Entries by Keith Schneider

To Frack Or Not? Let’s Ask The Right Question

It’s apparent why a great number of Michigan residents wonder about the risks of fracking and whether the state and the federal government ought to shut the technology down. The industrial breakthrough that now enables developers to recover oil and natural gas from hydrocarbon-rich shales 6,000 to 10,000 feet beneath the surface is potentially fraught with danger.

2012 Year In Review: At the Front Line of the Global Contest Over Water, Food, and Energy

Circle of Blue’s senior editor Keith Schneider reflects on — and celebrates — this year’s body of work from our top reporters.

Delhi Dispatch: Rice, Wheat, and Water Serve Up Equal Helpings of Punjab’s Wealth and Risk

Free power, water, fertilizer, and chemicals encourages abuse of resources for world’s number two rice and wheat producer.

China’s Water Reserves and World’s Warming Atmosphere Wait For Natural Gas Breakthrough

China’s deep shale reserves are treacherous to tap and slow to develop.

Scarcity of Water and Land Shifts Geography of Food Production and Irrigation Networks to China’s Northeast

Rich land, ample water, and human persistence have turned virgin prairie into the primary breadbasket for China, the world’s largest nation and second-largest economy that is pursuing grain production with a single-minded purpose.

Food Supply, Fracking, and Water Scarcity Challenge China’s Juggernaut Economy

New project finds that building the world’s fastest-growing economy risks public safety and tests global resource limits. Photo © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue An expensive program to expand irrigation networks is occurring in Inner Mongolia, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, which has prompted concern because it would push new irrigation canals into highly […]

Contest Between Water and Energy Becoming Big Story

Back from China, Circle of Blue’s senior editor notices a trend creeping from our headlines to those of other news organizations around the world.

China’s Marine Aquaculture Shellfish Industry: Really Big and Apparently Safe

Circle of Blue’s director and senior editor are on assignment in China. Here is a preview of their reporting to come next month.

Great Lakes Ports and Shipping Companies Confounded by Climate Changes and Water Levels

With freighters forced to carry lighter loads, port structures damaged by rot, ship cannels that are filling with silt, there are millions of dollars in losses, repairs, and dredging — but scientists are working on adaptation solutions and planning resilience.