of the percentage charged per transaction to go to a choice of non-profit organizations. Ask your bank about the latest projects they have in this area. Then again, do you really want a charity to benefit from a donation that comes with a bank’s name on it? Something to consider.

The best idea is to shop around, and use credit card directories to help you find new offers. For instance Shorebank Pacific, based in Ilwaco, WA, offers a Salmon Nation Visa card. The card comes with a 12.9 percent APR, but with no annual fee.  The best part is fifty percent of the company’s income from the card funds goes toward growing a community to support sustainable salmon farming. No account is needed with the bank to apply.

Get the drift? There are definitely green and responsible options out there. Shop around to find your credit card to match your conscience.

Image via dfid

With vaccines in short supply the Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations warn that animals should not be moved around Gaza to stop the spread of a new strain of foot and mouth disease. The UN body says international efforts need to step in to stop the virus from spreading further in the Middle East and North Africa.

Following outbreaks of the SAT2 strain of the virus in Egypt and Libya in February, fears that it might jump to neighboring areas were confirmed on 19 April when sick animals were detected in Rafah, a town in the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt. The SAT2 variant is new to the region, meaning that animals do not have any acquired resistance to it.

“Diseases simply do not respect international boundaries, and if FMD SAT2 reaches deeper into the Middle East it could spread throughout vast areas, threatening the Gulf countries – even southern and eastern Europe, and perhaps beyond,” said Juan Lubroth, FAO’s Chief Veterinary Officer and head of the organization’s Animal Health Service.

With vaccines against the SAT2 virus still in short supply, the priority at the moment is to limit animal movements to prevent its further spread, he said. Heightened surveillance of animal populations to quickly detect and respond to new outbreaks is also critical.

Movements of animals from the Nile Delta eastward through the Sinai Peninsula and north into the Gaza Strip have been deemed the highest risk for the spread of the SAT2 FMD virus strain into the wider Middle East region, where livestock are a major component of household food security.

Transmitted via the saliva of sick animals, the FMD virus can live outside a host for a long while and spreads easily via contaminated hay, stalls, trucks, shoes and clothing – even the hands of traders inspecting animals at market.

Another SAT2 virus strain was recently reported in cattle in Bahrain, but only at a quarantine centre. This emphasizes the importance of thorough inspection and prevention systems when dealing with imported plants, animals or other biological material.

Following official reports of the FMD SAT2 outbreaks in Egypt, Israel quickly implemented targeted vaccination along its southern borders to create a buffer zone of protection for animal herds most at risk.

Gaza Strip will be receiving an initial lot of 20 000 vaccine doses to protect its valuable cattle. An additional 40 000 doses will be made available as soon as possible for sheep and goats.

FMD, which affects most cloven-hoofed mammals, has devastating effects on meat and milk production and can cause mortalities among pregnant and young animals. It does not pose direct human health risks, but milk or meat from infected animals should not be consumed, as any livestock products entering the food chain should come only from healthy animals.

::FAO

Image of vet checking cow from Shutterstock

Interested in knowing more about renewable energy opportunities in North Africa and the Arab world? Then head to Algeria this May to meet a high profile group of decision makers and companies targeting the growing Algerian energy sector. In step with the Algerian Government’s “Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program” penned in March 2011, meet the Algerian Ministry of Energy and Mines along with market leaders and suppliers from 10 countries already confirmed.

Algeria’s leading international renewable energy trade show is organized by the fairtrade Messe and will take place at the Palais des Expositions d’Alger – Safex.

According to Algeria’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program some 22,000 MW of power generating capacity will be installed from renewable sources by 2030.

To reach this ambitious target, exhibiting international market leaders like ABB, Centrotherm, Eurosol, Siemens and WEG are already realizing large scale investments in the Algerian energy market.

Agreements amounting to billions of Euros were signed during the past year with Sonelgaz, Socièté Nationale de l’Electricité et du Gaz, National Society for Electricity and Gas, a state-owned utility in charge of electricity and gas distribution in Algeria: “Algeria aims to be a major actor in the production of electricity from photovoltaic and solar power as it considers this source of energy as an opportunity and a lever for economic and social development, particularly through the establishment of wealth and job-creating industries,” says Kahina Behloul, manager with Eurl fairtrade expo.

