The Stream, July 21: Farming Wetland Plants Could Benefit Water and Peatlands

The Global Rundown

Farmers in Europe are growing wetland crops that could preserve wildlife habitat and keep the land from being drained. California proposed a record fine for illegal water diversions, while New York lawmakers urged the state to ban microbeads. China raised its first green bond to fund environmental projects. The El Nino this year could be the most powerful on record.

“These tiny pieces of plastic have already caused significant ecological damage to New York’s waterways, and they will continue to do so until they are removed from the marketplace.”–Kirsten Gillibrand, a U.S. senator from New York, on the state’s push to ban plastic microbeads from personal care products. Microbeads can get washed down drains and through wastewater treatment systems, ending up in rivers and oceans. (Reuters)

By The Numbers

$1.5 million Amount of a fine California proposed for an irrigation district in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta accused of illegal water diversions. The fine would be the highest leveled against water diverters during the state’s four-year drought. The New York Times

$300 million Amount raised by China’s first “green bond”. The country aims to use the bonds to finance projects that improve environmental parameters like air and water quality. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

The El Nino this year could match the most powerful El Nino on record, which occurred in 1998. The weather phenomenon, in turn, could sustain high temperatures that have already made the first half of 2015 the hottest ever, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. El Nino weather patterns also disrupt rainfall, causing droughts and floods around the globe. Bloomberg

On The Radar

Farmers along Europe’s Baltic coast are turning to paludiculture—or swamp cultivation—in order to grow plants that can be used to insulate homes or as biofuels. The practice also maintains wetland areas that would be drained for more traditional agriculture, helping to preserve wildlife habitat and water quality. Guardian

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