Entries by Kayla Ritter

The Stream, July 17, 2020: Closing Coal Plants in the Western U.S. Expected to Free Up 76 Billion Gallons of Water

The Global Rundown The closure of 30 coal powered plants in the western United States could free up 76 billion gallons of water annually. A statement by Sudan’s Foreign Ministry claims that reports of Ethiopia filling its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam were inaccurate. A new study by the University of California, Davis predicts a 54% […]

The Stream, July 16, 2020: Ethiopia Begins Filling Its Renaissance Dam, Despite No Agreement with Egypt and Sudan

The Global Rundown Ethiopia confirms that it has begun filling the reservoir behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Brazil’s economy minister estimates that the country’s sanitation sector will receive more than $110 billion in investments in the coming years. A flash flood kills at least 21 people in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province. U.S. Great Lakes […]

The Stream, July 15, 2020: Torrential Monsoon Rains Flood a Third of Bangladesh

The Global Rundown Officials say a third of Bangladesh is underwater after a wave of torrential monsoon rains. Environmental groups in Michigan urge the state attorney general to stop Nestle from taking huge amounts of state water at minimal cost. On farmland across the U.S., absentee land ownership hampers efforts to protect land and soil. […]

The Stream, July 14, 2020: China Rolls Out “Wartime” Measures as Record Flooding Continues

The Global Rundown Dozens of rivers in China reach record levels as ongoing flooding in the country prompts “wartime” measures. The city of Jal, New Mexico fights against attempts to divert more local water to gas and oil operations. Many insurers in the U.S. require building owners to take extra precautions against Legionnaires’ disease as […]

HotSpots H2O: Embattled Northwest Syria Sees First Covid-19 Case

The first case of Covid-19 has been confirmed in northwestern Syria, sparking fears about the spread of the disease in the embattled region where water is scarce. 

The Stream, July 10, 2020: Michigan Extends Water Reconnection Order Through End of 2020

The Global Rundown Ohio plans to lift its Covid-19 moratorium on water shutoffs, while Michigan extends restorations through the end of 2020. China says it will put more funding toward water conservancy and flood prevention projects. Climate disasters are displacing millions of people worldwide each year, disproportionately affecting women and girls. Some residents of Sudan […]

The Stream, July 9, 2020: U.S. Children Who Rely on Private Well Water at Greater Risk for Lead Exposure, Study Warns

The Global Rundown New research claims that U.S. children who rely on private wells face a higher risk of being exposed to lead in their drinking water. A fertilizer company in Russia temporarily suspends operations after detecting high levels of calcium chloride in one of the rivers that supplies its water. Iraq’s crumbling economy furthers […]

The Stream, July 8, 2020: Chicago Expands Water Bill Relief Program

The Global Rundown Chicago, Illinois expands a program to help homeowners with unpaid water bills. In Australia, drought causes rice production to tumble by more than 90 percent since the 2017-2018 season. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia orders a shutdown of the contentious Dakota Access oil pipeline. Water temperatures in the […]

The Stream, July 7, 2020: 60 Percent of Fish Species May be Unable to Survive in Current Habitats by 2100, Study Warns

The Global Rundown A new study warns that 60 percent of fish species may be unable to survive in their current habitats by 2100. Wuhan, China raises its flood alert level after another week of torrential rain. The river Kuma in Kyushu, Japan overflows amid severe storms, leaving at least 50 people dead or missing. […]

HotSpots H2O: Conflict and Covid-19 Disrupt Water Supplies in Ukraine

Aerial bombardment as part of a years-long conflict has once again upset water supplies in eastern Ukraine, leaving many civilians without running water in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Stream, July 3, 2020: Temperatures in Great Lakes Michigan and Huron Jump Nearly 20 Degrees in a Week

The Global Rundown Water temperatures in the U.S. Great Lakes skyrocket amid sweltering temperatures in the midwestern United States. Researchers in the U.S. and Mexico race to save the Yaqui catfish from extinction as its habitat deteriorates. The Whitehaven Coal Mine in New South Wales, Australia could face a major fine after three years of […]

The Stream, July 2, 2020: Brazil’s São Paulo State Extends Water Bill Exemptions Through August 15

The Global Rundown Brazil’s Sabesp sanitation company extends water bill exemptions for more than 2 million low-income customers in São Paulo state. Data reveals that England’s water firms discharged raw sewage into waterways more than 200,000 times in 2019. Australia unveils the first projects being backed by the $2.7 billion Future Drought Fund. Satellite maps […]