Posted on 04/12/2008 11:06:20 AM PDT by blam
Is this the beginning of water wars?
18:00 11 April 2008
NewScientist.com news service
Catherine Brahic
As Barcelona runs out of water, Spain has been forced to consider importing water from France by boat. It is the latest example of the growing struggle for water around the world – the "water wars".
Barcelona and the surrounding region are suffering the worst drought in decades. There are several possible solutions, including diverting a river, and desalinating water. But the city looks like it will ship water from the French port of Marseilles.
The water services authority in Marseille say that no contracts have been signed, and would not say how much the water would cost, although it is unlikely to cost any more than it costs the inhabitants of Marseilles. And the amounts of water than have been discussed are small – 25,000 cubic metres, less than what's needed to grow an acre of wheat, and not enough to keep 30 Spaniards going for a year, based on their average consumption.
But the proposal is interesting because it turns a local drought into an international situation.
Water conflict
Climatologists predict that certain regions, the Mediterranean basin among them, will increasingly suffer from water shortages as global temperatures are pushed up by greenhouse gas emissions.
Combined with reports that water scarcity can escalate conflicts, the forecasts have raised fears that climate change could bring about water wars.
"People will not fight over water," says Mark Zeitoun, from the London School of Economics' Centre for Environmental Policy and Governance in the UK. "But that's not to say water shortages will not contributing to existing tensions."
This is already happening. Zeitoun advises the Palestinian authorities in their water negotiations with Israel. The latter controls 90% of the two territories'
(Excerpt) Read more at environment.newscientist.com ...
I guess sitting on the largest suppky of fresh water in the world isnt a bad thing .....what say we charge about $100 a barrel ?
Thereafter, the remaining cannibals will eat each other, solving the earth's problems once and for all.
Plus shipping and handling!
How does a desert country like Saudi Arabia get it’s water?
If you think the oil wars have been bad, just wait for the water wars...you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Another bloody genius! We've been fighting over water here in the west since time began.
No, no. The UN says that the Great Lakes blong to everyone and we must share at our expense.
Spain is surrounded by water. But if they want to drink their own sewage by diverting a river which they dump all their sewage into, thinking it wouldn't be just as costly as desalinating sea water to make it potable ( I still wouldn't drink it) then more power to them.
There's something about drinking recycled sewage that appeals to leftist evirowienies.
Why? When we already sell it for $1.50-$2 a half-liter bottle now in most convenience stores.
Climatologists predict that certain regions, the Mediterranean basin among them, will increasingly suffer from water shortages as global temperatures are pushed up by greenhouse gas emissions.
"...as global temperatures are pushed up by greenhouse gas emissions." Nary a qualifier nor a hint of doubt in sight...
Desalination of sea water is way cheaper. Less than $1 / barrel.
Blasphemy!
What global warming? We haven't even seen a single degree change in the 20th century. in fact it's cooler now than it was in the 16th century by about 5 degrees.
Climatologists have never, and still don't have a clue about the weather. They can't predict tomorrows weather, never mind weather next week, next year, 10 years or 100 years from now.
"Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fightin over" Mark Twain.
One litte problem with this article though.....ahem.....the global temperature has been cooling since 1998....but sshhhhh we wouldn't want to pop their alarmist bubble.
<< How does a desert country like Saudi Arabia get it’s water?
I don’t know about their total water supply but a big part of it is from desalinization plants. Not only that I think the technology is Israeli. Saudi has enough water that they can afford to have trucks full of water drive around and water all the plants in the public gardens and along the roads.
I assume you are Canadian?
It is Canada that has the world’s greatest supply of fresh water. “we” in the USA are not immune from this future crisis- great swathes of the USA are subject to increasing drought over the next 25 years.
Introducing that much moisture into desert conditions might even begin to induce a little more natural rainfall due to evaporative cooling and cloud formation.
Exactly.
And water is at the heart of the struggle between Israel and the Arabs. Let Syria dam the sources of the Jordan and let’s see if this genius is right and “people won’t fight” over water”
desalination
and several years ago they towed an iceberg to the Gulf to tap for fresh water!
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