An aerial view of an intentional breach in levee L-575 near Hamburg, Iowa, June 20. The intentional breach was created by the local sponsor and approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following a full breach of the levee June 13. The intentional breach was conducted by the sponsor to delay the time in which the area behind the levee would flood. The levee is located at River Mile 552 in Atchison County, Mo. (U.S. Army Photo)

U.S. House Passes Bill to Accelerate Decision on Tar Sands Keystone XL Pipeline

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If the Republican-sponsored bill passes the Democrat-controlled Senate, the final decision could come by the beginning of November.

United Nations Stalemates on Climate Change and Security

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Climate change became a hot-button issue at a recent U.N. Security…
Map Weather Extremes Floods Droughts Tornados

Weather Extremes: Floods, Droughts, Tornadoes, and Extreme Heat Plague Much of U.S.

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Extreme weather events in 2011 have been numerous and diverse, prompting some analysts to link the natural disasters to climate change. Most recently, many states are under exceptional-drought and extreme-heat advisories.

Business vs. Environment: Ohio Governor Vetoes Lake Erie Water Withdrawal Bill

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The highly controversial bill set the highest thresholds for water withdrawal permits in the Great Lakes region, sparking debate between environmentalists and businesses over the use of Lake Erie water.
Infographic: American Arsenic

Infographic: An Elemental Concern—Arsenic in Drinking Water

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Arsenic is both naturally occurring and artificially produced, and the toxin is very dangerous since it often has no color, taste, or smell. This graphic breaks down how arsenic gets into drinking water supplies and how arsenic affects the U.S. on the state level.

American Arsenic: After a Decade, Small Communities Still Struggle to Meet Federal Drinking Water Standards

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When the EPA lowered the arsenic standard for drinking water from 50 parts per billion to 10 in 2001, there were 3,000 water systems in violation. Today, nearly a thousand still are.
The Pleasant Power Station, Willow Island, West Virginia. 1.3 megawatt coal-fired power plant.

FOIA Lawsuit Seeks Release of U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘Water-Energy Roadmap’

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The report, one of two ordered by Congress on water and energy, has been delayed for years.
An aerial view of an intentional breach in levee L-575 near Hamburg, Iowa, June 20. The intentional breach was created by the local sponsor and approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following a full breach of the levee June 13. The intentional breach was conducted by the sponsor to delay the time in which the area behind the levee would flood. The levee is located at River Mile 552 in Atchison County, Mo. (U.S. Army Photo)

Peter Gleick: What Do You Know? Water Conservation and Efficiency Actually Work

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A new analysis from the Pacific Institute Municipal Deliveries of Colorado River Basin Water, authored by Michael J. Cohen, documents real changes in population and water deliveries for 100 cities and water agencies in the U.S. and Mexico that deliver and use water from the Colorado River Basin. Total population in these areas grew by more than 10 million people between 1990 and 2008, but water use per person dropped by around 20 percent over the same period (around 1% per year).
Texas Drought

Dried Up: Texas Industry and Residents Square Off Over Water as Drought Continues

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With nearly 65 percent of Texas experiencing exceptional drought, water is becoming increasingly precious—and scarce—in a state that has to divide the resource between the growing appetites of farmers, city residents, and energy corporations.
Water & Energy Chokepoint

Double Choke Point: Demand for Energy Tests Water Supply and Economic Stability in China and the U.S.

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The cords of energy demand and water supply are tightening around the world's two largest economies.
An aerial view of an intentional breach in levee L-575 near Hamburg, Iowa, June 20. The intentional breach was created by the local sponsor and approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following a full breach of the levee June 13. The intentional breach was conducted by the sponsor to delay the time in which the area behind the levee would flood. The levee is located at River Mile 552 in Atchison County, Mo. (U.S. Army Photo)

Water Continues to Rise: Floods Rage in States along Missouri River

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Towns from Montana to Iowa are bracing for flood waters as heavy rains fall across the region and warm temperatures melt record snowfall.
An aerial view of an intentional breach in levee L-575 near Hamburg, Iowa, June 20. The intentional breach was created by the local sponsor and approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following a full breach of the levee June 13. The intentional breach was conducted by the sponsor to delay the time in which the area behind the levee would flood. The levee is located at River Mile 552 in Atchison County, Mo. (U.S. Army Photo)

Peter Gleick: The California Drought (2007-2009) – Myth Versus Reality

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It has been a wet year. Very wet. But remember the drought? California…