Entries by Lydia Belanger

The Stream, August 16: When Wells Run Dry

U.S. Drought Continues The drought has literally hit home in the rural Midwestern United States, where some citizens are turning on their faucets to find their wells have dried up, The Associated Press reported. The Missouri government will subsidize the drilling of new wells for more than 3,700 farmers and ranchers hit by extreme drought, […]

The Stream, August 14: Food and Water Relief Measures

France, the United States and G20 president Mexico have scheduled a conference call at the end of this month to decide whether they should hold an emergency international meeting to address potential food price spikes amid a relentless drought in the U.S. and poor crops in key Black Sea grain regions, Reuters reported. A group […]

The Stream, August 13: Expected Crop Yields Plummet While Prices Climb

Food prices This summer’s drought in the United States will cause corn yields to drop 17 percent compared to 2011, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Consequently, the USDA expects corn prices to rise 39 percent to $8.90 per bushel. Soybean supplies and prices will face similar consequences, The Wall Street […]

The Stream, August 7: Locals Weigh In On Mining and Dams

Dams Communities in Mexico’s southern states of Puebla, Tabasco, Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas have united against the potential social, economic and environmental effects of the region’s mini dams, according to Inter Press Service. This fall, San Francisco Bay Area residents will vote to determine whether to drain a 117-billion-gallon reservoir in the Hetch Hetchy Valley. […]

The Stream, August 6: U.S. Drought Expands to 64 Percent

Drought Drought has reached 64 percent of the area of the 48 contiguous U.S. states, making conditions the worst since the Drought Monitor began in 2000, UPI reported, citing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Wildfires induced by extreme heat and drought have devastated dozens of homes in Oklahoma, according to NBCNews.com. Read Circle of […]

Brian McSorley

Brian McSorley, Oxfam’s humanitarian coordinator, promotes water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in Northern Kenya. This includes Dadaab refugee camp, where 88,000 people rely on Oxfam to provide facilities. “Water keeps us alive. But get too little, or too much, or the wrong kind, and results can be catastrophic — drought, floods, crop failure, children dying […]

The Stream, July 30: Asian Rainfall Picks Up, While U.S. Drought Brings Benefits

South and East Asia Despite fears of drought, the monsoon in India increased Sunday, driven by northerly winds and upper air cyclonic circulation. Parts of the state of Rajasthan are expected to receive more rainfall over the coming days, according to The Times of India. A July 14 announcement of a Malaysian “water crisis” is […]

The Stream, July 26: Glaciers, Lakes, and Criticisms Heating Up

Beijing Flooding Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong resigned Wednesday, in what some media say is likely a routine political reshuffling, but which comes amid public questioning of Beijing authorities’ handling of last weekend’s flood disaster. Others have suggested that Guo may be trying to escape further blame for the damage caused by the deluge, according to […]

Andrée Sosler

Traditional cooking techniques in Darfur can be dangerous for women and for the babies tied to their backs. But Andrée Sosler is working to change all that. As the executive director of Potential Energy, a California-based organization that markets high-efficiency stoves to Sudanese women who would otherwise use firewood, Sosler is offering a way to […]

The Stream, July 23: Looking Ahead As U.S. Drought Persists

The U.S. drought could last through October, prolonged by potential El Niño conditions, according to Reuters and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. Corn and soybean prices have reached record highs, with corn at more than $8.07 a bushel and soybeans up to $17.49, threatening a “world food crisis” if conditions persist, UPI […]

The Stream, July 19: Pricing, Pollution and a Warming Planet

Regulatory measures The Clean Water Act has largely fallen short in the Pacific Northwest and much of the nation, according to a new investigation by EarthFix and InvestigateWest. A pump replacement program in Islamabad will augment the city’s water supply and save enough electricity to power 4,500 Pakistani households, Bloomberg reported. Some restaurant owners in Vienna are […]