The Stream, October 12: Shell in Court Over Nigeria Oil Spills

The world must improve land and water management in order to combat hunger, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, Bloomberg News reported. The Institute released its annual Global Hunger Index yesterday, which was topped by Burundi, Eritrea and Haiti.

A record loss of sea ice in the Arctic is being mirrored by an increase in Antarctica’s sea ice, the Associated Press reported. This phenomenon, however, actually provides more evidence for man-made climate change, according to scientists.

Africa
Four Nigerian farmers are suing oil company Shell over oil spills that they say damaged their land in the Niger Delta, BBC reported. The case is playing out in civil court in The Hague, and could lead to many more compensation claims if the plaintiffs are successful.

Companies in drought-hit Bulawayo, Zimbabwe are selling water to residents amid conservation measures ordered by the government, The Zimbabwean reported. Manufacturers are currently exempt from the restrictions, but the city is eager to stop them from selling their water.

United States
Mark Bittman, a food writer and columnist at The New York Times, gives a first-hand account of the agricultural community in California’s Central Valley, and addresses the environmental costs associated with growing one third of all produce grown in the United States.

An Arizona ski resort’s plans to make snow directly from wastewater has raised concerns about exposing skiers to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could be growing in the wastewater distribution system, 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