State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Water Pricing5

  • California’s Water Bank – A Bank With Nothing to Lend?

    California is in some serious trouble as a result of continued drought conditions and is looking to bail itself out through the creation of a water banking system. In California, this would mean buying water from owners in the northern part of the state and transferring it to water-starved areas in the south. This makes…

  • Turkish Baths?

    If you are browsing for a bit of water related humor, turn to the Reuters news on Turkey.  This month, Istanbul, a cultural capital of Turkey, was part- host of the Fifth World Water Forum which connects experts from over 150 countries  around the world to address impending global water crises. According to UN reports,…

  • Water: A Basic Human Right?

    The 5th World Water Forum ended on Sunday (World Water Day), and in spite of the many pieces of good news, the dominant news story is that the group recognized water as a basic human need, not a basic human right.  While this may seem like an issue of semantics, I think there is a…

  • Water for Profit?

    I’ve long been fascinated by the concept of privatization of water.  I can think of few topics related to natural resources that are so controversial.  I tend to reject the claim, espoused by many including former Water Center speaker Maude Barlow, that water is a basic human right and therefore should never be private.  While water…

  • Do you still drink bottled water?

    For most of the readers of this post, the issue of bottled water might not be entirely new. Surely there has been rising awareness and alarming voice about the downsides of bottled water. However, the market is undeniably still growing. Bottled water market is growing on a global scale and, especially in the U.S., the…

  • Falling Demand = Rising Prices?

    Out west, the economic and real estate downturn have helped alleviate many of the water shortage problems; however, in Detroit the decrease in water demand has had the opposite affect – decreased usage is resulting in revenue shortfalls, making it harder to fund system maintenance – as a result, rate increases are in the works.…

  • What Do You Pay for Water?

    In the US we spend on average $3.75 for every 1,000 gallons. However, averages are misleading –  prices range from $1.30 in Phoenix to over $7.70 in Columbus Ohio. This map below shows relative pricing for the 30 largest US municipalities. Take a look at Florida (Miami $1.60) compared to the relatively water rich east…

  • As Economy Falters, Everglades May Lose Out

    In the past months, the headlines have been dominated by news of yet another bad day for the stock market. But, there is another casualty of the recession that probably isn’t getting as much press. While stocks continue to plummet, the Everglades of South Florida may also be falling on hard times as a result…

  • California’s Water Bank – A Bank With Nothing to Lend?

    California is in some serious trouble as a result of continued drought conditions and is looking to bail itself out through the creation of a water banking system. In California, this would mean buying water from owners in the northern part of the state and transferring it to water-starved areas in the south. This makes…

  • Turkish Baths?

    If you are browsing for a bit of water related humor, turn to the Reuters news on Turkey.  This month, Istanbul, a cultural capital of Turkey, was part- host of the Fifth World Water Forum which connects experts from over 150 countries  around the world to address impending global water crises. According to UN reports,…

  • Water: A Basic Human Right?

    The 5th World Water Forum ended on Sunday (World Water Day), and in spite of the many pieces of good news, the dominant news story is that the group recognized water as a basic human need, not a basic human right.  While this may seem like an issue of semantics, I think there is a…

  • Water for Profit?

    I’ve long been fascinated by the concept of privatization of water.  I can think of few topics related to natural resources that are so controversial.  I tend to reject the claim, espoused by many including former Water Center speaker Maude Barlow, that water is a basic human right and therefore should never be private.  While water…

  • Do you still drink bottled water?

    For most of the readers of this post, the issue of bottled water might not be entirely new. Surely there has been rising awareness and alarming voice about the downsides of bottled water. However, the market is undeniably still growing. Bottled water market is growing on a global scale and, especially in the U.S., the…

  • Falling Demand = Rising Prices?

    Out west, the economic and real estate downturn have helped alleviate many of the water shortage problems; however, in Detroit the decrease in water demand has had the opposite affect – decreased usage is resulting in revenue shortfalls, making it harder to fund system maintenance – as a result, rate increases are in the works.…

  • What Do You Pay for Water?

    In the US we spend on average $3.75 for every 1,000 gallons. However, averages are misleading –  prices range from $1.30 in Phoenix to over $7.70 in Columbus Ohio. This map below shows relative pricing for the 30 largest US municipalities. Take a look at Florida (Miami $1.60) compared to the relatively water rich east…

  • As Economy Falters, Everglades May Lose Out

    In the past months, the headlines have been dominated by news of yet another bad day for the stock market. But, there is another casualty of the recession that probably isn’t getting as much press. While stocks continue to plummet, the Everglades of South Florida may also be falling on hard times as a result…