Water Supplies

Water – Oct 1

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– Human Impact on World’s Rivers ‘Threatens Water Security of 5 Billion’
– Groundwater Depletion Raises Likelihood of Global Food Crises
– NYT: Water Use in Southwest Heads for a Day of Reckoning
– Sharon Astyk: The Water Fountain

Large scale land investments do not benefit local communities

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In April 2010, more than 120 farmers’ groups and non-governmental organizations all across the world signed a statement declaring their opposition to the guiding principles endorsed by the World Bank, the FAO, IFAD and UNCTAD on “responsible” land investments.

The errant economics of detrimental dams and ruined rivers

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Lessons from the massive flooding that has beset Pakistan, uprooting 14 million people, underscore the need for a new economic paradigm. River engineering (a mainstay of the old economic paradigm) in the Indus Basin reduced small and medium floods, but set up the conditions for millions to be harmed when larger floods occurred.

The voyage of Kiri: Making sense of collapse

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Discussion: Perceptive readers have probably wondered about the strange mix of topics we’ve covered — ranging from floods and fisheries to tourism development and drug production. What is the relationship between these issues and their significance to this voyage’s “theme of exploring the effects of climate on Mexico’s coastline?” This might be a good opportunity for a bird’s-eye view, using island examples and past societies for perspective.

The “other” carbon problem — ocean acidification

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Humankind’s assault on the oceans continues apace. A short time ago, we considered the loss of 40% of the phytoplankton in the oceans since 1950. In my post How We Wrecked The Oceans, marine ecologist Jeremy Jackson explains why he believes the sea will be devoid of fish and other large marine organisms sometime in the 2040s. And now comes the “other” carbon problem—acidification of the oceans.

Climate change begets delta urbanism

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The famous canals of The Netherlands are not just unique tourist attractions. They are water control systems that help the Dutch in their battle against the ever-encroaching North Sea. Now this tiny country is faced with a new, more grave challenge: rising seas caused by climate change–and it is helping other cities cope with this problem through a program called Delta Urbanism. The Dutch were among the first to come to the aid of New Orleans five years ago after Hurricane Katrina and they have continued working with local officials through the Dutch Dialogues in search of flood control solutions for this below-sea-level delta city.

Growing shortages of water threaten China’s development

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With 20 percent of the world’s population but just 7 percent of its available freshwater, China faces serious water shortages as its economy booms and urbanization increases. The government is planning massive water diversion projects, but environmentalists say conservation — especially in the wasteful agricultural sector — is the key.

It’s a race to failure between rogue states and global oil output

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Dwindling global oil supplies are leaving the world ever more reliant on a group of unstable countries – many of which are themselves facing major domestic problems right now.
Believe it or not, many of the world’s major oil exporters cannot maintain their own domestic energy requirements. Venezuelan consumers endure electricity blackouts of “seven or eight hours a day,” but less well known is the situation in the Middle East, where residents are facing rolling power outages just as summer temperatures soar, and with it, the demand for air conditioning.