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California Bill Would Halt Groundwater Investment
May 31st, 2023
Via Pensions & Investments, a report on a California bill that would halt groundwater investment: A California bill that would stop the “speculation or profiteering” of investment funds, including public and private equity, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure and hedge funds, from water rights on agricultural lands has passed the state Assembly. The bill, which passed […]
Read more »Colorado River Basin: Hay, Cheeseburgers, and Feed-Driven Water Inefficiency
May 30th, 2023
Courtesy of The Land Desk, an insightful look at the water/food nexus as it revolves around alfalfa: Alfalfa fields in La Paz County, Arizona. Many of the fields pictured are owned by Fondomonte Farms, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabian food and beverage giant Almarai, which touts itself as the world’s largest vertically integrated […]
Read more »Will Colorado River Cuts Create A New Dust Bowl?
May 30th, 2023
Courtesy of The Land Desk, commentary on the impact that the recently agreed upon Colorado River cuts may have: What effect will fallowing thousands of acres of fields have? Will it lead to another Dust Bowl? Is the electricity from the dams used to deliver water (e.g. to power the pumps for the Central Arizona […]
Read more »Iran Exchanges Heavy Gunfire With Taliban, Escalating Tensions Over Water Fights
May 30th, 2023
Via CNBC, a report on growing tensions between Iran and Afghanistan over water: The Taliban and Iran exchanged heavy gunfire Saturday on the Islamic Republic’s border with Afghanistan, killing and wounding troops while sharply escalating rising tensions between the two countries amid a dispute over water rights. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency quoted the country’s […]
Read more »‘War Over Water’: Drought Battle Reaches Luxury Pools of Southern France
May 29th, 2023
Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on the growing tourism-based ‘war over water’ in France: The flower-filled medieval hilltop town of Callian, former home of the late fashion designer Christian Dior, has proved so attractive to wealthy incomers that alongside its 4,000-strong population, it boasts 1,000 private swimming pools. Yet the mayor of the […]
Read more »Uruguay’s Historic Drought Leaves Water Supply Running Dangerously Low
May 27th, 2023
Via TVP World, a report on how Uruguay’s historic drought leaves water supply running dangerously low A historic drought in Uruguay has left the reservoirs that provide water for the country’s capital Montevideo almost dry. Low rainfall and high temperatures across the southern region of South America have triggered a severe drought over the last […]
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