Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Booming Gulf looks overseas for agriculture needs

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Latest Breaking News Donate to DU
 
DogPoundPup Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 06:46 PM
Original message
Booming Gulf looks overseas for agriculture needs
Source: Yahoo

NAHEL, United Arab Emirates – In the dunes around this sun-scorched desert village, where camels still plod along dusty roads an hour south of Dubai's skyscrapers, they're making the wasteland bloom.

Row upon row of bell peppers grow plump in a temperature-controlled greenhouse. Lilies and roses bud nearby, and strawberries are on their way, all thanks to sophisticated water-saving irrigation.

Yet even high-tech establishments like the Mirak Agricultural Services farms here and elsewhere in this riverless country will never feed the region's rapidly growing population. It's that realization that is persuading wealthy Gulf Arabs to look far beyond their shores for more fertile acreage — tens of thousands of acres, in some cases.

There are simply too many mouths to feed and not enough water. Lush urban landscaping and ambitious agricultural projects here and in Saudi Arabia — which once spent so much on farm subsidies that it exported surplus wheat — are quickly draining aquifers, including some that are millennia old and cannot be refilled.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081116/ap_on_re_mi_ea/food_s_future_farmland_hunt;_ylt=AoH4t7CuSSSCxONVNJpG1toLewgF





Water wars the next big violent confrontation?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
sandnsea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 07:45 PM
Response to Original message
1. I worry about rainwater and aquifers
I'm not so sure catching rain water is a good idea, even here. Aquifers are very fragile and once gone, I don't know how many years of rain it would take to percolate in. Have they ever reclaimed a dead aquifer?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
2Design Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 08:44 PM
Response to Original message
2. BFEE helped them get more money for oil, right ? they have money to burn n/t
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
dixiegrrrrl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 09:31 PM
Response to Original message
3. Absolutely. Long predicted, btw.
That Pickens guy who is advertising hisself on tv as doing huge solar power energy?
All that Texas land he bought happens to sit on an aquifer.

Jeb Bush gave Fla's biggest aquifer away to Nestle Co. for a 500.00..yes, hundred...annual lease so Nestle could make millions selling us their bottled water.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Tue Apr 30th 2024, 06:57 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Latest Breaking News Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC