WaterWired

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 10 - 16 May 2014

An interesting fracking image: anti-fracking grandma from New Orleans. 

Speaking of stories, discover the backstory of the '0.03% drinkable and accessible water' claim by The Nature Conservancy. So is that all there is? Nope!

California
OMG! @USFS Announces Proposed Directives for Managing Groundwater. Comments sought within 90 days http://is.gd/No0HJo 

@KateGalbraith on landmark case on California groundwater (Scott River). Could state regulation be near? http://is.gd/w8OPuM  #cawater

RT @circleofblue Water Levels Dropping, Fresno Weans Itself from Groundwater http://is.gd/QXQNbb  #cawater

From @MavensNotebook: CA water bond proposals, #BDCP extension, GW pesticide regs, high GW nitrate, more http://is.gd/I6OxNv  #cawater

RT @MavensNotebook Fear not for your salad: The Salinas Valley is growing things #cawater http://wp.me/p20vIt-1mb 

Who needs black helicopters? MT @rjpayne CA's Land & Water Wars: The Green Agenda to Destroy your Property Rights http://is.gd/4kxBpL 

From Aquafornia: Weekend Wrap-Up: #Fracking; Drought http://is.gd/UDYt3p  #cawater #cadrought

From @SFgate via @APrippleeffect: California needs to monitor use of groundwater http://fb.me/2M9Iez6Vj  #cawater

Dept. of Justice supports Agua Caliente in aquifer case http://is.gd/cMj20L  @mydesert #cawater

Via @MavensNotebook: @usbr updates CVP water supply for exchange contractors & refuges south of #sacdelta http://is.gd/7OQZ3e  #cawater

MT @alexbreitler Huge $62B China water project stirs controversy. Sound familiar? #cawater #sacdelta http://bit.ly/1qAnsDU  @sleavenworth

MT @matt_weiser RT @BDCP_CA: One month left to comment on Draft #BDCP. http://ht.ly/wNtsz  #cawater #sacdelta

MT @ronlin: @JerryBrownGov says rising sea levels could submerge LAX & SFO, cost CA billions to build new airports http://fw.to/qnRhmOT 

MT @AGI_Updates Possible human cause to observed Sierra Nevada uplift caused by #cawater use @EARTHMagazine http://bit.ly/1lfitkZ 

@CA_DWR Water Plan eNews-Wed Update - 14 May 2014 - Gov. Request~Precip Sym~ Water Problems~Forest Webinar http://is.gd/50f0H4  #cawater

@MavensNotebook: Groundwater depletion & EQs in Central Valley, GPS & water weight, salmonid life cycle more http://is.gd/mttbEV  #cawater

More from @MavensNotebook: @usbr draining Friant water,State Water Board curtailments, drought funding,more http://is.gd/lW12SH  #cawater

RT @Jon_C_Wood "The fight for more water continues" http://feedly.com/e/8Shv2qHg  @PacificLegal #DeltaSmelt #cawater

@EricHolthaus in @slate: The Thirsty West: 10 Percent of California’s Water Goes to Almond Farming http://is.gd/P05DFT  #cawater @WaterFdn

RT @afreedma Thorough roundup of today’s #CAdrought news from @AndreaTWeather http://is.gd/dOJXmL  @ClimateCentral #cawater
 

Canada
@waterbudget Website is correct; Cdn has 7% of 'renewable' FW. Sign says 'drinkable' - not same. A lot of drinkable water is nonrenewable.

Via @WaterPortal Alberta flood plan may force Little Bow River residents to move http://is.gd/ytLndG  #abflood

MT @UVicNorth: @UN report backs First Nations against pipeline megaprojects http://natpo.st/1qvP4K5  @nationalpost

Alberta communities seek role in making urban drilling decisions. http://is.gd/Is5Tf4  @calgaryherald

RT @NatGeo Pacific Northwest's Salish Sea Eyed as Fossil Fuel Gateway http://is.gd/980loJ 

@WaterPortal: High River (Alberta) planting sunflowers to purify soil from #ABflood toxins http://is.gd/AwE4Mm  @CBCNews

@WaterPortal Flood risks from melting snow pack ‘enough to be concerned about' http://is.gd/TWELhZ  @GlobalCalgary

29 May conference & webcast @munkschool: Water & Hydraulic Fracturing in Canada: Info for Investors & Everyone Else http://is.gd/Ak24Du 

Kudos @CdnWaterNetwork & @bconantcwn: Canadian cities collaborating on deluge of water challenges http://is.gd/G5Msxl  @financialpost

RT @CdnWaterNetwork: Innovations in First Nations Source Water Protection in Ontario http://ow.ly/wNsiQ  via @SharedValueCA

Via @GroundWaterMag University of Regina opens splashy water research centre http://is.gd/Tvbo4M  @metroottawa
 

Climate, Climate Change, and Meteorology
MT @ICLRCanada Photorealistic images of US cities under 12 feet of sea level rise http://is.gd/tdcL6f  (via @climatecentral)

RT @ClimateCentral Here are most 8 most compelling graphics from the latest #NCA2014: http://bit.ly/1g5RNAa  http://twitpic.com/e349ec 

@USDA_ARS: Nitrite’s Significant Role in Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Soil http://is.gd/qP1k6x 

Via @thecaendotca RT @JezMans: RT @BenWest: Delays on #climate change have cost us $8 trillion http://is.gd/guO2sQ 

RT @BBNAclimate What's happening in climate and energy this week? http://bit.ly/1sDPV9r 

MT @ScienceNewsOrg Retreat of West Antarctic ice sheet is unstoppable, via Geophysical Research Letters: http://ow.ly/wKJsj 

@mashable "Collapse" of massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet is already underway, studies show: http://on.mash.to/1iK8YM3 

New Mexico Brothers Battle Climate Change on Two Fronts http://is.gd/d8ude3  @nytimes

ICYMI: President @BarackObama's Climate Action Plan - Fact Sheet http://is.gd/F7R0XL 

Why society is failing to stop global warming,in one 90-second video http://is.gd/t5QuCb  @washingtonpost

RT @bberwyn: @NOAA study tracks tropical storms shifting poleward: http://wp.me/pJ91e-gQg 

RT @TDSIanJames Challenging questions for a warming world - column by Michael Gerson http://mydesert.co/1lfFCT5 

Stuff @jfleck wrote elsewhere: El Niño and the carnival barker. http://bit.ly/1iOAYOE 

