Entries by Rachael Sun

The Stream, August 23: First Chromium Water Standard in U.S.

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“Five hundred times higher than safe levels is not protective of public health,” said Avinash Kar, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, in review of a proposal for a drinking water standard in California, Los Angeles Times reported. The carcinogen hexavalent chromium standard, which will be the first of its kind in the […]

The Stream, August 22: UN Conference Links Water and Sustainable Development

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Yesterday’s United Nations (UN) conference stressed water management at national and global levels as the key to achieving sustainable development for the future, UN News Centre reported. “At the national level, community involvement, women’s voices and participation and private sector cooperation are essential […] at the Regional level, dialogue, information sharing and cooperation on transboundary […]

The Stream, August 21: China Reluctant to Engage in India’s Water Management Plans

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In the fifth round of India-China Strategic Dialogue, India pressed for an inter-governmental body to deal with water issues between the two nations, only to be met with a “less than enthusiastic” response from China, The Economic Times reported. Concerned over its neighbor’s ongoing dam production, India hopes for greater cooperation in the use of trans-border […]

The Stream, August 20: Campaign Against Coal Seam Gas in Australia

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Water Contamination The Lock the Gate alliance in Australia finds that of 43 coal and gas developments that would potentially affect water supplies in the country, only four have had the government’s “water-trigger” assessment applied to them, The Guardian reported. “The states have really let the side down badly on water quality,” said Carmel Flint, campaign coordinator with Lock […]

The Stream, August 19: Researchers Suggest a Fishing Ban Along Entire Yangtze River

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Based on a new report on the Yangtze River in China, researchers are suggesting a fishing ban along the entire river in order to preserve ecosystems currently being threatened by upstream activity, The Fish Site reported. The report was a collaboration between government agencies and NGOs that spanned five provincial-level regions, the first of its kind to […]

The Stream, August 16: Water Demand to Exceed Supply by 40 Percent in 2030

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Water demand is expected to exceed supply by 40 percent in 2030, Michael Zacka, President and CEO of Tetra Pak, writes in a blog post for The Huffington Post. While most companies have sophisticated and effective sustainability programs in place, he notes that water management often falls off radar into less obvious areas of concern. Water Supply […]

The Stream, August 15: East Africa Plans Data Project to Help Regional Water Management

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Countries in East Africa are planning a $US 19.5 million data project to better manage water usage between farmers, All Africa reported. To be completed by 2015, the project will contain publicly-accessible information on water levels, temperatures, flows, quality and quantity across nine countries. Water Supply Communities facing drought in the Southwest have begun pressuring residents […]

The Stream, August 9: British Prime Minister Promises Safe Fracking

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Despite growing protests to protect the environment and drinking water quality, British Prime Minister David Cameron is pushing for more fracking, promising compensation to communities and lower gas prices, The Guardian reported. “If you look at what’s happening in America with the advent of shale gas and fracking, their energy costs in business and their gas […]

The Stream, August 8: Norman Politicians Identify Water as City’s No. 1 Problem

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United States Candidates who ran for the Norman City Council or mayor in the last election all identified water as the city’s most important problem, The Norman Transcript reported. With treatment increasing aluminum content in the city’s drinking water to five times the recommended limit of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), citizens are constantly embroiled in […]

The Stream, August 2: 1 Dead and 15 Wounded in Sri Lanka Protest for Water Quality

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One resident in Sri Lanka’s western province was killed Thursday evening during a protest against a factory that had been contaminating drinking water in 15 local villages, Calgary Herald reported. More than 4000 people were present, hoping to provoke government action to stop the factory’s chemical emissions from polluting their water supply. China China’s mammoth coal industry […]

The Stream, August 1: Drought and Lack of Rain Force Sahel Families to Leave

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Drought Frequent droughts and unsteady rainfall are pushing families out of the Sahel, a new report from Refugees International says. Most of the region’s 100 million inhabitants rely on seasonal rainfall to rejuvenate farmland and produce feed for their herds, however in recent years an acute shortage of water has drained savings and forced families to move […]

The Stream, July 26: Dismantling of Veazie Dam Hopes to Restore Decimated Fish Population

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Marine Life A decade long, $US 60 million project will dismantle the Veazie Dam on Maine’s Penobscot River, to the relief of conservationists, government officials, and anglers alike, The New York Times reported. Dams on the river and pollution from paper mills have reduced the number of river herring running upriver from as many as […]