New Scientist: Earth economist - The food bubble is about to burst.
“Saudi Arabia made itself self-sufficient in wheat by using water from a fossil aquifer, which doesn’t refill. It has harvested close to 3 million tonnes a year, but in 2008 the Saudi authorities said the aquifer was largely depleted. Next year could be the last harvest. This is extreme, but about half the world’s people live in countries with falling water tables.” Including New Mexico.
Comments:
Albuquerque’s chugging its aquifer dry. Cities are now fighting over Rio Grande water, which relies on the snowpack up in Colorado. I’d say we’re already overbuilt ... but them’s hangin’ words around here.
Posted by Garret P Vreeland on 02/10/11 at 03:55 PM
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
<< Previous entry: OurFuture.org: Discover The Network Out To Crush Our Public Workers.
Next entry: SF New Mexican: Northern N.M. snowmelt may be low. >>
Next entry: SF New Mexican: Northern N.M. snowmelt may be low. >>
As bad as it sounds, the realist in me recognizes that the world needs to shed about 20% of its population in order to recover. Unfortunately, this means that hunger and food shortages are going to be the way this is going to happen.