Climate change an important factor in Syrian uprising

[Sam Lord]

Compelling article in Counterpunch on the years of drought in Syria and it's effect on food production and the population.

“From 2006-2011, up to 60% of Syria’s land experienced, in the terms of one expert, “the worst long-term drought and most severe set of crop failures since agricultural civilizations began in the Fertile Crescent many millennia ago.”

http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/08/...ia-and-beyond/

[C. Flower]

Compelling article in Counterpunch on the years of drought in Syria and it's effect on food production and the population.



http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/08/...ia-and-beyond/

Food price increases drove things in Egypt too. It is horrific to think of Egypt not being self sufficient in food.

Bread has been artificially cheap in Egypt and Jordan, for example, based on government subsidies and imported US wheat.

Urbanisation is taking some of the most fertile lands, worldwide. Oil price increases hit food prices. All that, along with climate change, needs to be acted on. China has a twenty year plan for its food security. Not such a bad idea.

There has been quite a bit written in the last year or so about climate change having forced agricultural development and settlement onto the human race.