Water Crisis News
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Pictures: Dipping Under Unspoiled Rivers
March 22, 2013
Photographer Michel Roggo’s Freshwater Project takes an intimate look at rivers around the world.
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Bird-friendly Farms Catching On in California
February 20, 2013
Migratory birds are taking refuge on farms in California's Staten Island as part of a conservation plan.
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How Drought on Mississippi River Impacts You
January 31, 2013
The drought-plagued Mississippi River is holding up barge traffic, impacting everything from Japanese feedstock to American beer.
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Pictures: Trout vs. Trout in Yellowstone Lake
January 22, 2013
Things were going swimmingly for Yellowstone cutthroats, a species of trout native to Wyoming’s Yellowstone Lake. Then someone added a few non-native lake trout to the mix.
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Lake Trout Are Bad News for Lake Yellowstone
January 22, 2013
Ospreys, bears, and especially cutthroat trout suffer because of the non-native fish.
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Pictures: The Life-Giving Nile River
December 7, 2012
For more than 5,000 years, the Nile has directed the development of civilization in northern Africa, but it has also been the source of immeasurable damage and destruction.
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Pictures: Unspoiled Rivers
December 3, 2012
How do we balance population growth and economic security with freshwater ecosystem protection?
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Pictures: Greening the Desert
November 30, 2012
From Texas to Saudi Arabia, people are finding ways to grow food and fuel in the desert—sometimes with deleterious effects.
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Grabbing Water From Future Generations
November 30, 2012
Many of the world's aquifers are being pumped dry to support unsustainable agriculture.
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Saudi Arabia Stakes a Claim on the Nile
November 30, 2012
After draining four-fifths of its massive underground aquifer for unsustainable agriculture, the Saudi Kingdom turns to verdant Ethiopia.
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Mali’s Lush Wetlands Drained by Foreign Agribusiness
November 30, 2012
Subsistence lifestyles and diverse wildlife hang in the balance in Mali's inland delta, thanks to ambitious plans to divert Niger River water for irrigation.
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Fishing the Forgotten River in the Nation's Capital
July 23, 2012
Thousands of people consume fish from Washington, D.C.’s highly polluted Anacostia River, despite safety warnings.
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Colorado Wildfires Threaten Water Supplies
July 3, 2012
Colorado Wildfires Threaten Water Supplies -- As fires are contained, water managers assess the damage, draw more on the Colorado River, and try to prepare for a dry future.
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Philadelphia Cleans Up Storm Water With Innovative Program
June 6, 2012
City officials deploy permeable paving, rain barrels, tree trenches, and other water-saving technology.
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Groundwater Depletion Accelerates Sea-Level Rise
May 31, 2012
As aquifers are pumped out around the world, the water ultimately makes it to the oceans.
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Bugs Help Measure Impact of New Transoceanic Highway on Amazon
May 18, 2012
Scientists deploy "leaf packs" to help them survey threatened water quality in Peru.
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Scientists Race to Save World's Rice Bowl From Climate Change
May 2, 2012
More frequent floods and droughts expected in Southeast Asia.
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Warm Spring May Mean Drought and Wildfires in West
April 25, 2012
Decreased snowpack in the Rocky Mountains may compound problems for Colorado, Arizona, California, and other Western states.
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Climate Change Linked to Waterborne Diseases in Inuit Communities
April 5, 2012
A recent study may warn of more widespread threats to water quality.
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Massive Hindu Pilgrimage Melting Sacred Glacier
March 12, 2012
Hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir are polluting, and melting, an important glacier, scientists say.
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Pictures: Hindu Pilgrims Leave Mark on Mountain
March 9, 2012
Pilgrims visiting a holy cave along the Amarnath Yatra route in Kashmir in the Himalaya are melting and polluting the glaciers.
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Artificial Glaciers Water Crops in Indian Highlands
February 14, 2012
Villagers discover that it is easier to store water in ice than in a reservoir, and less is lost to evaporation.
