Bolivia, water wars, and climate change

By AMY GOODMAN Published: Friday, April 23, 2010 at 3:00 a.m. COCHABAMBA, Bolivia Here in this small Andean nation of 10 million people, the glaciers are melting, threatening the water supply of the largest urban area in the country, El Alto and La Paz, with 3.5 million people living at altitudes over 10,000 feet. I […]

Graph of the Day: World Irrigated Area Per Thousand People, 1950-2007

By Lester Brown12 Feb 2010 4:51 AM …World food production continues to increase, yet the rate at which it is increasing has slowed. From 1970 to 1990, world grain production grew by 64 percent. From 1990 to 2009, it increased by only 24 percent. Past growth in agricultural production was fueled in part by expanding […]

Troops guard water pumps in Bangladesh

By Staff WritersDhaka, Bangladesh (UPI) Apr 21, 2010 Soldiers are guarding water pumps in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, as the city of 7 million faces severe water shortages. While water shortages are typical during the April-May dry season, it has been especially bad this year, getting a start in March with unusually high temperatures. […]

Ocean salinities show intensified water cycle

By Staff WritersCanberra, Australia (SPX) Apr 22, 2010 Evidence that the world’s water cycle has already intensified is contained in new research to be published in the American Journal of Climate. The stronger water cycle means arid regions have become drier and high rainfall regions wetter as atmospheric temperature increases. The study, co-authored by CSIRO […]

World failing on every environmental issue: an op-ed for Earth Day

By Jeremy Hance, www.mongabay.com April 22, 201 The biodiversity crisis, the climate crisis, the deforestation crisis: we are living in an age when environmental issues have moved from regional problems to global ones. A generation or two before ours and one might speak of saving the beauty of Northern California; conserving a single species—say the […]

Food supply chains at risk in changing south-east Asian climate

By Zara Maungguardian.co.uk, Monday 19 April 2010 12.35 BST A report co-written by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and HSBC Climate Change Centre of Excellence claims that food supply chains in India and south-east Asia are under serious threat from changing climatic conditions. Aquaculture in the region, including farmed Thai shrimps and Vietnamese catfish are […]

UK water use ‘worsening global crisis’

By Richard BlackEnvironment correspondent, BBC NewsMonday, 19 April 2010 01:12 UK The amount of water used to produce food and goods imported by developed countries is worsening water shortages in the developing world, a report says. The report, focusing on the UK, says two-thirds of the water used to make UK imports is used outside […]

Hoover Dam turbines adapted to cope with historic drought

By James Cartledge The US Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $3.4 million contract to Andritz Hydro Corporation to upgrade generating facilities at the Hoover Dam. Andritz Hydro, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, will design and manufacture a new “wide head” turbine runner for the Number Eight generating unit at the power plant […]

Australia coal plant still polluting river beyond guidelines

By BEN CUBBY, ENVIRONMENT EDITORApril 20, 2010 THE NSW government has tightened the pollution licence of a coal-fired power plant near Lithgow that is releasing toxic metals into a river that feeds Sydney’s drinking water supply. Delta Electricity, the owner of Wallerawang power plant, must now monitor heavy metals and pollutants such as arsenic flowing […]

Kenya growers dump tons of roses due to Europe flight ban

By Jeremy Clarke and Antony Gitonga; additional reporting by Duncan Miriri and Elias Biryabarema in Nairobi, Barry Malone in Addis Ababa; Editing by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura and Giles ElgoodMon Apr 19, 2010 4:24pm EDT NAIVASHA, Kenya (Reuters) – Kenyan flower farmer Jack Kneppers was forced on Monday to throw 6.5 tons of his exquisite roses into […]

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