There is finally a concerted effort in the Great Lakes region to deal with the problem of Asian carp and other invasive threats to the ecosystem. After a series of unsuccessful lawsuits by Michigan and others to get the state of Illinois to close the Chicago River lock system and the subsequent confirmation of large Asian carp on the Great Lakes side of an underwater electronic barrier, state and city governments are joining to start an initiative to update the Chicago waterway system and protect the Great Lakes. All I can say is, it’s about time.
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Before anyone can do anything about how much water we use (and waste) every day, we need to know how much we are actually using. And when you look around at how many of your daily activities include water, you get a sense of just how difficult a task that is. In spite of the challenge, New York City has announced that they are spending $252 million to upgrade the City’s water tracking system so that it monitors all of NYC’s water use in real time.
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Private vs. Public Water: A Tale of Felton, CA
Posted on Jul 27, 2010 by Jennifer Lance.
Do you know who owns your water? Many communities have moved from public water works to privatization of this important utility. Corporations raise rates, and citizens are left with no local control. In many towns, grassroots movements have successfully fought corporate water acquisition. Felton, California is a model of such citizen action.
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Increased CO2 in World’s Oceans Causes Fish to be Attracted to Predators
Posted on Jul 23, 2010 by Jennifer Lance.
Human activity is not only causing increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in our atmosphere, but our oceans are suffering as well. CO2 absorption causes the water to become more acidic, which in turn alters marine life’s natural instincts to avoid predation. Researchers fear the results will have “far-reaching consequences for the sustainability of fish populations”. [...continues...]
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Report: Toxins Found in Whales Bad News for Humans
Posted on Jul 21, 2010 by Zachary Shahan.
Bad news and bad news for whales these days — endangered baby whales are dying from the BP oil spill and the toxic dispersants used to “clean it up” and the International Whaling Committee has been discussing whether or not to legalize whaling of endangered whale species.
Now, a new study finds that sperm whales in even the most remote areas of the Earth’s oceans contain extremely high levels of toxins and heavy metals.
Of course, this is not only bad news for the whales, but also for humans [...continues...]
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