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Reclaimed Wastewater for Drinking: Safe but Still a Tough Sell
January 31, 2012
A new report highlights advancements in reclamation technology and predicts growth in water treatment programs.
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Raiding the Bread Basket: Use and Abuse of the Mississippi River Basin
January 23, 2012
Industrial agricultural has significant socioeconomic and environmental costs, although scientists are bringing solutions.
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Melting Glaciers Mean Double Trouble for Water Supplies
December 20, 2011
New research shows that as glacier ice disappears, overall evaporation speeds up.
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Africans Must Adapt to Drought in Warming World
December 16, 2011
Climate change will call for more flexible solutions to water challenges.
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Real Christmas Trees Save Water
December 12, 2011
Fake Christmas trees have a bigger environmental impact than natural Christmas trees.
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Google Earth Shows How Dams Could Worsen Climate Change
November 28, 2011
A project of two NGOs, using Google Earth technology, highlights far-ranging effects of dams.
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India Stems Tide of Pollution Into Ganges River
November 23, 2011
Recent legal rulings in India block several development projects in bid to enhance Ganges water quality.
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Spectacular Time-Lapse Video of Historic Condit Dam Removal
October 28, 2011
Removal of the Condit Dam in Washington State happened in dramatic fashion.
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Short Life of British Mayfly Halved by Climate Change
October 26, 2011
New research suggests that mayflies in a UK trout river are getting through their lifecycle in double-quick time in response to warming temperatures.
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India and Pakistan at Odds Over Shrinking Indus River
October 12, 2011
Irrigation and hydroelectric projects in the Indus River Valley are draining the river's flow, while glaciers are melting in Kashmir; the resulting water scarcity is straining international relations.
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Fishers of Nation’s Largest Salmon Run Fight Proposed Mine
October 7, 2011
Salmon fishers in Nushagak Point village in Bristol Bay, Alaska are worried that the Pebble Mine will impact salmon migrations.
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Pictures: Reclaiming San Diego's Vital Rivers
September 27, 2011
Surrounded by desert and ocean, San Diego is watered by several rivers. They face threats from mining, pollution and overuse, but they also support important species, and occasionally even flood.
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Bulldozers Tear Into Big Washington Dams
September 23, 2011
Engineers have begun removing two dams on the Elwha River in Washington, to restore water flow and salmon runs into Olympic National Park.
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Will Tar Sands Pipeline Threaten Groundwater?
September 21, 2011
Environmentalists worry that a diluted bitumen, or dilbit, spill from the proposed Keystone XL pipeline could threaten groundwater in the U.S., especially the massive Ogallala Aquifer.
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Largest U.S. Dam Removal to Restore Salmon Runs
August 31, 2011
The deconstruction of two obsolete dams in the U.S. Pacific Northwest will benefit more than a hundred species, experts say.
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Could Seawater Solve the Freshwater Crisis?
August 5, 2011
To make much needed fresh water, just de-salt saltwater? Experts weigh in on what needs to be done to make it as easy as it sounds
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Gulf Spill's Effects Unknown For Years?
July 26, 2011
More than a year after the Deepwater Horizon spill, scientists say it could take a decade to figure out how the oil affected the Gulf of Mexico's environment.
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Will Dam Removal in the West Restore Salmon?
July 25, 2011
A controversial plan to remove four dams from the Klamath River to save endangered salmon has brought unlikely allies together.
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Ethiopia Moves Forward with Massive Nile Dam Project
July 13, 2011
Ethiopia has announced that it will construct a controversial multibillion-dollar Nile River dam that could supply more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity for itself and its neighbors, including newcomer South Sudan.
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How Gulf Spill Estimates Got It So Wrong
June 23, 2011
How much oil spilled into the Gulf last year? An engineer explains how he caused estimates to rise sharply practically overnight. Video.
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Warming to Blame for Water Crisis in U.S. West?
June 9, 2011
Heat trumps precipitation in shrinking Rockies snowpack—a primary water source for 70 million Americans—a new study says.
