Entries by Codi Kozacek

Great Lakes Mayors Ask State and Federal Governments to Step Up On Algae

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Drinking water summit focuses on Toledo water crisis. Photo courtesy Tony Hisgett via Flickr Creative Commons Mayors from the Great Lakes region met in Chicago to call for action on toxic algae blooms that threaten drinking water.Click image to enlarge. Twenty mayors from Great Lakes cities in both the United States and Canada met in […]

The Stream, September 26: U.S. River Freight System Strained by Food and Energy Boom

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Water, Energy, Food Rising demand for trains and trucks to transport materials for the booming U.S. oil and gas industry is pushing more shipments of grain onto the nation’s river barges, Reuters reported. Record corn and soybean crops this fall are expected to further strain the river transport network, which is already under stress from […]

The Stream, September 25: Water Reservoirs Hit Alarming Lows in Sao Paulo

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Water Shortages Water levels in the primary reservoirs that supply Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, have reached just 7.6 percent of capacity—worse than before the city’s utility tapped the “dead” water volume at the bottom of the reservoirs in May, Bloomberg News reported. The city is now turning to the very last level of water […]

World Stands By As Algae and Dead Zones Ruin Water

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Expensive research and cleanup efforts make little headway. Photo courtesy Greenpeace China via Flickr Creative Commons An algae bloom spreads across China’s Dianchi Lake in 2007. That same year, a bloom in Lake Taihu made the water undrinkable for 2 million people in Wuxi.Click image to enlarge. By Codi Kozacek Circle of Blue Decades of […]

The Stream, September 24: China Ahead of Water Pollution Goals, Government Says

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Pollution Emissions of pollutants in China’s waterways, including nitrogen and organic pollutants, have already declined by slightly more than the 2 percent goal set by the government in 2014, Reuters reported, citing government officials. China is also considering an additional $US 326 billion plan to clean up wastewater and restore its lakes and rivers. Drought […]

The Stream, September 23: Morocco Expands Water Resources by $27 Billion

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Africa A national plan to increase Morocco’s water resources by 5 billion cubic meters by 2030 will cost the country $US 27 billion, a price it is hoping to cover primarily with investments from the private sector, Bloomberg News reported. The investment is designed to maintain current per capita water availability as the country’s population […]

The Stream, September 22: Second Toxic Spill at Mexico Mine in Two Months

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Pollution The Buenavista copper mine in northern Mexico has spilled toxic waste into the Sonora River basin for the second time in two months, prompting the government to warn nearby residents not to use the water, the Associated Press reported. The mine is already facing a cost of $US 151 million to clean up a […]

The Stream, September 19: Manila Flooded by Tropical Storm

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Natural Disasters Water levels rose as much as 3 meters in areas of Manila as rains from tropical storm Mario flooded the Philippine capital, The New York Times reported. More than 500,000 people were evacuated from the city while schools, offices, transportation and electricity closed down. Emergency supplies of bottled water are being shipped into […]

The Stream, September 18: Iran Could Import Water For Capital’s Emergency Supplies

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Water Supply As water supplies continue to decline in Tehran, Iran is spending $US 11 million to complete a new water treatment plant and mulling a plan to import water from Tajikistan, Bloomberg News reported. Officials are also considering stricter measures to get residents to reduce water consumption, which is much higher in the capital […]

The Stream, September 17: Iraq Oil Production Restricted by Water Scarcity

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Water Scarcity Shortages of water are hurting production at two major oil fields in southern Iraq, with one field citing water as a reason its output has declined 40 percent since last year, Reuters reported. Water scarcity in general threatens Iraq’s plans to grow its oil production capacity, which may rely on pumping seawater to […]

The Stream, September 16: El Salvador Dispute Over Mine and Water Enters Final Arguments

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Mining An international World Bank tribunal in Washington D.C. is hearing final arguments this week in a court case between El Salvador and Australian mining company OceanaGold, which is suing the country for not permitting a gold mine that El Salvador says will pollute waterways, Inter Press Service reported. OceanaGold is asking for more than […]

The Stream, September 15: ‘Rivers’ of Water Vapor From Amazon Fail, Bring Drought to Brazil

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Drought Vast clouds of water vapor that typically flow from the Amazon rainforest to southern Brazil failed last year, possibly causing the severe drought that is afflicting cities like Sao Paulo, Climate News Network reported. Scientists believe that deforestation in the Amazon basin and climate change are to blame for stopping the flow of water […]