@USGSLandCover New online viewer provides local & watershed-level maps & summaries of climate projections http://on.doi.gov/QErDOf 

MT @NOAA Contiguous US wetter than average in April per @NOAANCDC #StateOfClimate rpt http://1.usa.gov/1lnjxEU 

@CGIAR News: Breeding Plants to Cope with Future Climate Change http://dlvr.it/5gFDFS 

Via @MIchaelEMann RT @rahmstorf Last month was second hottest April on record, after April 2010

From @tmtall: Sen. Marco Rubio and the political climate (change) http://is.gd/0s60Mz  #FLwater

 

Conferences, Webinars, Workshops, and Calls for Abstracts/Papers
@USFS Free Webinar,14 May, 2-3:30 EDT: 'Integrated Water Strategies at the Urban Fringe' http://is.gd/8NbwLO 

@EPAresearch Webinar: 'Establishing Regional Monitoring Networks to Detect Climate Change-Related Trends' 28 May @ 12 http://is.gd/OSjN2J 

UCOWR-NIWR-@CUAHSI Annual Conference (18-20 June) early registration ends 16 May! http://is.gd/VaxLvF 

 

Conflict, Cooperation, and Security
TX Ag Law Blog: Two Petitions for Review Filed in @EdwardsAquifer Authority v. Bragg http://is.gd/BJjtY4 

MT @karagerson Climate Change Deemed Growing Security Threat by Military Researchers http://is.gd/PSULhX  @nytimes

RT @greenroofsuk Climate change poses growing threat of conflict in the Arctic, report finds http://ow.ly/wP8AI  @guardian

Video: @cfishman on GA-AL-FL water conflict and use. http://is.gd/np2QOI  @msnbc

Three NM lawmakers sue over 2010 Navajo water deal http://is.gd/2Gk299  @thenewmexican

RT @Jon_C_Wood "The fight for more water continues" http://feedly.com/e/8Shv2qHg  @PacificLegal #DeltaSmelt #cawater
 

Droughts, Floods, and Disasters
RT @climateprogress Not just sea level rise: The Northeast faces flooding from the skies http://thkpr.gs/1fUVJZM 

RT @CntrClimSec Floods disrupt travel across China http://aje.me/RAeeHG  via @AJEnglish

Via @nytimesscience Looks Like Rain Again. And Again http://is.gd/rtyJli 

RT @EarthFixMedia: @USGS Geologist Doubts Cause Of Oso Landslide Will Ever Be Pinned Down; Groundwater Data Missing http://is.gd/TQxj0t 

By @MOrtizUribe Oil Creates New Demand In Water-Stressed New Mexico http://is.gd/jlqsqU  @fronterasdesk

MT @ucanrwater Researchers @ucsantabarbara pioneer global drought warning. famine relief w/ @USGS @NASA @USAID @NOAA http://bit.ly/1n1kK4e 

 

Education and Communication
Tnx to @jeremyj_schmidt: Great water game by @Nate_Matthews_ - 'The Basin Challenge' http://is.gd/Aqkywo  (@CGIAR)

Yes! RT @TheAtlantic Want to remember lectures better? Take notes by hand http://theatln.tc/1pThgGC 

RT @carbonmeme Oklahoma legislators block new science standards over climate change - @arstechnica http://bit.ly/1lIVT63 

Professors Are Prejudiced, Too. http://is.gd/La2xdR  @nytimes

Via @ajam: WY, US #1 coal producer,rejects K-12 science stds; objects to teaching man-made global warming as fact http://is.gd/G7PUcZ 

MT @BrookingsInst launched PlanetPolicy, our new climate & energy blog this week http://bit.ly/RrREkL 

Via @PeterGleick: Wonderful! Top @UCBerkeley graduating senior @rebeccampeters makes splash in water policy http://is.gd/3zrwwU 

Nice piece by @SnowHydro RT @sci_journalism Scientists using Twitter: Dispelling the Myths http://buff.ly/1iFG37m 

Via @cdnsciencepub: Why Aren't More University Researchers Tweeting? http://is.gd/7JVi7e 

MT @OregonianEnviro Not typical college fast-pitch contest: OR grad students get 3 minutes to defend their research http://orne.ws/1lK7KAJ 

Positions Open: @whitehouseostp (Washington, DC) - Student Internships. Fall 2014 closes 20 June http://is.gd/WGSWwW  #JobWaWi

 

E-Newsletters and E-Newspapers
The @WaterTreatment_ Daily is out! http://paper.li/WaterTreatment_/1313650670 … … Stories via @AWWAACE @WaterWired

The @WaterTreatment_ Daily is out! http://paper.li/WaterTreatment_/1313650670 … … Stories via @TradeListing @charitywater

Catch up on the previous week's geoscience & environmental science news @ Elaine Hanford's Bulletin Boards! http://bit.ly/1l53REI  #EJHBB

H2OSU Newsletter - 12 May 2014: Events, Meetings, Seminars, etc. http://is.gd/IN0XV2 

RT @h2oMatters Read The Water Matters Weekly via @WaterWired @EPAwater @DCwater @LocalWater @h2oTrends http://bit.ly/1jCCzI8 

Great resource from Utton Center: 'Water Matters!' 2014 - prepared for NM legislators & public http://is.gd/2WKSup 

U of NM School of Law's Utton Transboundary Resources Center Newsletter, Spring 2014 http://is.gd/EazXnQ 

@AWRAHQ Newsletter 'Connections' May 2014 http://is.gd/K2Wk6I 

@OSUCEOAS 'Making Waves' Newsletter - 16 May 2014 http://is.gd/e2NOU6 

The @WaterStJournal Daily is out! http://paper.li/WaterStJournal  Stories via @WaterWired @OurWaterCounts

Ethics, Gender, and Rights
RT @jeremyj_schmidt: Good governance and the territorial integrity of Mother Earth http://wp.me/p2v8AH-vq 

@ChannelNewsAsia Michelle Obama: Nigerian abductions "unconscionable act" http://cna.asia/1j7Io0M  #BringBackOurGirls

Groundwater and Hydrogeology

RT @circleofblue Water Levels Dropping, Fresno Weans Itself from Groundwater http://is.gd/QXQNbb  #cawater

TX Ag Law Blog: Two Petitions for Review Filed in @EdwardsAquifer Authority v. Bragg http://is.gd/BJjtY4 