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Female Fish Develop "Testes" in Gulf Dead Zone
May 31, 2011
Deprived of oxygen in the polluted Gulf of Mexico, female fish are producing sterile testes, scientists say.
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Prozac Killing E. coli in the Great Lakes
May 25, 2011
For better or worse, scientists have found that minute concentrations of fluoxetine, the active ingredient in Prozac, are killing off microbial populations in lake water.
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Biggest Floods in History—Does Mississippi Make the List?
May 24, 2011
The Mississippi River floods are just drops in the bucket compared to known "megafloods" of the past two million years, experts say.
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Pictures: America’s Top 10 Endangered Rivers
May 17, 2011
Environmentalists float their concerns about natural gas development, proposed mines, dams, sewage pollution, and the Mississippi River.
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Mississippi Flood Pictures: Pets, Wild Animals Seek Safety
May 13, 2011
See a few of the Mississippi River flood's other victims—pets, livestock, and wild animals seeking safety as the waters rise.
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Flood Pictures: Mississippi River at Its Worst
May 10, 2011
As the Mississippi River--peaking this week in Memphis, Tennessee--nears historic levels, see how major floods of the past century compare.
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Pictures: China's Wetland Revolution
April 26, 2011
The Chinese government has invested 1.1 billion yuan ($16.11 million) in wetland protection projects since 2006, but are climate change and development destined to dampen the country's green crusade?
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Pictures: Golf Masters Green—Ten Environmental Courses
April 9, 2011
How green is the green? Keeping a golf course in top shape has traditionally required large amounts of irrigation water, fertilizers, and toxic pesticides, but new technologies and trends, plus the support of Justin Timberlake, are helping golf earn a greener reputation.
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Oil-Eating Bacteria Engineered
April 5, 2011
Scientists are experimenting with "green" microbes in the lab that could someday be used to gobble up oil spills along coastlines without damaging the environment.
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“Superfish” With Bigger Hearts Better Equipped for Climate Change
March 31, 2011
A new study reveals that salmon navigating the most arduous routes for their once-in-a-lifetime migration have bigger hearts and may be the best suited to cope with warming waters.
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Substance to Stop Oil From Sticking to Birds?
March 31, 2011
Scientists are perfecting a naturally based substance that will act like a laundry detergent in oil spills to prevent the oil from sticking to bird feathers. The substance is currently in the testing phase, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.
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Photos: Dams Threaten Mekong River Megafishes
March 31, 2011
A meeting this spring could determine whether construction of the first of 11 controversial dams—the Xayaburi in Loas—on the Mekong River can proceed. The dams are designed to generate electricity, but environmentalists fear they will disrupt the Mekong's delicate freshwater ecology and habitat for the region’s endangered megafishes.
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New Mekong Dam a Go, and a Blow to Endangered Megafishes?
March 25, 2011
Livelihoods and dozens of aquatic species at risk, according to those opposed to the Xayaburi dam.
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World Water Day Photos: Water-Savvy Cities
March 22, 2011
World Water Day 2011 Focus on Urban Water Challenges
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Is That a Banana in Your Water?
March 11, 2011
New science shows peels can remove heavy metals from water.
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Pictures: Odd Stingless Stingrays Discovered in Amazon
March 9, 2011
Looking more like pancakes than fish, two new species of freshwater stingrays have been discovered in the Amazon, a new study says.
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Hudson River Fish Evolve Toxic PCB Immunity
February 17, 2011
Bottom-feeding fish in the Hudson River have developed a gene that renders them immune to the toxic effects of PCBs, according to new evolution research.
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Extreme Storms and Floods Concretely Linked to Climate Change?
February 16, 2011
New studies of severe storms and catastrophic floods help to confirm that rising greenhouse gas levels actually do increase the odds of such extreme weather events—and perhaps make them stronger.
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Pictures: 40-Mile "Drape" to Cover U.S. River?
January 27, 2011
See artist Christo's vision for a giant art installation over a Colorado river that has drawn opposition from a river-protection group.
