Australian economy under threat as climate change bites
The economic risks presented by climate change have been further highlighted with the publication by the Australian government of a new report showing that drought was threatening the water supply of more than a million Australians.
A six-year drought across the country has left its main water system – the Murray-Darling river system, which stretches across four states from southern Queensland to Victoria – severely depleted.
Speaking at the release of the report, Australia's climate change minister Penny Wong warned that unless measures were taken to save the river system, the country's drinking and agriculture supplies would dry up.
Here in the United States whenever we turn on the tap on our sinks, bathtubs, etc. out comes a flow of water. The United States is a water rich nation compared to many others, and a developed nation at that. This means that for now, water resources have been adequate to meet demand.
It is estimated that of the over six billion people in the world though, one billion lack access to potable water. Most of these people are in underdeveloped nations that lack the resources to develop new potable water sources. But for the average American, these problems are miles and worlds away right? Well, perhaps for now, but is it possible that water shortages may be arriving to the world's richest nation? The signs of shortage are already beginning to show and something will have to be done in order to stop it.
Saving rain: How much is too much?
Collecting large amount runs afoul of 'archaic' law
On a nonprofit Woodinville farm devoted to sustainable practices, rain hits a green shed roof covered in a carpet of herbs and moss.
Drops run down a chain into four weathered barrels, draining to a small pond ringed by cherry trees, huckleberry bushes and native plants.
It's a system the 21 Acres farm wants to create on a much grander scale when it breaks ground next year on an agricultural center with farm stalls, classrooms and test kitchens. The new addition could store 150,000 gallons of rain to irrigate dozens of adjacent garden plots, currently sucking up expensive city water.
There's just one problem.
It almost certainly would violate state water law. And if one wanted to be persnickety, so might the rain barrels cities encourage conservation-minded homeowners to buy.
"We're all promoting it, it's the right thing to do, it makes sense, but it's illegal," said Vince Carlson, a meadmaker and architect for 21 Acres. "Nobody says anything, and we're all kind of hush-hush about it."
Technically, rain that falls on your roof isn't yours for the taking. It's a resource of the state, which regulates the use of public waters through an allocation process that can take years to navigate.
Experts warn California faces water catastrophe
A congressional field hearing in Fresno this week was among a number of forums bringing attention to the worsening water disaster in California. Government officials are reviewing the scope of the crisis and looking for solutions to severe water shortages that threaten crops and jobs.
Mendota Mayor Robert Silva testified that his city--located on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and heavily dependent on nearby farms for jobs and economic activity--already had unemployment levels reaching more than 30 percent, and that jobless rates will increase as the harvest season ends.
Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources, testified that "2008 is a disaster, but 2009 could be the worst drought in California history."
Mideast Facing Choice Between Crops and Water
CAIRO — Global food shortages have placed the Middle East and North Africa in a quandary, as they are forced to choose between growing more crops to feed an expanding population or preserving their already scant supply of water.
For decades nations in this region have drained aquifers, sucked the salt from seawater and diverted the mighty Nile to make the deserts bloom. But those projects were so costly and used so much water that it remained far more practical to import food than to produce it. Today, some countries import 90 percent or more of their staples.
Now, the worldwide food crisis is making many countries in this politically volatile region rethink that math.
The population of the region has more than quadrupled since 1950, to 364 million, and is expected to reach nearly 600 million by 2050. By that time, the amount of fresh water available for each person, already scarce, will be cut in half, and declining resources could inflame political tensions further.
“The countries of the region are caught between the hammer of rising food prices and the anvil of steadily declining water availability per capita,” Alan R. Richards, a professor of economics and environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said via e-mail. “There is no simple solution.”
Israel Faces Its Worst Water Crisis Ever (video)
As the dry months of summer sweep through the Middle East, Israel is faced with its worst water crisis ever. The water levels in Israel's three main water sources - the Sea of Galilee, the Coastal Aquifer and the Mountain Aquifer - have now receded to the lowest levels in recorded history. All three have already dropped below the red line - the line at which it is recommended to stop pumping from the water source. Faced with increased consumption due to population growth, land development and water commitments to Jordan and Palestine, Israel has no choice but to continue pumping from its water sources. Yet if Israel continues, water levels will soon drop under the black line - the point of no return, where continued pumping will cause severe, irreversible damage to the Israel's water sources. With many more rainless months to go, Israel is already dangerously close. 07/24/08
Greek Cyprus water shipment suffers more setbacks
Repeated delays in shipping much-needed water from Greece has left one of Greek Cyprus' largest cities with only two weeks' supply of water as the country faces severe drought, officials said on Wednesday.
There are new setbacks in getting drinking water off a ship for the 177,000 residents of Limassol, a port city in the south which has only 0.8 million cubic meters of water left in its reservoir. The city requires 45,000 cubic meters of water per day.
"The way things are going now, it's not enough to last even 20 days. It's possibly enough for 17 or 18 days," said Kyriakos Kyrrou, an official from Greek Cyprus' water department. "But whatever happens, people will get water," he told Reuters.
Effects linger from last summer’s drought in W.Va.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - First, there was last summer’s drought. Then came more bad news: skyrocketing fuel and fertilizer prices, and a wet spring that delayed West Virginia farmers’ plantings and hay harvests.
