The Stream, April 17: Cities Across Europe Denounce Water Privatization

The Global Rundown

Resistance to water privatization spreads throughout Europe. Drought continues to expand in the Southwest United States, with Oklahoma seeing the worst conditions. New South Wales, Australia, promises to protect a release of environmental water into the Barwon-Darling river system. Scientists in the United Kingdom purify dirty water using a graphene filter. Plastic clogs Australia’s beaches, waterways and oceans.

“Plastic is everywhere, all of the time. It is in the air, the wind, the water and the soil and we find it in as many places as we look.” –Dr. Denise Hardesty, an Australian research scientist, in reference to the plastic pollution choking the country’s coastal regions. An analysis of trash on Australia’s “pristine” beaches found that most of the plastic likely arrived onshore simply due to littering. The Guardian

Latest WaterNews from Circle of Blue

What’s Up With Water – April 16, 2018 – “What’s Up With Water” condenses the need-to-know news on the world’s water into a snapshot for the start of the workweek. Listen to this week’s edition to hear coverage on a cholera outbreak in Malawi, plans for boosting desalination in Israel, and the most endangered river in the United States.

HotSpots H2O, April 16: Spotlight on the Refugee Influx in Uganda   – Uganda is home to the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis. The rapid influx is putting increasing stress on the country’s water availability.

By The Numbers

235 Recorded cases of water remunicipalisation in 37 European countries between 2000 and 2015, affecting more than 100 million people. In recent decades, human rights activists have criticized water privatization in Europe, arguing that the for-profit model is imposed by the EU and deemphasizes community. Their efforts, along with a variety of frauds and scandals among private water companies, have led many European cities to abandon privatization. Al Jazeera

20 percent Proportion of Oklahoma that is facing exceptional drought conditions, the worst classification. Other states in the Southwest U.S., including Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, are also experiencing extreme drought. U.S. News & World Report

Science, Studies, And Reports

Scientists in the city of Manchester, United Kingdom, have developed a graphene filter that makes contaminated water drinkable. The development, a promising breakthrough in filtration, could help provide drinking water to millions facing clean water shortages. Al Jazeera

On The Radar

A major release of environmental water into the Barwon-Darling river system in New South Wales, Australia, is scheduled for April 17. The New South Wales government, which is under criticism for its commitment to the Murray-Darling basin plan, has promised to monitor the release to ensure that the water is not pumped by irrigators. The Guardian

Kayla Ritter

Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter