It’s feast or famine in the Arab world, which is why climate change–NOT a hunger for freedom–may be what’s behind the revolutionary movements in the Middle East that have become known as the "Arab Spring."
In the April 8th edition of the New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman writes that "the Arab awakening began in Tunisia with a fruit vendor who was harassed by police for not having a permit to sell food–just at the moment when world food prices hit record highs." He goes on to remark that it began in Syria and Yemen with similar situations.
He quotes a report by Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell as saying, "From 2006-11, up to 60% of Syria’s land experienced one of the worst droughts and most severe set of crop failures in its history. The United Nations reported that more than 800,000 Syrians had their livelihoods wiped out by droughts, and many were forced to move to the cities to find work–adding to the burdens of already incompetent government."
Friedman quotes Femia as saying, "There are a few ways that the US can be on the right side of history in the Arab world. One is to enthusiastically and robustly support democratic movements. The other is to invest in climate-adaptive infrastructure and improvements in water management–to make these countries more resilient in an age of disruptive climate change."
When Whitley learned about climate change from the Master of the Key, he decided to write a book about it. Now you can get a copy of the book that started it all–"The Coming Global Superstorm"–from the Whitley Strieber Collection that comes with a special bookplate signed by Whitley. And come meet Whitley IN PERSON at our Dreamland Festival in May. If you subscribe today, you’ll save 10% off the ticket price!
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