The Stream, July 10: Lake Erie Algae Bloom Could Be Second Worst On Record

The Global Rundown

The monsoon in Nepal has made life difficult for families living in a tent city after the country’s major earthquake. The Panama Canal’s expansion is slowly taking shape as the new locks fill with water. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States released its forecast for this summer’s Lake Erie algal bloom, predicting it could be the second worst in history. NASA released photos of rapid solar power expansion in China’s Gobi Desert.

“My baby is due this week. I don’t know how I’m going to live in here after the arrival of my child.”–Shanti Khawas, a pregnant woman living in a Tundikhel tent city, where many Nepalis displaced by an earthquake in April have sheltered. Life in the tent city has become difficult due to flooding from the monsoon, which has left many people with nowhere to live. (eKantipur)

By The Numbers

90 days Amount of time it will take to fill and test the Panama Canal’s new Pacific-side locks. The canal’s new locks began to fill with water late last month, bringing the expansion project aimed at facilitating shipping traffic through Latin America closer to completion. World Maritime News

Science, Studies, And Reports

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its research partners released the latest harmful algal bloom forecast for Lake Erie Thursday. Models predict that the summer algal bloom could be the second worst on record, registering an 8.7 out of 10 on the algal bloom severity index. NOAA

On The Radar

NASA captured a series of satellite images that show that solar panel coverage has tripled in China’s Gobi Desert in the past three years. The rapid solar power development is an indication that China intends to meet the pledge it made Tuesday to curb fossil fuel emissions. Fossil fuels like coal are big water users in China. National Geographic