The Stream, June 20: Maryland’s Million-year-old Water

Maryland is sitting atop an aquifer containing water that is a million years old, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) found, according to USA Today. Water levels in the deep aquifer have been declining as water managers abandon younger, shallower aquifers due to saltwater intrusion.

India’s Jindal Power plans to invest $7.7 billion in hydropower projects over the next 10 years, Bloomberg News reported. The move is part of a larger trend in the country in which utilities are moving away from coal due to shortages of the fossil fuel.

Flooding from heavy spring rains has left large areas of England’s Somerset moors muddy and lifeless, making them unsuitable for pastureland and harming the local flora and fauna, the Guardian reported. Farmers and conservationists have blamed the UK’s Environment Agency for letting the water stagnate.

Rio+20
Better farming practices must be a major focus as the world seeks a more sustainable economy, according to agricultural experts at the Rio+20 conference in Brazil, AlertNet reported. Agriculture is the world’s biggest user of water and land, and releases a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions.

An interactive graphic from the Guardian, detailing global changes since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, asks the question: Is the world getting better or worse?

In the absence of leadership from the world’s central governments, a group of 58 major cities around the globe are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their own, Bloomberg News reported. The cities account for 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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