A tale of two deserts: Are Saudi cows to blame for Arizona's water crisis?
A tale of two deserts: Are Saudi cows to blame for Arizona's water crisis?  
Podcast: Outside/In
Published On: Thu May 11 2023
Description: While the taps are running dry and reservoirs are disappearing in Arizona, a corporate farm from Saudi Arabia is pumping massive amounts of groundwater to grow alfalfa  for cows back in the Middle East. Now, after years of inaction, Arizonans are pointing the finger at what they see  as a foreign invader slurping up the last gulps of a diminishing water supply.But the truth is more complicated. In this episode, we dig deep into the history of Arizona’s water crisis and uncover a tale of dates, camels and dairy cows, and try to find out who’s really to blame for the West’s water crisis.Featuring: Natalie Koch. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on FacebookIf you’ve got a question for the Outside/Inbox hotline, give us a call! We’re always looking for rabbit holes to dive down into. Leave us a voicemail at: 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837), or email us at outsidein@nhpr.org. LINKSRead Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and Arabia, by Natalie Koch.Listen to the six-part podcast series Thirst Gap: Learning to live with less on the Colorado River, by KUNC.Listen to Parched, a podcast about people who rely on the river that shaped the West, and have ideas to save it, by Colorado Public Radio. CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiProduced by Felix Poon and Nate HegyiMixed by Felix PoonEdited by Taylor QuimbyRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio.