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Asian farmers are sucking the continent dry, says report
Reuters ^ | Thursday, August 26, 2004 | Andrew Cawthorne

Posted on 08/30/2004 7:04:51 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

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Yet another tragedy of the commons.

It is a good thing the planet is warming because then we will have longer growing seasons and more arable land so that food in Canada, Russia and the United States can supply the rest of the world.

Access to oil and other energy reserves is going to seem like a tremendous luxury in comparison to water and food.

1 posted on 08/30/2004 7:04:51 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

I believe there is even worse... In Bangladesh there is widespread arsenic poisoning, from natural arsenic which leached in these wells...


2 posted on 08/30/2004 7:11:58 AM PDT by Pitiricus
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

A lesson for those in the U.S. who think there's no crisis over depleting the Ogalla aquifer and others.


3 posted on 08/30/2004 7:16:48 AM PDT by RonF
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
Don't worry, after they screw up their country, they will emigrate to the USA...
4 posted on 08/30/2004 7:16:55 AM PDT by 2banana (They want to die for Islam and we want to kill them)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

The sky is falling. A piece of it hit me on the head this morning on my way to work. I'm sure it's GWB's fault. He should do more to stop it.


5 posted on 08/30/2004 7:18:16 AM PDT by aardvark1 (Something was seared in my memory but I forgot what it was.)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

The world of junk science just keeps getting funnier.


6 posted on 08/30/2004 7:20:35 AM PDT by hushpad
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

Where's the "Blame Bush," tag to this Reuters story.


7 posted on 08/30/2004 7:20:37 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
Water is more valuable than oil and people will pay dearly for it.

Buy the top desalinization company now.....ION.

8 posted on 08/30/2004 7:20:41 AM PDT by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN (3 Purple Hearts? No blood? No Way!!)
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To: onedoug
Where's the "Blame Bush," tag to this Reuters story.

Sorry:

IT'S BUSH'S FAULT!!!

9 posted on 08/30/2004 7:27:16 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Tax Energy not Labour.)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

Good. Our crops will be expensive. We will trade them for plastic things made in China at a favorable trade balance.


10 posted on 08/30/2004 7:29:03 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan
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To: hushpad
The world of junk science just keeps getting funnier.

Not so sure what you mean by this. Are you saying that calculating that more water is being taken out of the ground than returned is junk science?

If so, I don't quite comprehend how it fulfills the criteria. Obviously if you take more out than is being put back eventually there will be none left. If people rely on the water to grow food and there is suddenly no water left, they wont be able to grow enough food. The exact amounts and timing may be open to debate but the logic is flawless. Or, do you actually believe that Rambo can keep shooting without reloading?

11 posted on 08/30/2004 7:31:27 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Tax Energy not Labour.)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

The Chinese gov. will administer lead doses to control any Earth First type eco-terrorism that crops up.


12 posted on 08/30/2004 7:31:30 AM PDT by Rebelbase (John Kerry, sign form 180 .)
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To: Rebelbase

What? As true as it might be what does that have to do with the story?

I wanted to ask what it had to do with the price of tea in China, but in fact, it has a lot to do with the price of tea in China. However I still can't figure out what it has to do with the story.


13 posted on 08/30/2004 7:33:31 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Tax Energy not Labour.)
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To: 2banana

Too late, we are already here.


14 posted on 08/30/2004 7:34:22 AM PDT by razoroccam (Then in the name of Allah, they will let loose the germs of war (http://www.booksurge.com))
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

Water Crisis = Cause for evironmental activists of unsavory means.


15 posted on 08/30/2004 7:39:37 AM PDT by Rebelbase (John Kerry, sign form 180 .)
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To: Rebelbase

I may be a bit dense here, but you are going to have to ellaborate a bit more on your thinking.

A real water crisis means that there is not enough water to go around. As opposed to a potential or fabricated water crisis.

If people aren't getting enough to eat or drink, then eveyone becomes an activist.

I just don't see how this has anything to do with radical environmental activists. It seems to me that these are reasonable scientists saying that if you empty the glass faster than it is refilled, eventually there won't be enough to drink.


16 posted on 08/30/2004 7:47:20 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Tax Energy not Labour.)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

The interesting spot to watch is China moving into the Russian held Mongolia and Siberia eventually as their water supply dwindles. It appears they are attempting to co-opt that territory by attrition since Chinese are moving into it.

I think that could be a major flashpoint in this century.


17 posted on 08/30/2004 8:04:27 AM PDT by OpusatFR (President Bush will win 2004.)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

When the water supply gets to a crisis point, it'll all be America's fault, of course... especially if a Republican is in office.


18 posted on 08/30/2004 8:08:25 AM PDT by Teacher317
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To: hushpad

Quote:The world of junk science just keeps getting funnier.


That's BS in this case. We have to use a well because no county water is available in the rural area where I live. The well has never gone dry on us except the year we landscaped the house with new shrubbery and had the water the new plants on a regular basis and bingo it went dry that year due to overuse.


19 posted on 08/30/2004 8:15:10 AM PDT by superiorslots
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To: OpusatFR

Excellent point.


20 posted on 08/30/2004 8:22:26 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Tax Energy not Labour.)
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