Entries by Codi Kozacek

The Stream, November 18: UNEP Calls for Green Global Economy

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Water management trails climate change on companies’ agenda, despite significant near-term risk and opportunity, according to the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) Water Disclosure global report. Two percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) should be invested in 10 industries — including water, agriculture and energy — to start making the global economy more sustainable, […]

The Stream, November 16: Air Pollution Worsens Droughts and Floods

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Wind-generated electricity will cost the same as electricity from fossil fuels by 2016, according to a new study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Air pollution from aerosols like soot and dust can amplify droughts and floods, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing a new study from the University of Maryland. The aerosols affect cloud formation, […]

The Stream, November 11: Keystone XL Decision Proposed

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The Obama administration decided Thursday to study an alternate route for the Keystone XL pipeline, postponing a final verdict on the proposal until after the 2012 election, The New York Times reported. The controversial pipeline has stirred up widespread opposition in Nebraska, where it would cross the Ogallala Aquifer as it carries crude oil from […]

The Stream, November 9: Fracking Without Water

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A new method of hydraulic fracturing utilizes reusable liquid propane gas instead of water to release underground natural gas deposits, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The technology, which is being developed in Canada, could have dramatic implications for water use in the burgeoning natural gas industry. United States Climate-related natural disasters have incurred $14 billion […]

Red Tide Downstream of Texas Drought: Marine Ecosystems Suffer Lack of Fresh Water

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High temperatures and salinity concentrations along the Texas Gulf Coast are behind a toxic red tide, fish kills, and an influx of oyster parasites. Additionally, several saltwater species have been found upstream, surviving in a typically freshwater environment and signaling a large change in these delta ecosystems.

The Stream, November 4: Developing Countries Bear Environmental Burdens, UNDP Report Says

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Developing countries are bearing the brunt of environmental burdens — including drought, water pollution and extreme weather — with little help from prosperous countries, according to the United Nations Development Program’s newest annual report on worldwide quality of life, the Associated Press reported. The report also says that progress made in these developing countries could […]

The Stream, November 2: Weather Extremes Will Worsen

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Costly weather extremes such as drought and floods are becoming more prevalent as climate change progresses, the Associated Press reported, citing a draft of a new study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The growing populations in vulnerable locations around the world will likely exacerbate the problem. Only 5 percent of the $97 billion […]

The Stream, October 28: Environmental Security in Latin America

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Environmental security is becoming a top priority in international relations, as showcased by disputes over natural resources and pollution in Latin America, The Guardian reported. Access to water is the most likely to create conflicts, policy experts say. North America Five Great Lakes states are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to speed up federal efforts […]

The Stream, October 26: Global Water Demand Outpaces Population Growth

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Global water use is increasing at twice the rate of population growth, Reuters reported. Developing countries will account for the bulk of the increased demand, potentially using 50 percent more water by 2025, while poverty and climate change add further stress to the situation. Glaciers in China’s Qinghai Province are melting faster due to climate […]

The Stream, October 21: Trapped by Climate Change

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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 […]

The Stream, October 19: Drought Unleashes Red Tide in Texas Gulf

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The largest red tide algae bloom since 2000 is gripping the Texas Gulf Coast, the Associated Press reported. The prolonged Texas drought this year kept freshwater from reaching the Gulf, raising the salinity levels in which the algae thrive. Despite record-breaking rainfall in October, 99 percent of Texas remains under severe drought conditions, Think Progress […]

The Stream, October 14: Asian Carp Reach North Dakota

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Invasive Asian silver carp are in North Dakota for the first time, the state’s Game and Fish Department confirmed. The carp — which are spreading through the Mississippi and Missouri river systems — eat plankton and greatly disrupt aquatic ecosystems, The Jamestown Sun reported. Rushing aid to drought-plagued Tuvalu will not help the country unless […]