Monthly Archive for February, 2011

Page 2 of 8

Scientists say ocean currents cause microbes to filter light

Published on 02/25/2011 in hydrology, oceans and water technology. 0 Comments Tags: backscattering, climate models, Light penetration, microbes, MIT, ocean currents, ocean microbes, peak water, Water.

Retrived from: Amustard

“Adding particles to liquids to make currents visible is a common practice in the study of fluid mechanics, one that was adopted and perfected by artist Paul Matisse in sculptures he calls Kalliroscopes. Matisse’s glass-enclosed liquid sculptures contain an object whose movement through the liquid creates whorls that can be seen only because elongated particles trailing the object align with the direction of the current; light reflects off the particles, making the current visible to the viewer.

“Researchers at MIT recently demonstrated that this same phenomenon is responsible for the swirling patterns scientists typically see when they agitate a flask containing microbes in water. Researchers said this phenomenon occurs in the ocean when elongated microbes caught in a current align horizontally with the ocean surface, affecting how much light goes into the ocean and how much bounces off as backscatter. Because many ocean microbes, like large phytoplankton, have either an elongated shape or live in communities of long chains, this orientation to ocean currents could have a substantial effect on ocean light — which in turn influences photosynthesis and phytoplankton growth rates — as well as on satellite readings of light backscatter used to inform climate models or assess algal blooms.

“Even small shear rates can increase backscattering from blooms of large phytoplankton by more than 30 percent,” said Roman Stocker, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT and lead author on a paper about this work. “This implies that fluid flow, which is typically neglected in models of marine optics, may exert an important control on light propagation, influencing the rates of carbon fixation and how we estimate these rates via remote sensing.”

“But the impetus for the research was an observance of swirling microbes in a flask of water and a question posed by Justin Seymour, a former postdoctoral fellow at MIT. “Justin walked up to me with a flask of microbes in water, shook it, and asked me what the swirls were,” said Stocker. “Now we know.”

Read more: physorg

sammykayed

Pak-India Water War

Published on 02/24/2011 in desertification, drought, policy, privatization, rivers, water diversions, water rights, water shortage and water wars. 0 Comments Tags: india, Indus basin, pakistan, politics of water.

Photo retrieved from: www.pakistan33.blogspot.com

“It is rumored that the Indian government is taking seriously a statement made by the Pakistan Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, during his visit to the United States. The assertion is “water is taking the centre stage to an array of disputes between India and Pakistan”. Why to make so much fuss about this, in fact every Pakistani today feels that India is way bent to convert Pakistan into a desert by controlling its rivers and diverting the flow towards Mother India. The Indians are probably perturbed because they think that the issue has now come under the security spotlight.

The water crisis of Pakistan is directly affecting the food security of the agriculture based country. Like Egypt, Pakistan is also a single-river system-based country which is of course, the Indus. The Ganges-loving Indians are after Pakistan’s Indus – a war of geographical deities. Pakistan is a hydraulic society, whose complete economy is agrarian based; even its industry is nothing more than value addition to agricultural produce. Pakistan’s economy is based on informal sectors, therefore is outside the proper evaluation network. 80% of this is based upon agriculture. India has realized the real Achilles heel of this economy and is trying to steal Pakistan’s share of water. The Indians are even having a second thought over the Indus water treaty, rather they have almost redefined the terms and conditions as per their own national interests.

The biggest dispute between Pakistan and India in coming months is going to be the Indus water treaty. It is the declared water aggression which the Indians have perpetrated. The Indus Basin Treaty is based upon four cardinal principles of agreement; one is the division of three eastern rivers to India and three western rivers of the Indus water system to Pakistan. Second was the financial support to assist Pakistan in making dams and canals to make with the loss of eastern rivers.”

Oscar-Nominated ‘Gasland’ Director Calls Latest Attack on His Film ‘Outlandish’ and Tells Why the Industry Is Getting Desperate

Published on 02/24/2011 in contaminated water, fracking, greenwashing, tap water, wastewater and waterborne diseases. 0 Comments Tags: activism, Gasland.

Photo retrieved from: www.heatingoil.com

“When the gas industry sent an open letter this month to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences demanding it revoke its best documentary nomination for the gas-drilling exposé Gasland, many seemed surprised by this brazen missive.

Gasland director Josh Fox wasn’t one of those people.

“What this points to is the culture of that industry, which is bullying, which is aggressive, which is outlandish in their tactics, which will stop at nothing,” Fox told AlterNet during a nearly hour-long interview.

The Oscar nomination, of course, ensures wider attention to the dangers of the natural gas drilling process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on our nation’s water supply, air quality and overall impact on citizens’ health.

