The week that was, 6/6-12/2010

Posted on | June 13, 2010 | 1 Comment

Source: Indian Meteorological Department. Click on the map to be taken to the IMD monsoon page.

… while excess rain involves modest gains, deficiency involves large losses. — Monsoon, welcome,” commentary by Ramesh Chandra, director of India’s National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, Financial Express, June 9, 2010

A draconian drilling moratorium might make more sense if the industry had a history of devastating oil spills. — Opinion piece, “The second oil disaster,” The Wall Street Journal, June 9, 2010

“One of the last pristine, most biologically diverse coastal habitats in the country is about to get wiped out. And there’s not much we can do about it.” — Felicia Coleman, director, Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, “Even the best outcome won’t be good,” USA Today, June 7, 2010

… the Old and Middle rivers – tributaries of the San Joaquin – now flow backward much of the year as the pumps draw water toward them. — This time will we end the water war?” by Matt Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, June 13, 2010*

It just turns your whole world upside down when you can turn the faucet on and stick a cigarette lighter under it and you get this explosion of flame.” — Josh Fox discussing his HBO documentary ‘Living in the Middle of a Gasland,’ Fresh Air, NPR, June 10, 2010, via WaterWired

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California purchases more than half of its water from the State Water Project under a contract with the Department of Water Resources. Instead of treating these purchases as a cost of water, MWD allocates nearly 80 percent of the cost to charges it imposes for the transportation of water through MWD facilities. —MWD rate challenge,” San Diego County Water Authority, June 10, 2010 via Aquafornia

“We’ve done 220 or 225 repair projects on levees in recent years. None of them have been because of the vegetation.” — Steve Bleifuhs, King County River and Floodplain Management Unit, “Corps of Engineers wants trees removed near levees, clashing with salmon advocates,” Seattle Times, June 12, 2010

“Industrial river is an euphemism for open sewer.” — Murray Stein quoted in his obituary, “Crusader against water pollution dies at 92,” New York Times, June 4, 2010** and called “the federal government’s Mr. Clean,” Washington Post, June 7, 2010

Lake Sarez (top), in the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan, was created 90 years ago when an earthquake triggered a landslide that created a natural dam. Scientists fear that part of the right bank of the dam may slump into the lake, leading to flooding as far as the Aral Sea. Source: NASA. Click on the image to be taken to the Earth Observatory page on Lake Sarez.

Monitoring and early warning station for Lake Sarez. Source: TajikWater.net. The lake is 61 km long and as deep as 500 m, and holds an estimated 17 cubic km of water. Click on the image for more photos from TajikWater.net.

“The peoples of regional countries should be sure that Tajikistan will never let Central Asia suffer from shortage of water … Tajikistan proposes building water pipes from Lake Sarez … The lake’s reserve of water, which is the purest and most unpolluted water, are … capable of providing the entire population of Central Asia …”  — Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan, keynote address at the “Water for Life” conference, Tajik Television 1st Channel, June 8, 2010, via BBC Monitoring

“We’re basically selling rust.” — Bob Hedin of Hedin Environmental and Iron Oxide Recovery Inc., “Iron sludge from abandoned Unity mine to be dried, sold,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 10, 2010

In a part of India’s Haryana state, a campaign called “No toilet, no bride” sends the message that a man without a toilet should not be considered successful enough to marry your daughter. — Op-ed   “Toilets: A simple solution to world health issues,” Los Angeles Times, June 9, 2010

Holding empty plastic pots, a group of women blocked vehicular traffic near the manned level crossing at Kulavanigarpuram in Palayamkottai on Monday seeking regular and adequate supply of drinking water to their area. — Women block traffic; seek water,” The Hindu, June 8, 2010

Manhattan Marathon Swim. Source: Wall Street Journal. Click on the swimmers to be taken to the article.

“People would ask ‘Did you see Jimmy Hoffa in there?'” — Morty Berger, veteran of the Manhattan Marathon Swim, “A marathon in the water,” Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2010

“We’re very fortunate to be in the middle of a large river, but unfortunately we don’t have access to it.” — Coralie Deny of the Conseil regionale de l’environnement de Montreal, “Let’s rediscover our rivers,” The Montreal Gazette, June 6, 2010

“Usually we build things people don’t see – pipes and treatment centers. This is something they can see, something that connects people to their watersheds.” — Karen Kubick, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, “San Francisco’s buried streams may see the light of day,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 13, 2010*

“Listen, don’t be naive. Upriver countries dominate down river countries …” — Dr. Mohammed al-Zubaidi, political science professor at Baghdad University, “Water shortage called major threat to Iraq,” The Institute for War and Peace Reporting, June 11, 2010

Libyan billboard. Source: BBC. Click on the image for the International Atomic Energy Commission Nubian Aquifer Project, which has background on the reserve of "fossil" water and regional plans to develop it, including for Libya's Great Manmade River.

… deep below the surface flows an ancient water source that the Libyan government is harvesting in one of the biggest water-delivery schemes in the world, the Great Man-Made River. — Libya looks to the future,” Financial Times, June 7, 2010

“Of course, there were some who felt like we shouldn’t be taxing rain.” — Jim Schumaker, Charlotte assistant city manager, “Cities focussing not just on water but on its quality,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, June 12, 2010

For complete water coverage of California, go to Aquafornia, the newsfeed of the Water Education Foundation, and UC Berkeley’s On Water. For San Diego water news, try Groksurf’s San Diego.

*From the week that is

**From week before last

Comments

One Response to “The week that was, 6/6-12/2010”

  1. Gayle
    June 14th, 2010 @ 9:36 pm

    “No toilet, no bride.” Also, no pride. I wonder what’s expected for the dowry!?

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