We now find that under the current amount of warming, the probability of a severe drought year has approximately doubled. — Park Williams, assistant research professor at Columbia University’…
Tag Archives: Water
Pharmaceutical pollution widespread in Southeast U.S. streams | Summit County Citizens Voice
GR: We have known about this for at least 20 years, but nothing has been done because of the high cost of filtering urban waste water. Large corporations and stock holders avoid taxes, and what the rest of us pay is insufficient for more than a tot-lot or two and more roads to support further develpment and “progress.”
Bob Berwin: “Traces of pain-relieving substances, diabetes drugs and allergy medicines are widespread in small streams across the Southeast, especially in urban zones like Raleigh, North Carolina, the U.S. Geological Survey found in a new study.
“The USGS in 2014 sampled 59 small streams in portions of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for 108 different pharmaceutical compounds and detected one or more pharmaceuticals in all 59 streams. The average number of pharmaceuticals detected in the streams was six.
“The EPA is currently developing rules for regulating pharmaceutical pollution, but government watchdogs say the agency’s proposal is much to weak. Other studies have shown that the toxic cocktail of pharmaceutical remnants is already affecting basic stream health. From there, the chemicals are making their way up the food chain and have even turned up in remote Mexican cenotes. Source: Pharmaceutical pollution widespread in Southeast U.S. streams | Summit County Citizens Voice
Climate change, dams, deforestation a vicious cycle for Amazon rivers, lakes
Dams, mining, land-cover changes, and climate change are degrading the streams, rivers, lakes, and forests of the world’s largest river basin at unprecedented rates, according to scientists. From: phys.org
GR: The problems were recognized by Alexander von Humboldt over 200 years ago. What does that say about professional land management and planning agencies?
Arizona water experts call for ‘culture of conservation’
Recommendations from the Arizona Town Hall include more use of reclaimed wastewater and stormwater runoff. From: azdailysun.com
GR: It is interesting that Arizona’s “Water Experts” advocate water reclamation at public expense, but say nothing about slowing growth at developer expense. Oh, BTW, Are you kids still wasting all that water rinsing your toothbrushes? Don’t you know that you are killing off the bunnies and deer?
Elephant seal molt raises mercury levels in coastal water
“Researchers link seasonal fluctuations in toxin with elephant seal fur
“FRISCO — So much mercury has accumulated in the ocean food chain that, when northern California sea lions molt their fur, the toxic substance can traced in the water.
“Mercury is one of those toxins that just keeps building up. It never really goes away, but just changes form. That’s a real problem in the marine environment, because the most toxic variation, methyl mercury, is readily absorbed and accumulates in the bodies of marine organisms.
“In a process known as “biomagnification,” the toxin becomes more and more concentrated as it passes up the food chain. Thus, mercury concentrations in top predators can be 1 million to 10 million times higher than the levels found in seawater.” Sourced through Scoop.it from: summitcountyvoice.com
GR: Mercury is increasing in freshwater and seawater across most of the planet.
Arizona’s new water rush raising tensions
BOWIE — Farmers from California and Arizona are pushing to drill wells and pump unregulated water in Cochise County, triggering intense rivalries and calls for a crackdown.
Some farmers from the drought-parched, increasingly regulated Central Valley of California want to plant pistachios and other crops here, largely to feed China’s growing demand for tree nuts. But others who are already here and pumping water want the state to limit new irrigation. Sourced through Scoop.it from: azdailysun.com
GR: Everyone acknowledges that groundwater is a limited resource that will all be gone one day, but no one acknowledges that the riparian habitats along streams and springs fed by groundwater have either already disappeared or will disappear over the next few years. Such blind ambition is destroying our wildlife. Arizona farmers, “Wealth isn’t just bank balances, it’s also the beauty of our surroundings.”
Arizona projects picked for major conservation effort
AgriPulse: “WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2015 – More than 100 conservation projects for protecting water quality, restoring critical wildlife habitat, and addressing other environmental challenges will get federal matching funds under a groundbreaking program authorized by the new farm bill.
“The 115 projects, which include one aimed at preventing another of the Lake Erie toxic algae blooms that plagued Toledo, Ohio, last summer, will share $370 million in federal money, to be matched with $400 million worth of contributions from outside groups, universities and state and local governments.
“Projects in three sites in Arizona will aim to save water, repair habitat, and increase the ailing flow of the Verde and Colorado Rivers as part of a federal program sparked by the 2014 Farm Bill. (Arizona projects picked for major conservation effort.)
“We’re giving private companies, local communities, and other non-government partners a way to invest in a new era in conservation that ultimately benefits us all,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Vilsack announced the project awards near Phoenix, where one of the projects is designed to help restore habitat for fish and wildlife along the Verde River, a tributary of the Colorado” (Agri-Pulse).
“This is an entirely new approach to conservation efforts,” said Vilsack. “These partnerships empower communities to set priorities and lead the way on conservation efforts important for their region. They also encourage private sector investment so we can make an impact that’s well beyond what the Federal government could accomplish on its own. We’re giving private companies, local communities, and other non-government partners a way to invest in a new era in conservation that ultimately benefits us all. These efforts keep our land resilient and water clean, and promote economic growth in agriculture, construction, tourism, outdoor recreation, and other industries” (USDA).
Water costs up 1,000% where half of US fruits, vegetables and nuts grow
Drought and Human Demand Wiping Out Natural Water Resources
GR: The rising cost of vegetables and the crops fed to livestock may alter the diets of the expanded mass of poor people in the US. The real impact, however, is the drying of springs and ponds used by wildlife. Drought and human competition for water will shove many species farther toward extinction.
Rising Costs for Urbanites
NaturalNews: “It is not as if there aren’t any economic factors influencing the price of groceries these days. Transportation alone, thanks to skyrocketing fuel prices, has lifted the cost of everything we buy at the grocery store. Now, one of the worst droughts in U.S. history is making the one thing absolutely vital for food production — an ample water supply — more expensive as well, and that, ultimately, will translate into even higher prices at the market.
“To set the stage, back in February the U.S. Bureau or Reclamation released its first outlook of the year, in which the agency found insufficient water stocks in California to release to farmers for irrigation. That was the first time in the 54-year history of the State Water Project that had happened.
“If it’s not there, it’s just not there,” said Water Authority Executive Director Steve Chedester, who noted that it would be tough finding water in the coming year or more. Farmers were to be hardest hit, the official added, stating, “They’re all on pins and needles trying to figure out how they’re going to get through this.”
“One way to deal with the drought is for farmers to plant fewer fields, which would mean that early on there would be fewer crops; in the law of supply and demand, when supply is reduced but demand remains high, prices rise.”
Read more at NaturalNews.
5 Reasons Not to Eat Fish
5. Seals and sea lions are scapegoated and shot by commercial fishermen and their lackeys who blame the marine mammals for dwindling fish populations. It’s the same “all here for us” mentality that…
Go to the source for reasons 1 – 4.
Photo by Jim Robertson
Source: exposingthebiggame.wordpress.com
GR: Marine and freshwater creatures are declining due to pollution and over use. Extended health of Earth water systems requires a balance. In simplest terms, this means that every 200 pounds of fish taken from the ocean should be replaced by 200 pounds of human. Of course, the oceans, lakes, and streams can recover from small disturbances, from small pollution and small harvest. No one believes our impact is small. Another reason not to eat fish is to give the life of our water systems a chance to recover a healthy balance.
GarryRogers Nature Conservation 