Hooray for the @USFS: Going Deep - Into Groundwater, That Is (But Get Those Definitions Right!) http://bit.ly/1hGLXWq 

MT @GWShydros Deep groundwater drainage and life: In Carnarvon Gorge National Park in Queensland, AU http://fb.me/6r0w4rq9G 

RT @AWRACO @CoyoteGulch: Well augmentation enforced by the Colorado Division of Water Resources http://wp.me/p9nEF-dXH 

Report: 'A Desktop Suitability Assessment of Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR) in Washington State' http://bit.ly/1jZuMn9 

RT @EarthFixMedia: @USGS Geologist Doubts Cause Of Oso Landslide Will Ever Be Pinned Down; Groundwater Data Missing http://is.gd/TQxj0t 

To The Nature Conservancy: Is 0.03% 'Drinkable and Accessible' Water Really All There Is? http://bit.ly/1nQirVA  #LiquidCourage @nature_org

 

Hydrofracking, Shale Gas, and Energy
Shale gas? RT @carbonmeme Ukraine crisis shows Europe must not turn its back on renewable energy http://bit.ly/1iHXgBM  @guardianeco

Unintended Consequences: #Fracking and the Flow of Drugs http://is.gd/flL615  @nationaljournal

@EPA Seeking Public Comment on Enhancing Transparency for Chemicals & Mixtures Used in Hydraulic Fracturing http://is.gd/CEMVlZ 

RT @EIAgov People Are Asking: Does @EIAgov have maps of US #naturalgas fields or plays? Yes http://go.usa.gov/8bNV  pic.twitter.com/IQPLH1ANNV

@EPA asked to regulate #fracking's toxic air emissions http://is.gd/AbepYi  @KCStar

Shale gas? RT @carbonmeme Ukraine crisis shows Europe must not turn its back on renewable energy http://bit.ly/1iHXgBM  @guardianeco

RT @ShaleGasExpert #Fracking for good: It’s time to embrace the shale solution. http://is.gd/1IiPG9  @globeandmail

RT @NatGeo Pacific Northwest's Salish Sea Eyed as Fossil Fuel Gateway http://is.gd/980loJ 

RT @TheWeek #Fracking is even dirtier than we thought: http://bit.ly/1qvu9XL 

RT @NOLAnews Anti-#Fracking Grandma: Photo of the Day http://bit.ly/1iOwOX1 

MT @EarthFixMedia: US Climate Report: Cheap Northwest hydropower may not stay cheap. http://ow.ly/wB6f7 

 

Personal, People, and Quotes

@OriginsOSU"My interest is in the future because I’m going to spend the rest of my life there."-Charles F. Kettering http://tmblr.co/Zl5uEu1FfgsOt 

 

'Water is to me, I confess, a phenomenon which continually awakens new feelings of wonder as often as I view it." - Michael Faraday

"We live in a Newtonian world of Einsteinian physics ruled by Frankenstein logic." - David Russell

Via @deepseadawn: @uclnews Professor Jacqueline McGlade appointed @UNEP Chief Scientist http://bit.ly/1jtQOim 

 

MT @neiltyson Newton’s AppleTree at his home. Hold an Apple nearby & you rise weightless, they say.

 

Sarah Bates, one of best thinkers on Western USA land-water issues, now with @NWF as Deputy Director, N. Rockies & Pacific Region

 

 

Policy, Planning, Law, Economics, and Management
TX Ag Law Blog Weekly Round Up - 16 May 2014 http://is.gd/BJjtY4 

 

@OECD Survey: 'Stakeholder Engagement for Effective Water Governance' thru 5 June http://is.gd/iLQH1U  Initiative: http://is.gd/OVg7Mi 

 

From @tmtall: Ag water http://is.gd/uIkF0j  #FLwater

 

TX Ag Law blog: Public Right of Use for Texas Waterways http://is.gd/ekQMSe 

 

RT @jordanbrianl Only 16% of US water utilities’ have water shortage plans that extend to the regional or state level

 

@IISDRS Water Update - 15 May 2014 - Water Policy & Practice http://is.gd/4QTpGc 

 

Background report: 'A Town Hall on New Mexico's Water Planning, Development & Use' http://is.gd/p7Hbht 

 

Curious about US Federal Water Resources Reform & Development Act? Go to @Transport site: http://is.gd/hM2moq 

 

By @ReporterMMurphy: Federal Water Resources Reform & Development Act moves forward http://is.gd/tlzFJa  @vacareporter @AWRAHQ

Positions Open #JobWaWi
Position Open: @AER_news Alberta Energy Regulator (Edmonton) - Fisheries Biologist. Closes: 25 May http://is.gd/C1dKzz  #JobWaWi

Over 30! Joshua Newton's Water Jobs and More - Special Mother's Day Edition - 11 May 2014 #JobWaWi http://bit.ly/1j9Dxwe 

Position Open: Alberta WaterSMART (Calgary) - Hydrogeologist. Closes 30 May http://is.gd/hUc2GF  @WaterPortal  #JobWaWi

Position Open: @USGS (Seattle,WA) Supervisory Research Aquatic Ecology Chief. Closes: 27 June http://is.gd/aBchds  #JobWaWi

Position Open: @tswcd (Hillsboro, OR) - Restoration Technician. Closes: 30 May http://is.gd/TmUUzE  #JobWaWi

Position Open: Mt. Royal Univ (Calgary) - Postdoc, Hydraulic Fracturing Effects on SW/GW. Closes: 31 May. http://is.gd/mvjnP9  #JobWaWi

Position Open: @fresH2Otrust (Portland,OR) - Flow Restoration Director. Closes: 30 May http://is.gd/zJYEvf  #JobWaWi

Position Open: King County (Seattle) - Energy Project Mgr (Water Quality). Closes: 23 May http://is.gd/Tei6GF  #JobWaWi

Positions Open: @whitehouseostp (Washington, DC) - Student Internships. Fall 2014 closes 20 June http://is.gd/WGSWwW  #JobWaWi

Previous Weeks' Positions Open - Go To  #JobWaWi
Click on 'All' below 'Results for #JobWaWi'

 

Previous Weekly Water Summaries - Go To #WaWiNews
Twitter: Click on 'All' just below 'Results for #WaWiNews'
On the WaterWired blog - click here

