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Intel Sucks Up Water Amid Drought In China
An anonymous reader sends along a Bloomberg piece on Intel and the coming water wars. "Intel is going head-to-head with businesses like Coca-Cola to swallow up scarce water resources in the developing world. According a 2009 report ... 2.4 billion of the world's population lives in 'water-stressed' countries such as China and India. Chip fabrication plants in those countries, as well factories such as the soft drink giant's bottling plants, are swallowing up scarce resources needed by the 1.6 billion people who rely on water for farming. ... Li Haifeng, vice president of sewage treatment company Beijing Enterprises Water Group, told Bloomberg, 'Wars may start over the scarcity of water.' China's 1.33 billion citizens each have 2,117 cubic meters of water available to them per year.... In the US, consumers can count on as much as 9,943 cubic meters."
What's the big deal it's not like you need water to live...
Oh sure they will, using a little word known as Lebensraum.
They had to import a German word to describe their devious plans? Sounds like China's experiencing a word shortage as well.
on behalf of all residents who live in the pacific north-west I'd like to quote the immortal dave chappel " we're RICH Biatch!" :)
Upon consulting my crystal ball...
1. Water becomes scarce
2. Gov't begins rationing
3. Megacorp Inc profits decline
4. Megacorp Inc lobbies government for increased share of water on threat of pulling out
5. Gov't caves. Thirsty people are better than unemployed people, right?
6. Scarcity worsens. People start falling ill and/or dying
7. Populace protests.
8a. Gov't tells Megacorp to pound sand, gives water to the people.
8b. Gov't attempts to placate people and fails. Protests turn into riots. More death. Megacorp comes under attack.
9. Megacorp pulls out, country enters recession. But the people have water!
10. Megacorp relocates to x, cycle begins anew.
11. Profit?
I didn't say it would be an extremely happy work force and it does enforce the validity that even true capitalism wouldn't take a few dollars in exchange for it's own life.
The joys of 19th century living. That was a time when you could really get your hands dirty with textiles and other more to the ground industry.
Why had it not been encumbered with safety regulations, forced wage increases and other unsavory additions just think of the beast it could have grown into.
I'm afraid we've slayed the dragon that could have been and replaced him with a characture of himself.
"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra