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☆ Water at Kealia pond in Hawaii has turned pink amid drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Angela Fritz | Abigail Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Water at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few coastal salt marshes on the island of Maui, has been bright pink since at least October 30, officials say, after its salt content surged amid an extreme drought. While Kealia literally means “salt encrustation,” the pond’s salinity has skyrocketed well beyond normal because of Maui’s extreme drought. The entire island is in severe or worse drought, according to the US Drought Monitor. The area where the Kealia Pond refuge is located is in what’s considered an extreme drought – the second-worst on the Drought Monitor’s scale. @Traviskeahi_photo/InstagramThe Waikapu Stream, which brings water from the West Maui Mountains down into the Kealia Pond, also flows through the area of extreme drought.

Persons: Kealia Organizations: CNN, Wildlife, University of Hawaii, Fish and Wildlife Service, US Drought Monitor Locations: Hawaii, Maui, Salt, what’s, West Maui, Maui County, Lahaina

☆ Extreme Weather May Be Displacing Animals, Too, a New Study Suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Asher Elbein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A new analysis published this week suggests that extreme weather linked to climate change might be much harder on native species than on nonnative ones. As the planet warms, extreme weather events — heat waves, cold snaps, droughts and floods — are becoming more common and destructive. The new paper, published on Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, suggests that these sudden, violent changes in conditions could be helping to fundamentally reshape ecosystems. In a statement, the team said that research on the impacts of extreme weather on ecosystems, while still in its early stages, was “critically important” to our ability to understand the effects of global warming on biodiversity. The researchers, led by Xuan Liu, an ecologist at the Academy of Sciences, analyzed 443 studies that examined the responses of 1,852 native and 187 nonnative species — from land, freshwater and marine habitats — to extreme weather.

Persons: Xuan Liu Organizations: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academy of Sciences

☆ South America's Lake Titicaca nears record low water level as El Nino bites
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Isabel Apaza shows the area of Lake Titicaca without water in drought season, in Huarina, Bolivia August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia Morales/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLIMA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The water level at Lake Titicaca on the Peru-Bolivia border is edging towards a record low, exacerbated by the weather phenomenon known as El Nino that is expected to get still more intense in coming months. Severe drought conditions and unusually high temperatures have caused the shoreline to shrivel at Titicaca, South America's largest lake and the world's highest navigable body of water. The water level is now around 13 inches (33 cm) above its record low recorded in 1943. Over the past seven months, the lake's water level has fallen 29 inches (74 cm), according to Senamhi data.

Persons: Isabel Apaza, Claudia Morales, El, Milagros Quispe, Nino, El Nino, Marco Aquino, David Alire Garcia, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, El Nino, El, Thomson Locations: Lake Titicaca, Huarina, Bolivia, Peru, shrivel, Titicaca, South America's

☆ America's cities are vying for a hot new title: best place to ride out the coming dystopia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Matthew E. Kahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

For decades, cities have duked it out for titles like "best city for business" or "healthiest city in America," but now they're starting to compete for a new title: best place to ride out dystopia. While Sun Belt cities are working to mitigate these challenges, the increased risks also create an opportunity for once forgotten cities. The declaration has been followed up with investments in key areas — climate resilience was one of the four pillars that made up the city's four-year strategic plan released at the start of 2023. And the cities that could become climate havens have their weather downsides — Buffalo will still have some harsh winters, too. If Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and other cities succeed in their climate-resilience agendas, they will grow, attracting residents from more at-risk areas of the country.

Persons: Tesla, Byron Brown, Redfin, Matthew E, Kahn Organizations: Los Angeles, Fortune, Sun, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Association of Environmental, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FBI, Street Foundation, Pittsburgh, The New York Times, University of Southern, Hoover Institution Locations: America, West, Midwest, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Buffalo , New York, Detroit, USA, Florida, California, South, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Angeles County, Miami, Dade County, Lake Erie, Buffalo, Duluth , Minnesota, Grand Rapids , Michigan, Chicago, Northern, Pittsburgh, Rust, Los Angeles, University of Southern California

But of 72 companies ranked by a sustainability nonprofit over the past year, few are close to achieving their 2030 targets. Last year, Ceres launched an effort to press companies with large water footprints to protect those resources and address related financial risks. On Wednesday, the group released an analysis that found most of the assessed companies — including such powerhouses as Coca-Cola, General Mills and Amazon — have set targets but aren't close to meeting them. “There’s no doubt that companies need to do better,” said Kirsten James, senior program director for water at Ceres. Ceres said the companies were chosen from the four sectors based on factors including size and their impact on water.

