Deserts Spreading Like 'Cancer'

[n2doc]

Growing deserts in the Middle East and North Africa have already displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

Fri Apr 2, 2010 11:10 AM ET | content provided by AFP

The desert is making a comeback in the Middle East, with fertile lands turning into barren wastes that could further destabilize the region, experts said at a water conference on Thursday.

"Desertification spreads like cancer; it can't be noticed immediately," said Wadid Erian, a soil expert with the Arab League, at a conference on Thursday in the Egyptian coastal town of Alexandria.

Its effect can be seen in Syria, where drought has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, ruining farmers and swelling cities, Erian said.

He said Darfur in western Sudan is still reeling from a devastating war exacerbated by a shortage of water and fertile land.

more

http://news.discovery.com/earth/deserts-middle-east.html

[unblock]

1. for a moment i had visions of metastasizing key lime pie and mango sherbet

[gvstn]

2. I know little but will comment anyway...

I remember reading about how carbon emissions don't necessarily effect the country doing the polluting. I think it is something like our pollution helps spread drought in Africa. Now that China is emerging as a true industrial country and doing their share of polluting it will actually effect the U.S. Our climate will become drier especially on the west coast.

Instead of us making a change now and hoping China will follow in another 20 years we say we won't change until China changes. So we wait another 20 years fighting about it and China waits another 20 years after that and in the meantime our deserts/droughts expand.

Not a good plan.