Entries by Circle of Blue

Water rationing on the way in California

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CONTRA COSTA, California – The East Bay’s largest water supplier is likely to impose mandatory rationing next month that could include higher water rates, limits on outdoor sprinklers or possibly a ban on car washing, the Contra Costa Times reports. Elsewhere in the East Bay, residents are expected to be asked to conserve water voluntarily. […]

“Water Wars” Could Be On Tap for Great Lakes

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TORONTO, Canada – Parched U.S. states could start “water wars” in the years ahead and fight for access to Great Lakes resources as they become more desperate to meet growing needs, Canadian and American experts said Wednesday at a water conference. Southwestern U.S. states are already concerned about dwindling water resources, and the impacts of […]

School board bans bottles, turns to tap

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TORONTO – The Waterloo Region board has banned the sale of plastic bottles of water in its schools starting next year, a move that is expected to spur others across the province into action. The decision covers cafeterias, vending machines, and school and board functions. “The thing about bottled water is that you can just […]

As drought eases, water bills rise

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ATLANTA – Many residents of the Southeast who sacrificed greener lawns and longer showers to reduce water usage during the region’s historic drought are now seeing the other shoe drop: They’re being hit with sharp rate increases as water utilities scramble to make up revenue lost because of conservation measures. Read More here. Source : […]

Nigerian Water – Profits vs People

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LAGOS – Since 1999, huge amount of public funds have been spent on provision and management of water. Certainly, more money has been spent on this than funds spent trying to house Nigerians. The result is still no potable water and lack of access to adequate sanitation. Medical experts would confirm that more than half […]

Georgia drought is still extreme

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA — There’s a sense across metro Atlanta that the extreme drought that transfixed the region last fall and winter has eased and that things are finally getting back to normal. That is a dangerous, dangerous assumption. Even though the most severe drought symptoms have eased, most of north Georgia is still experiencing a […]

$138 mistake: 22 billion gallons of water released from Georgia’s Lake Lanier

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA — More than a year before Georgia’s historic drought demanded the Atlanta area’s attention, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers accidentally released about 22 billion gallons of water downstream from Lake Lanier in 2006, while trying to save taxpayers $138. Read more here. source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/ajc.com Circle of BlueCircle of Blue provides […]

Eco-friendly architecture through smart design

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The May 2008 issue of Vanity Fair (the third annual “Green Issue”) features an article in the “Architecture” section by Matt Tyrnauer on architect William McDonough, whom he refers to as “a prophet of the sustainablilty and clean technology movements.” McDonough’s advocacy of smart design that reduces both water and air pollution, as well as […]

Israel: Drought and pollution threaten drinking water supply

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ISRAEL — Israel stands to lose large amounts of drinking water due to poor quality and problems associated with drought years, according to the national Water Authority. Among the threats to water quality are cowsheds in the south that have been found to cause groundwater pollution, and sewage that could soon pollute drilled wells in […]

Water pollution: dawn of the “dead zones”

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GULF OF MEXICO — It’s thousands of square miles wide, virtually devoid of oxygen and it has been blamed for an increase in shark attacks: the Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone” is getting bigger and forcing marine life — including sharks — into shore. The zone has been caused by a flood of nutrients, such […]

Clean water essential for people living with AIDS

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KAMPALA, UGANDA — Speaking during a workshop on HIV/AIDS and sanitation at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala recently, the executive director of the Uganda Water and Sanitation Network, John Byarugaba, said that lack of clean water increases the risk of diarrhea among people living with HIV/AIDS. “The immuno-compromised status of people living with HIV/AIDS […]

Earth Day: Time to review ways to help save the environment — and money

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An article in Canada’s Chronicle Herald online marking Earth Day 2008 offers tips for saving both the environment and money, including not purchasing bottled water, reducing household water waste, and spot cleaning clothes to reduce laundry, among others. Read more here. source: The ChronicleHerald.ca/The Halifax [Nova Scotia] Herald Limited Circle of BlueCircle of Blue provides […]