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Photos: New Giant "Bearded" Crayfish Species
January 22, 2011
Scientists have found a new species of crayfish in Tennessee and Alabama that is twice the size of other crayfish in the southeastern U.S.
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Scientists Make Dozens of Storms in the Abu Dhabi Desert?
January 18, 2011
A Swiss company’s claims to have created storm clouds in the desert are met with skepticism.
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Cholera and Cooperation Play Into Haiti Reforestation
January 13, 2011
Ambitious efforts try to dry out the charcoal business, rebuild eroded hillsides, ease flooding, and improve water quality.
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PHOTOS: Six Long-Lost Haitian Frog Species Found
January 12, 2011
On the one-year anniversary of Haiti's earthquake nightmare, scientists exploring the country's few remaining pristine forests find an abundance of frogs—including six species lost to science for nearly two decades.
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Photos: Unprecedented, "Biblical" Floods Inundate Australia
January 6, 2011
Queensland, in eastern Australia, suffered torrential rains after Christmas, causing severe floods to spread across an area the size of France and Germany combined.
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“Mining” Groundwater in India Reaches New Lows
December 31, 2010
Small-scale rainwater harvesting and new crops could fill the gap
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New Species Photos: Fangless Snake, Bald Bird Near the Mekong River
December 25, 2010
Scientists working in Asia's Mekong River Basin are finding new species of bats, birds, snakes, and more at a "staggering" rate.
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Predicting the World’s Next Water Pollution Disaster
December 21, 2010
Hungary’s toxic mud disaster in October was a wake-up call, shining a spotlight on potential water pollution hot spots around the globe.
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PHOTOS: Russia's Radioactive River
December 20, 2010
Russian nuclear facilities accidentally—and intentionally—filled the Techa River with radioactive waste and turned the region into one of the world's worst toxic dumping grounds. Decades later the people along its banks are still paying the price.
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PHOTOS: "Alarming" Amazon Drought—River Hits New Low
December 6, 2010
PHOTOS: "Alarming" Amazon Drought—River Hits New Low
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Global Warming Burning Lakes?
December 2, 2010
Global Warming Burning Up Lakes?
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Concrete to Help Oysters?
November 12, 2010
Rings designed to attract oysters may help restore reefs diminished by overharvesting, pollution, and recent oil spill activities, experts say.
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Texting Program Helps African Farmers Fight Drought
October 29, 2010
A new Kenyan "micro-insurance" program cushions small-scale farmers against weather-related crop loss using a novel, mobile phone-based approach.
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Toxic Mud Spill Latest Insult to Polluted Danube River
October 12, 2010
Toxic Mud Spill Latest Insult to Polluted Danube River -- National Geographic
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80 Percent of Global Water Supplies at Risk
September 30, 2010
80 Percent of Global Water Supplies at Risk
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Flooding Farms on Purpose—For the Birds
September 23, 2010
In response to the BP oil spill, U.S. farmers are flooding fields to create untainted wetland stopovers for migrating birds.
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Pictures: "Extinct" Frogs, Salamander Found
September 21, 2010
The first ever search for a hundred "lost" amphibians has already rediscovered three species, including a cave-dwelling salamander, conservationists say.
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Photos: Few Remaining River Dolphins Indicators of River, Human Health
September 8, 2010
Photos: Few Remaining River Dolphins Indicators of River, Human Health
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How to Stem a Global Food Crisis? Store More Water
September 7, 2010
How to Stem a Global Food Crisis? Store More Water
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Photos: Africa's Disappearing Damselflies, Fish, and Wildflowers
September 2, 2010
Photos: Africa's Disappearing Dragonflies, Fish, and Wildflowers
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Hurricanes Could Carry Gulf "Oil" Inland
September 1, 2010
As Atlantic hurricane season heats up, storms could send toxic hydrocarbons lingering from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill surging inland, scientists say. Video.
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China Takes Another Stab at Resettlement With $62 Billion Water Plan
August 29, 2010
China Takes Another Stab at Resettlement With $62 Billion Water Plan
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Sewage Could Spawn Hurricane Protection, Wetland Growth in New Orleans
August 29, 2010
Sewage Could Spawn Hurricane Protection, Wetland Growth in New Orleans
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Pakistan Flood Pictures: Millions Flee Rising Rivers
August 27, 2010
Pakistan Flood Pictures
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Post-Katrina Green Homeowners Barred From Recycling Water
August 26, 2010
Post-Katrina Green Homes Sitting With Unused Water Re-Use Features
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Pakistan Flooding Because of Farms?
August 16, 2010
The country’s current floods are far worse because of decades of river and floodplain mismanagement, experts say.
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PHOTOS: Amid Drought, Pakistan Prays for Rain
July 1, 2010
Sparse rainfall, surging demand, and inefficient infrastructure have combined to create devastating drought conditions across much of Pakistan.
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Glittery Marketing Boosts Hand-Washing Efforts
June 30, 2010
Where soap and water are scarce, public health officials are promoting hand washing by using glitter to demonstrate the spread of disease, and linking the practice to good motherhood.
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Alaska Town Eyes Shipping Water Abroad
June 25, 2010
A company sees a market to wet whistles in the Middle East, while an Alaskan town envisions a new revenue stream.
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Divert the Mississippi to Fight Oil Spill, Experts Say
June 15, 2010
Artificially boosted, the river could act as an invisible barrier against the oil, buying time for cleanup crews in hard-hit Louisiana, scientists say.
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Pictures: Arkansas Flash Flood Aftermath
June 15, 2010
Flood-tossed RVs and mangled campsites were left behind after a flash flood ripped through a national forest in Arkansas last weekend, killing at least 20.
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Ancient Mars Had Vast Ocean, New Evidence Shows
June 14, 2010
A vast ocean chock-full of microbes may have once covered more than a third of Mars' surface, according to a new analysis of river deltas on the red planet.
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The Business of Bottled Water: An "Obsession" With a Price
June 14, 2010
Water expert Peter Gleick takes us on a journey through bottled-water plants, Kabbalah centers, and what it means to be a water sommelier.
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"Venice of Asia" Canals Disappearing
June 9, 2010
As pollution and overcrowding shrink Kashmir's lakes, the region's famed tourist houseboats may also shut down, one scientist says.
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Brazilian Water Protection Could Be a $100M Market
June 4, 2010
With conservation cheaper than cleanup, governments are paying people to protect water supplies at the source
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Dams Cutting Off 400 Million People From Food and Income
June 3, 2010
The world’s dams have allowed cities to sprout in dry lands—but at a steep cost to hundreds of millions of already impoverished people, according to a new report.
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Clean City Rivers Spark an Urban Fishing Phenomenon
May 17, 2010
Across Europe, fish are returning to city waterways thanks to major cleanup efforts in recent decades. And with them, a rare species of recreationist: the urban angler.
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Pictures: Patagonia to Be Drowned by Dams?
May 13, 2010
A massive hydroelectric plan may dam Patagonia's wild rivers and cut a powerline path long enough to stretch from Maine to Florida. Chile needs energy, but conservationists warn that the dams will destroy what makes Patagonia special.
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Underground "Fossil Water" Running Out
May 6, 2010
Underground "Fossil Water" Running Out
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Shampoo, Cosmetics May Form Cancer-Causing Substance
April 29, 2010
Your shampoo may seem harmless, but it could be contributing to the formation of a mysterious cancer-causing substance, a new study says.
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Pet Food Sucking Up U.S. Water
April 26, 2010
Pet Food Sucking Up U.S. Water
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Aral Sea Recovery?
April 2, 2010
With help from the government, the World Bank, and scientists, the northern part of the Aral has started to make a recovery. There are fish in the water again, and for the past four years, fishermen have gathered to celebrate.
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PHOTOS: Dried-up Aral Sea Aftermath
March 31, 2010
The Aral Sea dried up over several decades, leaving behind grounded ships, crumbling buildings, and starving people. While part of the sea is making a comeback, photos show how bad the damage once was.
