Heat's on as Spain battles desert spread

[gulfcoastliberal]

When it comes to the consequences of global climate change, it is rare that countries reap what they sow.

Developed countries produce most of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, but the effects have largely been felt elsewhere, from Pacific islands disappearing beneath the seas to devastating droughts in Africa.

cut

According to the UN, the deserts of Africa are poised to jump the Mediterranean and within 50 years, one-third of Spain will be desert. Spain is suffering from its worst drought since 1947 and it is clear that the process of desertification has already begun.

cut

Travel through the south-eastern provinces of Murcia and Almeria, and you could be forgiven for thinking that you've entered the barren badlands of North Africa. Across the region, hillsides denuded of trees segue into plains of unrelenting, desert-like monotony.

In much of the country's south-east - the "market garden of Europe" - water storage levels have dipped below 12 per cent, river levels have fallen by 41 per cent in less than a year and, in some places, it has not rained in 15 years. Some villages have simply run out of water.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/heats-on-as-spain-battles-desert-spread/2006/04/14/1144521501466.html

[mitchtv]

1. So sad

I live in the desert, and water is squandered on lawns and golf courses.People are slow to change without leadership.

[phantom power]

3. I don't know about you, but I'm getting past sad and into frightened.

If these trends continue (and every indication says they will) people are going to start going hungry.

[hatrack]

2. Hell to pay, and the bills haven't even begun to come in

This is also true in portions of southern France, Sicily, Italy and Greece.

But when your local paper spends an entire page on what the contestants in "American Idol" are wearing (and no, I'm not making this up, the article took up an entire page of the paper), it's not surprising that you don't hear too much about things like this.

[cliss]

4. Yes, there have been several articles about

this horrible development. In fact, all of those southern countries are getting hit with desertification. It sounds like southern France is greatly at risk. Last summer, there was a fire that burned for almost a week. The king and queen of Sweden were there on vacation, and it was touch&go for a while.

Is there anything they can do? Like plant drought-resistant trees, or shrubs?