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 10 - 16 May 2014 http://bit.ly/1iSYpSG  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 3 - 9 May 2014http://bit.ly/1oxxsZR  #WaWiNews 

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 26 April 2014 - 2 May 2014 https://bitly.com/1rVx9tD  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 19 - 25 April 2014 #WaWiNews http://is.gd/PszVpy

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 12 - 18 April 2014#WaWiNews http://bit.ly/1hUuo93

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 5 - 11 April 2014http://bit.ly/1n13u2k
#WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 29 March - 4 April 2014 - Jobs, too! http://bit.ly/1j7LTSv  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 22-28 March 2014. https://bitly.com/1myX5eB  #WaWiNews

 TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 15 - 21 March 2014 https://bitly.com/1dv5ZRW  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 8 - 14 March 2014https://bitly.com/PzcePA  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 1 - 7 March 2014#WaWiNews http://bit.ly/1lE4p80 

 

Reports, Publications, and Journals
RT @MySAWS Texas may be overestimating future water needs, report says http://ow.ly/wKat1  via @MyABJ

ICYMI: President @BarackObama's Climate Action Plan - Fact Sheet http://is.gd/F7R0XL 

RT @CanGeographers Fake science paper gets picked up by yet another research journal via @mtlgazette http://is.gd/QJK13h 

Report: 'Designing Water Rate Structures for Conservation and Revenue Stability' http://is.gd/qwXO8n 

Background report: 'A Town Hall on New Mexico's Water Planning, Development & Use' http://is.gd/p7Hbht 

Report: 'A Desktop Suitability Assessment of Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR) in Washington State' http://bit.ly/1jZuMn9 

Via @USGS: Links to JAWRA articles on 'Contaminants of Emerging Concern' http://is.gd/yyP8c

 

Science, Medicine, and Technology
RT @hiltzikm Think correlation implies causation? This hilarious website will make you think again http://fw.to/CLrr0TQ 

@USGSLandCover New online viewer provides local & watershed-level maps & summaries of climate projections http://on.doi.gov/QErDOf 

Bubonic plague, anyone? @aguanomics Monday funnies! http://goo.gl/fb/N3wrv 

RT @chronicle Hazards of the Cloud: Data-Storage Service’s Crash Sets Back Researchers http://chroni.cl/1sEWwQU 

MT @AGI_Updates Possible human cause to observed Sierra Nevada uplift caused by #cawater use @EARTHMagazine http://bit.ly/1lfitkZ 

 

Streams, Dams, Lakes, and Ecosystems
Robert T. Lackey Talk: 'Four Realities Circumscribing the Future of the Salish Sea' http://bit.ly/1jrb8kg 

 

Visuals and Infographics
RT @EIAgov People Are Asking: Does @EIAgov have maps of US #naturalgas fields or plays? Yes http://go.usa.gov/8bNV  pic.twitter.com/IQPLH1ANNV

MT @IPeachey A lovely, misty photo of North Wales #penypass pic.twitter.com/O3FHiuvbwA

MT @ICLRCanada Photorealistic images of US cities under 12 feet of sea level rise http://is.gd/tdcL6f  (via @climatecentral)

MT @neiltyson Newton’s AppleTree at his home. Hold an Apple nearby & you rise weightless, they say.

RT @ClimateCentral Here are most 8 most compelling graphics from the latest #NCA2014: http://bit.ly/1g5RNAa  http://twitpic.com/e349ec 

MT @GWShydros Deep groundwater drainage and life: In Carnarvon Gorge National Park in Queensland, AU http://fb.me/6r0w4rq9G 

@mashable "Collapse" of massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet is already underway, studies show: http://on.mash.to/1iK8YM3 

RT @jordanbrianl Only 16% of US water utilities’ have water shortage plans that extend to the regional or state level

 Why society is failing to stop global warming,in one 90-second video http://is.gd/t5QuCb  @washingtonpost

RT @NOLAnews Anti-#Fracking Grandma: Photo of the Day http://bit.ly/1iOwOX1 

MT @NOAA Contiguous US wetter than average in April per @NOAANCDC #StateOfClimate rpt http://1.usa.gov/1lnjxEU 

Via @MIchaelEMann RT @rahmstorf Last month was second hottest April on record, after April 2010

Video: @cfishman on GA-AL-FL water conflict and use. http://is.gd/np2QOI  @msnbc

 

WASH and Development
@waterforpeople & @DemetrioTequila partner to bring safe drinking water to global community. http://is.gd/EUgjFt  @prweb

Via @NewSecurityBeat Integrating Water and Sanitation With Maternal Health Goals in Kenya http://is.gd/5SFcU3 

Water/Land Quality and Contamination
MT @Independent Cocaine use in Britain so high it has contaminated our drinking water. http://ind.pn/RzfvyK 

Via @USGS: Links to JAWRA articles on 'Contaminants of Emerging Concern' http://is.gd/yyP8c

Water Supply, Quantity, Reuse, Conservation, Infrastructure
MT @troutheadwaters Ed Begley Jr.'s 10,000-Gallon Solution for Drought http://flip.it/2FNHX  Via @HuffPostGreen

RT @WaterOnline China Province To Invest Billions In Water Conservation http://ow.ly/wJLqy 

Lake Powell could ‘call’ on regional reservoirs http://is.gd/u2RJyc  @DurangoHerald

In northern Rockies mountain snows will swell streams http://is.gd/RQm85x  @billingsgazette

RT @rain_harvest Greywater Recycling Tips http://ow.ly/wM3hh 

Report: 'Designing Water Rate Structures for Conservation and Revenue Stability' http://is.gd/qwXO8n 

MT @EPAresearch Remove P from wastewater? #EPAsbir #smallbiz MetraMateria Tech looks into nanomaterials. #SBW2014 http://go.usa.gov/8TCR 

@NatGeo Sandra Postel: New Mexico's Gila River Diversion Would Be a Costly Failure http://is.gd/Z5KLQB 

RT @WEForg Desalination Plant to Provide Third of Beijing’s Water http://bloom.bg/1gBAFpo  via @BloombergNews

WTF?
Sorry to miss 'strange creatures'! RT @APrippleeffect Gowanus Canal Ball on Thurs PM - join the party! http://fb.me/2adkgGD4e 

 

"We live in a Newtonian world of Einsteinian physics ruled by Frankenstein logic." - David Russell (thanks to Faruck Morcos) 

The Nature Conservancy: Is 0.03% 'Drinkable and Accessible' Water Really All There Is? Nope - Try 0.4%

Curmudgeon Alert: I'm harping on the water cycle again - its stocks, not flows - and the 'dissing' of groundwater. Here are links to three sites that form the basis of this post: USGS (groundwater), USGS (water cycle), and NGWA (groundwater use).

Mom & Apple Pie - My Bad?
I am taking The Nature Conservancy to task for promulgating misinformation. This is not an easy thing to do because I admire TNC and think it's one of the best (along with IUCN) environmental/conservation organizations in the world. TNC brags about its stellar freshwater scientists, and they are right - I know and have worked with some of them. Many of them do groundwater work - here is a great example.    

I suspect their excellent scientists would not support the TNC HQ folks on this issue.

The Issue
A month or so ago I received the following graphic via Twitter:

It was retweeted by a number of people I follow on Twitter. It is part of TNC's 'Liquid Courage' promotion (TNC made it easy to Tweet this graphic with a pop-up as you scrolled through the Liquid Courage site). Even Alexandra Cousteau, yes - the granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau - retweeted it.

My immediate thought: 'That figure is wrong; it is too low. I bet groundwater was neglected." I retweeted something to that effect.

TNC's 0.03% Solution: Some Perspective  
Let's talk about TNC's 0.03% number. That is a very small percentage, but it is a small percentage of a VERY large number: about 321 million cubic miles or 1.34 billion cubic kilometers of water. So the amount of 'drinkable and accessible' water is about 96,000 cubic miles or 400,000 cubic kilometers. That water would comprise a cube about 46 miles on an edge or a sphere about 57 miles in diameter. Still hard to visualize? That amount of water would cover my home state of Oregon (or Wyoming, or Michigan) to a depth of one mile, or California to a depth of about 0.6 mile (3100 feet). 

An aside: you should realize that all these numbers - global-scale water estimates - have a lot of undertainty in them. We just don't have these numbers pinned down with a great deal of accuracy. I tell my students +/- 10-20% (and that is itself a SWAG).

Back to 0.03% now. I know you're saying, "Wow, that really is not a lot of water for >7B people and Earth's ecosystems!" It's not - check out this great visual. However, keep in mind that the TNC figure is comprised mostly (solely?) of renewable surface water. So that 0.03% is used over and over again, although the quality can be degraded, especially after humans use it. 

Nonetheless, that figure - 0.03% drinkable and accessible water - is patently wrong. It is too low. Where does that number come from? I found this on the TNC site here:

Do you know where your water comes from? Why is it important to know your water source? For starters, while water covers 70 percent of our planet, just 0.03 percent of that water is accessible and drinkable.

I also found the same thing at this TNC site. Neither site indicates the source of this figure.

A friend says the following is on the TNC site but I could not find it: 

Fresh water is a scarce resource. It makes up only 1% of the world’s water. Sixty percent of that is locked up in Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Another 40% is in groundwater, most of which is inaccessible. By some estimates we are left with some 0.03% of the world’s water as surface fresh water [emboldening mine]. It is not scarce in the same sense that oil is scarce – it doesn’t disappear if you consume it. But, at any given point in time, there is only a very tiny amount of water that is accessible for all our uses. 

So there we have it - surface fresh water! Funny but the USGS says that rivers and freshwater lakes comprise just 0.007% of total water. Upshot: I do not know where the TNC gets 0.03%, but I have seen that number elsewhere. 

Drinkable and Accessible ('D & A') Water
Let's now talk about 'drinkable and accessible' water. Like TNC, I'm equating 'drinkable' with 'fresh'. Note: sustainability is not an issue in this case; check TNC's graphic - it says nothing about sustainable. Groundwater is not always used sustainably.

According to the USGS and the references cited (Peter Gleick) therein, fresh ('drinkable') groundwater comprises 46% of all groundwater, or 2.5 million cubic miles (10.5 million cubic kilometers). That is about 0.8% of Earth's TOTAL water - over 26 times TNC's number. Think I'm being too optimistic? Okay, take half the fresh groundwater (maybe half is polluted) - you're still talking about 0.4% of Earth's total water, not 0.03% - over 13 times greater.

But, you say, that groundwater is not accessible! Why not? You have to drill a well! So what - we're in the 21st century, where well drilling is commonplace. In the US alone there are almost 16 million water wells - many of those supply drinking water. That is a lot of 'inaccessibility'! Check some global groundwater use figures. If you think most groundwater is inaccessible, then you really are still dwelling in the 'mysterious and occult' realm of groundwater - from the Stone Ages.

Since we are talking about drinking water, recall that using surface water for drinking water can require dams, pipelines, treatment plants (sometimes above and beyond what groundwater might require) and all kinds of infrastructure. However, water wells can often be drilled at the point of use - where the water is actually needed, obviating the need for a lot of costly infrastructure. You don't necessarily need water districts, municipalities, etc. So an individual can also take care of his/her own water needs. The groundwater may not even need treatment. That's an accessible resource! 

Why TNC Uses This Number
I don't know why TNC uses the 0.03% number and ignores groundwater. I don't even know the number's origin. I suspect it came from someone involved with marketing and fundraising. Certainly, if you are trying to impress donors with the importance of your work it would behoove you to use a small amount of 'D & A' water. The smaller the amount to be protected, the more critical your work. I understand that raising money is important. But stick to the facts, please.  

TNC is not the only one who does this; check out item 4 on Circle of Blue's list. See this list from Seametrics - to their credit, they deleted a few items that were incorrect. Thanks!

And don't get me started on people who state that 'The North American Great Lakes contain 20% of the world's freshwater'. That's liquid surface freshwater, if you please.
 

My Ten Cents - Takeaway
TNC should quietly change the 0.03% figure or at least qualify it as ignoring groundwater. But they really should include groundwater in a new 'D and A' number. I'll go with 0.4% - conservative, in my view. I could go as high as 0.8%, but given the uncertainty in these numbers, I'll stick with the lower figure.

What I am really trying to say is that to ignore fresh groundwater is ludicrous. 

If TNC wants to focus on fresh unfrozen surface water - streams and lakes - that is fine with me. If TNC does not want to acknowledge the importance of groundwater to their mission and the work of many of its experts, that's okay too. Just use the right numbers.

Doing nothing perpetuates a disservice to groundwater by marginalizing it and the people who 'do groundwater'. It exacerbates the 'out of sight, out of mind' problem groundwater faces. It is hard to get people to appreciate and protect it when they cannot see it, thereby thinking it is unimportant to the environment (think baseflow - about 30% of US streamflow) and to humans (a lot of our drinking water).

Groundwater is an important water resource. It is by far the largest liquid freshwater source and deserves to be accorded appropriate recognition.

It is not 'mysterious and occult'. TNC should just ask some of its freshwater scientists - especially those working outside the Beltway.   

"Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time." - George Bernard Shaw

Report: 'A Desktop Suitability Assessment of Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR) in Washington State'

  This report is the product of my PhD student Maria T. Gibson, the 'Groundwater Geek' herself.

Download WA_Ecology_ASR_Report_CEOAS

Download ASR_Report_Abstract

Abstract

In Washington, the Cascade Range snowpack is the state’s second largest natural freshwater reservoir. As climate deviates from current conditions, and the type and spatiotemporal distributions of precipitation change, opportunities to capture and store surplus runoff for later use will increase. Since surface storage methods have a number of drawbacks – cost, environmental issues, land availability, and evaporative losses, to name a few - alternative storage methods are preferable. Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) is an underground storage option used to supplement freshwater reserves. With the ability to capture and inject water underground during high flow periods for later use, ASR is a viable option to mitigate climatic changes and augment Washington’s freshwater supply. To estimate ASR suitability, the assessment of factors such as infrastructure considerations, aquifer characteristics, and regulatory criteria offers insight into the potential for statewide ASR expansion before conducting expensive on-site investigations. 

            To evaluate ASR feasibility throughout Washington, a desktop suitability assessment, using a modified ASR metric and a modified site suitability assessment, was applied to over 280 locations within Washington’s 62 Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA). The modified ASR metric, which is a ratio of the estimated desired volumetric injection rate to the rate at which an aquifer can accept the injected water, indicates 24% and 29% of sites are marginally suitable and suitable for ASR, respectively. Additionally, about 50,000 acre-feet per year of potential storage was realized for WRIAs on the east side of the Cascade Range, which satisfies approximately 17% of predicted 2030 municipal and industrial consumptive use estimates. The site suitability assessment, which integrates regulatory, hydrogeologic, and infrastructure factors to produce a percentage of ideal conditions suitable for ASR, indicates 51% of locations have between 40% to 60% ideal conditions. Furthermore, 32% of marginally suitable and 36% of suitable wells, based on the modified ASR metric, have greater than 60% ideal conditions suitable for ASR. This suggests potential expansion of ASR projects exist in Washington, which could enhance current demand and increase future water storage reservoirs. Because of the limited data requirements, the technique can be used elsewhere to provide rapid estimates of ASR suitability. It should prove applicable to developed and developing regions alike.

Enjoy! 

"...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (thanks to Faruck Morcos) 

The USFS: Going Deep - Into Groundwater, That Is (But Get Those Definitions Right!)

Faithful readers Christine Brick, Emily Green, and a few others notified me of the U.S. Forest Service's foray into groundwater management. 'Foray' is not quite the right word, since the USFS started taking groundwater seriously a number of years ago. When I was in DC for a meeting in 2007 or 2008 I met the 'chief hydrogeologist' (not sure that was his title but it was his job) at USFS HQ. I was impressed. 

So it's nice to see the venerable USFS treat groundwater like the important resource it is, unlike the HQs of some NGOs and other organizations who adhere to the 'secret and occult' and/or 'inaccessible' views on groundwater. Note added on 15 May 2014: I should note that the local (Oregon) office of TNC is working on this directive with the USFS and PNW offices have done important work on groundwater in the past.

Just what is the Forest Service doing? They are proposing a directive for managing groundwater and are seeking comments on the directive. Comments are due 2 August 2014 and can be submitted online here or via email to: [email protected]. You can even use the snail-mail approach:

Groundwater Directive Comments
USDA Forest Service
Attn: Elizabeth Berger--WFWARP
201 14th Street SW, Washington, DC, 20250.

There will be a national webinar on this 20 May, 1 PM EDT.
Details are forthcoming (check the WWW site).

Here is what the directive would do:

• provide for consideration of groundwater resources in agency activities,
• encourage source water protection and water conservation,
• establish procedures for reviewing new proposals for groundwater withdrawals on NFS land,
• require the evaluation of potential impacts from groundwater withdrawals on NFS natural resources and
• provide for measurement and reporting to help build our understanding of groundwater resources on NFS land.

Worried about states' and tribal water rights and water quality regulations or increased USFS authority? Don't. Scroll down to see what the directive will not do. 

Here is the Federal Register posting.

Some USFS groundwater FAQs:
Download Q and A Groundwater _1_May_14-1

Here is how the USFS defines groundwater: 

Groundwater is the portion of precipitation (snow and rain) that infiltrates into the soil and bedrock. When rain falls or snow melts, some of it evaporates into the atmosphere, some of it flows across the ground surface directly into lakes, streams and wetlands, some of it is taken up by plants and transpired into the atmosphere, and the rest seeps into the ground to become groundwater (see the diagram of the water or hydrologic cycle below). 

 Here is what the Forest Service says about the significance of groundwater:

Groundwater is divided into two major components: the unsaturated zone above the water table and the saturated zone, below the water table (as shown in the hydrologic cycle diagram, above). 

Household and other water supplies are drawn from the saturated zone. However, land plants develop root systems and extract water and nutrients they need for growth from the unsaturated zone. The saturated zone provides the water that keeps perennial streams flowing during periods without precipitation.

 A well open in the saturated zone below the water table would have standing water in it because spaces between the soil or rock particles (fractures and pores) are filled with water. However, a well open only in the unsaturated zone above the water table would be dry because its fractures and pores are filled with a mixture of water and air. 

I'm old school, but groundwater is not all underground water; only that subsurface water occurring under saturated conditions (all rock/soil openings full of water) is groundwater. Water in the soil, when it is under unsaturated conditions, is not groundwater. The funny thing is the USFS's graphic shows the 'old school' approach and also the 'two-word' spelling of groundwater.

The graphic could also show an arrow indicating recharge to the water table - not all infiltration becomes recharge, and recharge can also occur via lakes and streams. 

My suggestion is that the Forest Service folks get together with the water people at the USGS to get things straightened out.

