Here’s a round up of some of the latest news stories about water and the environment.
Tainted Water at 2 Reactors Increases Alarm for Japanese: “Japan’s troubled effort to contain the nuclear contamination crisis at its stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered a setback on Sunday when alarmingly high radiation levels were discovered in a flooded area inside the complex, raising new questions about how and when recovery workers could resume their tasks.”
Rare civic protest in China- Villagers fight against the construction of dams: One of a series of enormous dams being built in southern China will cause 60,000 people to relocate. The residents of a village due to be obliterated due to incoming hydropower plants were forced to relocate at short notice 6 months ago, long before their scheduled departure date. As a result, villagers are now protesting and creating public disorder.
In reviewing the major news stories about water and environmentalism in 2010, I ran across one of the most disturbing statistics about the water crisis I have ever read. Get ready…
HALF OF CHINA’S WATER IS TOO POLLUTED TO DRINK
AND ¼ OF IT IS ENTIRELY UNUSABLE, even for industry
Wrap your head around that for a second.
Actual water samples collected from Chinese urban rivers and lakes.
The most populous country on the planet, making up nearly 20% of the world’s population, has undergone an economic makeover of unprecedented proportions in just a few decades. But the environment has all too often been a victim of China’s aggressive development. Case in point- 50% of the water is undrinkable (source: MEP). Not only is there a dangerous shortage of water, what is left is polluted and sometimes deadly.
Most experts will point the blame toward heavy industry for the sorry state of China’s natural resources. The outpouring of pollution from chemical, pharmaceutical, and paper plants paired with pesticide and fertilizer runoff from farms creates a water crisis that cannot be ignored.
Without stronger government controls on industrial and agricultural pollution and without significant investment in a sustainable sewage system, countless millions will suffer from the effects of poor water quality.
After a hiatus, here are more top news stories about water and the environment.
China Turns to Biogas to Ease Impact of Factory Farms: “In China, millions of tons of waste from livestock farms are causing severe water pollution and massive emissions of methane. Now, some large livestock operators are turning to biogas fuel production in hopes of creating “ecological” factory farms.”
Power from Pond Scum: Algal Biofuels: Some of the world’s top researchers are looking into how to turn algae into a sustainable source of biofuel. “Algae produce useful compounds that can be formed into fuels and chemicals desperately needed by our society. Synthetic gasoline and diesel, jet fuel, ethanol and biodiesel can all be produced from different parts of the algal biomass.”
Group Votes to Keep Fishing Levels of Bluefin Tuna Stable: International fisheries negotiators elicit “stinging rebuke from conservationists who had been calling for a fishing moratorium” on the bluefun tuna which is at risk of extinction.
Here are some of the latest news stories regarding water and the environment:
Gulf Well Permanently Plugged, U.S. Says: “U.S. officials formally declared an end to the worst oil spill in U.S. history Sunday, a milestone that followed nearly five months of dashed hopes and blistering criticism of nearly everyone involved.”
Turn That Tap Off or the Goldfish Gets It!: Chinese designer Yan Lu’s “Poor Little Fishbowl Sink” offers “an emotional way to persuade consumers to think about saving water, by making consumption tangible.”
China Resorts to Blackouts in Pursuit of Energy Efficiency:The risks of delaying energy-saving measures have been all too apparent in a Chinese region where the authorities initiated draconian rationing last month to achieve the state’s efficiency targets.
eBay Moves to Green Shipping: “The online auction giant will launch a positive contribution to the environment next month: a shipping container for buyers and sellers to use — and re-use.”
Here are some of the latest headlines regarding water and the environment:
Brazilian Indians take hostages at Amazon dam site: Brazilian native Indians on Sunday took 100 workers hostage at the construction site of a hydroelectric plant which was built on top of an ancient burial site in the southern Amazon region.
Plastiki Completes Epic Plastic Journey: The journey of Plastiki, a 60-foot boat made out of 12,500 recycled plastic bottles came to an end today after travelling from California to Australia. The mission of the voyage was to bring attention to the effect plastic waste is having on the health of the Pacific Ocean.
Plastiki captain David de Rothschild
China water warning as oil spill hits Yellow River: After a pipeline burst in China, officials are trying to contain the damage but traces of oil have already been detected in the water supply that millions depend on.
Officials fear floods, strained reinforcements: More from China- “After more than 700 flooding deaths and some of the season’s worst downpours yet to come, senior officials are warning that the flood reinforcements of thousands of aging reservoirs in the country are strained to their limit.”
Do Cleaning Products Cause Breast Cancer?: A new study links the use of conventional cleaning products with higher risk of breast cancer. Yet another reason to clean green http://www.bluegranola.com/2009/10/31/clean-green/
