Yesterday Siggy and I had the pleasure of talking to Erik Svane of No Pasaran.
(Yes, every time I post Erik’s photo a couple of people email saying that he’s easy on the eyes, so I’m happy to oblige.)
You can listen to the podcast here.
We started by mentioning Eugene Schlanger’s excellent book of poems Wall Street Sonnets, which I highly recommend (and which you can buy at the Underbahn link if you live in the EU. American readers should buy it here). Underbahn is also the publisher of Houdna
Erik’s written three books, La Bannière Étalée, and two General Leonardo graphic novels, all of which I hope will be available in English soon. Don’t miss also Erik‘s essay on patriotism.
Erick recommends James W. Ceaser‘s book Reconstructing America: The Symbol of America in Modern Thought
But as the conversation turned to Gaddafi’s current trip to the EU, Siggy mentioned Gaddafi’s big water project. Mind you, this is not new – but it carries huge implications to the region.
Here are some links:
Libya’s Vast Pipe Dream Taps Into Desert’s Ice Age Water
From a 2004 article in the NYT: Libya’s Vast Pipe Dream Taps Into Desert’s Ice Age Water
In one of the largest construction projects in the world, engineers are trying to “mine” ice age rainfall, now locked in the sandstone beneath the Sahara, and convey it to Libyan cities and farms along a vast waterworks.
The project is almost invisible, except when something goes wrong.
…
But the option that Colonel Qaddafi chose — the extensive pipeline and pumping system that bores into the earth to draw down nonrenewable reserves of fossil water — is now about half completed on a landscape twice the size of Texas and has been delivering water for more than a decade, with occasional interruptions for repairs.
And 2006 at the BBC: Libya’s thirst for ‘fossil water’
Libya had oil money to pay for the project, but it did not have the technical or engineering expertise for such a massive undertaking.
Foreign companies from South Korea, Turkey, Germany, Japan, the Philippines and the UK were invited to help.
It is impossible not to be impressed with the scale of the project
In September 1993, Phase I water from eastern well-fields at Sarir and Tazerbo reached Benghazi. Three years later, Phase II, bringing water to Tripoli from western well-fields at Jebel Hassouna, was completed.Phase III which links the first two Phases is still under construction.
When it’s finished, the Grand Omar Mukhtar will be Libya’s largest man-made reservoir.
Siggy will be posting on this later on, I hope.
For now, go listen to the podcast. I’m sure you will enjoy it!