One last comment - the USFS is also proposing directives for national BMPs for water quality protection on NFS lands. Comments are due 7 July 2014. 

Way to go, USFS!

"Groundwater is a critical component of the nation’s water resources. Globally, groundwater resources dwarf surface water supplies. Approximately 25 percent of the earth’s total freshwater supply is stored as groundwater, while less than 1% is stored in surface water resources, such as rivers, lakes, and soil moisture." - National Ground Water Association White Paper

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Enviro-Sciences Awareness - 12 May 2014

Elaine and Spot had a nice Mother's Day celebration; now it's back to work.

 

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Elaine's previous Bulletin Boards are archived here. 

 

Geosciences Bulletin Board – Compiled by Elaine J. Hanford - 12 May 2014

 

Why does Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park have such a rainbow of color?
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/science-behind-yellowstones-rainbow-hot-spring-180950483/

 

Op-Ed:  “The Fracking of Academic Integrity in American Colleges” (part 3)
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Fracking-of-Academic-by-Walter-Brasch-Education_Education-Curriculum_Education-Funding_Education-Higher-140510-26.html

 

GAO report says BLM failed to inspect high risk oil & gas wells putting groundwater at risk
http://news.yahoo.com/fed-govt-failed-inspect-higher-risk-oil-wells-090356568--finance.html

 

TRMM satellite captures spring storms on the Great Plains…video of storm across TX and LA
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-trmm-satellite-storms-great-plains.html

 

New Cambrian age Ediacaran fossil organism is discovered
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-paleontologists-fossil.html

 

A model to predict which buildings will likely fail in the event of a landslide
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140507114720.htm

 

Travels in Geology --- exploring New Zealand
http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/travels-geology-beaches-bush-tramping-new-zealand

 

Model for the next Laki fissure eruption…especially air transport of sulfur dioxide emissions
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27239321

 

Sentinel satellite monitoring Austfonna ice cap on Norway's Svalbard archipelago
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27330321

 

Wyoming produces significant quantities of coal…rejects K-12 standards on global warming
http://news.yahoo.com/wyoming-1st-state-reject-science-standards-191118188.html

 

“Illustris” virtual model of history of the evolution of the Universe since the Big Bang (video)
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/watch-universe-evolve-over-13-billion-years-180951366/

 

Perspective:   Environmental Impact Statements and the Keystone XL Pipeline
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2014/05/08/keystone-xl-spotlights-history-of-environmental-analysis/

 

Conditions during Earth’s last inter-glacial period … Question:  how long are inter-glacials?
http://www.co2science.org/subject/c/summaries/glacialcycles.php

 

Related:  With a reminder that we are 10,000 years into the current inter-glacial
http://www.clim-past.net/8/1473/2012/cp-8-1473-2012.pdf   (see page 1479)

 

A retrospective on the nuclear incident at Three Mile Island (video)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/29/us/three-mile-island-and-nuclear-hopes-and-fears.html

 

Is increased seismicity a warning of submarine volcanic eruption in the Marianas Islands?
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/view.php?id=226

 

Canada concerned that fracking has outpaced baseline data, scientific knowledge & monitoring
http://www.scienceadvice.ca/en/assessments/completed/shale-gas.aspx

 

40-mile long track of EF4 tornado that killed 16 in Arkansas is visible on satellite image
http://www.livescience.com/45390-tornado-track-arkansas-photo.html

 

Study shows long history of major tsunami events along Alaskan coast
http://www.livescience.com/45423-alaska-subduction-zone-tsunami-risk.html

 

We have a T-rex named “Sue”…and now a new tyrannosaur nick-named “Pinocchio rex”
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27296357#

 

Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands are hot spots for avalanches
http://www.nature.com/news/avalanche-hotspot-revealed-1.15172?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140508

 

Tectonic activity, salt, and the age of opening of the Red Sea
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-red-seaan-ocean.html

 

Variations in Earth’s orbit correlate with past glacial & pluvial ages…there is no paradox
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-long-standing-climate-paradox.html

 

Mapping of ~ 198,000 glaciers around the world to better calculate ice mass and location
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-globally-glacier.html

 

Light is important factor in analyzing tree rings to interpret past Arctic climatic conditions
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-arctic-tree-ring-divergence-problem.html

 

4-D seismic surveys with more than 10,000 channels from one boat will improve ocean mapping
http://www.ogj.com/articles/2014/05/otc-ocean-bottom-seismic-improves-resolution-for-offshore-subsurface.html

 

Jasper National Park in Canadian Rockies has its skywalk….gives a bird’s eye view of glaciers
http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/05/in-the-canadian-rockies-a-sky-high-view-of-glaciers/

 

USGS & Oklahoma Geological Survey issue warning of increased EQ risk
http://www.news9.com/story/25432108/usgs-record-number-of-ok-earthquakes-raises-concern

 

Planetary geology:  The enigmatic dune fields of Mars…wind-blown & morphing
http://news.discovery.com/space/the-amazing-morphing-dunes-of-mars-140505.htm

 

Enviro-Sciences Awareness Bulletin Board – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford - 12 May 2014

 

Transcript of Presentation:  Four potential realities for the Salish Sea
http://aquadoc.typepad.com/files/salish_sea_four_realities_may2014_lackey.pdf

 

Are there places in the US where nobody lives:  “empty census blocks”
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-are-all-places-united-states-where-nobody-lives-180951367/

 

Illegal construction projects damaged sacred burial site at Effigy Mounds National Monument
http://news.yahoo.com/illegal-park-projects-damage-sacred-143919571.html

 

Dozens of protesters ride ATVs in Recapture Canyon in southern Utah….BLM investigating
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/30-protesters-ride-atvs-limits-ut-canyon

 

New antibacterial fabrics work….will they work or just help resistant bacteria evolve?
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-antibacterial-fabric-revolutionise-infection.html

 

First of its kind study on epigenetic modification….how diet at conception affects offspring DNA
http://www.treehugger.com/health/mothers-diet-time-conception-can-permanently-influence-babys-dna.html
Related:  http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140429/ncomms4746/full/ncomms4746.html

 

Why don’t people like bugs….especially spiders??
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-afraid-spiders.html

 

Our garbage on Earth is not yet cleaned up…but may be time to clean up space junk
http://news.yahoo.com/clean-space-junk-risk-real-life-gravity-disaster-105445423.html

 