The event will include seminars on renewables and energy efficiency, while further value comes via the active participation and possibility of networking with Sonelgaz, NEAL-New Energy Algeria and APRUE-The Algerian National Agency for the Promotion and Rationalization of the Use of.

The German trade fair specialists fairtrade Messe and its Algerian-German team have recognized the potential and the need for the North African energy industry. After the resounding success of elec expo & EneR Event in November 2011 in Morocco, with 213 exhibitors and 5,246 visitors, the 16th elcomUkraine in April 2012 and now the 6th electro, automation & energy also address these topics.

::electro, automation & energy, Algeria

Image of Algeria sign from Shutterstock

The revolutions that have been taking place in the Arab world since December 2010 have had a significant impact on the economy, not only in the countries involved, but also the rest of the World. How is the Arab Spring, which has caused massive financial losses on one side, also able to influence growth and development of renewable and green sources of energy?

There is no doubt that the Arab Spring has had a significant influence on oil prices. Mohammed Al Hamli, the United Arab Emirates’ oil minister, recently said that a reasonable price for oil would be around $80 to $100 a barrel. This is a significant increase from $50 a barrel, which is what OPEC oil ministers defined as a reasonable price just five years ago.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated in their latest bi-annual “Regional Economic Outlook: Middle East and Central Asia”-report that breakeven oil price for the UAE has risen from $60 in 2008 to $80 a barrel.

Geopolicity published “The Cost of the Arab Spring” back in October 2011, the same month as the war in Libya ended, and concluded that “Oil exporters were winners and oil importers were losers.” – with the exception of Libya, where revenues had dropped by 84 percent.

“More than 740,000 people have fled the country since the start of the conflict, and the severe disruption in the hydrocarbon sector has devastated the economy.”

According to the same report, Egypt, Syria and Libya paid the highest financial price as a result of the Arab Spring.

On the other hand, big oil-exporting countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates Kuwait that have avoided the worst uprisings, and some of which have only have had minor protests, have seen great increases in revenue since the Arab Spring started. In fact, public revenues are up as much as 31% in UAE.

Renewable energy has become more attractive

Net importers of energy face great economical challenges caused by the high and unstable oil prices. In countries such as Egypt, where fuel subsidies are rooted in the financial structure of the country’s budget, the high oil prices encourages the development of renewable energy power.

Rising fuel costs and increasing demand in solar power reduces the need of governmental incentives to support the growth of renewable energy. According to Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA), photovoltaics have reached a level of cost-competitiveness on par with conventional electricity generation based on fossil fuels.

Has the Arab Spring lead to renewable growth so far?

Investments are happening that possibly wouldn’t have taken place if it weren’t for the Arab Spring and high oil prices. Major projects have been announced during the last six months.

Desertec Foundation, a non-profit organization that develops solar power in the MENA region, has several large projects ongoing already. The first of them, 500 MW Moroccan Ouarzazate Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant, was announced in November 2011.

January this year, Desertec Foundation announced the World’s largest CSP-plant to be built in Tunisia, which when finished would have a total power capacity of 2 GW. In comparison, the largest photovoltaic solar power station, Golmud Solar Park in China, only has a peak power capacity of 200 MW.

Same month, Abu Dhabi’s Enviromena Power Systems and American owned Petra Solar announced an alliance, stating that they would work together to develop integrated solar power and smart grid projects in the Middle East North Africa region.

And lastly, just a few days ago, Germany’s Centrotherm Photovoltaics announced that they are building a a new polysilicon plant in Saudi Arabia.

Stability is still a problem in the post Arab Spring world, especially in the countries that have had the greatest losses. Investor confidence has to be rebuilt. With new governments in place in Tripoli, Tunis and Cairo, all located in countries where sun and space is abundant, new investors from abroad are likely starting to get involved. High oil prices combined with the European power demand to meet green quotas, makes further development of the renewable resources inevitable.

Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General, stated the following earlier this year at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi:

“Investing in the green economy is not simply a luxury of the developed countries. It represents opportunity for job creation and economic growth in developing countries.”

Renewable energy will bring many new jobs to the table, spur economic growth and make industries and countries less vulnerable against volatile energy prices. The transition to democracy seems to be an intrinsic part of fighting global warming.

Mathias Aarre Mæhlum is doing a masters degree in energy and environmental engineering at NTNU in Norway. In his spare time he runs EnergyInformative where he writes about green energy and increasing energy efficiency.

Way back in 2010 a group of high profile water researchers and dignitaries from the Middle East met in Switzerland to find ways of making liquid peace. Diplomacy works through slow channels, but a new group of ministers and VIPs from around the region have agreed on long-term water cooperation. Chaired by Jordan’s Prince Hassan bin Talal the group hopes to transform water into an instrument of cooperation between nations with their own internal problems, problems which could worsen with more water shortages. The countries are Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.

The group was launched in Amman on April 1o this year and includes Yasar Yakis, the former Foreign Minister of Turkey, and Mohammad Chatah, the former Finance Minister of Lebanon. Others from Iraq and Syria will represent in due course.

The group is supported by the Government of Switzerland, in cooperation with the Strategic Foresight Group, a think tank based in Mumbai.

According to the Strategic Foresight Group, The High Level Group (that’s the name!) was formed on the basis of the Blue Peace report (2011), published by them not long after the Swiss meeting back in 2010. The Group analyses dangers arising from depletion of water resources and the report has suggested that a special mechanism be formed for sustainable management of water resources between five countries: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.

Recommended is exchange and calibration of hydrometric data, development and dissemination of new technologies, among other measures.

We absolutely love these awesome elven shoes called Needle and Thread by Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design student Hadas Ilani. Displayed at Ventura Lambrate during Milan Design Week 2012 as part of the academy’s “Design Bonanza” installation, the shoes are made out of locally-sourced pine needles and depict a combination of playfulness and respect for nature, as well as an incredible attention to detail.

The young Israeli designer, who currently resides in North Korea, had to learn how to transform the pine needles, which are quite fragile, into a material that is strong enough to use as shoes.

In order to do that, she experimented with a variety of sewing techniques before settling for a relatively simple stitch. Each shoe is different. Some have what look like laces in the front, while others have sweeping heels that would make any elf proud.

We haven’t actually tried one of Ilani’s shoes on, but we can’t imagine that they are very comfortable. Still, how can you go wrong? The material she chose is completely renewable and the design is totally unique. Anyone who dons a pair of these will be the talk of the town.

After Milan, the shoes already are.

:: Designboom

More on Cool Israeli Design:

Raw Bamboo Bench is Green, but is it Comfortable?

Folded Paper Jewelry That Makes Origami Look Chic

Ron Arad’s Bike Wheels Will Never go Flat

What is the connection between obesity, reproductive and other endocrine-related conditions, heart disease, and cancer? Recent studies point conclusively towards one ubiquitous chemical that is used in everything from dental sealants, cash register receipts, and the lining of soup, beverage and vegetable cans, to baby bottles, the lining of formula cans, medical devices, and CDs and DVDs. Studies show that it can leach out when containers are heated or damaged.

This chemical is called bisphenol A, or BPA, and in the United States, more than 90 percent of all people have some of this toxic substance in their bodies. It almost certain that people around the world exposed to BPA will also have it in their bodies. A recent study in Egypt of BPA concentration in the bodies of girls in urban and rural areas found a strong correlation with canned food.

It is well known by now that bisphenol A is a hormonally active chemical. Simply put, it mimics the female sex hormone estrogen, causing all sorts of side effects from early puberty to the aforementioned conditions and illnesses.

For this reason, many countries around the world have declared a ban on BPA in infant products. Canada has classified it as a toxic substance. The European Union, China, and Canada have banned it from baby bottles. In 2010, Al Khaleej reported that United Arab Emirates will place a ban on BPA in polycarbonate baby bottles.

After coming under fire in recent years for their use of BPA, every major drink container baby bottle manufacturer in the US has phased out the use of the compound and now labels products as BPA-free. Earlier this year, after high levels of BPA were reported in soup can lining, Campbell’s pledged to phase out the use of the toxic chemical.

The concern is entirely warranted. Babies, particularly those fed formula from cans and from polycarbonate bottles, are at the greatest risk from BPA, as their undeveloped endocrine systems are highly sensitive to its effects.

