The Stream, August 12: DOE Advisory Panel Releases Natural Gas Report

A draft report by the U.S. Energy Department’s natural gas advisory subcommittee urged regulators to require natural gas drillers to release more information about the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing, even though the risk of water pollution from the technique is “remote,” Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, scientists from 22 universities have questioned the integrity of the report as six of the panel’s members have financial ties to the natural gas industry, according to Yale Environment 360.

The drought is deepening in the Corn Belt states of South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana as Texas is enduring some of its driest weather on record, Reuters reported.

China: Water and Energy
Elizabeth Economy blogs about China’s energy future and its growing water crisis.

With record demand for electricity and abnormal water levels this summer, China is still bracing for potential power shortages, according to Reuters.

Yale Environment 360 reported that despite the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, China is proceeding with plans to build 20 nuclear power plants — and 36 nuclear reactors — over the next decade. Context: Japan has cast aside plans to build more nuclear power plants, Germany said it would abandon nuclear power by 2022, and Italy will no longer restart its fading nuclear industry.

Beijing’s golf courses each year consume the equivalent of drinking water for one million city residents, according to Chinadialogue. Read more about Beijing’s looming water crisis on Circle of Blue.

Nepal will request a $1.6 billion loan from China to construct the much-hyped 750-megawatt West Seti Hydro Project Limited, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.