OC students challenged to be creative about water scarcity

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/environmental-news/orange-county-department-of-education-launches-water-innovation-now-win-contest_18750/

Water Unifies, the international conference on water scarcity, global changes, and groundwater management resources convened by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and UNESCO, announces a partnership with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) in the Water Innovation Now (WIN) contest which will challenge students from kindergarten through twelfth grade to create presentations via PowerPoint, video, or poster board that demonstrate innovative solutions to the water crisis. Winning entries will be presented by students to international delegates at the conference on December 3, 2008.Water Unifies, the international conference on water scarcity, global changes, and groundwater management resources convened by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and UNESCO, announces a partnership with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) in the Water Innovation Now (WIN) contest which will challenge students from kindergarten through twelfth grade to create presentations via PowerPoint, video, or poster board that demonstrate innovative solutions to the water crisis. Winning entries will be presented by students to international delegates at the conference on December 3, 2008.l be presented by students to international delegates at the conference on December 3, 2008.

Peak Water: Aquifiers and Rivers Running Dry. How Three Regions are Coping

http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/magazine/16-05/ff_peakwater?currentPage=all 

An in-depth article from Wired Magazine about how three regions of the world struggling with disappearing water are coping with the future.   

Profiled:  the Intel company's water-intensive chip-manufacturing process at its Chandler Arizona plant - which utilizes 2 million gallons of super-filtered water per day.  1.5 million gallons are pumped through a desalination plant which is relcaimed as drinking water.  

Chandler is banking water - pumping it (including Intel's contributions) back into underground aquafiers - storing it for hard times when it's anticipated that the Colorado River will not be able to provide. 

London is also profiled - 8 million thirsty mouths are the main users of water rather than industry or agriculture.   Smart metering technology is being deployed along with proposing a half-billion dollar desalination plantto drought-proof the city. 

In wake of bloody fighting over water, Bolivia looks beyond corporate control of water

http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2008.10-online-exclusive-daniel-aldana-cohen-bolivia-water-violence

After violence plagued Cochabamba's experience dealing with privatization of the municipal water system in 2000, a new effort has begun to reform water law relying on traditional usos y costumbres (uses and customs) that provide for flexible (albeit perhaps more time-intensive) dispute resolution processes.

ABA Journal: GULP - Litigation Won't End the Battles Over Depleted Water in Several Regions of the US

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/gulp/

ABA Journal profiles three hot spots in the US water-access debate -

1) The Colorado Basin (with a good introduction to the Colorado River Compact between California, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico and the Western US doctrine of prior appropriation ["first in time, first in right"]

2) The Great Lakes (see previous post - Congress has just passed the Great Lakes Compact)

3) Apalachicola Basin - Georgia, Florida and Alabama are fighting it out over Georgia's claims to set aside 20% of the water in Lake Lanier.

Good discussion also of East Coast doctrine of riparian rights and how it has been evolving into "regulated riparianism" where water is seen as a public good that hte state may reuglate.

House Passes Great Lakes Compact

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/washington/24lakes.html?scp=1&sq=great%20lakes%20compact&st=cse

The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Great Lakes Compact by a vote of 390 - 25. The bill, already passed by the Senate is expected to be signed into law by the President. The Great Lakes Compact, agreed to by the eight US states that border the Great Lakes, would limit the amount and circumstances under which water from the Lakes could be diverted outside of the region. Parallel legislation that would work with the Great Lakes Compact has been enacted in Canada.

Molson Coors signs on to UN committment on water stewardship

Beer composition is 90% water and companies are looking for ways to reduce water waste - perhaps primarily to reduce the bottom line, but CSR benefits also accrue.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Molson-Coors-Brewing-Company-NYSE-TAP-900926.html

Pakistan to seek compensation from India over reduced flow in Chenab River

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Pak_may_move_WB_against_India_over_stopping_Chenab_flow/articleshow/3495496.cms

Claiming that India has violated the Indus Water Treaty by reducing flow in the Chenab River in order to fill one of its reservoirs, Pakistan is demanding compensation and may seek World Bank arbitration to resolve the dispute.

Interview with Irena Salina, director of FLOW: For Love of Water

Huffington Post interview with Irena Salina.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/asher-goldstein/for-love-of-water----an-i_b_125984.html 

FLOW, the movie, website:  http://www.flowthefilm.com/ 

In America's Heartland - a growing list of impaired waters

Iowa - the Sioux City Journal reports an increasing number of the state's waterways have been categorized as impaired - largely by large scale agricultural use, but also in part due to stricter monitoring.

