The Stream, February 21: China’s Ongoing Pollution Woes

Despite a promised $US 650 billion investment over the next decade, China may not be able to mitigate the effects of decades of heavy pollution. Central and local governments plan on funneling $US 200 billion more into the effort, Reuters reported, but the limited success of a $US 112 billion cleanup investment from 2005-2010 indicates that this round will be a struggle as well.

Tracking U.S. Crop Damage
Kentucky suffered the largest corn-crop failure in the 2012 U.S. drought, while nationally corn and soybean crops were hit the hardest. Missouri saw yields that were almost half as large as the average from 2002-2011, the Guardian reported, while Kansas and Kentucky saw 20-year-low yields.

Reusing Flushed Heat
Some German buildings are capturing heat from water flushed down kitchen sinks or bathroom drains and funneling it back into heating and cooling systems. One city’s town hall, Inter Press Service reported, runs its climate-control systems with heat recovered from area drain pipes using a system that will pay for itself in five years.

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