The Stream, July 26: Astronomers Find the Biggest Mass of Water in the Universe

Astronomers have discovered the largest and oldest reservoir of water ever detected in the universe — a gigantic, 12-billion-year-old cloud, with a mass at least 140 trillion times bigger than all the water in the Earth’s oceans, and 100,000 times more massive than the Sun, Space.com reported.

Why do rising global average temperatures lead to more frequent and severe extreme weather? This opinion piece for The Washington Post debunks five myths about weather extremes.

Grist breaks down Germany’s new renewable energy law. The legislation sets a minimum requirement of not less than 35 percent of renewable energy in electricity supply by 2020, not less than 50 percent by 2030 and not less than 65 percent by 2040, and not less than 80 percent by 2050.

The European Environment Agency has updated its interactive maps on water quality in Europe’s transitional, costal and marine waters (TCM), rivers and lakes, groundwater and urban waste water.

A water-oil mixture spill in Alaska has prompted a temporary shutdown of an oil-separation facility at the BP-operated Prudhoe Bay oil field, Reuters reported.

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