The Stream, April 21: Blowin’ in the Wind

Reuters published a lengthy report on China’s plans to unlock its reserves of shale gas, particularly in the energy-rich Sichuan Basin. A recent report by the U.S. Energy Information Agency estimated that China holds the world’s biggest shale gas reserves, significantly higher than the United States, which is experiencing a shale gas boom. But does China have the technology and will to develop as much as the United States?

According to the Guardian, the fossil fuel industry is using a “biased” study to lobby governments and businesses in Europe and North America to reject renewable energy in favour of gas.

Blowin’ in the Wind
After a decade in the making, the first offshore wind project in the United States got federal approval to start construction in Massachusetts, Bloomberg reports. Meanwhile, the U.S. Interior Department said it plans to speed up building wind energy projects off the Atlantic Coast.

France
High temperatures and lack of moisture in France’s central growing region, which accounts for about a fifth of national production, are putting pressure on this year’s rapeseed harvests, Bloomberg reports.

Meanwhile, the hydroelectric reserves rose in other parts of France, increasing the country’s water supply for hydropower generation. France gets about 20 percent of its energy from dams.

Great Lakes
Michigan conservation groups are up in arms over Canada’s plans to build an underground nuclear waste dump near the shores of Lake Huron, some 55 miles away from Michigan, according to The Detroit News and UPI.

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.