The Stream, September 20: Quarries and Water to Help Renewable Energy in U.K.

Water Storage
A company in the United Kingdom is looking to use old mine quarries as basins for water pumping stations that could act as batteries storing renewable energy, Bloomberg News reported. Water pumped uphill from one basin to another by solar and wind power could later be released downhill to provide energy.

Dam reservoirs in Australia’s Murray-Darling River Basin are so full that officials are enforcing new rules that limit the amount of water that can be traded, ABC reported. The stop in trading has led to an increase in the price for irrigation water.

Storms
The Philippines and China are bracing for a “super typhoon” that is expected to make landfall in the northern islands late Friday, Reuters reported. Typhoon Usagi is a category five storm, with winds up to 240 kilometers per hour (149 miles per hour), and is expected to weaken before it hits China.

Meanwhile, Mexico is still struggling with the fallout from several hurricanes and tropical storms that caused widespread flooding in the country, the Guardian reported. Landslides and floods have devastated towns, leaving residents short of food and water.

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