The Stream, October 21: Trapped by Climate Change

Climate change may threaten rural livelihoods and force millions of people to move to vulnerable, ill-prepared cities, The New York Times reported, citing a British government study.

United States
Cities across the United States are drastically raising water prices to pay for fixes to their crumbling water infrastructure, Bloomberg reported. In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the rate hikes, which will average $120 per year, will also create jobs.

California unanimously voted to approve the most comprehensive cap-and-trade plan in the country to control emissions. The system, which will largely take effect in 2013, requires polluters to buy state permits in order to emit set amounts of greenhouse gases, the Associated Press reported.

Asia
The recent heavy flooding in South East Asia shows that businesses are not prepared to cope with major natural disasters, which may become more prevalent under the effects of climate change, the United Nations said.

Meanwhile, China is expecting a power shortage of up to 26 million kilowatts this winter due to insufficient coal and water supplies to meet rising demand, Xinhua reported.

Africa
Heavy rains in Cameroon are exacerbating the country’s cholera epidemic by washing germs into open wells, AlertNet reported.

Europe
The European Union has unveiled its first plan ever to use $12.6 billion from its 2014-2020 budget to help upgrade Europe’s energy infrastructure according to the region’s strategic climate and energy needs, Euractiv reported.

Outer Space
The European Space Agency’s Herschel telescope has detected abundant water in a planet-forming disc around a young star. The finding gives scientists a new testing ground for looking at how water came to the Earth.

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