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I have always had the notion that it would and will be because of water. Well I cant really claim it as my own as my geologist father told me he believed it when I was about 12. Think about it as its actually a sui generis in that it stands alone. That is to say we can live without oil.
I think that that is probably true. In fact, if there is ever another War Between the States in the US, it will be over water and it will start in the West.
Our free trade partners have been trying to sneak in water for 2 decades.
I was reading yesterday about water rights issues in New Mexico. There is a movement among local ranchers- this is in the west/central part of the state, close to the Arizona border- to stop foreign 'speculators' and other commercial interests from drilling for water on the Plains of San Agustin.
That area was apparently a huge lake for a very long time (until a very long time ago), and there is a tremendous amount of water underground. The ranchers rely on this water and the resultant springs, etc...and are afraid that these outside interests will drain the water, then sell it back to them. Or at the very least, use it up.
That was what happened on the Navajo Nation and the Hopi reservation in Arizona. In that case, the coal mine on Black Mesa used up a billion gallons of ground water every year and eventually the springs in that part of the world all dried up. Those springs were not only the only water source for several thousand people and their livestock, but they have religious significance to the Hopi as well.
Considering there is more of it than anything else on the planet, if we start going to war because of water, we are in real problems.
GPS, Internet and energy related things will be what everyone wants to be ahead on.
I'm talking fresh water.Quote:
Originally Posted by 0james0
Locally we've had boil orders at least 5 times in a year...and thats not including hurricanes coming in and leaving people standing in 4 plus hr lines for ice blocks and bottled drinking water. Or BP polluting the inlets and reserves. I don't know about a global conflict for fresh drinking water but you can bet its one 'natural' resource that is greatly taken for granted. Nothing like a sponge bath with a gallon of Kentwood or stashed tap when the taps are dry or running black :-X;D
There are massive water problems on the way all over the world. They're definitely going to cause regional conflicts, not sure about global conflicts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPY64EJcsG4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzaV8tg6hno
someone else to hate, water isn't a right
Its been raining here for eight days straight now. Runs straight out into the ocean for the most part unless its caught in our old dams as our state goverments are so bad at nuts and bolts management and cant afford to build anymore.Cause they are money and blame shifters only. These fuckwits here have put us in debt for ever with an oversized desalination plant. Its not stopped raining here since they built it so its not producing and pumping into already full dams, but still it has to produce and run so it doesnt seize up.(imagine the costs)!
One smart farmer out in the flatter inland areas where it doesnt rain in the summer, got smart,he dammed up the small creek a number of times through his whole property (he just built walls up slowly and sectioned off his creek. In winter when the rains fell he held the weight of water longer before it spilled over and went onto the next farm. This extra weight made the water go out under the ground and fill up all the old fissures and cracks in his land. His land is green and treed all year now, the others right next door to him are dust for half the year then all their top soil gets washed away cause they havent the moisture to support small growth to bind it together.
Well I guess when water isn't free and people start really needing it then we'll be really happy we took time to work on all that gun control legislation :vd:
Ooooh also if there's ever a problem with the food supply it'll be nice that there are fewer hunters too eh Missy :shakehead: ...you have no issue eating a cow that was born & raised in captivity on a factory farm but use a gun to shoot a deer and ***GASP**** eat the venison and all of a sudden you're a god damned murderer....why don't you worry about the dirt poor Eastern European picking your veggies?!?!?
Fucking ridiculous
what a surprise lyle couldn't keep out of it eh? Typical yank...
Go eat a banger!Quote:
Originally Posted by Howlin Mad Missy
Wherever it is, it will be about religion.
Interesting article in this months Smithsonian about water issues in the mid-east. Apparently, between 2003 and 2009 the area comprised of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and western Iran went through 117 million acre feet of groundwater, more than any other place besides northern India. In Iraq there have been murders of irrigation officials and clan conflicts over water. In Syria, a drought that began in 06 drove 80,000 farmers and unhappy, unemployed guys = conflict. Meanwhile, Turkey's dam and hydropower construction has cut the flow downstream to Iraq by 80% and Syria by 40%.
Tribal Clan conflicts......ya don't say ;D....and here I was thinking those people were the nice ones and us Westerners were the heartless murderers. Missy, Kirkland, Miles....you lied to me!Quote:
Originally Posted by greynotsoold
It's even worse in Yemen. This kind of problemis going to happen all over the place though.Quote:
Originally Posted by greynotsoold
It's like with any other natural resource. We (civilization) use it, abuse it, and misuse it. Then... when shortages start peeking around the corner, we start wringing our hands, fighting with each other, and we can't even agree on whether it's a problem or not. Unfortunately, foresight sometimes isn't one of our strong points as a society in general. If it won't be a problem by next week... then screw it. It's not important enough to worry about.
I've been to small, tropical islands, such as Aruba, where all their water comes from desalination plants. Aruba has no natural fresh water supplies, so this is their only source of fresh water. Obviously, this is not the answer for everyone.
I agree with Kirk in that it will likely become the cause of regional conflicts, if not global ones.
People living in the English Lake District, have got it made. It never stops Raining
The next "Global Conflict" will more than likely be a showdown of Persians vs Arabs vs nonmuslims.....after the "Arab Spring" and given the continuous growth of riots across the Middle East I think some huge shit is about to go down between Saudi Arabia and Iran and with Israel nearby it's not going to be safe. Also the Saudis are tied with the West and the Iranians are tied to the Russians and Chinese....there's always the thought that we're one catastrophe away from a true World War