Entries by Sarah Haughn

Rainy Tennessee Copes with Valley of Ashes

/in , , /by

What happens when the earth gives way? Residents and authorities in eastern Tennessee struggle to answer this very question, as 5.4 million cubic yards of spilled coal ash seep into nearby waterways, block roads and flood neighborhoods. When an earthen wall collapsed at the Kingston Fossil Plant, the polluted liquid byproduct of the plant’s coal […]

Cashing in on Water: Small Business Owner Capitalizes on Controversial Commodity

/in /by

COPPERAS COVE, Texas — As water becomes an increasingly political issue, one man and his family plan to capitalize on its also increasing commercial popularity. Fred Mendez is opening a small store where everything on sale relates to water. He plans to sell it in bottles and gallons, along with purifying and ozone kits, and […]

Pump Slump: Island of Oahu Experiences Water Shortage

/in , , /by

HONOLULU — After a proliferation of electricity outages, the Hawaiian island of Oahu needs to limit its water usage, say officials at the Board of Water Supply. Oahu depends on electric pumps to keep its reservoirs full. During the outages, residents have been withdrawing the resource and water wagons have delivered emergency stock to hospitals. […]

States Remedy Polluted Ohio River

/in , , /by

When officials found high fecal counts in the Ohio River, they decided to initiate a clean-up effort. Now six states — including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia — are participating in the 475-mile makeover. According to the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission the river reached its current state of pollution due […]

Detroit Drinking More Than Its Share from River, says Ontario

/in , /by

HAMILTON, Ontario — Detroit, Michigan’s Motor City, has been “stealing” Ontario’s water for more than half a century, reports Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment. The city’s intake pipe reaches 100 yards too far across the Detroit River, siphoning as much as 32 billion gallons a year without a permit. The two governments are working to […]

The Walled Grave: Politics of Neglect Caused Zimbabwe’s Cholera Outbreak

/in , /by

Grim consequences of failed water and sanitation infrastructure by Sarah Haughn? Circle of Blue UPDATE: Find the full interview with Professor Timothy Burke here. The vicious cholera epidemic sweeping across Zimbabwe is the result of a systemic breakdown in basic sanitation, social services, and economic stability that began decades before Robert Mugabe came to power, […]

Global Warming’s Silver Lining: Could Water Vapor Cool the Planet?

/in , , /by

WASHINGTON — Evaporation might be a cool answer to global warming. That, or it could put the earth in even hotter water. Ron Ace, a Maryland inventor, says he has an idea that could clear up the fog surrounding solutions to climate change by creating more of it. Ace has designed “a colossal refrigeration system […]

Un-ease and Dis-ease a Crippling Combination for Democratic Republic of Congo

/in , , /by

As emerging conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) displace communities, the nation’s populous is suffering from increasing levels of disease — such as malaria, diarrhea, dehydration and respiratory distress. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera cases have grown thrice as common since October, CNN reports. With more frequent violent clashes between […]

Three Gorges Dam Causes Havoc as Water Levels Rise

/in , , , /by

BEIJING — The hydroelectric feat that displaced over a million people is pushing its maximum water level and should reach it next year. The reservoir’s slopes, however, are already beginning to erode — causing numerous landslides. Chinese authorities express concern about the damage, but say that the cost of repairs from such events does not […]