Economics of Renewable Energy
An interesting NYT piece –
How Renewable Energy Is Blowing Climate Change Efforts Off Course
Water Shortages in the Middle East – A Geo-Political Concern
Brahma Chellaney notes –
“There is no shortage
of challenges facing the Arab world. Given that many Arab states are modern
constructs invented by departing colonial powers, and therefore lack cohesive
historical identities, their state structures often lack strong foundations.
Add to that external and internal pressures – including from surging Islamism,
civil wars, and mass migration from conflict zones – and the future of several
Arab countries appears uncertain.
What few seem to recognize is how water scarcity contributes to this cycle of violence. One key trigger of the Arab Spring uprisings – rising food prices – was directly connected to the region’s worsening water crisis. Water also fuels tensions between countries. Saudi Arabia and Jordan, for example, are engaged in a silent race to pump the al-Disi aquifer, which they share.”
What few seem to recognize is how water scarcity contributes to this cycle of violence. One key trigger of the Arab Spring uprisings – rising food prices – was directly connected to the region’s worsening water crisis. Water also fuels tensions between countries. Saudi Arabia and Jordan, for example, are engaged in a silent race to pump the al-Disi aquifer, which they share.”