Entries by Nadya Ivanova

The Stream, July 4: France Bans Fracking

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France became the first country to outlaw hydraulic fracking, after French senators voted 176 in favor and 151 against a bill to ban the controversial technique, Bloomberg reported. According to the new law, energy companies that plan to use fracking to produce oil and gas in France will have their permits revoked. A Reuters analysis […]

The Stream, July 1: North America’s Greenest Cities

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San Francisco is the greenest city in North America, according to a recent survey that looked at 31 green indicators, ranging from consumption of water and electricity to efficiency standards, Reuters reported. An influential member of the European parliament is proposing a new directive that would penalize or even ban the development of shale gas, […]

The Stream, June 29: Millennium Development Goals

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An inadequate water supply system has left Congo’s capital Kinshasa with fierce water shortages despite its proximity to the Congo River, IPS News reported. Cleanup began Monday in Gatineau, Quebec, for hundreds of people forced to evacuate after heavy rains flooded the area, UPI reported, citing Canadian weather experts. Water projects are slipping down the […]

The Stream, June 28: France Pledges Nuclear Power Investment

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The water recycling system deployed to clean the tainted water in Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant was halted for repairs after a brief run on Monday, the Associated Press reported. The contaminated water could overflow by early July if the recycling system fails or other storage options are not enough. Despite the growing anti-nuclear […]

The Stream, June 27: Food Prices, G20 and Global Food Security

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The Council on Foreign Relations highlights the factors behind food price volatility, and analyzes why price volatility rather than high prices are the crux of global food security. Why is China importing more corn? The Economic Observer reports. Egypt has initiated a proposal in the World Trade Organisation to ban export restrictions on farm products […]

The Stream, June 24: Xayaburi Dam

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Laos is moving forward with the construction of the controversial Xayaburi Dam, essentially breaching an agreement to suspend the project pending approval by ministers of neighboring countries, Reuters reported, citing International Rivers. Salt water threatens to seep into wells used by public utilities in Florida, after a severe drought left surrounding wetlands without water to […]

The Stream, June 23: Biofuels For Europe’s Aviation

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European airlines, biofuel producers and the European Commission have signed an agreement to produce 2 million tons of biofuel for aviation by 2020, even as debate rages over how green such fuels are, Reuters reports. Is the branding of biofuels as a low-carbon alternative to oil taking away from the discussion about their impact on […]

The Stream, June 22: Mapping Climate Change

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A 2008 compact designed to protect the Great Lakes against diversions is undergoing its first big test as the Great Lakes face more and more pressure to supply surrounding regions, according to WBEZ. A new map shows the regional and local impacts of climate change. As energy demand and oil prices are soaring, Arab countries […]

The Stream, June 21: Fracking Disclosure

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The New York Times reports on the lingering drought in Texas. The current dry spell has heightened the stakes in a long-term planning battle over water from Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis, which feed the lower Colorado River as it runs southeast to the Gulf of Mexico, and has pitted cities like Austin against rice […]

The Stream, June 16: Texas Drought

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The worst Texas drought in more than a century may cripple the oil- and natural gas- drilling boom in the state as government officials are starting to ration the water supplies for energy exploration and hydraulic fracturing, Bloomberg reports. The shortage is intensifying the competition for water between the agriculture and energy industries, as power […]

The Stream, June 15: The Cost of Nuclear Phase-Out

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A survey by the Asahi newspaper shows that nearly three-quarters of Japanese voters are in favor of a gradual nuclear phase-out in the country, while about 50 percent agree that reactors now off-line for inspections should be restarted if they meet government safety standards, Reuters reports. Meanwhile, this SolveClimate News article says that decommissioning a […]

The Stream, June 14: Italian Referendum Rejects Nuclear Power, Water Privatization

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More than 90 percent of Italians rejected Silvio Berlusconi-era legislation on nuclear power, water privatization and trial immunity for government ministers in a national referendum that registered a 57 percent turnout, Deutsche Welle reports. Following the poll results, the shares of Italian renewable energy companies rose on Monday, while the shares in Italian utilities with […]