Here are some of the latest news stories about water and the environment:

Does a healthy environment harm jobs?: “Industry says millions of jobs will be lost if the EPA enacts planned regulations. Others say this is just a scare tactic and should be ignored, especially when lives are at stake.”

Around the World on Solar Power Alone: Green company PlanetSolar has recently launched the world’s first boat to circumnavigate the globe using solar power alone. This revolutionary catamaran, topped with solar panels that have an almost 6,000 square foot surface area, will travel from east to west along an equatorial route.

This Company Turns Plastic Bottles Back into Crude Oil: The energy company Vadxx is turning recyclable materials into crude oil. “While we might hope that some day we won’t need oil at all, for now, this is certainly a step up from drilling in the Arctic.”

Largest U.S. Dam Removal Begun: “The deconstruction of two obsolete dams in the U.S. Pacific Northwest will benefit more than a hundred species, experts say.”

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s Focus on Sustainable Design: The new 9/11 Memorial is complete with a green roof, a water-conserving irrigation system and is seeking a LEED gold ceritification.

How will the 1.1 billion people living in India today cope with climate change? As resources dwindle and weather patterns become more erratic, the country’s rural majority will dive deeper into poverty due to global climate disruption if action is not taken to alleviate the risk. Through rain water harvesting and accessible career training, local forward-thinking institutions are transforming communities to be better prepared for environmental hardships ahead.

A reporter from National Geographic wrote this article about one community that, after decades of suffering from the chokehold of poverty, has become an “incredible example of how rainwater harvesting can create prosperity.” Government environmental regeneration programs have helped villagers install rainwater storage systems,  and this investment in sustainable development is proving highly effective.

"Kamla Devi was Rajasthan's first woman to graduate from Barefoot college as a solar engineer." Photo credit: The Guardian

Elsewhere in India, Barefoot College is training rural women to become green entrepreneurs in an effort to help the country grow in a way that is environmentally responsible. Barefoot College’s low cost, decentralized and community driven approach capitalizes on the potential already present in villages by training the women in skills including solar engineering, healthcare and water testing. Check out this article about one of the College’s success stories,  a 19-year-old, semi-literate woman from a small village who “has broken through India’s rigid caste system to become the country’s first Dalit [“untouchable”] solar engineer.”

Here are some of the latest news stories regarding water and the environment:

Investors Warned of Hidden Financial Risks of Water Shortages: “From Georgia to California, scarce water a threat to both environmental and financial security.”

Bay Area Maps Out Bike-Sharing Effort: A $7 million environmentally friendly public transportation initiative is about to be launched in San Francisco. The program calls for 1,000 bicycles to be strategically placed around the city thus giving citizens a greener alternative to driving cars.

After two years of eco-living, what works and what doesn’t: “After experimenting with solar panels, gray-water systems and chickens for two years, a budget-minded consumer takes stock of what worked and what didn’t.”

Rhode Island First to Adopt International Green Construction Code: “As of October 2010, Rhode Island is the first state in the U.S. to recognize the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) as an option for the design and construction of all major public facilities.” To learn more, click here.

US Government Approves World’s Largest Solar Project: The U.S Department of Interior “offered Solar Trust of America, the project developer, a 30-year right-of-way grant to use public lands for the plant’s solar-thermal installation and transmission lines.”

Here are some of the highlights of what’s going on with water in the world today. I’ve got everything from winning a gold metal in the Olympics to solar power to floating tomatoes.

Rescuers search for Chile quake survivors; death toll jumps to 708 (Sorry this story isn’t directly related to water or environmentalism, but I thought it was important news nonetheless.) A detailed account of the disaster unfolding in Chile after a 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit a suburb outside the capital of Santiago yesterday. “This is an emergency without parallel in the history of Chile” said the president, Michelle Bachelet.

Can e-waste be turned to gold? What will happen as e-waste increases by 400% in China and 500% in India over the next 10 years?

Solar Cookers International recently launched a program in Haiti as part of the relief effort to bring clean energy alternatives that make cooking easier, safer, and more environmentally friendly.

More on the possible positive impacts of solar power: Solar Electricity Powers the Fight Against Hunger in Rural African Villages- Stanford Study Confirms Solar Market Garden’s Positive Impact on Food Security, Nutrition and Income.

The Spotless Garden: The unconventional tactics of one American gardener could be “either a glimpse at the future of food growing or a very strange hobby — possibly both.” To learn more about aquaponics, click here.