Entries by Nadya Ivanova

The Stream, January 17: China’s Environmental Litigation

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Reuters tells the story of a Chinese “cancer village” that is testing the reach of China’s laws against environmental pollution. Meanwhile, a Beijing-based environmental lawyer looks 10 years back, at a disappointing decade for environmental litigation in China. Did China really intend to create an agricultural colony in Mozambique or make the Zambezi Valley into […]

The Stream, January 16: Asian Carp

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Lake Erie and some of its biggest tributary rivers have just the right conditions for Asian carp to make themselves at home, according to a study by scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Associated Press reported. The invasive species have infested numerous tributaries of the Mississippi River, including the Illinois River, and are threatening to […]

The Stream, January 12: Water as Business Risk

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Next to power shortages, water scarcity will be the next big growth barrier for India’s economy, according to a recent survey by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Sixty percent of respondents said that water availability is already impacting their businesses, especially power plants, chemicals, textiles and cement factories. Rising sea […]

U.S. Administration Bans Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon

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The decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior was applauded by environmental groups for protecting the Colorado River watershed and criticized by industry organizations for hurting jobs and energy security. Photo © Ellen MacDonald On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Interior banned any new uranium and other hardrock mining claims around the Grand […]

The Stream, January 10: Japan to Create Robot Farm in Tsunami Zone

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The Japanese government plans to open a robot-run super farm in the tsunami-hit Miyagi prefecture, Wired UK reported. The so-called “Dream Project” will feature unmanned tractors and robotic farmers, and will channel back the carbon dioxide produced by the machinery to crops to boost their growth. Canada’s natural resources minister accused opponents of a project […]

Update: China Completes Tunnel Under Yellow River for South-North Water Transfer Project

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China is on target to begin transferring water from the Yangtze River Basin to Hebei, Shandong, and Tianjin by 2013.

The Stream, January 9: China Moves Forward With South-North Water Transfer Project

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China has completed the tunnel under the Yellow River for the South-North Water Transfer Project, which will divert water from the Yangtze River Basin to thirsty cities and industries in the country’s North, Xinhua reported. Check out Circle of Blue’s photos from the construction site and more. United States The U.S. Department of the Interior […]

Ecuador and Oil: Chevron Loses Court Appeal Against $18 Billion Amazon Pollution Fine

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Closing in on nearly two decades in court, this “David and Goliath” fight seems far from over. Plaintiffs contend that no amount of money can repair the damage to the environment and to the lives of the 30,000 who claim to have been affected, while the U.S. oil company has denounced the Ecuadorean court system […]

The Stream, January 5: Qatar’s Food Security

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Unlike the other oil-rich, water-poor Gulf states, by 2024 Qatar plans to produce up to 70 percent of its food domestically, by spending massively to boost crop yields and convert semi-desert into farmland, Reuters reported. But many economists and agricultural experts say Qatar’s plans do not make economic sense. There isn’t enough research on the […]

The Stream, January 3: Quake Concerns Suspend Well Operations in Ohio

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Ohio has suspended operations at five deep wells used to dispose of fracking-related fluids, citing concerns of a possible link between well activity and nearly a dozen quakes in the area in the past year, Reuters reported. United States Is Utah getting closer to a water rights settlement with the Navajo Nation? The Venice of […]

The Stream, January 2: Houston’s Leaky Pipes

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Houston’s ailing pipeline system lost more than 18 billion gallons of water during the height of last year’s Texas drought, Houston Chronicle reported. There are no clear studies on the environmental impacts of Sudan’s multi-billion dollar Merowe Dam on the Nile River, Inter Press Service reported. Scientific American explains the environmental toll of meat consumption. […]

The Stream, December 29: Cleaning Up The Potomac River

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Washington, D.C. is ploughing ahead with a $2.6 billion underground project — its biggest public works project in more than 40 years — aimed at helping clean up the polluted Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay, according to Reuters. Iran’s threat to halt traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz — which is the passageway […]