In 2007, the state’s 21,000 farms suffered millions of dollars in losses from the driest summer in years. Yet in an industry that serves mostly as a second income here, farmers are refusing to fold, even in the face of the latest setbacks.
“I don’t know what’s worse - too much rain or not enough,” said Ed Smolder, a West Virginia University extension agent for Jackson County. “It’s feast or famine.”
Farmers got a break last week, the first since Smolder can remember that no significant rain fell, giving many the first real chance this year to cut hay, usually harvested in June.
“And it’s July,” Smolder said. “I’ve been here 31 years and this is the first time I’ve seen everyone finishing up the hay the week before the (county) fair,” which began
Monday.
Drought forces ranchers to cull herds
Dwindling water supplies coupled with high grain costs have many Central Texas ranchers heading to auction barns.
Stock ponds are drying up as temperatures continue to hover near the century mark, forcing beef producers to either move cattle to pastures with deeper water supplies or cull their herds, according to Russ de Cordova, president of the Buffalo Livestock Commission.
"It's a bad situation, and it's going to get worse," de Cordova said. "A lot of producers will have to cut their herds in half - some even a third."
Although Marlin and most of Central Texas received much-needed rain last week, it was far from the drought-buster the ag community needs.
Governor asks SC residents to conserve water
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Gov. Mark Sanford is encouraging South Carolina residents to voluntarily conserve water so water restrictions don't become mandatory.
Officials say a drought gripping the state continues to worsen. The Department of Natural Resources says the worst conditions are in the Upstate, where some wells have gone dry and Lakes Hartwell and Thurmond along the Georgia state line are already 10 feet below where they should be.
Maharashtra to face sugarcane shortage
Sugar is set to leave a bitter taste in days to come with the sugarcane production in Maharashtra likely to decline substantially.
Maharashtra may witness a shortage in sugarcane and sugar in the forthcoming crushing season following a drought-like situation in the state.
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Decline in sugar production in India and Brazil's decision to utilise 65 per cent of its sugarcane to produce ethanol directly has sent sugar prices soaring. If 2008-09 is going to be good for us then we expect a better crop in 2009-10 as well, claimed Prakash Naiknavre, managing director of MSSPL.
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Dolly destroys Texas cotton, sorghum crops
Hurricane Dolly probably doomed South Texas's cotton and sorghum crops already damaged by heavy rains earlier in the summer. But analysts said the loss, while devastating for local producers, will have only a short-term effect on the markets.
Nonetheless, "it doesn't look good" for either crop, Texas AgriLife Extension agent Rod Santa Ana said Thursday.
About 92,000 acres of cotton in the region was awaiting harvest until driving rains and high winds stained the cotton and drove the bolls to the ground, where harvest becomes useless. Even if the bolls had remained on the plants, the resulting cotton cloth's quality would have been severely diminished.
No firm figures will be available on the damage until after Dolly passes and cotton producers are able to get back in their fields.
Flooding feared along US-Mexico border from Dolly
BROWNSVILLE, Texas, July 24 (Reuters) - Hurricane Dolly, which lashed the U.S.-Mexico coastline, weakened to a tropical depression on Thursday over South Texas, but concern remained over flooding along the populous Rio Grande Valley.
Initial reports indicated that aging levees holding back the Rio Grande River withstood a surge from Dolly, which dumped up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in the first hours after coming ashore at the barrier island of South Padre Island on Wednesday and spurred widespread flooding across South Texas and northeast Mexico.
The full effect of the flooding might not be seen for days as rain flows into the region where more than 1 million people live.
Local officials said the levees have held under the strain, though flooding was widespread.
Expert warns likely flooding in Nigeria
The Director Dams, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Mr. Emmanuel Adannu, has urged the federal government to take action on the Lake Nyos River, along Cameroon- Nigeria border before it over-flood the whole country. Adannu said that the situation needed urgent attention, stating that though the government had taken up the challenge of building dams around the River to prevent over flooding, work around there is slow, compared to the danger ahead.
Bangor, Maine, Has Massive Power Outage
118,000 Left Without Electricity in Probable Lightning Strike
The Associated Press is reporting a major power outage in most of Maine. On July 24th major power service provider Bangor Hydro Electric went down, the victim of a supposed lightening strike. Roughly 118,000 people were left without electricity.
The Associated Press says most customers lost their power before 8 a.m. This was verified by Bangor Electric's spokeswoman Susan Faloon, who said in the article that "street lights, traffic lights, you name it" were involved.
Storm Hits New England, Kills One
Some Rivers May Reach Flood Stage After Predicted Rain
CONCORD, N.H. -- Powerful thunderstorms sparked tornado warnings and flood warnings, caused building collapses and have been blamed for one death Thursday afternoon, reported WMUR-TV in Manchester, N.H.
Gov. John Lynch declared a state of emergency in Merrimack, Strafford, Belknap, Carroll and Rockingham counties and called out the National Guard to help after the storms cross New Hampshire.
"It appears that there are at least 100 homes damaged and probably at least a half-dozen homes which have been completely destroyed," Lynch said after a helicopter tour.
"It was a narrow swath of destruction that went from Epsom all the way to New Durham," he said.
Police and firefighters were going door to door in the storm-ravaged areas, which stretched from about 10 miles east of Concord to beyond the eastern end of Lake Winnipesaukee near the Maine border.
Downed trees and power lines blocked many roads, delaying emergency responders.
The storm knocked out power to 6,000 homes and businesses.
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