The Stream, February 17: U.S. House Moves Keystone XL Forward

Energy
A bill meant to speed up approval of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline passed the United States House of Representatives, Bloomberg News reported. Those opposed to the pipeline, which would carry crude oil from Canada’s tar sands to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico, say it could harm the environment.

In this Guardian video, two University of Texas researchers discuss the findings of their study on the environmental safety of hydraulic fracturing, a method to extract underground natural gas deposits using large quantities of water.

Cutting Emissions
An international agreement between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Ghana and Bangladesh plans to cut emissions of short-lived climate pollutants like methane, but ignores carbon dioxide, according to The Huffington Post.

The European Commission may remove carbon allowances later this month in order to increase carbon prices in the European Union’s Emissions Trading System, which have been near record lows, EurActiv reported.

Water Extremes
Communities in Pakistan are still struggling to overcome the effects of the floods that occurred six months ago, with 2.5 million people lacking clean water and adequate food, AlertNet reported.

Chinese officials acknowledged the gravity of the country’s water issues, saying that shortages and pollution threaten sustainable growth, according to Xinhua.

The drought in Texas killed 5.6 urban shade trees, according to the Texas Forest Service, Bloomberg News 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.

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