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China's disappearing land puts food supplies at risk (soil erosion over 1/3 of Chinese land)
New Scientist ^ | 11/21/08

Posted on 11/24/2008 10:04:04 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster

China's disappearing land puts food supplies at risk

* 15:45 21 November 2008 by New Scientist staff and Reuters

Over a third of China's land is being scoured by erosion that is putting its crops and water supplies at risk, a three-year nationwide survey finds.

Soil is being washed and blown away not only in remote rural areas, but near mines, factories and even in cities, according to the country's official Xinhua news agency. The agency is citing a report compiled by China's bio-environment security research team – the largest on soil conservation since the communist party took control of China in 1949.

The team found that since 2000, erosion has cost China 200 billion yuan ($29 billion) in economic losses. Each year some 4.5 billion tonnes of soil are lost, threatening the country's ability to feed itself. If erosion continues at this rate, harvests in China's north-eastern breadbasket could fall by 40% in 50 years.

The Chinese findings tie into another report published this week: the US National Intelligence Council review, which is issued every four years. According to this year's report, the world could see the return of battles over resources – raising the possibility of resource conflict between China and India.

(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; foodcrisis; india; soilerosion; whocares
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Convergence of economic crisis and environmental crisis ==> war and mass death
1 posted on 11/24/2008 10:04:06 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; maui_hawaii; Jeff Head; Tainan; hedgetrimmer; Unam Sanctam; taxesareforever; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 11/24/2008 10:04:40 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

And don’t think that we will not be involved. Where is there arable land available for them to take? It is all occupied over there. I liked them when they were a backwards communist nation.


3 posted on 11/24/2008 10:10:37 PM PST by aliquando (A Scout is T, L, H, F, C, K, O, C, T, B, C, and R.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Last week there was an article about China leasing HALF of Madagascar to grow food for the Middle Kingdom...


4 posted on 11/24/2008 10:14:49 PM PST by null and void (0bama is Gorbachev treating a dying system with the same poison that's killing it in the first place)
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To: null and void
My mistake. It was Korea
5 posted on 11/24/2008 10:16:43 PM PST by null and void (0bama is Gorbachev treating a dying system with the same poison that's killing it in the first place)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Leftists like to gleefully insist that China will assume America's leading role in the world--as if that would somehow be a good thing.

Unfortunately for the Left, China is an enormous ecological disaster in the making. The China pep club is going to be horrified at what happens there.

6 posted on 11/24/2008 10:31:02 PM PST by denydenydeny ("Banish Merry Christmas. Get ready for Mad Max.."-Daniel Henninger)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

If you have ever been in Seoul in April or May, you’d know where their top soil ends up!


7 posted on 11/24/2008 10:35:59 PM PST by NoLibZone (Obams success proves that Ayers type violence is respected by the left. Let's do likewise.)
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To: null and void
"My mistake. It was Korea "

And Africa

8 posted on 11/24/2008 10:36:00 PM PST by blam
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To: aliquando

Well there’s russia which has plenty of empty land, the indians would fight them tooth and nail and probably keep them out, they could probably take vietnam, thailand, those southeast asian countries but that wouldn’t do them any real good. And unless they build a bridge out of starving peasents we’re pretty safe here.

The US dollar will probably surge in value as they start buying every kernal of grain we’ll sell them.


9 posted on 11/24/2008 10:42:53 PM PST by utherdoul
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Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: TigerLikesRooster

The Han have been displacing the Mongolian farmers and ranchers, and other enthinc minorities, in a policy directed by the central government against Mongolian dissent. The crops and imported animals used by the Han dried up the aquifers near the Gobi desert, which is now expanding.


11 posted on 11/24/2008 10:49:34 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
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To: aliquando
Where is there arable land available for them to take?

The Eastern half of Russia. If/when China decides it wants it, there's not much the Russkies can do to stop it.

12 posted on 11/24/2008 11:18:41 PM PST by uglybiker (1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d 2 g3t l41d)
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To: utherdoul
“The US dollar will probably surge in value as they start buying every kernal of grain we’ll sell them”

Aren't we converting it all to bio-fuel? Algore said it is the best thing after all.

13 posted on 11/24/2008 11:19:08 PM PST by JSteff (It was ALL about SCOTUS. Most forget about that and may have doomed us for a generation or more.)
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To: uglybiker

the eastern part of Russia is just like China. Come on, its not that land is in short supply in China, it is “arable” land that is. Siberia is freezing in winter and the summers aren’t long enough to grow too much. The wars will be waged will be to expand southwards - Laos, Vietnam, India, Burma -> These are the countries that will face the chicom barbarians first.

The Indian President is visiting Vietnam and Indonesia to upgrade strategic ties. I wonder if it ties up as an alliance against China. I know all 3 countries can’t stand the Chinese.


14 posted on 11/25/2008 1:13:55 AM PST by MimirsWell
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To: TigerLikesRooster

This is ‘another’ reason why China is all up in Africa


15 posted on 11/25/2008 2:32:12 AM PST by ebiskit (South Park Republican ( I see Red People ))
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To: aliquando

Russia. There’ll be lots of free land as Russia’s population numbers implode.


16 posted on 11/25/2008 3:19:44 AM PST by nicola_tesla (www.fedupusa.org)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

When China starts to run out of food and money for its people - it will begin to conquer its neighbors - things are setting up quickly for a world war. American soldiers unfortunately may be ordered to fight and kill Americans under Obama - we will see.


17 posted on 11/25/2008 4:50:27 AM PST by sasafras (TIME FOR A RESURGENCE - FREEDOM IS NOT FREE - NO MORE COMPLAINING - LET'S GET BUSY!)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Looks like China’s march upon Israel is more plausible than ever.


18 posted on 11/25/2008 5:12:24 AM PST by pctech
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To: uglybiker

Are you talking East of the Urals or further East? The further east you go, the crappier the land.


19 posted on 11/25/2008 5:43:58 AM PST by aliquando (A Scout is T, L, H, F, C, K, O, C, T, B, C, and R.)
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To: utherdoul

“And unless they build a bridge out of starving peasents we’re pretty safe here.”

Don’t put it past them.


20 posted on 11/25/2008 9:34:21 AM PST by Eyes Unclouded (We won't ever free our guns but be sure we'll let them triggers go....)
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