The Stream, February 12, 2019: Extreme Flooding Kills an Estimated 500,000 Cattle in Drought-Stricken Queensland, Australia

The Global Rundown

Hundreds of thousands of cattle in drought-stricken areas die as severe flooding strikes Queensland, Australia. Fourteen children die in Barcelona, Venezuela, due to contaminated food and water. A new report finds that lakes in Tasmania are among the most contaminated in the world. Negotiations over PFAS contamination in western Michigan grow increasingly tense. Farmers in Kenya continue to rely on traditional weather prediction methods instead of meteorological services.

“Most farmers are still not ready to take up the accurate scientific information conveyed by the met department.” —Danson Kigoro Ireri, director of meteorological services in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. About a third of the country’s farmers continue to rely on traditional forecasting methods, but a changing climate is causing weather events to be more extreme and unpredictable. Officials are working to make weather forecasts more accessible to farmers, who name language barriers and confusing terminology as two key reasons for not adopting modern-day forecasting methods. Reuters

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By The Numbers

500,000 Estimated number of cattle that died in Queensland, Australia, during recent severe flooding. Most of the cattle lived in regions that have faced years of drought. Queensland officials say that many farmers have lost “literally everything.” The Guardian

14 Children in Barcelona, Venezuela, who died this week from amoebiasis, an illness spread through contaminated food and water. Several other children have also contracted the disease, but cannot be treated due to limited medical supplies. Al Jazeera

Science, Studies, And Reports

A study by The Australian National University found that several lakes in Tasmania are among the most contaminated in the world, including some in the state’s Wilderness World Heritage Area. The pollution stems from nearby mining, and has tainted the lakes with lead, copper, arsenic, and cadmium. The Guardian

On The Radar

Tensions over PFAS contamination in Kent Country, Michigan, are on the rise as Wolverine Worldwide—the company responsible for dumping PFAS-polluted tannery waste in the area—refuses to pay for an expansion of the municipal water system by itself. The local government says it does not have adequate funding to address the issue on its own, but Wolverine says it won’t put forth any money unless its chemical supplier 3M contributes to the funding. In the meantime, residents are relying on filters and trucked-in water. Wolverine is also trying to dismiss the local townships from a lawsuit against them. MLive

In context: PFAS: What You Need To Know.  

Kayla Ritter

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