The Stream, November 17: Water Use in U.S. Power Plants

Coal-fired plants account for 67 percent of the freshwater withdrawals by the power sector in the United States and for 65 percent of the sector’s water consumption, according to a new report from the Energy and Water in a Warming World Initiative that probes the freshwater use by U.S. power facilities.

Contributors to President Barack Obama’s campaign did not influence the decisions on a $535 million government loan guarantee to the now-bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu told National Public Radio, according to Reuters.

Asia Society Associate Fellow Duncan McCargo analyzes the economic and political consequences of Thailand’s flood crisis. How will the disaster affect Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s tenure just a couple of months after she got elected?

Chinese business lags among BRIC nations on environmental transparency and management, according to a global green ranking from Newsweek.

What’s the role of several Chinese corporations in the forced relocation of thousands of residents from a Cambodian lakeside?

China has closed almost 90 percent of the lead-acid battery makers in the country in a government crackdown to curb lead poisoning cases, Bloomberg News reported. Battery plant pollution has triggered multiple environmental protests in China in recent years.

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.