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The Thirsty Dragon (The Hungry Dragon): Why China Wants US-Grown Pork Chops
August 24th, 2013
Via MotherJones, a look at the impact of water scarcity on China’s food supplies: When the Chinese company Shuanghui International bought US pork giant Smithfield in May—a deal that’s still on hold pending US government review—I read it as another sign that China’s rulers are ready to more or less outsource the nation’s food supply […]
Read more »Peak Water in the American West
August 24th, 2013
Via Science, a startling assessment of the U.S. West’s water challenges from Peter Gleick: Dropping water levels in Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam. (Source: Peter Gleick 2013) It is no surprise, of course, that the western United States is dry. The entire history of the West can be told (and has been, in great books […]
Read more »How Resource Shortages Sparked Egypt’s Months-Long Crisis
August 22nd, 2013
Courtesy of The Atlantic, a look at the role that resource shortages – particularly freshwater – are playing in Egypt’s current conflict: With more than 600 people killed and almost 4,000 injured from clashes between Egyptian security forces and Muslim Brotherhood protesters, the country’s democratic prospects look dismal. But while the violence is largely framed […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: China ‘Less Than Enthusiastic’ To Indian Proposal On Water
August 22nd, 2013
Via The Economic Times, a report on Indian proposals to China regarding water: India today elicited “less than enthusiastic” response from China on its proposal to have a separate mechanism to deal with water issues amid its continued concerns over Chinese damming activities on Brahmaputra. During the 5th round of India-China Strategic Dialogue, the Indian […]
Read more »Uzbek Delegation Ignores International Conference on Water Cooperation
August 22nd, 2013
Via 24.kg news group, a brief report on simmering water tensions in Central Asia, as displayed during a recent International Conference on Water Cooperation: Representatives of Uzbekistan did not attend the International Conference on Water Cooperation. It should be noted, that Uzbekistan has repeatedly opposed construction of Kambarata-1 hydropower plant in Kyrgyzstan and Rogun hydropower […]
Read more »Iran’s Water Woes More Worrying than War
August 20th, 2013
Via Green Prophet, an interesting look at Iran’s water challenges: International media is so obsessed with Iran’s forbidden access to nuclear energy and the possibility of war that a host of other issues far more worrying than war are being ignored. And it starts with water. Iran’s population of 75 million faces chronic water shortages, […]
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