water

Human activity has degraded as much as 40 percent of the world’s land, impacting half of the people on Earth and putting about half of global gross domestic product at risk. That’s the stark finding of the Global Land Outlook 2, a new report from the UN’s Council to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). With more than […]

Consuming lab-grown meat and insects could lower carbon emissions and save water, as well as make more land available for nature, a new study has found. The scientists said that, compared with a typical European diet, these diet choices could reduce environmental burdens on the planet by more than 80 percent, BBC News reported. The […]

Water is the lifeblood of existence and rivers are the veins that carry it, connecting organisms, minerals and species across the globe. Rivers provide habitat, help drain rainwater, replenish groundwater, instill in us a feeling of ancient connectedness to our planet and are the source of drinking water for two-thirds of U.S. residents. American Rivers, […]

The future of food is growing up. With the climate crisis and disruptions in the supply chain, “controlled-environment agriculture,” which has been around since the 1970s and includes vertical farming, is gaining more attention as a way to grow healthy food using artificial light, reported The New York Times. The price of LED lights dropped […]

To combat its 13th year of a record-breaking drought, Chile has announced a possible water-rationing plan for Santiago, the country’s capital of almost six million people. According to officials, implementation of the plan will depend upon the levels of rainfall this winter, reported Al Jazeera English. Winter in Chile begins June 21. The capital city […]

The Biden administration has launched America the Beautiful Challenge, a $1 billion conservation program that will make navigating grant funding for new conservation and restoration projects easier. The project is part of a larger goal, called the America the Beautiful Initiative, to conserve 30% of land and water in the U.S. by 2030. This public-private […]

Fifty years ago, the U.S. passed the Clean Water Act with the goal of ensuring  “fishable, swimmable” water across the U.S. by 1983. Now, a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) finds the country has fallen far short of that goal. In fact, about half of the nation’s lakes and rivers are too polluted for swimming, fishing or drinking. 

The Southwestern U.S. has been experiencing a severe megadrought since 2000, and last month scientists said it’s the driest it’s been in at least 1,200 years, mostly due to climate change, The New York Times reported at the time. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have issued their Spring Outlook for the […]