Persons: Ceres, General Mills, “, ”, Kirsten James, Michael Goltzman, Apple didn't, Mills, Mary Jane Melendez, Melendez, Michael Kiparsky, ” Kiparsky, Kiparsky, James Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Amazon, Coca Cola, Cola Foundation, Cola Company, Tech, Apple, Wheeler Water Institute, University of California, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP Locations: Ceres, —, U.S, Berkeley

☆ Inside Poland Spring’s Hidden Attack on Water Rules It Didn’t Like
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

The BlueTriton bottling plant in Poland Spring, Maine, this month. Water Clashes NationwideBlueTriton finds itself pitted against local water boards, environmentalists and other groups across the country. Aquifers Water bottling facility BlueTriton facility Aquifers Water bottling facility BlueTriton facility Aquifers Water bottling facility BlueTriton facility Water bottling facility Aquifers BlueTriton facility Water bottling facility Aquifers BlueTriton facility Water bottling facility Aquifers BlueTriton facility Sources: U.S. Geological Survey; Continental U.S. aquifer map data from GebreEgziabher, Jasechko and Perrone, Nature Communications (2022) Mira Rojanasakul/The New York TimesIn California, BlueTriton has publicly criticized and vowed to fight a cease-and-desist order issued by the state’s water board to stop diverting millions of gallons of water from a spring in San Bernardino County. Poland Spring water was first packaged as a local elixir in the mid-1800s. The original Poland Spring water source.

Persons: BlueTriton, ”, Elizabeth M, Frazier, haven’t, Christopher Kessler, Bottlers, Ms, Frazier didn’t, Anthony Moffa, Mark Lawrence, Lawrence, Mira Rojanasakul, State Legislature’s, Margaret M, “, John Mullaney, Roger Crouse, Cheryl Dieter, Metropoulos, Nestlé, John McGowan, Natalie DiPentino, DiPentino, Poland Spring, BlueTriton’s Organizations: The New York Times, Times, Democratic, Energy, Utilities, Technology, Maine State House, ”, Industries, University of Maine School of Law ., Democrat, Water, . Geological Survey, Continental, Nature Communications, New York Times, State, Poland, U.S, Geological, Water Science, Industry, Maine Water Utilities Association, United States Geological Survey, Rock Capital Partners, Metropoulos, Moody’s Investors Service Locations: Maine, Poland, Poland Spring , Maine, South Portland, Michigan, Colorado, Augusta, In Colorado, Arkansas, United States, Continental U.S, GebreEgziabher, California, San Bernardino County, In Michigan, Lincoln, Lincoln , Maine, New York, BlueTriton’s Poland, Chaffee County , Colorado

Most of Gaza’s water comes from local sources – but the fuel required to pump and clean it is fast running out. As the water system collapses, some Gazans have been forced to drink dirty, salty water, sparking concerns of a health crisis and fears that people could start dying from dehydration. Without it, Gaza’s water system has crumbled. Gaza’s fuel supplies could be exhausted in as little as 48 to 72 hours, Ghunaim, from the PWA, said on Monday. Even before the conflict, many experts were saying the water situation would be “catastrophic in the future,” Hall said.

Persons: Mohammad Al Shanti, ”, Natasha Hall, Mazen Ghunaim, Mohammed Abed, Ghunaim, Richard Peeperkorn, “, Kellogg Schwab, ” Schwab, Al Shanti, Omar Shaban, COGAT, Mark Regev, Benjamin Netanyahu, Herzi Halevi, Philippe Lazzarini, ” Hall, ‘, Khan Younis, Mahmud Hams, Hall, Haitham Hassan, – Organizations: CNN, Aqsa, UNICEF, Palestinian Water Authority, UN, Health, Middle, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Oxfam, PWA, West Bank, CSIS, Johns Hopkins University ., Strategic Studies, Getty, WHO, Israel Defence Forces, UNRWA, “ Locations: Al, Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, AFP, “, Territories, Egypt’s, Khan

☆ Six bull sharks inadvertently made their home on an Australian golf course. Then they vanished
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Because Carbrook in Queensland boasted a membership unlike any other golf club on the planet: six resident bull sharks. A new corridor was opened and – sometime during those three temporary windows – six bull sharks glided into uncharted waters. Carbrook Golf Club Shark in the LakeMedia interest boomed, and the club embraced its toothy tenants with vigor. Their extended residence, he argued, sheds new light on just how adaptable bull sharks are. A stay of at least 17 years in low-salinity waters — more than half a bull shark’s lifespan — was unprecedented.

Persons: –, Carbrook’s, ”, Scott Wagstaff, Wagstaff, “ It’s, ” Wagstaff, Peter Gausmann, Lucia, Gausmann, It’s, “, ” Carbrook Organizations: CNN, Courier, Lake Media, Junior Shark Academy, Ruhr University Bochum, Fishery Sciences Locations: Australia, Queensland, Logan, Brisbane, Gold, Carbrook, Lake, Germany, mullets, Africa’s Lake St

☆ Early Europeans thrived on seaweed, study of dental plaque reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Virtually absent from most present-day Western diets, seaweed and aquatic plants were once a staple food for ancient Europeans, an analysis of molecules preserved in fossilized dental plaque has found. Previously when researchers uncovered evidence of seaweed, they explained its presence as a fuel, food wrapping or fertilizer. In Europe, by the 18th century, seaweed was regarded as a famine food or only suitable for animal feed. And of those, 26 samples revealed that seaweed or aquatic plants had been on the menu. The scientists said they hoped that their research would highlight the potential for including more seaweeds and freshwater plants in present-day diets.

