From: Thomas Lunde <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Spreading water scarcity is also slowing growth in the harvest. The
>fastest-growing grain import market during the 1990's is North Africa and
>the Middle East. In this region, which stretches from Morocco through
Iran,
Thanks for the information Thomas. Almost 3 billion people are expected to
face water shortages:
JOHNS HOPKINS REPORT: WATER AND POPULATION CRISIS LOOMS
Nearly half a billion people around the world face water shortages
today. By 2025 the number will explode fivefold to 2.8 billion people --
35% of the world's projected total of 8 billion people -- according to a
new report from The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.
TO SEE AN ADVANCE OF THE FULL REPORT GO TO:
http://www.jhuccp.org/popreport/m14edsum.stm
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Moreover, the loss of productive land is more-or-less permanent:
http://dieoff.com/page114.htm
"Roughly 43 percent of Earth's terrestrial vegetated surface has diminished
capacity to supply benefits to humanity because of recent, direct impacts of
land use. This represents an ~10 percent reduction in potential direct
instrumental value (PDIV), defined as the potential to yield direct benefits
such as agricultural, forestry, industrial, and medicinal products. If
present trends continue, the global loss of PDIV could reach ~20 percent by
2020."
Typical soil formation rates are ~1 cm per 100 to 400 years. At such rates
it takes ~3000 to 12,000 years to develop sufficient soil to form productive
land.
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Which job will experience the greatest growth in the 21'st century?
Gravedigger!
Jay
