The Stream, December 16: Australia’s New Food Bowl

An expansive new irrigation proposal could turn northern Australia into a food bowl, The Australian reported. Water withdrawals for agriculture and mining are putting increasing pressure on the South’s Murray-Darling basin, prompting government officials to look elsewhere.

United States
Chicago’s Deep Tunnel may not be completed until 2029, despite a recent legal settlement that set deadlines for completion of specific sections, according to the Chicago Tribune. The tunnel is part of a system meant to keep untreated sewage from being released into Lake Michigan and surrounding waterways during storms.

TransCanada proposed a $600 million expansion of Keystone XL, hoping that the influx of money will convince U.S lawmakers to accept the pipeline that would carry crude oil from Canada’s tar sands to Texas refineries, Reuters reported.

Grand Canyon National Park once again plans to ban the sale of disposable plastic water bottles as early as 2012, despite earlier concerns voiced by park donor Coca-Cola, USA Today reported.

World
Glaciers high in Central Asia may not melt as much as glaciers in other mountain ranges, a new study from Colorado University’s National Snow and Ice Center found, IPS reported.

Food insecurity is being exacerbated by increasing natural disasters and climate change, the Food and Agriculture Organization reports in its release of the 2012 Component of Consolidated Appeals, a summary of areas most vulnerable to food crises.

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.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek