The Stream, March 27: Uncertain Future for Shale Gas in Poland

Shale gas drilling is off to a disappointing start for investors in Poland, the country thought to have the biggest unconventional gas reserves in Europe, according to Bloomberg News. Explorers in Poland are confronting rising costs, a lack of rigs, tighter environmental rules and shale layers that are harder to drill than expected.

China’s biggest coal company is scouring the world for hydrocarbon asset buys and is in talks to invest in coal mines in North America, Africa, Australia, Indonesia and Mongolia, Reuters reported.

Beijing officials plan to curb the water usе in the city’s many golf courses, ski resorts and public bathhouses, AFP reported. Read Circle of Blue’s report about what the Chinese capital is doing to get its water crisis under control and why it’s not enough.

Weather extremes have increased globally in the last decade and were “very likely” caused by human-induced climate change, according to a study in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan plan to improve the energy and water supply links in the region, Reuters reported, citing the office of the Tajik president. The projects include an “energy line” across the three states to supply Iranian oil products and gas, as well as to link the electricity grids in the area and to supply drinking water from Tajikistan to Iran.

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