water matters50
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Mexico City to Treat Water Runoff
During last week’s World Water Forum, Conagua, Mexico’s National Water Commission, announced plans to build a purification plant to treat rain and water runoff. The US$1.3 billion project is expected to be completed in 2012 and is a build/operate contract. Mexico’s per capita water availability declined to 4,312 cubic meters in 2007 from 18,035 cubic…
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New NOAA Administrator
As of last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a new leader. The U.S. Senate named Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D. Administrator of NOAA on March 19, 2009. As the first woman and the first marine ecologist to fulfill this position, Dr. Lubchenco is committed to using science to create sound policy. Her specific…
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World Water Week
World Water Week organized by the Tap Project will kick off this Sunday in major cities around the US, raising awareness and funds for the many important water and sanitation projects implemented by UNICEF.
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Is Water-banking the Key to California’s Water Woes?
It’s been a bad stretch of years for farmers in California…and things don’t look like they will be getting better any time soon. Three years of consecutive drought in the state have ravaged the agricultural industry, leading Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency. The announcement was accompanied by pleas for municipalities to…
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5th World Water Forum
Representatives from the agriculture and energy industries convened here at the 5th World Water Forum to debate how, why, where and whether humankind’s rising demands for water, oil, food and energy will lead to conflict or cooperation. The Forum tackled issues of food and energy, conflicts over water, and pragmatic synergies among vital resource sectors. …
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Fishing for Pollution
Scientists at the University of Essex have developed robotic fish that can detect pollution. Unlike previous robotic fish, these fish have autonomous navigation capabilities which enable them to swim independently. For recharging and data transmission, the fish are able to return to their charging hub where the data provide real time source and scale of…
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Will the Fortune 100 Save Us?
Environmentalists have long criticized our corporate behemoths for environmental violations and unsustainable business practices. Walmart, GE, Coca-Cola were once considered toxic to the environment and not the names that came to mind for a green future. However, environmentally-friendly announcements over the past few years have challenged this perception.
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Fix a Leak Week, March 16-20, 2009
New York’s Department of Environmental Protection is sponsoring Fix a Leak Week this week throughout the city. In addition to the free water-saving kits (mentioned below in Samantha’s post), the city seems to be actively tackling the issue of water preservation.
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Behavior, policy, and climate change
Climate change is often discussed as the ultimate market failure: in the absence of laws that change incentives, decisions to maximize individual self-interest will not produce the socially desirable outcome of reducing carbon emissions and preserving the climate system. The role of individual and institutional behavior in bringing about the necessary changes is rarely discussed outside…
The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. This Earth Month, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.