The Stream, June 6, 2019: Plastic Makes Up Majority of Trash in English, Welsh Canals

The Global Rundown

New research shows that plastic waste makes up a majority of trash in canals in England and Wales. Monsoon rains are expected to arrive in southern India this weekend. A fifth of Somalia’s population is struggling to meet minimum food requirements amid drought, the UN warns. U.S. Great Lakes Erie and Superior reach record-high levels. A new bipartisan bill in Nevada aims to protect a portion of the state’s aquifers.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction. It doesn’t solve everything, but it’s a step in the right direction. And I think that’s what we can build on.” –Laurel Saito, the Nevada Water Program Director for The Nature Conservancy, in reference to Senate Bill 140, which has been unanimously supported in both the Nevada House and Senate. Some basins in Nevada still have water that has not been claimed by any users, but someday could be. If Governor Steve Sisolak signs the bill, it will require the state to protect 10 percent of water in such basins. The Nevada Independent

Latest WaterNews from Circle of Blue

New Circle of Blue reporting on ecological disaster in Fair Bluff, North Carolina:

Two Hurricanes, Two Floods: North Carolina Town Fights To Stay Alive — In tale of its time, Fair Bluff is buckled by ecological turmoil.

Aging Sewer System Imperils North Carolina Town’s Finances — Shrinking and storm-damaged town struggles to shoulder the costly burden of clean water.

The Rural Dilemma: Q&A With Al Leonard, Fair Bluff Town Manager  — The North Carolina town, whose population is down by one-third after being flooded twice in three years, can’t recover on its own, Leonard says.

Photo Gallery: Scenes from Fair Bluff — The scenic town on the banks of the Lumber River was damaged by hurricanes twice in three years.

By The Numbers

3 million Somalis who are struggling to meet minimum food requirements, according to a UN report of the rapidly-developing drought in the region. The agency warns that up to 2.2 million Somalis face starvation by September without the help of international aid. The Hill

59 percent Proportion of trash found in English and Welsh canals that is made up of plastic waste, based on findings by the Canal & River Trust charity. The study also estimated that 570,000 pieces of plastic wash into the ocean from the canals each year. The Guardian

Science, Studies, and Reports

Water levels in Lake Erie, one of the U.S. Great Lakes, set a record-high this May, bypassing the previous 1986 record. Lake Superior also set a new record for the month of May. Rainfall in the region was 21 percent above normal this May, and the resulting high water has swamped some coastal homes. The Detroit News

On the Radar

Much-anticipated monsoon rains are expected to arrive in India around June 8, according to the country’s meteorological department. The rains are arriving later-than-average, which has caused water shortages in several parts of the nation. Reuters

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