Special Coverage: Water

The Meltdown We Really Can't Afford

Kerry Trueman, AlterNet. October 10, 2008.
We are in danger of passing an extremely dangerous tipping point, with the frightening discovery of massive deposits of sub-sea methane in the Arctic.

From the blogs

Peter Gleick: Water and the Next President

by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages

Leading water researcher Peter Gleick has a few words for the next man in charge.

Baghdad Getting Only Half of Needed Water Supplies; Iraq Approves Oil Deal with China

by AlterNet Staff, AlterNet

First Saddam-era deal approved; UNICEF blasts Iraqi government for not investing in drinking water.

Communities Rally to Close Coca-Cola Bottling Plant

by Tara Lohan, AlterNet

An official declaration has said that Coke has "overexploited" a town's groundwater.

Nestle Cancels Bottled Water Contract in McCloud, Calif.

by Tara Lohan, AlterNet

Looks like David has won over Goliath. At least for now.

Attorney General Slams Nestle's Bottled Water Aspirations

by Tara Lohan, AlterNet

Another big win for those hoping to keep the beverage giant out of McCloud, California.

Coke and Pepsi Fear Bottled Water Backlash

by Michael E. Campana, WaterWired

Looks like some consumers have finally discovered that gas is cheaper than most bottled water.

How We Are Going to Save Appalachia

by Tara Lohan, AlterNet

Stay tuned for regular posts each week on "Mountain Mondays" to find out the latest info about stopping mountaintop removal mining.

Your Summer Reading List for Water

by Jared Simpson, Waterblogged.Info

The good folks at Waterblogged provide part 1 of their summer reading list.

Community Activists Defeat Water Bottler in New Hampshire

by Tara Lohan, AlterNet

Another win in the fight against privatization of water.

Why Are the World's Lakes Disappearing?

by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages

From the Great Lakes to Lake Chad, the world's inland lakes are drying up.

Can the People Who Live in Coastal Towns Ever Be Safe From Hurricanes?

Lizzy Ratner, AlterNet. October 9, 2008.
Environmental destruction is making it harder and harder to protect coastal dwellers and their communities.

We Are One President Away From a Future of Fossil Fuel Addiction

David Sassoon, SolveClimate. October 6, 2008.
America's energy and climate future will be determined by what the nation decides to do with its deposits of oil shale.

New Information Shows How Climate Change Will Affect Water

Environment News Service. October 6, 2008.
How do we deal with rising seas, threatened infrastructure, increasing storms, and less drinking water?

The New Corporate Threat to Our Water Supplies

Alan Snitow, Deborah Kaufman, Tomdispatch.com. October 6, 2008.
Neglect of public infrastructure has private companies swooping in to buy public systems, like water, with grave consequences.

When Will Los Angeles Run Out of Water? Sooner Than You Think

Scott Thill, AlterNet. October 4, 2008.
L.A. has two options: Pray for rain, or suck off Northern California's supply. Guess which one it's going to try first?

There Is More to Green Than Global Warming

Thomas Kostigen, Huffington Post. October 3, 2008.
We are facing crises of freshwater, food, deforestation, and ocean health. We need leadership in the protection of all our natural resources.

The True Price of Fiji Water

William E. Marks, AlterNet. October 2, 2008.
Your small bottle of Fiji water may not cost much to you, but it does for the people of Fiji and its environment.

The Harsh Economics of the Global Water Crisis

Julie Chowdhury, The Wip. October 1, 2008.
It is our era's greatest scandal that 1.6 million children die of preventable illness each year. We can fix that.

Are McCain and Obama Sincere in Protecting Our Greatest Source of Drinking Water?

Dave Dempsey, AlterNet. October 1, 2008.
Past politicians have sough to protect our most important source of water. So far, their words have been empty promises.

FLOW: The Film that Will Change the Way You Think About Water

Tara Lohan, AlterNet. September 27, 2008.
The Sundance hit "FLOW: For Love of Water" is taking the country by storm and waking people up to our water crisis.

EPA Woud Like You to Drink Rocket Fuel

Carl Pope, Huffington Post. September 25, 2008.
Even though the pollutant perchlorate has been found to cause health risks, EPA doesn't mind that its in your drinking water.

