The Stream, March 9: Great Lakes Lose Ice

Ice coverage on the Great Lakes decreased 71 percent between 1973 and 2010, EarthSky reported, citing a study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published in the Journal of Climate. The lakes currently have only a 12 percent ice cover, less than a third of the ice cover present at this time last year.

This winter has been the fourth warmest on record in the United States, with only one state—New Mexico—experiencing temperatures below average, the Weather Channel reported.

Ohio’s governor plans to raise severance taxes to four percent for oil and natural gas extracted using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, according to Bloomberg News. The plan, meant to fund income-tax cuts in the state, could raise over $1 billion by 2016.

A month-long water shortage led to an outbreak of cholera in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where communities were forced to take water from a contaminated lake, United Press International reported.

Twelve British nuclear sites are at risk from flooding and erosion as sea levels rise, a government study found, according to the Guardian.

A new study on wetlands development showed that two man-made wetlands—one planted and the other left untouched—exhibited similar growth and species diversity over a long period of time, yet the un-planted wetland captured more carbon, The New York Times 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