Water Wars Warning

Hillary Clinton looks at water and doesn't like what she sees.  The US Secretary of State warns that competition for increasingly scarce water supplies may will fuel terrorism, political instability and wars in the coming decades.

'''I think it's fair to say the intelligence community's findings are sobering,'' Mrs Clinton said about the report that focuses on the potential water problems between now and 2040.

 

"A summary said North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia ''will face major challenges coping with water problems'', particularly as a result of population growth and increased economic demand.

"Climate change is a third factor likely to be more strongly pronounced in the later decades.

'''As the world's population continues to grow, demand for water will go up but our fresh water supplies will not keep pace,'' Mrs Clinton said.

"She underscored concerns in the report that terrorists could attack dams and other infrastructure ensuring supplies of water to people, agriculture or industry. Or water could be used as a ''political tool'', she said."

Water insecurity is one reason why there'll be no peace between Israel and its neighbours.  Israel is dependent on aquifers beneath Arab lands.  It's why Israel prevents West Bank Palestinians from access to their own groundwater even as it freely takes their water itself.  That's the 800-pound gorilla in the room and it's not going anywhere.

And if that isn't bad enough, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has just moved the Doomsday Clock one minute closer to midnight.  It's now at 11:55 pm.   The organization blames lack of progress on nuclear proliferation and climate change for the downgrade.

Faced with clear and present dangers of nuclear proliferation and climate change, and the need to find sustainable and safe sources of energy, world leaders are failing to change business as usual. Inaction on key issues including climate change, and rising international tensions motivate the movement of the clock.