The Power of Deserts: Climate Change, the Middle East, and the Promise of a Post-Oil Era

by Dan Rabinowitz

Hotter and dryer than most parts of the world, the Middle East could soon see climate change exacerbate food and water shortages, aggravate social inequalities, and drive displacement and political destabilization. And as renewable energy eclipses fossil fuels, oil rich countries in the Middle East will see their wealth diminish. Amidst these imminent risks is a call to action for regional leaders. Could countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates harness the region's immense potential for solar energy and emerge as vanguards of global climate action? The Power of Deserts surveys regional climate models and identifies the potential impact on socioeconomic disparities, population movement, and political instability. Offering more than warning and fear, however, the book highlights a potentially brighter future―a recent shift across the Middle East toward renewable energy. With his deep knowledge of the region and knack for presenting scientific data with clarity, Dan Rabinowitz makes a sober yet surprisingly optimistic investigation of opportunity arising from a looming crisis.

Genres: Middle East, Environment

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2020

Reviews

[Gary Reger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The argument of "The Power of the Deserts" is basically quite straightforward. After outlining the impacts expected of global warming on the Middle East, Rabinowitz lays out a proposal for the "200 men" who control the 6 countries that edge the western shore of the Persian Gulf. They should convert their own electricity generation entirely to renewables, mostly solar; use their accumulated capital to invest in renewable technology, more or less cornering the market; and then shut off the spigot, driving global oil prices so high that the rest of the world will turn eagerly to renewable energy. And thus, improbably, a handful of obscenely wealthy autocrats will provide a major part of the solution to global warming.

There are some problems here. Rabinowitz has nothing to say about coal, which is a major source of power for electricity generation in China and abundant; high oil prices might turn importing countries toward more coal use. Alberta tar sands, which are exceptionally filthy, might also become more attractive. Nor does he consider the fracking revolution in the United States, which has opened up extraordinary new reserves of natural gas. And high oil prices might simply push countries like (again) the US to go after oil reserves now considered unprofitable to exploit (as in Alaska and offshore).

The numbers by which oil demand goes down (or, conversely, non-oil based electrical production goes up) are pretty trivial by world standards. How much difference in the end will it make if Saudi Arabia turns out its energy needs entirely by renewables? Not much; today it's about 0.01% of world consumption. And the time frame is very long -- 2030, 2050. Climate change is here; we can't really wait, can we, for the long process he describes to play out?

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of Rabinowitz's case, though, is what he is fundamentally endorsing: that a handful of autocrats in the Middle East take over global energy production. Do we really want these highly undemocratic, highly income unbalanced countries to be the arbiters of our energy future?

Rather than rely on Mideastern potentates, accommodations to global warming -- it is far too late for solutions -- will have to come much faster and out of democratic polities. Surely one avenue is much more point-of-source generation, like housetop and industrial rooftop generation.

[Charles Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good perspective and I really enjoyed the first 4 chapters of the book. A concise summary of climate related risks in the Middle East along with a framing of current issues, plus a easy to understand summary of solar potential, particularly in the gulf states. The final chapter is a bit optimistic in its thinking. The comparison of the Buick founder coming to terms with the horseless carriage being here to stay and making that analogous to renewable energy is a bit of a stretch. However, it is thinking like this that can help foster change and for that alone, this short book is worth a read.

[Khushi · Rating 4 out of 5]

i enjoyed the concept of a book focused on one geographic region in regards to climate change. rabinowitz did a great job conceptually explaining the wealth disparity between nations in the middle east. there was a lot for me to think about and i enjoyed learning about an area of the world i didn’t have much prior knowledge about. i would’ve liked a bit more focus on the not oil-dependent nations and how a switch in energy production by energy dependent nations could affect them. otherwise i enjoyed, it’s a v nice read.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but over optimistic and would never work sadly