The Stream, February 15: The World’s Water Footprint

The United States is the world’s largest exporter, and one of the biggest importers, of virtual water, a measure of the water used to create products that are shipped abroad, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, which outlines the flow of water around the globe, highlights how countries are outsourcing their water needs, Bloomberg News reported.

Drought
Average rainfall in England and Wales is at its lowest level since before a severe 1976 drought, with some areas already experiencing the driest conditions on record, The Telegraph reported.

Reservoir levels in China’s Yunnan province have dropped to their lowest point in a decade due to a drought, Xinhua reported.

Energy
Taiwan’s newly elected Kuomintang party plans to continue work on a nuclear power plant that many, including top officials, feel is unsafe, according to the Guardian. Taiwan’s three current nuclear facilities contain four times the amount of radioactive waste that they were meant to hold.

To keep drinking water safe, U.S. companies that use hydraulic fracturing to drill for natural gas will be required to inspect wells located on public land, Bloomberg News reported. The companies will also need to disclose the chemicals used during fracking, which are added to water and then forced underground to release gas deposits.

Great Lakes
The budget submitted by U.S. President Barack Obama asks Congress for $300 million to help protect the Great Lakes from pollution and invasive species like Asian carp, The Wall Street Journal 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