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"Goddess" Glacier Melting in War-Torn Kashmir
March 24, 2010
climate change, water crisis, himalaya, kashmir, india, pakistan
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World Water Day Focus on Global Sewage Flood
March 22, 2010
clean water, pollution, sanitation, world water day, kibera, slums
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World Water Day Pictures: Epic Disappearing Acts
March 19, 2010
See before-and-after scenes of a sea vanishing, a lake plummeting, a Swiss glacier retreating, and more—pictures of fresh water on the brink for World Water Day 2010.
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Why Tap Water Is Better Than Bottled Water
March 11, 2010
Bottled water can be a drain on the environment and our health, but we still buy it. Find out more about why the tide may be turning to tap.
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World's Largest Dead Zone Suffocating Sea
March 5, 2010
Oxygen-sucking algae are blooming in the Baltic due to farm fertilizers and overfishing—and new efforts to stop the disaster may be too late, experts say.
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Before-and-After Pictures: Underwater Church Reappears
March 5, 2010
Severe droughts have drained a reservoir in Venezuela, exposing a church that's been "missing" since 1985.
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What's Best for Kids: Bottled Water or Fountains?
March 3, 2010
As sugary sodas fizzle in schools, kids are turning to bottled water instead of tap water, which is often contaminated by lead. But that may put an added strain on the environment, experts say.
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Nuclear Reactors, Dams at Risk Due to Global Warming
February 26, 2010
As climate change throws Earth's water cycle off kilter, the world's energy infrastructure is in trouble—and the U.S. is in particularly "bad shape," one expert says.
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Mississippi River Delta to "Drown" by 2100?
February 26, 2010
A combo of dams and sea-level rise could wipe out vast acres of the U.S. river's delta plain, according to new research that predicts the surrounding coastline will be significantly reshaped.
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Fog Catchers Bring Water to Parched Villages
February 26, 2010
A rain-starved community in Peru collects hundreds of gallons of water a day using special fog-catching nets.
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Sunlight Not the Solution for Clean Water -- New Study
February 26, 2010
A popular method of disinfecting water with sunlight may not help protect people from water borne disease, due partly to stigma, a new study shows.
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Booming Middle-Class Diet May Stress Asia's Water Needs
February 26, 2010
Asia's growing appetite for meat threaten the already water-stressed region with severe food shortages, scientists warned at an international conference in Sweden last week.
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Elephants, Other Iconic Animals Dying in Kenya Drought
February 26, 2010
Scores of animals are dying of thirst, starvation, and disease amid the country's worst drought in over a decade, conservationists say.
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Kilimanjaro's Snows Gone by 2022?
February 26, 2010
Ernest Hemingway must be reaching for a bottle of grappa in his grave. The snows of Kilimanjaro--inspirations for a Hemingway story of the same name--could be gone by 2022, a new study confirms.
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Cocaine, Spices, Hormones Found in Drinking Water
February 26, 2010
Some unusual ingredients, from heroin and cinnamon to rocket fuel and birth control drugs, are lurking in the world's freshwater supplies, scientists report.
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Will Water Footprints be the Next "Energy Star"?
February 26, 2010
Companies, including beer giant SABMiller, are starting to account for their water use as the world's fresh water supplies appear to shrink. But when will consumers around the world get to see this information on product labels?
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NASA Satellites Track Vanishing Groundwater
February 17, 2010
NASA Satellites Track Vanishing Groundwater
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Dams Trigger Stronger Storms, Study Suggests
February 4, 2010
Dams Trigger Stronger Storms, Study Suggests
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Amazon Losing "Flying Rivers," Ability to Curb Warming
December 22, 2009
The Amazon's flying rivers"—humid air currents that deliver water to the vast rain forest—may be ebbing, in turn hampering the region's ability to help curb global warming, experts say.
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"Wired" Irish River Detects Pollution in Real Time
December 6, 2009
Nature is going wireless, as scientists outfit rivers with sensors that detect spikes in pollution and can stream the information to data centers and cellphones.