Water News Archives

Choke Point: China on Wilson Center’s Dialogue Program

November 30, 2011

On Wednesday evening, dialogue — an award-winning television and radio program that explores the world of ideas through weekly, half-hour conversations with renowned public figures, scholars, journalists, and authors — will feature "Choke Point: The World's Looming Water Crisis."

Report: Thirsty Power Plants Increase U.S. Water Stress

1 Comment

November 29, 2011

Water-energy choke points in Texas serve as examples of a larger issue for the United States, as pointed out in a new report for the Energy and Water in a Warming World Initiative, spearheaded by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Shiprock, New Mexico: The Navajo Nation — which spans a 70,000-square-kilometer stretch of mesa, sand, and canyons in parts of New Mexico, Utah, and northern Arizona — is the largest and, arguably, the driest American Indian reservation in the United States.

Racing an Arizona Senator’s Retirement, Dry Navajo Nation Draws Closer to Securing More Water

2 Comments

November 17, 2011

The largest reservation in the U.S. has one of the nation's highest poverty rates — more than 40 percent — and very little water infrastructure. Many residents pay nearly 50 times the municipal cost for water, which instead is delivered from a tank in the back of a truck, often resulting in water-borne intestinal illnesses.

Peter Gleick: Energy, Water, and Climate Change in the Western U.S.

2 Comments

November 16, 2011

A new analysis from the Pacific Institute evaluates the water…

Pacific Institute Report: Setbacks and Solutions of Water-Energy Clash in U.S. Intermountain West

0 Comments

November 15, 2011

At the forefront of a national trend, this region is already suffering from intense conflicts that willy only worsen with climate change and population growth. However, the report also highlights several ways to dramatically reduce the water requirements for electricity generation.

Pharmaceuticals in the Water Systems Infographic

Unprescribed: Legislation to Keep Drugs Out of Water Thwarted by U.S. Pharmaceutical Lobbying

7 Comments

November 10, 2011

An estimated 10 to 40 percent of prescription and over-the-counter medicines are not used, but how to properly dispose of these drugs depends on who you ask. Since there is no continuous national program, states — and even some cites — are instituting their own regulations, but not without complaints from the pharmaceutical industry.

Red Tide Downstream of Texas Drought: Marine Ecosystems Suffer Lack of Fresh Water

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November 4, 2011

High temperatures and salinity concentrations along the Texas Gulf Coast are behind a toxic red tide, fish kills, and an influx of oyster parasites. Additionally, several saltwater species have been found upstream, surviving in a typically freshwater environment and signaling a large change in these delta ecosystems.

Report: Fracking Tests Caused Two Quakes in England, But Unlikely to Threepeat

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November 3, 2011

Shale gas test drilling likely triggered two minor earthquakes in northwestern England earlier this year, according to a a new report commissioned by Cuadrilla Resources, a private United Kingdom-based energy company.

Plumbing WikiLeaks: Saudi Arabia Fears Iranian Nuclear Meltdown and Potential Terrorism to Desalination

5 Comments

October 28, 2011

Classified cables show that Saudi and U.S. officials believe water supplies along the Persian Gulf are at high-risk for terrorist attacks and possible contamination from nearby nuclear plants. This is the first of a new series that will analyze the water-related U.S. embassy cables published by WikiLeaks.

Food Floods Flooding 2011 Thailand Cambodia Vietnam Philippines Laos Rice Maize Corn Crop

Peter Gleick: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Water for Africa, and the Nobel Peace Prize

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October 28, 2011

The remarkable president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has just been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen for their work on women’s rights. This award is rightful recognition of the commitment and dedication of these women to strengthening the rights and dignity of women in Africa, and around the world.