Polgreen, Lydia.  “How Much is Ecology to Blame for Darfur Crisis?”  New York Times.  22 July, 2007. 6 April, 2008.  UN Global Policy Forum. <http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/sudan/2007/0722ecology.htm>

This article from the New York Times, a well-known and credible source of news, reports on the announcement of the discovery of an underground lake in Darfur.  The article begins sounding quite hopeful, noting that this hope is based on a U.N. report as well as an opinion article in The Washington Post by Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. Secretary General.  The U.N. report, which is highly credible due to the U.N.’s prominence and expertise, as well as the opinion article by the U.N. chief both say that environmental degradation is the root cause of the Darfur crisis.  In addition to environmental problems, population growth has also created potential for conflict.The article describes the hope of tapping into this lake by wells “seductive” which could indicate that there is still some doubt whether this is actually practical despite how attractive it is.  Other sides of the argument claim that despite environmental problems, humans are the ones that actually cause violence, because the environment problems can’t cause it in and of themselves.  Some of the blame goes to Sudanese governments and their agricultural policies that favor large mechanized farms and complex irrigation rather than smaller farms that are rain-fed and highly important for the rural economy.  The government is also often blamed for exploiting the water issues by arming tribal militias to fight the rebels.  Many say that the root of conflict is the abuse of the rural poor at the hands of the rich elitists.

            The article sums up all the opposing arguments to conclude that the conflict is rooted in the battle over resources and riches, no matter how you look at it.  Water, oil, farming all play a role in the conflict.  The article appropriately presents all sides of the argument in an unbiased way and comes to a vague rather than specific conclusions.

Sawahel, Wagdy.  “Sudan to launch ‘1000 Wells for Darfur’.”  The Science and Development Network.  25 June, 2007.  3 April, 2008. <http://www.scidev.net/en/news/sudan-to-launch-1000-wells-for-darfur.html>

     This article describes an initiative agreed upon by Al Bashir and Egyptian scientist who is the director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University.  The initiative is a humanitarian project to raise funds and build wells in Sudan, particularly the Darfur region.  According to the article, an underground mega lake was discovered and access to this by wells could provide water for the people in the area and help assuage the conflict in Darfur.  The discovery and the scientific support comes from the Center for Remote Sensing, which is a credible source of scientific information and support for the initiative.  The Science and Development Network that published this article is a well-supported nonprofit organization that provides scientific data and research for policymakers, researchers, the media, and society.  The organization was formed in 1999 to report on the World Conference on Science and was so well received that it formed a permanent website, so it is a well supported and trusted source of scientific information.

Geological Society of America Foundation.  “ ‘1,000 wells for Darfur’ Initative Launched.”  3 April, 2008.  <http://www.gsafweb.org/CurrentEvents/1000wellsfordarf.html>

            The Geological Society of America Foundation is a nonprofit organization that funds programs for the Geological Society of America, an organization that has existed since 1888 and is well-known in the scientific community.   The GSAF website presented this article about the “1,000 Wells for Darfur” initative launched by the Sudanese Government.  The article sounds optimistic, as it claims the project “has gained immediate support from the Government of Egypt.”  The article also says the initiative has been well-received in Sudan.  The initiative began after the discovery of an underground lake by Egyptian scientist, Farouk El-Baz, using radar from space.  The goal is to tap into this resource by building wells, and the hope is to ease some of the conflict in the area. 

“Ancient Darfur lake is ‘dried up’.”  BBC News.  June 20, 2007.  April 8, 2008.  < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6908224.stm>

            This article from BBC News, a leading and credible source of news, responds to the hopeful talk about a lake in Darfur with a more pessimistic view.  A French scientist, Alain Gachet, believes that the underground lake in Darfur probably dried up thousands of years ago due to little rain and the wrong type of rocks for water storage.  The article shows the other side of the issue as well.  It also says that Farouk El-Baz, the scientist who first discovered the lake, is backed by the Sudanese government who has pledged to begin drilling.

      The article also explains that Gachet doesn’t believe Sudan is completely without hope.  The article reports him as believing there is enough water in acquifers to bring peace to Darfur and reconstruct its economy.  Gachet, according to the article, is helping a UN drilling project.

            Importantly, the article also touches on the issue of whether the conflict in Darfur is actually environmentally caused.  It cites quotes from Hafiz Muhamad, a lobbysit with Justice Africa, as well as the UN Environmental Programme (Unep) who both stressed the significance of the link between lack of environmental resources and the civil war in Darfur.