As BPA has invaded almost every part of our lives, scientists have discovered linkages with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, breast and prostate cancer, early puberty, obesity, diabetes, infertility, erectile dysfunction, and learning and attention-related disorders.

The real crux of the debate is who is right: the toxicologists or the endocrinologists.
For years, toxicologists have maintained that the small quantities of BPA cannot possibly affect human health.

But biologists such as Fred vom Saal and Theo Colborn have proved conclusively that very low doses may have a devastating effect on the endocrine system, which affects human behavior, metabolism, and development.

This view was supported by a new review of more than 800 studies published last month in the journal Endocrine Reviews. The study, conducted by twelve leading world scientists, including Colborn and vom Saal, repports that even extremely small doses of BPA can be toxic. The authors conclude that due to the effects of low doses of hormone-disrupting chemicals, “Fundamental changes in chemical testing and safety determination are needed to protect human health.”
So what do you think? Does this still warrant debate?

Unfortunately, many still believe it does. Behind BPA is a multi-billion dollar industry, corporate lobbyists, and chemical giants such as Bayer, Dow, and Sunoco. As long as the outcome of BPA-related studies impacts their revenues, the arguments against banning the toxic chemical will continue.
What can you personally do to restrict BPA in your body?

The great news, reported by Breast Cancer Fund, is that your body will flush BPA within 24 – 48 hours, if you limit the exposure. You can take some easy steps right now.

1. Never offer your baby a drink in a plastic bottle.
2. Avoid all polycarbonate plastic drink containers, especially if they have the #7 in a triangle.
3. Avoid canned food and to the extent possible use fresh food.

If we can’t rely on regulators to protect us from toxic chemicals like BPA, it’s up to us to act. Sometimes the first small steps toward healthier living make the biggest impact.

Image of BPA in plastic from Shutterstock

The rapid growth and urbanization of the United Arab Emirates is associated with increased uses of plastic in every aspect of modern life. In 2008, the World Health Organization voiced concerns that rapid urbanization may be negatively impacting people’s lives. Rapid growth is causing air quality to decline in large cities, due in part to industrial emissions and increased a number of vehicles.

This is evident in the increased incidence of respiratory diseases in the last 10 years. But another urgent yet unstated concern is the health impact of chemicals leaching out of the mountains of imported plastic items: plastic toys, canned food, consumer goods and so much more.  

Plastic is everywhere!

Since the turn of the 20th century, plastic has entered almost every aspect of our lives: medicine, transportation, construction and consumer products. There seems to be no end to cheap, lightweight, colorful plastic. In the past 10 years alone, we have consumed more plastic than in all decades of use before.

And while plastic offers great many price and feature advantages, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests some serious connections to human health. In the UAE, as in many other countries, breast cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer-related death. It makes sense to begin to explore possible environmental causes for this devastating disease.

What exactly is the problem? All plastic products start their life as “nurdles”, small pieces of resin product. In order to make a plastic bottle, a shower curtain, a toy or any other product, manufacturers add chemicals, which give the final products color, malleability, sturdiness, inflammability or other qualities. In other words, these chemicals make the final plastic products what they are.

Human carcinogens

This is where the problem emerges: most of these additive chemicals are well known and documented human carcinogens or synthetic hormones, acting as endocrine disruptors. They include PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, which leaches phthalates; polycarbonate, which leaches Bisphenol-A; polystyrene, which leaches styrene, a well-known carcinogen.

These chemicals leach out during the prolonged life of plastic products, especially in high temperatures, or during stress such as freezing and defrosting. A just released study by twelve leading world scientists confirms the danger of endocrine disruptors and hormones at low doses.

What do we know about these chemicals? Where do they come from?

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) – Found in #3 plastic. Also in cling wrap, some plastic squeeze bottles, vinyl shower curtains, wall and floor coverings PVC has been linked to increased mortality from breast cancer and has been designated as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

• Bisphenol A (BPA) – Found in #7 plastic and also in thousands of consumer products, including lining of baby formula and soup cans, dental fillings, food packaging, coating of grocery receipts, etc. BPA is an unstable polymer and tends to leach out of plastic. It is also lipophilic, which means it tends to seek fatty substances to attach to. The leaching process accelerates when BPA is heated. BPA has been linked to prostate cancer, lower sperm count, and reproductive abnormalities. New studies are linking BPA to obesity and diabetes, which is on the rise in the UAE as well as the rest of the world.