Gasland already won the prize for best documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and debuted on HBO last summer. The film’s Facebook page boasts 40,000 followers — which Fox said is “like a news ticker of gas drilling contamination stories” — with people linking to the latest reports of poisoned aquifers, sickened citizens and calls for drilling moratoriums, as well as first-person accounts of those living in the gaslands.

Fox and actor/activist Mark Ruffalo stormed Capitol Hill a few days ago, garnering heightened national attention to the issue as they called for an immediate federal moratorium on natural gas drilling.”

Ethiopia: Kenyan protests could compromise mega electric project?

Published on 02/23/2011 in dams, displacement of people, hydropower, lakes, policy and rivers. 0 Comments Tags: dams, Ethiopia water policy, Gilgel Gibe III, hydropower, indigenous people, Lake Turkana, massive hydro electric dam, protesters.

“After massive protests in Nairobi, Kenya, last weekend, against the construction of Ethiopia’s mega hydro electric dam, Gilgel Gibe III, calling on China to stop financing it, Ethiopia has announced that at least 41 percent of the dam’s construction works has been completed.

“Azeb Asnake, Engineer and manager of the project, appeared on Ethiopian state television last Monday to give details on the completion of the 243-meter high dam. Its 211 km2 reservoir is expected to be the first in Africa in terms of capacity.

“A group of International and Kenyan NGOs, since the inauguration of the project three years ago, have been lobbying international financial institutions and donors to hold their financial support of the hydropower dam arguing that it will significantly impact the water level of Lake Turkana. The activists say the outcome will negatively affect the livelihoods of herdsmen in the region.”

Polarized hearing brings drilling debate to the Delaware River Basin

Published on 02/23/2011 in contaminated water, groundwater, management, natural gas drilling, policy and rivers. 0 Comments Tags: contaminated water, delware river basin, natural gas drilling, policy.

“Natural gas drilling in the Delaware River Basin will either save or devastate a region whose fate is in the hands of the interstate commission that regulates water quality there, according to the polarized testimony given by representatives of both sides of the drilling debate during hearings at Honesdale High School on Tuesday.

“About 90 people spoke at an afternoon session attended by more than 300 people. It was one of four hearings held by the Delaware River Basin Commission in Honesdale and Liberty, N.Y. on Tuesday about proposed natural gas drilling regulations that would apply to the 13,539-square-mile watershed where drilling has largely been on hold while the commission develops its rules.

“The basin contains most of Wayne, Pike and Monroe counties as well as slivers of Lackawanna and Luzerne.

“If adopted, the regulations will complement rules in place or being developed by state environmental agencies – a necessary overlap because “the Delaware River Basin is a special place,” commission Executive Director Carol R. Collier said before the hearing: it provides drinking water to more than 15 million people and contains waterways whose exceptional value demands extra protection.”

Bill seeks limited carcinogens in Calif. tap water

Published on 02/23/2011 in contaminated water, policy and wastewater. 0 Comments Tags: california water policy, carcinogens, contamined water, erin brockovich, water contamination.

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2006/114-1/wave.jpg

Photo retrieved from: ehp.niehs.nih.gov

“Saying clean drinking water should be a basic right, a California lawmaker on Tuesday proposed a strict limit on the amount of a known carcinogen in tap water.

“Assemblywoman Nora Campos, D-San Jose, introduced legislation that would require the state Department of Public Health to place limits on hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium 6, by Jan. 1, 2013.

“If the agency does not act in time, California would adopt a limit of 0.02 parts per billion, compared with the federal standard of 100 parts per billion.

“The legislation was backed by lawyer and environmental advocate Erin Brockovich, who was scheduled to attend a news conference on the proposal but was forced to cancel because of illness.”

Citalugtug River Contaminated Waste Plant, Residents Protest Banjaran

Published on 02/22/2011 in contaminated water, riparian zone, rivers, wastewater and waterborne diseases. 0 Comments Tags: citalugtug river, coal waste, industry waste, paper mills.

Photo retrieved from: www.chaudharimohit.com

“Village People Cipaku RT 2 RW 3 and Kampung Sindanglengo RT 1 RW 1, Tarajusari Village, Kec. Banjaran, Kab. Bandung complained about waste disposal in the River Citalugtug by paper mill PT. Papyrus Sakti Paper Mill and the textile factory of PT. Adetex. They felt that the waste issue and the unpleasant smell caused Citalugtug polluted river that makes people unable to use the water for daily life.

Didi Supriadi (75), residents of Kampung Desa Sindanglengo RT 1 RW Tarajusari was deeply disturbed by the smells coming out of the waste. In addition to the unpleasant smell issue, he added, the waste makes Citalugtug River dusky red. “Every day they throw the waste into the river. However, the time could not be determined. Can the morning or evening,” he told the “AP”, Tuesday (22 / 2).

According to him, which resulted in waste due to a red river of the chemical dyes used in Paper Factory of PT. Papyrus for coloring paper. Meanwhile, blackish color in Citalugtug River, he continued, as a result of PT. Adetex who dispose of waste coal.”

Council To Weigh More Spending On Desal Planning: Opponents Urge End For Consultant On Controversial Project

Published on 02/22/2011 in desalination, greenwashing, oceans, policy and privatization. 0 Comments Tags: Santa Cruz desalination project.

Water Director Bill Kocher. Photo retrieved from: www.santacruzsentinel.com

“Today, opponents of a proposed desalination plant will urge the City Council to stop payments to a San Francisco consultant for environmental, engineering and public relations work for a project that is far from being approved.

Water Director Bill Kocher will ask the council to approve spending another $290,000 this year to cover the city’s 50 percent share of costs for Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, a technical advisory group that has worked on the controversial proposal to build a desalination facility since 2008. If approved, the third contract amendment for $580,000, the largest for the firm so far, would bring to $1.4 million the total amount committed by the city and its desalination partner, Soquel Creek Water District, for the firm’s work through early 2012.

“What they are doing is public communication; there is a lot at stake here,” Kocher said, citing a series of public meetings and literature about desalination that the firm coordinated last year. “People need to make informed decisions.”

But opponents of desalination, which the city is weighing as a countermeasure for drought, say the consultant’s work should cease until the council evaluates whether the plant — which could transform 2.5 million gallons of seawater every day — is even needed or feasible. An environmental impact report won’t be completed until the fall, and there are separate studies under way exploring future water demand and the potential for water exchanges between Santa Cruz and Soquel Creek Water District during high-yield periods for both.”

Kerry Panel Warns of Central Asia Water Wars

Published on 02/22/2011 in agriculture, climate change, dams, drought, hydrology, hydropower, policy, solutions and outreach, water conservation, water shortage, water wars and world water supply. 0 Comments Tags: Central Asia, middle east, u.s aide.

Photo retrieved from: www.mnto.org

“As water demand for food production and electricity generation increases, in part as a result of the quickening pace of climate change, so too must our efforts to provide water security,” he said. While much of the current U.S. focus is on Afghanistan and Pakistan — including some high-profile water projects — Kerry noted that the well-being of neighboring countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan will become increasingly important.

The report comes as the Obama administration fights to retain diplomatic funding for Afghanistan’s civil reconstruction and money to help Pakistan recover from devastating floods suffered last year. Mindful of the bitter budget fights looming before the Senate, the study does not make any specific spending recommendations. Rather, it concentrates on assistance that the United States can provide inexpensively or via already-existing mechanisms like workshops to offer technical expertise.

Climate change making a bad situation worse

A Kerry aide said the committee will likely go on to examine water issues in other parts of the globe, but wanted to start with the region that consumes the biggest bulk of U.S. foreign assistance. Based on staff travel and interviews in the region, the report focuses on the Amu Darya River Basin, shared by Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and the Indus River Basin, which hosts a major network of rivers flowing between India and Pakistan.”

Danger Pent Up Behind Aging Dams

Published on 02/21/2011 in dams, floods, lakes, levees and management. 0 Comments Tags: aging dams, army corps of engineers, dam failure, Lake Isabella, peakwater, Water, water crisis.

“Frank Brassell, owner of Nelda’s Diner in this town wedged between the slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada, knows his fate should Lake Isabella Dam, a mile up the road, suddenly fail when the lake is full.

“Frank Brassell, owner of Nelda’s Diner in this town wedged betweenthe slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada, knows his fate should Lake Isabella Dam, a mile up theroad, suddenly fail when the lake is full.

“Lake Isabella Dam is just one acute example of a widespread problem: Of the nation’s 85,000 dams, more than 4,400 are considered susceptible to failure, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. But repairing all those dams would cost billions of dollars, and it is far from clear who would provide all the money in a recessionary era.

“Nationwide, the potential repair costs are staggering. A 2009 report by the state dam safety officials’ group put the cost of fixing the most critical dams — where failure could cause loss of life — at $16 billion over 12 years, with the total cost of rehabilitating all dams at $51 billion. But those figures do not include Lake Isabella and other dams among the approximately 3,000 that are owned by the federal government. The corps, for example, says that more than 300 of the roughly 700 dams it is responsible for need safety-related repairs, and estimates the total fix-up bill at about $20 billion.”