The Stream, October 23: Drought Was Behind Collapse of Bronze Age Civilization

Drought
A study of pollen grains has led scientists to believe that a drought caused the collapse of the thriving Bronze Age civilization in the Mediterranean, The New York Times reported. Sediment samples taken from the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea were used to look for changes in climate for each 40-year period.

Rare Earth Water Pollution
Water supplies in China, including the Yellow River, are being threatened by pollution from decades of loosely regulated rare earth mining, The New York Times reported. The pollution will require a major cleanup effort, which could be encouraged by an economic decision from the World Trade Organization.

Flooding Disasters
Some business owners in New York and New Jersey are still struggling to recover from Hurricane Sandy, one year after the storm flooded large areas of the U.S. East Coast, Reuters reported. The storm did, however, foster ideas for new businesses aimed at helping people weather natural disasters.

In Malaysia, three people were killed by the release of water from a dam that officials said was close to bursting, AFP reported. Heavy rains in the area put extra pressure on the dam and threatened to flood the Bertam Valley.

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