According to the Journal, "Iowa's rivers, lakes and streams are under increasing pressure from urban development and an agricultural sector driven by high corn and soybean prices to move more Iowa acres out of conservation into production.

Land taken out of conservation can lead to greater soil erosion, meaning soil runs off land along with rainwater into waterways, reducing water quality.

The state's growing urban areas also contribute to the problem, as concrete replaces soil that normally would absorb rainwater."

Read more at: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2008/09/14/news/top/5e4a610c44c1cd39862574c2008067e6.txt

European Parliamentarian calls for water to be integrated into all policies

Austrian center-right MEP Richard Seeber says that:
"[w]ater should be one of the main issues on the political agenda and integrated into all policies. This is the most important idea of the initiative because if you look at the policies, whether at national or regional level - there is a lot of talk about climate change of course - water issues will be the most pressing in the very near future. Everything has to be rethought in terms of the water problem.

Secondly, businesses and citizens have to take into account that we shall face water scarcity in large parts of Europe that will hinder successful economic development."

One problem facing the EU of course is that the Union, like the US, is divided in terms of need, supply, environment - in some parts of the EU - Spain, the Mediterranean, water is scarce and desertification is encroaching, whereas in the British Isles and Scandinavia have ample supplies. Furthermore, like in the US, EU policy on water is largely decentralized with member states deciding aspects like pricing and financing.

http://www.euractiv.com/en/environment/mep-water-integrated-policies/article-175233

Presidential candidates asked about stances on scientific issues: Question 10 - WATER

http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=40

Science Debate 2008 posed the top 14 questions asked by scientists, engineers and other concerned Americans for the two presidential candidates. Senator Obama has already submitted his response with Senator McCain to follow. Below is question 10 - "What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?"

10. Water. Thirty-nine states expect some level of water shortage over the next decade, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of our water resources are at risk. What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?

Solutions to this critical problem will require close collaboration between federal, state, and local governments and the people and businesses affected. First, prices and policies must be set in a ways that give everyone a clear incentive to use water efficiently and avoid waste. Regulations affecting water use in appliances and incentives to shift from irrigated lawns to "water smart" landscapes are examples. Second, information, training, and, in some cases, economic assistance should be provided to farms and businesses that will need to shift to more efficient water practices. Many communities are offering kits to help businesses and homeowners audit their water use and find ways to reduce use. These should be evaluated, with the most successful programs expanded to other states and regions. I will establish a national plan to help high-growth regions with the challenges of managing their water supplies.In addition, it is also critical that we undertake a concerted program of research, development, and testing of new technologies that can reduce water use.

Recent hurricane activity highlights risks to populations lacking clean water

In hurricane-ravaged Haiti, families are washing and bathing in dirty flood water from the storms - with no clean water for cooking. After a damaging hurricane, the problem of inundation by flood water affects those who previously had access to clean water and those who didn't - but in poor regions without the ability to pay for bottled water in an emergency or the ability to buy fuel to boil water, the crisis is exacerbated. Proper infrastructure including piped water and adequate sewage and drainage would do much to abate the problem.

Top five food and beverage companies use 150 BILLION gallons of water each year

"40% of Fortune 100 companies recognize that the impact of a water shortage on their businesses would be ‘severe’ or ‘catastrophic.’ Some are taking measures to mitigate water intake as water scarcity issues become more important."

Water scarcity responsible for gender inequality in education

As is well known, young girls are often called upon to fetch water in many countries where piped water is lacking and access to water remote or difficult. All Africa reports that a new sociological study in Uganda has shown that the practice of having girls collect water has impeded that country's efforts to attain gender equality in primary schooling.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200809030345.html

Largest water settlement in US history returns water to Native American tribes

In the Western United States, water rights have been hotly contested for decades. Native American tribes have demonstrated their priority ahead of most claims as they've been using the water for centuries beforehand -- and after thirty years of litigation, the largest water settlement in Indian country has been reached between the Pima and Maricopa tribes and state and federal entities.

The water that the tribes lived off of for generations was diverted for commercial agriculture in the earlier part of the century. Now it will slowly return and hopefully help local agricultural efforts by tribes in an effort to restore health of members against the onset of problems like diabetes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/us/31diabetes.html?ref=health