The News Review:
- Avoiding a Water Crisis
- Water supply line disconnected
- Gardeners Can Play An Important Role In Reducing Global Warming
- Drought puts pressure on electricity
- ‘Supply drinking water regularly’
Avoiding a Water Crisis
– May 19, 2007
The Saudi Minister of Water and Electricity has launched Saudi Arabia’s largest ever campaign for water rationing. Some humorists even joked that the campaign was so successful that it resulted in an interruption to the water supply in some towns for a number of days and nights. Saudi Arabia’s water problem is now disturbing. With this major plan for rationing water in place and considering it is home to the world’s largest desalination plants and an all-time large national budget, further interruptions to the water supply are no longer acceptable. The water problem is not limited to Saudi Arabia in the Arab region. The situation is even more tragic in a number of Arab countries…
The situation is even more tragic in a number of Arab countries. Rivers in Syria, for example, are continuously experiencing a critical drop in their water level. In Lebanon and due to the Israeli aggression on water resources, only the Litani River will survivepossibly. Jordan is suffering tremendously from Israel’s aggressions on- and stark violations of- water resources in Wadi Araba. Even Egypt, where the world’s longest river flows, is also suffering enormously from unprecedented fluctuations in the water level and record degrees of pollution at more than one point along the course of the Nile. For many years, people dealt with water from a withdrawn and theoretical perspective rather than from a serious strategic or security standpoint. The lack of water planning over many years is now having its grave impact, not only in terms of the quantity but also the quality of water.
Water supply line disconnected
Hindu – May 19, 2007
The water was being drawn from the line with a motor for a packaged drinking water unit at Narayana Avenue (part of Krishna Colony) at Singanallur, a Corporation official in the water supply wing said on Friday. The residents, including Corporation South Zone Chairman Pynthamil Pari, had been complaining for months of inadequate water supply under the Pilloor scheme. The official said that they had also pointed out that strangely the supply was good whenever the power went off. The official had checked all the houses but only one had remained inaccessible because it was locked. It was open recently and the official made a surprise check that led to the detection of the motor used for the unauthorised drawal of water.
Gardeners Can Play An Important Role In Reducing Global Warming
Science Daily – Science Daily (press release) – May 19, 2007
Compost kitchen and garden waste. Composting kitchen and garden waste can significantly reduce your contribution to global warming pollution, especially methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. It also provides an excellent source of nutrients for your garden, which reduces the need for chemical fertilizers that pollute water supplies and take a considerable amount of energy to produce. Establish a “green roof” and plant trees around your house. Planting rooftop gardens and planting trees near your home can significantly shield your home from the elements, reducing energy use for air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. One study showed that shade trees can reduce energy use for air conditioning by up to seventy percent. Trees also absorb and store carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the gas primarily responsible for global warming.
Drought puts pressure on electricity
The Age – May 19, 2007
“We will see an intensification of droughts and an intensity interms of increasing periods of hot weather, increasing periods ofweather where there is not much rain as a consequence of failing toaddress climate change,” he said. Short supplyThe head of the CSIRO’s Australian climate change scienceprogram, Paul Holper, said: “Lack of water could become a problemfor power generation. “You’ve got to find a supply of water to set aside for powergeneration, but there is already a shortage of water foragriculture. So this is going to become more of a problem. The stock market has already sent an alarm signal. The price ofelectricity futures has almost doubled so far this year. In January the price of a megawatt hour for delivery to NSW in2008 was $38…
Waterlevels are down to just 8 per cent of active capacity in the Snowysystem. Although Snowy Hydro is responsible for only about 7 per cent ofNSW power generation, it is crucial for relieving demand upon themain power stations during periods of peak demand. If the water supply is cut and hydro power halted, there willnot be enough coal power to meet demand in peak periods. “If the current drought conditions continue, it is likely thatEucumbene Lake levels will continue to drop, possibly to beloworiginal minimum operating levels,” Snowy Hydro conceded in astatement eight days ago. “Water inflows during the past 12 months are significantly belowthe previous lowest ever minimums since records were kept over thepast 101 years. Snowy Hydro believes it can meet its water andelectricity commitments this coming winter and into nextsummer. This assurance extend only for the next eight months.
‘Supply drinking water regularly’
deccanherald.com – May 19, 2007
Well known advocate and former Chairman of the Karnataka State Bar Council S S Kumman had filed a complaint before the Forum requesting it to direct the authorities concerned to maintain regular water supply to his residence and also to general public. He subsequently filed an interim application seeking supply of water during the pendency of the application. The Forum consisting President Shivanand Katti, members Vishvanath Yekkelli and Gopamma while admitting the interim application directed the authorities to supply sufficient water regularly to the house of the complainant and also to the needy people of Gulbarga at large. Kumman in his complaint had made Deputy Commissioner, Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat, Nagara Palike Commissioner and Water Board authorities as respondents.