The Middle East's Water Crisis: Will the Jordan River Run Dry?

Gidon Bromberg, Yale Environment 360. September 24, 2008.
Huge withdrawals for irrigation, rapid population growth, and a paralyzing regional conflict have drained nearly all the water from this fabled river.

Federal Shortfall for Clean Water Puts New York in Need of $50 Billion

Environment News Service. September 23, 2008.
Federal support for water infrastructure has plummeted roughly 70 percent over the last two decades, and now places like New York are in trouble.

The World Bank Botches Water Privatization Around the World

Eurodad. September 22, 2008.
Despite admitting that corporations are screwing up water services, the World Bank still thinks privatization is a "real business opportunity."

Is Drinking from the Toilet Bowl the Best Way to Deal with Water Shortages?

Elizabeth Royte, AlterNet. September 20, 2008.
More and more cities are implementing "toilet to tap" programs as the answer to our water crisis. But is it the best and safest option?

We're Paying the Price Today for Decades of Relentless Dam Building

Rachel Olivieri, AlterNet. September 18, 2008.
Decades ago three new dams were started every day. But the debts of temporary prosperity are all coming due and payable today.

A New Boom in Natural Gas Threatens Drinking Water

Mark Clayton, Christian Science Monitor. September 18, 2008.
Water and chemicals injected at high pressure can extract more gas and may threaten drinking water in places like New York and Texas.

A Telling Palin Scandal: Her Environmental Record

Leonard Doyle, Independent UK. September 10, 2008.
Sarah Palin has an environmental policy so toxic it would make George W. Bush blush.

The Corporate Control of Water Takes an Unexpected Twist

Jon Keesecker, AlterNet. September 9, 2008.
In one U.S. city, a mayor is putting the city's water systems up for sale in exchange for money for eduction.

We've Got One Week Left to Stop One of Bush's Worst Environmental Attacks

George Lakoff, Chris Shutes, AlterNet. September 8, 2008.
A simple redefinition of terms will destroy the Endangered Species Act in less than a week if we don't act now.

Five Things You Need to Know about Hurricanes

Carl Pope, Huffington Post. September 8, 2008.
Three years after Katrina and a week since Gustav, we are in need of a sobering reminder of some basic truths.

Is California on the Brink of Environmental Collapse?

Rachel Olivieri, AlterNet. September 4, 2008.
California has spared no expense to taxpayers or natural ecosystems to become the most hydrologically altered landmass on the planet.

Fossil Fuels Are the Bottled Water of Energy

Andy Posner, Huffington Post. September 3, 2008.
We already know the many reasons not to drink bottled water, but fossil fuels are really bottled energy.

Free Water: Collecting Rainwater Is Catching on in the U.S.

veg-head, off-grid. September 3, 2008.
Rainwater harvesting is a well-known practice in the developing world, but it is also now gaining traction in the U.S.

Alaska Chooses Largest Gold Mine Over Clean Water

Kari Lydersen, AlterNet. August 29, 2008.
Alaska is one step closer to approving Pebble Mine, which threatens the world's largest salmon fishery and native communities.

It's Pretty Clear That Europe Is Using 'Trade' Deals to Steal Food from Poor Countries

George Monbiot, Monbiot.com. August 28, 2008.
A new wave of food colonialism is taking food from the mouths of the poor.

Half of Baghdad Lacks Drinking Water

Kareem Abed Zair, Azzaman. August 28, 2008.
Amid soaring temperatures, Baghdad's Water Authority says three million people in Baghdad have no access to running water.

Dispatch from Denver: Making Climate Change the Issue

Jeffrey Allen, OneWorld.net. August 26, 2008.
Why we need to make "global warming" the most important issue of the convention.

Will Thirsty States Get Great Lakes Water?

Dave Dempsey, AlterNet. August 26, 2008.
A new compact protecting the Great Lakes is set to pass Congress, but there are a few green critics with serious concerns.

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Learn more about the Polaris Institute's work on water issues, including the privatization of water services, bulk water exports, water takings, water security and their bottled water campaign.

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