Entries by Kaye LaFond

The Stream, February 26: WHO Warns Syria Is Ripe for Cholera Disaster

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The Global Rundown Lack of safe drinking water is increasing the risk for a cholera outbreak in Syria, and a drought is decreasing copper output in Chile. A study in England finds a link between fluoridated water and hypothyroidism, and a study by United Nations University says cutting out corruption and subsidies will help meet […]

The Stream, February 19: Thailand Allocates $US 240 Million to Deal with Drought

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The Global Rundown Thailand will spend millions on alleviating drought this year, while a Palestinian developer may have wasted more than 1 billion building a city with no water supply. Qatar plans to enact penalties for wasting water and electricity, and the state of Ohio is working on legislation to limit when farmers can apply fertilizer. It […]

The Stream, February 13: 80 Percent Chance of U.S. Megadrought

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The Global Rundown Scientists are predicting a megadrought in the United States in the next 100 years, and the hospitality industry in Rio de Janeiro is preparing for water shortages during Carnival celebrations. Meanwhile, Pakistan may face a country-wide water shortage in the next decade. Nearly half of Ireland‘s water supply is lost to leaks. Finally, […]

The Stream, February 12: High Levels of Benzene in California Fracking Waste Water

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The Global Rundown Fracking waste water in California is showing off-the-charts benzene contamination, and residents of Detroit suburbs will likely see a huge hike in water rates. The United Nations is funding flood relief in Malawi, and the European Union and Unicef are funding a training center for water workers in Angola. Lawmakers in South Carolina are […]

The Stream, February 6: Water Pollution is Rough Sailing for 2016 Rio Olympics

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The Global Rundown South Africa, West Africa, and Thailand are seeing reduced harvests due to drought – sugar cane, cocoa bean and rice crops are suffering. El Nino is more than fashionably late to the party this year, and scientists don’t know why. The World Bank has put out updated estimates of the return-on-investment for […]

The Stream, February 4: Half of Septic Tanks Inspected in Ireland Could Pollute Water

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The Global Rundown Septic systems in Ireland are at risk of polluting drinking water, and the Chesapeake Bay is at risk from climate change and population growth. A 12-year legal battle over water in Imperial County, California has been settled, and the 111th meeting of the Indus Water Commission has concluded. Of all the water […]

The Stream, January 30: Senate Approves Keystone XL, Paving Way for Obama to Make A Long-Awaited Decision

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The Global Rundown The U.S. Senate has approved Keystone XL, and the time has come for the President of the United States to either sign or veto. The time has also come and gone – again – to launch NASA‘s soil moisture monitoring satellite. A new study says that extreme storms are likely to get […]

The Stream, January 28: Obama’s Visit to India Does Not End in a Climate Deal

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The Global Rundown Barack Obama failed to secure a firm commitment on carbon emissions during his recent trip to India, but Florida Governor Rick Scott is making a firm financial commitment to the Everglades. Groundwater in Lahore, Pakistan is declining rapidly, and taps in Blantyre, Malawi are still running dry following flood damage three weeks […]

Infographic: The Drier, Wetter, Warming U.S.

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Despite warm and cold extremes in 2014, precipitation and temperature trends over the past century show a drier Southwest and Southeast, a wetter Midwest and Northeast, and overall warming. By Kaye LaFond Circle of Blue The data is in, and though 2014 was a year of weather extremes, more than 120 years of record-keeping show […]

The Stream, January 21: Obama Says Climate Change Is Biggest Threat to Future Generations

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The Global Rundown During the 2015 State of the Union Address last night, the President of the United States made it clear that he is concerned about climate change and that Americans should be, too. Pakistan is showing similar sentiments and reinstating its ministry for climate change. Chicago, Illinois is settling with a suburb that owes it […]

The Stream, January 16: Humans Degrading the Systems that Sustain Them

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The Global Rundown Scientists have categorized the nine natural processes vital to life on earth, and determined that humans are throwing four of them dangerously out of whack. A diesel fuel spill into the St. Lawrence River left some Quebec residents under a tap water drinking ban this week. BP’s maximum fine for the Gulf of Mexico […]

The Stream, January 14: Copper Mining in Chile’s Desert Gets Thirstier

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The Global Rundown Water consumption by copper mining in Chile is projected to increase dramatically in coming years. In India, river-linking projects could begin as early as April, and hundreds of illegal water burials are clogging a Ganges tributary with bodies. Your BPA-free water bottle may not be as healthy as you think. The Great […]