Entries by Codi Kozacek

The Stream, January 23: Improving China’s Rural Drinking Water

Approximately 100 million people living in rural China do not have access to safe drinking water, a problem driven in part by polluted groundwater, Xinhua reported. In response, some rural communities on Hainan Island are installing “ultra-filtration membranes” to filter out viruses and dissolved compounds, a technology that China believes could be used across the […]

The Stream, January 21: Drinking Water Quality Threatened by Extreme Weather

Drinking Water The quality of drinking water supplies is at risk from increasingly frequent extreme weather, such as droughts, floods and wildfires—especially if they occur in combination, The Sydney Morning Herald reported, citing a new study released by researchers at the University of New South Wales. For example, a large wildfire followed by heavy rain […]

The Stream, January 20: Australia’s Government Sells Off Murray-Darling Water

For the first time since 2008, Australia’s government will sell some of its water allocations in the Murray-Darling Basin, making as much as 10 gigaliters available to irrigators, the Guardian reported. The decision has been applauded by drought-hit farmers, but members of the Greens political party worry that the sell-off could damage communities and environments […]

The Stream, January 17: Olympic Construction Seen Behind Floods, Possible Water Contamination

Residents and activists living near Sochi, Russia say the construction of Olympic venues has increased flood risks and may lead to the contamination of drinking water supplies, Reuters reported. One house in Sochi collapsed, allegedly due to construction activities that reduced drainage capabilities in the area. Extreme Weather California’s governor is planning to declare a […]

The Stream, January 16: Australian Heat Wave Sparks Questions About Water, Crops

Climate Change As much of Australia’s southeastern region remains in the grip of a heat wave, experts from the Climate Council caution that such heat waves are only going to become more frequent, Reuters reported. Heat waves that are more intense and last longer will put increasing pressure on water supplies and the country’s major […]

The Stream, January 15: Chile Asked to Balance Mining and the Environment

South America More than $US 40 billion worth of mining projects have been blocked or delayed in Chile, creating a bottleneck for foreign investment that the country’s national mining association has asked the incoming government to address, Reuters reported. Many of the mining projects, including the Pascua-Lama gold mine, have been put on hold due […]

The Stream, January 14: Policies Undermine Flood Defenses in United Kingdom

While both federal and local government budgets for flood defenses dwindle, the United Kingdom’s government is spending large amounts of money on policies that are counterproductive to flood control, the Guardian reported. Agricultural subsidies that require farmers to keep their land bare of trees, increasing runoff, are just one example of such policies. Africa Improving […]

The Stream, January 13: China Losing Wetlands Despite Protection Measures

Water Supplies China has lost 9 percent of its wetlands in the past decade even after setting aside several billion dollars to protect wetland areas, Reuters reported. There is some concern that the decline in wetlands, which are being destroyed by agricultural expansion, infrastructure projects and climate change, could lead to a decline in water […]

Study: Army Corps of Engineers Release Ways to Keep Asian Carp Out of Great Lakes

Plans to stop the invasive fish are costly, and most take more than 10 years to complete.

The Stream, January 10: Chemical Spill Pollutes West Virginia River and Drinking Water

Water Pollution A chemical foaming agent used to process coal spilled into the Elk River in Charleston, West Virginia Friday, prompting a tap water ban for approximately 300,000 people and the declaration of a state and federal disaster, CBS News reported. Stores in the area quickly sold out of bottled water, and the National Guard […]

The Stream, January 9: Asia Factories Improve Water Efficiency

Some manufacturers are beginning to improve the water and energy efficiency of their Asian factories to save money and resources, even though government regulations often do not require the changes, The New York Times reported. An Intel factory in Vietnam, for example, is planning improvements that will reduce its water consumption by as much as […]

The Stream, January 8: Geoengineering to Cut Climate Change Could Cut Rainfall Instead

Climate Change Introducing large quantities of sulfate particles into Earth’s atmosphere in an effort to simulate large volcanic eruptions and keep global temperatures from rising could have the unintended consequence of greatly reducing rainfall in parts of the world, the Guardian reported, citing a new study published in Environmental Research Letters. The study showed that […]