The Stream, February 27: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Case Against the EPA’s “Water Transfers Rule”
The Global Rundown
The U.S. Supreme Court rejects an attempt by states and environmental groups to overturn the EPA’s “water transfers rule.” Farmers in drought-stricken Malawi use a mixture of sugar and fish soup to fight pests. Cape Town’s Department of Water and Sanitation attempts to access the last 10 percent of water in the Theewaterskloof Dam. Erratic weather brings record-high temperatures to the Arctic and snow throughout southern Europe. Deadly thunderstorms continue across the central and southern United States, bringing flooding and tornadoes.
“To look at what I’m looking at and know we didn’t lose anybody is just a miracle.” –Jim Durrett, Mayor of Montgomery County, Tennessee, in reference to a tornado that barrelled through the middle of the state on Saturday. A string of severe thunderstorms hit the central and southern U.S. over the weekend, causing flooding and killing at least five people. PBS NewsHour
Latest WaterNews from Circle of Blue
International Conference Discusses Remedies to Lake Chad Crisis – Ambitious engineering project on the agenda.
HotSpots H2O, February 26: Spotlight on Yemen’s Ongoing Import Blockade – Every 30 days, Saudi Arabia reevaluates whether to leave Al Hudaydah and Salif ports open. If these crucial Red Sea ports closed, Yemen’s access to food, fuel, water, and life-saving medicine would be jeopardized again.
By The Numbers
700,000 Number of families in Malawi who are affected by this year’s dry spells. A combination of drought and infestation by fall armyworms has caused much of Malawi’s standing maize to wilt. Farmers are using a mixture of neem leaves, fish soup, and chemical pesticides to fight the armyworm attacks. Reuters
10 percent Proportion of water left in the Theewaterskloof Dam, part of the Western Cape Water Supply System. The water is currently considered unusable, but Cape Town’s Department of Water and Sanitation has begun drilling operations in an effort to access the water. News24
In context: Circle of Blue’s coverage of Cape Town.
Science, Studies, And Reports
Record-high temperatures around the North Pole are driving a blast of Arctic cold over Europe. The phenomenon of “warm Arctic, cold continent,” sometimes called “wacc-y” or “wacky,” takes place when the Arctic Ocean is ice-free. Climate scientists warn that this weather pattern could occur more often with human-made global warming. Reuters
On The Radar
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging the EPA’s “water transfers rule,” which allows government agencies to transfer water between different water bodies without protecting against pollution. A coalition of environmental groups and U.S. states brought the case before the Supreme Court. The Hill
Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter
