[lofo List] Argentina's gauchos

[Daryl Hepting <hepting@cs.uregina.ca>]

Hi;

Below is an excerpt of a recent article by Naomi Klein.
The full article can be found here: http://www.naomiklein.org/articles/2008/05/diary-financial-times

> [...]
> The truth, I learn later, is that the fires are the result of a  
> radical shift in Argentina's agricultural economy. This country used  
> to be all about the grass-fed cows, raised by the famous cowboys of  
> the Southern Cone, the "gauchos". But soy production is expanding so  
> rapidly, thanks to high prices and huge demand in China, that  
> ranchers are being forced on to ever-shrinking slices of land. They  
> burn the brush to clear it quickly but this year, because of a  
> drought, the fires spread out of control. Add to that high winds and  
> you have humo in Buenos Aires.
>
> It makes for a powerful symbol: the proud gauchos suffocated by  
> soybeans. Argentina is certainly changing.
> [...]

Best regards,
Daryl
--
Daryl H. Hepting, Ph.D.
Associate Professor  * Computer Science Department * CW 308.22
University of Regina * Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4S 0A2
dhh@cs.uregina.ca    * http://www.cs.uregina.ca/~hepting
tel: (306) 585-5210  * fax: (306) 585-4745 * cell: (306) 596-6312


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