Earth Wars: The Battle for Global Resources

Praise for Earth Wars

"A brilliant analysis of how the world′s geopolitics will be shaped by the global race for four strategic resources: food, water, energy and metals. Geoff Hiscock is at his best in Earth Wars!"
—Jagdish N. Sheth, Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing, Goizueta Business School, Emory University

"The near simultaneous development and rising aspirations of the world′s only two billion–plus societies has awoken us to the limits of the earth. The scale of demand from China and India for food, water, energy and minerals has already reshaped the global economy and strategic landscape and will drive even more dramatic change in the years ahead. This book presents an accessible map of these developments, combining breadth with a careful eye to detail, while avoiding being bogged down in statistics. Earth Wars is essential reading for anyone interested in how the twenty–first century will unfold, and how this will affect peace and conflict, economies and societies."
—Dr. Michael Wesley, Executive Director, Lowy Institute for International Policy

"In the first three decades of the 21st Century, there′s no more important story than the battle for global resources and Geoffrey Hiscock′s analysis is a must–read for all of us."
—Professor Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia Journalism School, and co–founder, SAJA, South Asian Journalists Association

Maps vii

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 The Four Essentials 1 Food, Water, Energy, Metals

Chapter 2 Geographical Flashpoints 19

The Trouble with Lines on a Map

Chapter 3 The Key Players 37

Diggers, Drillers, and Dealers

Chapter 4 Food and Water 57

Where the Rivers Run

Chapter 5 “Going Out” for Energy 73

China and India Stake Their Claims

Chapter 6 Old Coal Still Burning Brightly 91

Chapter 7 Going Nuclear in a Post–Fukushima World 105

Chapter 8 New Energy—Clean, Green, and Expensive 123

Chapter 9 Coppery Red, the Colour of Earth’s True Love 139

Chapter 10 Finding Steel’s Essential Ingredients 155

Chapter 11 U.S. Energy 173

Hail to the Shale

Chapter 12 Japan after the Deluge 189

Chapter 13 BRACQK (Brazil, Russia, Australia, Canada, Qatar, Kazakhstan) Is the New BRIC 203

Chapter 14 The Up and Comers 229

Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Mexico

Chapter 15 What Happens Next 243

A Host of Global Opportunities

Conclusion 257

A World So Changed

Bibliography 263

Acknowledgments 269

About the Author 273

Index 275

Geoff Hiscock has been writing about Asian business for major media outlets for more than thirty years, including time as Sydney bureau chief and Asia Business Editor for CNN.com and as International Business Editor of The Australian. He is the author of four books, including India′s Global Wealth Club and India′s Store Wars, both published by Wiley.