State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Tag: water rights

  • Chile’s Pascua-Lama Mine Legally Shut Down, but Mining Exploration Continues

    Chile’s Pascua-Lama Mine Legally Shut Down, but Mining Exploration Continues

    The mine was ordered to close due to environmental violations, but the owner, Canadian company Barrick Gold, is still exploring mining opportunities in the area.

  • Uncovering Impacts of Gold Mining in Papua New Guinea

    Uncovering Impacts of Gold Mining in Papua New Guinea

    From late December 2015 through January, a team of Earth Institute scientists and human rights lawyers from Columbia University worked in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to deliver the results of an independent study of water quality and human rights to the indigenous communities living near an industrial gold mine.

  • California’s Water Rights Controversy:  Should Farmers Be Allowed to Transfer Water to Developers?

    California’s Water Rights Controversy: Should Farmers Be Allowed to Transfer Water to Developers?

    Farmers in San Joaquin Valley, California have recently come under scrutiny for proposing to sell their water rights to developers. The selling of water rights remains a controversial issue especially as industry and home development compete with farmers for limited water supplies.

  • Water Human Rights: Pollution

    In my previous blogs, I have been discussing different ways in which the human right to clean water is violated. I have already discussed how economic scarcity occurs, and this week I will be discussing pollution of water. Pollution issues are largely leading to contamination of the water supplies around the world.  There are countless…

Science for the Planet: In these short video explainers, discover how scientists and scholars across the Columbia Climate School are working to understand the effects of climate change and help solve the crisis.
  • Chile’s Pascua-Lama Mine Legally Shut Down, but Mining Exploration Continues

    Chile’s Pascua-Lama Mine Legally Shut Down, but Mining Exploration Continues

    The mine was ordered to close due to environmental violations, but the owner, Canadian company Barrick Gold, is still exploring mining opportunities in the area.

  • Uncovering Impacts of Gold Mining in Papua New Guinea

    Uncovering Impacts of Gold Mining in Papua New Guinea

    From late December 2015 through January, a team of Earth Institute scientists and human rights lawyers from Columbia University worked in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to deliver the results of an independent study of water quality and human rights to the indigenous communities living near an industrial gold mine.

  • California’s Water Rights Controversy:  Should Farmers Be Allowed to Transfer Water to Developers?

    California’s Water Rights Controversy: Should Farmers Be Allowed to Transfer Water to Developers?

    Farmers in San Joaquin Valley, California have recently come under scrutiny for proposing to sell their water rights to developers. The selling of water rights remains a controversial issue especially as industry and home development compete with farmers for limited water supplies.

  • Water Human Rights: Pollution

    In my previous blogs, I have been discussing different ways in which the human right to clean water is violated. I have already discussed how economic scarcity occurs, and this week I will be discussing pollution of water. Pollution issues are largely leading to contamination of the water supplies around the world.  There are countless…