The Stream, October 20: Public Opinion on U.S. Energy Policy

Less than 14 percent of Americans think that the United States is headed in the right direction on energy, according to the University of Texas at Austin’s biannual Energy Poll.

Nebraska’s top senator said on Wednesday that a proposed state legislation to force TransCanada Corp to move the route of its $7 billion Keystone XL oil pipeline likely would not hold up in court, Reuters reported.

China will invest $860,000 over two years to protect thousands of hectares of wetlands around Qinghai Lake, the country’s largest inland lake, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, seasonal drought has hit Poyang, China’s biggest freshwater lake, according to China Daily.

Ceres, a national coalition of investors and environmental groups, has released a new tool for evaluating global water supply risks and opportunities for companies and investors.

The global population may hit 7 billion at the end of October, according to a calculation based on surveys, censuses, probabilistic analyses, human sleuthing, expert opinion, heated academic debates and not a little guesswork, the journal Nature writes. What does this mean for the world?

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.