• Phthalates – Found in #3 plastic, and also in children’s toys, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, baby care products, building materials, modeling clay, automobiles, cleaning materials and insecticides. Phthalates are added to plastic products to make them soft and malleable. Phthalates are a well-known endocrine disruptor and have been shown to disrupt the development and functioning of male and female reproductive systems by interfering with the production of testosterone and an estrogen known as estradiol.

• Dioxin – Found in #3 plastic. Like PVC, dioxins have been designated as a known human carcinogen by the IARC. It is also a known endocrine disruptor.

• Styrene – Found in #6 plastic and Styrofoam items such as Styrofoam food trays, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, carryout containers and opaque plastic cutlery It has been designated as a known human carcinogen by the IARC,

While attention is given to Breast Cancer Awareness Week and other vehicles to share information about this disease, it is really important to begin raising awareness on (1) environmental causes for cancer, and (2) ways to prevent it. By reducing our use of disposable plastic and cutting down on our reliance on this complex material, we can make healthier choices and educate others about the dangerous chemicals that leach out of our everyday products.

This post was contributed to Green Prophet by Daniella Dimitrova Russo, Co-founder and Executive Director, Plastic Pollution Coalition.

Image credit: Homeless woman wrapped in plastic from Shutterstock

More Reasons to Ban Plastic From Your Life:

OP ED: Bioplastics Will Not Solve the Plastic Pollution Problem

Inspired by Oman Caves, Take Green Prophet’s Plastic Bag Challenge

Half of UAE’s Falaj Mualla Camels Choked on Plastic

Qatar is moving rapidly towards its vision to host the world cup in 2022. Yet if scrutinised, current progress in urban infrastructure and architecture seems to be frail in terms of character and functional approach. Is the idea of developing an ‘instant city’ going to be a harmful one? Are designs being developed on the burden of unnecessary stylistic demands? Will the city planners commit to making the same mistakes made in the other developed cities in the Middle East region?

Architecture here is already being needlessly influenced by predominantly western concepts. One should not forget that most of the iconic designs are developed by expatriates who don’t understand that cities in the Middle East lack a public realm. The skyline of the west-bay area already resembles Sheikh Zayed road in Dubai.

Acceptance of one’s cultural backdrop

As an architect, I often wonder why there is a perception that any element of existing heritage of Qatar— be it cultural or spiritual — is always identified with the past, backwardness and poverty; while the image of “development” or “progress” is always borrowed from elsewhere?

For instance, why is glass considered to be a material that denotes ‘progress’ whereas traditional and practical materials like clay and limestone are often related to backwardness and poverty? This impractical dissociation between materials and the environmental context of a region causes a slow degradation of the local architectural expression.

This advocates methods of tweaking ideas from one cultural context and illogically pasting them into another. Prospective business tenants in Doha have become aware that dramatically curved or angled glazed walls within exotic building shells can hike the cost of fitting out an office by 15-20 per cent.

In this part of the world, where methods of keeping the heat out and preventing its transfer are required, architects instead celebrate with glass. Each glass tower, built taller than the other – becomes unexpectedly meaningless, rendering any discussion of architecture irrelevant.

Logical Planning

In a country where the population of locals and expatriates is rising and in parallel multiple numbers of vehicles, Doha’s road networks are still being planned on a more old-fashioned British-like system that consists of 3-4 lane networks and small roundabouts. And traffic police seem to still require resources, training and maturity in terms of traffic monitoring, i.e. maintaining social control and driving discipline.

Dedicated lanes, bus-stops and other suitable provisions for public transport are still being ignored. This overall deficiency in urban foresight will not be able to manage the increasing volume of traffic in the coming years. Wider lanes and interchanges are an immediate requirement in Doha.

Even today, there are no proper provisions in place for the mobility of emergency vehicles. And vehicle parking is already an intrinsic problem. For instance, in a developing area like West Bay – every Doha resident has experienced the havoc of trying to access the City Centre Mall and find a parking space even during weekdays.

Traffic

Proper road grading and storm-water drainage systems are still being overlooked in the assumption that Qatar receives very little rainfall annually. Most residents are aware of havoc caused last year due to blocked roads and flooded roundabouts following sudden downpours. Saudi residents will not forget the aftermaths of rains that took place in Jeddah a few years back.

Construction managers have blindly prepared new road construction plans/strategies without taking into account efficient diversions for current and future traffic volumes. In the coming years, the roads in Doha are going to be inevitably jam-packed with vehicles and residents will be frustrated with road blocks due to inefficient road construction planning.

I’m forced to question the content and feasibility of the current Master Plan devised for Doha, as the few remaining empty plots located within the busiest/crowded areas in Doha are still being built-upon(e.g. Najma, Mansoora, Muntazah). Common sense says that such empty plots should be utilized for enabling vehicle parking and also providing breathing spaces, green parks and breakpoints for pedestrians.

People are forced to be drivers, not pedestrians. Low-income workers have desperately adopted settling on small grass areas between roads as these happen to be the only areas available for informal meetings. The creation of architectural wonders in Doha will not overshadow the city’s poor urban planning.

All future developments must be moved to the outer parts of Doha so that volumes of traffic and people settlements are distributed evenly through the country. Creation of multiple ‘Doha-like’ satellite townships with highway access should be the primary aim rather than building dense infrastructure and buildings in and around the already congested parts of the city.

The buoyant future

It is not as though Doha doesn’t know how to make good cities. Its old downtown, located along the creekside and hearkening the emirate’s fishing village and trading post origins, is a charmer with old marketplaces or souks.

Here are age-old lessons of walkable streets, mixed uses and the use of aged buildings that form still-relevant models for planning cities. The trouble is that these models are being trampled upon in the rush to create the car-oriented city of office parks and commercial strips that is going to be stretched for mile after mile.

Overall, Doha should not be focused on just building up infrastructure to support a world cup. This hasty, spur-of-the-moment approach to get things accomplished is not going to benefit the country or its residents in anyway.

Lessons should be learnt from case-studying city plans of already developed cities like Dubai & Abu Dhabi. The engineering arena should convince the elite that the future of Doha desperately lies in logical design for the benefit of the residents, controlled urban growth, efficient use of per-capita income, value-engineering and acceptance of one’s cultural setting.

Romi Sebastian is based in Doha.

Skyline from Shutterstock

More on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar:
“The Showcase” is a Mini Prototype Stadium for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup
Qatar Accused of Bribing Their Way to the 2022 World Cup
SLIDESHOW: Entries for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup Stadiums

If you missed your chance to get naked at the Dead Sea with 1000 other people and the US photographer Spencer Tunick, don’t fear: Green Prophet spotters have found a year-long naked-friendly hot springs bathing hole a few kilometers south of where the Dead Sea scrolls were located at Qumran. Just to the east and down the banks of a sign labelled “Qedem”, a collection of naked bathers were found frolicking in the Dead Sea last weekend. A naked group (pictured above) seemed to be conducting some sort of ceremony, while naked women and men, belonging to no apparent group, waded in and out of the hot spring pools.

With parking on both sides of the road, 4x4s are easily able to make it down the steep slopes to the hot springs, and the small pools made into hot tubs by locals. Word of caution: full of minerals, the hot springs can sting, especially on private parts. Enter the pools slowly, and watch out for sinkholes.

Find some old bottles, fill them up with water before you arrive, put them in the pools and then after your hot bath enjoy a fresh water shower to get the slimy, salty minerals off your body.

A gorgeous spa, as nature intended.

If you are less into “roughing” it, a spa for the proletariat has been built nearby to the north and is called Mineral. They offer hot springs, and showers, but in a sterile environment, with no nakedness! And of course, you have to pay.

Tip, if you want to see the above picture in more detail, double click on it and it will open in a new browser. Double click again.

Read more about the Dead Sea:

1000 Israelis Strip Naked for the Dead Sea
One Man’s Account of Getting Naked for the Tunick Photo Shoot
Lowest Wonder of the World About to Get Naked