California building codes to include holistic, performance-based approaches to energy-efficient design
http://enr.construction.com/buildings/sustainability/2014/0512-california8217s-title-24-energy-code-tightens-rules-for-building-controls-and-commissioning.asp

 

Result of pet trade, California king snakes have become invasive species on Gran Canaria
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/05/invasion-albino-snakes-threatens-gran-canaria-wildlife

 

Societal benefits of childhood vaccinations
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/24/cdc-vaccine-benefits/8094789/

 

Panoramic views of the resilient recovery of Tacloban 6 months after Typhoon Haiyan
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/philippines/10810186/Typhoon-Haiyan-six-months-on-two-360-panoramas-show-Taclobans-recovery.html

 

Survey shows only 40% of Americans list climate change as major threat to the nations
http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/climate-change-has-arrived-but-americans-may-be-the-least-likely-in-the-world-to-believe-it-140508?news=853103

 

Loss of wildlife species changes how zoonotic diseases jump from other animals to humans
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-will-wildlife-loss-affect-diseases-jump-humans-animals-180951332/

 

Field study suggests loss of biodiversity decreases decomposition, carbon & nitrogen cycling
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-field-decreased-diversity-liter-decomposition.html

 

Polar bear genome suggests they rapidly adapted to high fat diet & life in the Arctic
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-polar-genome-reveals-rapid-fatty.html

 

Lead poisoning may have been major health crisis in ancient Rome - supports collapse theory
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/04/21/ancient-romes-water-100-times-lead-local-spring-water/

 

Epidemic in the Caribbean, an outbreak of Chikungunya virus is likely to occur in the US
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/healthcare/chikungunya-virus-outbreak-likely-us-say-experts

 

WH Science Czar & Paul Ehrlich teamed up in 2010 to de-develop America…Did it work???
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/white-house-science-czar-says-he-would-use-free-market-de-develop-united-states

 

Belt Line in Atlanta, Georgia, bringing green space to the city….a work in progress
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2014/05/can-atlanta-go-all-beltline/9036/

 

Conditions during Earth’s last inter-glacial period … Question:  how long are inter-glacials?
http://www.co2science.org/subject/c/summaries/glacialcycles.php

 

Related:  With a reminder that we are 10,000 years into the current inter-glacial
http://www.clim-past.net/8/1473/2012/cp-8-1473-2012.pdf   (see page 1479)

 

Small marsupials in Australia in rapid decline….may be due to feral cats
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Small_Australian_marsupials_in_sudden_decline_999.html

 

Trying to get the lead out of solar cells 
http://news.sciencemag.org/chemistry/2014/05/perovskite-solar-cells-get-lead-out

 

A retrospective on the nuclear incident at Three Mile Island (video)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/29/us/three-mile-island-and-nuclear-hopes-and-fears.html

 

At Chernobyl, species are adapting to radiation (video)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/06/science/nature-adapts-to-chernobyl.html

 

In Jurassic Park, Malcolm asked “Should we” be doing this?   Human-made organisms….
http://www.livescience.com/45419-first-organism-with-man-made-dna-letters.html
Related:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/07/living-organism-artificial-dna_n_5283095.html

 

An increasing appetite in China for pork has environmental implications
http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2014/05/surf-turf-environmental-impacts-chinas-growing-appetites/

 

A big El Niño is predicted for later this year….if it happens, what will the consequences be?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22229682.400-world-is-unprepared-for-major-el-nino-later-this-year.html#.U2rJMCLn-M8
Related:  http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/imageo/2014/05/08/el-nino-odds-boosted-now-exceed-65-summer/

 

WHO concerned about increasing polio cases becoming international health emergency
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/polio-outbreak-how-war-is-thwarting-the-fight-against-the-virus-1.2632740

 

New pox virus similar to smallpox is identified in two animal herders in Eastern Europe
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/05/01/308357520/new-virus-related-to-smallpox-is-found-in-republic-of-georgia

 

If you like gin & tonic or margaritas ….you might have to drink them without the lime
http://www.onearth.org/articles/2014/04/weve-got-a-lime-shortage-is-cinco-de-mayo-doomed

 

Antibiotic resistance is running rampant in developing countries
http://www.nature.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-sweeping-developing-world-1.15171

 

Should we rely solely on the FDA to control dangerous drugs…or can states take action?
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v20/n5/full/nm0514-453.html?WT.ec_id=NM-201405

 

WHO survey reveals 90% of people in most major urban areas breathe air that is UNSAFE
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27313349

 

Oso, Washington, landslide:  More insurance?  Or better planning? Which is better??
http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/voices-oso-landslide

 

Research Paper: Environmental transmission in recurrent avian influenza epidemics
http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1000346

 

Ban cigarette filters as they are ubiquitous in litter and leach nicotine & other chemicals
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-cigarette-filters-environment.html

 

Innovative state-of-the-art technology used in Australia for waste water treatment
http://sourceable.net/australia-leads-the-way-in-water-engineering-innovation/

 

LEED certified “green buildings” do NOT make for happy workers….still need a better system
http://phys.org/news/2014-05-green-dont-happier-workers.html

 

More of the alarmist mentality from the IPCC…problem is not climate change…it is people
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26810559
IPCC Summary:  http://ipcc-wg2.gov/AR5/images/uploads/IPCC_WG2AR5_SPM_Approved.pdf

 

Tennessee Valley Authority “Watts Bar” nuclear plant on schedule to begin operation in 2015
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2014/may/5/tva-watts-bar-set-for-december-2015-completion/

 

Joint state & federal study says upstream pollution (not the dam) threatens Chesapeake Bay
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/blog/bs-gr-conowingo-hearing-20140505,0,3570111.story

 

New report on poverty, minorities and chemical disasters -- disaster vulnerability zones
http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/no-surprise-americans-living-near-chemical-industrial-plants-are-disproportionally-poor-and-minorities-140503
Report: http://comingcleaninc.org/assets/media/images/Reports/Who%27s%20in%20Danger%20Report%20FINAL.pdf

 

Much of the Federal aid money allotted to New Jersey for recovery from H. Sandy not yet spent
http://www.app.com/article/20140502/NJNEWS33/305020066/Report-Nearly-75-percent-Sandy-aid-unspent

 

Austrian children deliberately injected with malaria in late 1950s 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_AUSTRIA_MALARIA_EXPERIMENTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-05-02-15-24-30

 

"Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature." - Michael Faraday