Entries by Codi Kozacek

The Stream, October 29: Syria’s Polio Outbreak in Food & Water?

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Public Health At least 10 children have been sickened and paralyzed by a polio outbreak in Syria, which World Health Organization officials fear could spread rapidly among young children in the war-torn country and its neighbors, Reuters reported. The disease can spread through contaminated food and water, and many children in Syria are now vulnerable […]

The Stream, October 28: Cleaning Up Puerto Rico’s Estuaries

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Water Pollution Volunteers in Puerto Rico spent the weekend pulling trash from San Juan’s estuary system, which has been degraded by littering and sewer and storm water runoff, Reuters reported. Conservationists hope that the government will undertake a more than $500 million dredging project to improve water quality in the estuary. The Worth of Groundwater […]

The Stream, October 25: Are Australian Bushfires Linked to Climate Change?

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Climate Change More frequent bushfires in Australia appear to be the result of higher temperatures and longer dry spells, according to the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC), the Guardian reported. The AFAC, as well as other bureaus and research institutions, previously predicted that bushfires would increase due to climate change, though Australia’s […]

The Stream, October 24: Drought Hits Economies of Countries in Southern Africa

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Drought Zambia and Angola have both lowered their forecasts for economic growth this year due in part to a severe drought, AlertNet reported. The drought has affected the countries’ agricultural industries, which still make up a large share of their gross domestic product (GDP). As drought continues to be a persistent problem in Africa, there […]

The Stream, October 23: Drought Was Behind Collapse of Bronze Age Civilization

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Drought A study of pollen grains has led scientists to believe that a drought caused the collapse of the thriving Bronze Age civilization in the Mediterranean, The New York Times reported. Sediment samples taken from the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea were used to look for changes in climate for each 40-year period. […]

The Stream, October 22: China’s Unrelenting Hydropower Growth

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Hydropower In an effort to move toward cleaner renewable energy, China is turning to huge hydropower projects and is currently adding 15 gigawatts of capacity each year, the Guardian reported. While the projects may cut coal’s share of energy production, they could also cause the displacement of thousands of people and alter river environments. Egypt, […]

Notes from the Field: Adventure on the High (Inland) Seas

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As reporter Codi Yeager-Kozacek’s trip across Lake Michigan got a little more exciting when she sailed into an October gale, it was a fitting reminder of the difference between reporting from a desk and reporting from the field.

The Stream, October 21: Herding and Farming Water Demands Conflict in Tanzania

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Water Conflict Small-scale farmers and livestock herders are increasingly competing for water in Tanzania’s Pangani River Basin, IPS News reported. Rapidly declining rainfall levels in the basin, as well as a growing population, are exacerbating the problem. Curbing Food Waste Efforts to cut down on the amount of food thrown away, which wastes an amount […]

The Stream, October 18: Floods and Water-logging Persistently Plague Bangladesh

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Floods Man-made embankments meant to divide land and keep rivers from encroaching on farm fields in Bangladesh are trapping flood waters and leading to water-logged fields, IRIN News reported. While some farmers have turned to shrimp farming, scientists are recommending that restoring rivers and wetlands would be a better way to deal with the flooding […]

The Stream, October 15: Desalination Capacity Increases with Growing Demand

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Water demand from energy producers is driving a rapid increase in global desalination capacity, Bloomberg News reported. This year, total desalination capacity is expected to be 50 percent greater than last year’s capacity, able to produce 80.9 million cubic meters of water. Sea Level Rise Rising water due to climate change could threaten $US 226 […]

The Stream, October 11: North Dakota Oil Spill Encourages Water Worries

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A spill of more than 20,000 barrels of crude oil into a North Dakota field is fueling concerns about the environmental costs of the state’s energy boom, Reuters reported. Though officials say that this spill was not near rivers or streams and that it does not pose an immediate threat to groundwater, activists opposed to […]

The Stream, October 10: India Pursues Water-efficiency Monitoring

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India A newly formed government agency in India will monitor the country’s water use and the efficiency of water systems in order to combat leaks and waste in agriculture and other industries, Bloomberg News reported. India plans to reduce the amount of water wasted by one fifth. Climate Change By the middle of this century, […]