Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Saturday, July 25, 2026

Approximately 10% of the world's nitrogen based fertilizer comes through the Persian Gulf That supply line has been severed. We have already lost a crop yield. We have already lost a growing season with reduced fertilizer. This damaged to this growing season was slightly prevented by use of alternative fertilizers and the limited stockpiles The next growing season-September to November will see a major reduction in output. It is inevitable. The world lives on a "just in time" model of razor thin margins for food supply to the most vulnerable places on earth. Countries that were food poor even before this war relied heavily on donated food. The coming crop yield will be significantly lower meaning famine. This damage is unavoidable at this point. But the real harm comes in 2027 when these losses multiply. Keep in mind that the alternative fertilizer processes say for phosphorus based fertilizer uses sulfur which comes from LNG processing.

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And add in the higher cost of diesel fuel which is used to harvest and transport food.

We are looking at a catastrophe of epic proportions.

The development of a cost-effective fertilizer within the last 80-100 years has permitted the world to grow enough food to support 8 billion + people.

That may be ending and we may be returning to a pre- time when agriculture could support only 2 billion people

So it is not crazy to imagine that if this war goes on for another 5 or 6 months that famine and starvation will kill 10s of millions of people.

And understand that that type of food insecurity causes mass migration. From the global south to the global north.

Expect another flood of immigrants, seeking food.

#1 | Posted by truthhurts at 2026-07-25 02:13 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

This is what happens when you elect an idiot to be your president

#2 | Posted by truthhurts at 2026-07-25 02:13 PM | Reply

This is what happens when you elect an idiot to be your president
#2 | POSTED BY TRUTHHURTS

"But wait! There's more!"
Ron Popeil

So ... much ... more.

#3 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-07-25 02:50 PM | Reply

These are some resources I used before I retired from the USIC: fews.net

You can marry up the data from fews.net with the data from iom.int

Sidenote: 250,000 people in France and Spain were evacuated because of uncontrollable wildfires. More carbon in the atmosphere, more arable land destroyed, and innocent wildlife killed.

The novel Make Room! Make Room! (Harry Harrison, 1966) was the basis for Soylent Green (1973).

Dystopia ad portas.

#4 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-25 03:19 PM | Reply

This is what happens when you elect an idiot to be your president
#2 | POSTED BY TRUTHHURTS

With only 30 months left in his term.

#5 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-07-25 04:37 PM | Reply

"This is what happens when you elect an idiot to be your president"

Exactly. End it. Take out the water facilities NOW!

#6 | Posted by rf4b at 2026-07-25 09:24 PM | Reply

If Iran wants to starve the world, let them drink sand.

#7 | Posted by rf4b at 2026-07-25 09:25 PM | Reply

If Iran wants to starve the world, let them drink sand.

#7 | Posted by rf4b

Pedos and War Crimes

Just a match made in MAGA.

#8 | Posted by Sycophant at 2026-07-25 09:29 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

If Iran wants to starve the world, let them drink sand.

#7 | Posted by rf4b

I know you are intensely stupid Pedo but let me help you.

First, that's called a War Crime.

Second, at any time, Iran can end our ability to get oil from the Middle East. They can take out the oil fields, refineries, and desalination plants. About 75-80% of water in most of the oil exporting countries except Iran come from Desalination. No water, no workers, no oil. It would take 3-5 years to get oil pumping again. We can't go that long. Especially if China starts importing again rather than using their reserves.

#9 | Posted by Sycophant at 2026-07-25 09:33 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

rf4b sounds like a jihadist.

He was just born here.

#10 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-07-25 09:46 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

If Iran wants to starve the world, let them drink sand.
#7 | Posted by rf4b

Desalination currently provides a very small fraction"roughly 3%"of Iran's potable water, and only about 0.2% of its total overall water consumption. Unlike neighboring Gulf states that depend on it for up to 90% of their supply, Iran still relies primarily on traditional rivers, reservoirs, and heavily depleted underground aquifers.

You're an idiot

Meanwhile
Approximately 90 percent of Kuwait's drinking and residential water comes from desalination.
Desalination provides 59 percent of Bahrain's total national water supply, a figure that jumps to over 90 percent (and up to nearly 100 percent) specifically for drinking and municipal water needs
Approximately 42 percent of the United Arab Emirates' overall drinking and potable water comes from desalination plants, according to official government data. The remainder of the country's broader water supply relies heavily on natural groundwater and treated wastewater
Approximately 70% of Saudi Arabia's drinking water comes from desalination, though desalination accounts for about 18% to 60% of its total overall water consumption depending on whether agriculture and heavy industrial use are included. The country relies heavily on this infrastructure managed by the Saudi Water Authority (formerly SWCC).
Desalination accounts for approximately 85% to 90% of Israel's municipal (drinking) water supply. This is generated by five major Mediterranean coastal plants (Ashkelon, Palmachim, Hadera, Sorek, and Ashdod) and numerous smaller brackish groundwater plants in the Arava region

Like I said, you're a idiot

#11 | Posted by truthhurts at 2026-07-25 09:52 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Meanwhile, meanwhile, idiots like rf4b ignore the point of the thread, which is we are on the verge of a global famine that could kill 10s of millions of people.

#12 | Posted by truthhurts at 2026-07-25 09:53 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Like I said, you're a idiot

Posted by truthhurts at 2026-07-25 09:52 PM

You're an idiot.

FTFY

#13 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2026-07-25 09:53 PM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 1

Fair nuff lol

#14 | Posted by truthhurts at 2026-07-25 10:06 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

"Like I said, you're a idiot"

This stuff writes itself.

#15 | Posted by rf4b at 2026-07-25 10:34 PM | Reply


Like I said, you're a idiot

LOL you're the idiot TruthNNuts.

If TruthNNuts was honest, he's say Trump is saving the planet...

Globally, nitrogen use efficiency is 46%, but the ratio should be much closer to 100%, said environmental scientist Xin Zhang at the University of Maryland, who led the latest study. The crops with the lowest nitrogen efficiency are fruits and vegetables, at around 14%, said Zhang. In contrast, soybeans, which are natural nitrogen fixers, have a high efficiency of 80%.

Approximately 10% of the world's nitrogen based fertilizer comes through the Persian Gulf That supply line has been severed.

Just a 10% decrease in nitrogen fertilizer led to only a 0.6% yield reduction and cut nitrous oxide emissions and nitrogen leaching. "Our analysis revealed hot spots where excessive nitrogen fertilizer can be cut without yield penalty," said bioproducts and biosystems engineer Zhenong Jin at the University of Minnesota.
eos.org

#16 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-07-25 11:20 PM | Reply

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