Persons: ”, Karen Hardy, ’ Hardy, ” Hardy, Stephen Buckley, ” Buckley, Buckley Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Glasgow, University of York, Corona Locations: Europe, United Kingdom, Scotland, Spain, Lithuania, Orkney, ”, Asia

☆ New Orleans saltwater: The toxic reason saltwater intrusion would be a catastrophe for New Orleans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But it’s a looming catastrophe for New Orleans, where officials estimate that tens of thousands of the city’s water pipes are made of lead. Many residents aren’t even aware they have lead pipes supplying their drinking water, said Jessica Dandridge, executive director of the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. Dandridge’s organization works both on water quality issues around the city’s lead pipes and stormwater management and flood control, and they are one of BlueConduit’s local partners working to map the pipes. As a result, lead drinking pipes are all over the country; some national estimates say the total number of pipes is around 9.2 million. It’s “almost a sleuthing or detective (work), trying to find out where the pipes are and where they go,” New Orleans City Councilmember JP Morrell told CNN.

Persons: it’s, Chris Granger, don’t, ” Eric Schwartz, Jessica Dandridge, “, Danielle Land, ”, Land, Dandridge, ” Dandridge, Biden, It’s, JP Morrell, Adrienne Katner, Justin Sullivan, ” Schwartz, BlueConduit’s, ” Grace Birch, “ It’s, Jeffrey Thomas, ” Thomas, “ There’s, we’re Organizations: CNN, Army Corps, Engineers, US Centers for Disease Control, US Army Corps of Engineers, The Times, New, University of Michigan’s, Michigan State University, Hurricane, city’s, Water Board, ” New, ” New Orleans City, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New, Army Corp, Biden Locations: Mississippi, New Orleans, Gulf, Mexico, “ New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish, Plaquemines, ”, ” New Orleans, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Louisiana

CNN —A search and rescue operation has been launched for more than 100 missing people in India’s northeast after flash floods ripped through the Himalayan state of Sikkim Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and washing away roads and bridges, according to the state government. Known as the rooftop of the world, the ecologically-sensitive Himalayan region is prone to flash floods and landslides and flooding is not unusual in Sikkim. High water levels in the Teesta river in Sikkim, India, on October 4. Rising water levels of the Teesta river in Sikkim, India, after flash flooding indundated the region. About 2,000 people were evacuated after the flash floods in Sikkim.

Persons: Prem Singh Tamang, Narendra Modi, ” Organizations: CNN, Indian Army, of, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, ” ISRO, state’s Disaster Management Authority, Sikkim’s Department of Science, Technology, . Indian Army, India Meteorological Department, Indian, Indian Institute of Technology Locations: India’s, Sikkim, Lhonak, Sikkim’s, India, of Sikkim, Lhonak Lake, Pakyong, Gangtok, Pakistan, Peru, China, Government, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Uttarakhand

☆ Panama Canal slashes the number of ships allowed through — drought means there isn't enough water in the channel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Panama Canal Authority has further restricted the number of boats that can cross per day. Traffic restrictions in August caused a backlog of hundreds of ships waiting to cross. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Panama Canal Authority further reduced the number of boats that can transit through the strategic waterway, which has been hit by an intense drought. Unlike the Suez Canal, which relies on seawater, the Panama Canal uses freshwater from an artificial lake to supply its waterway. AdvertisementAdvertisementBecause of this, the canal authority has had to ration the transit through the Panama Canal locks, per the AP.

Persons: —, Avance Gas, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, Vásquez, France24 Organizations: Panama Canal Authority, Service, Avance, French Locations: Panama, Suez, France

☆ Mass death of Amazon river dolphins linked to severe drought, heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Bruno Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANAUS, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The carcasses of 120 river dolphins have been found floating on a tributary of the Amazon River since last week in circumstances that experts suspect were caused by severe drought and heat. Low river levels during a severe drought have heated water in stretches to temperatures that are intolerable for the dolphins, researchers believe. The Amazon river dolphins, many of a striking pink color, are unique freshwater species found only in the rivers of South America and are one of a handful of freshwater dolphin species left in the world. The scientists do not know with total certainty that drought and heat are to blame for the spike in dolphin mortality. Global warming's role in the current Amazon drought is unclear, with other factors such as El Nino at play.

Persons: Bruno Kelly, El Nino, Miriam Marmontel, Marmontel, Brazil's Chico Mendes, Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Mamiraua Institute, Sustainable Development, REUTERS, Rights, Environmental, El, International Union for Conservation, Brazil's Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, Thomson Locations: Tefe, Amazonas, Brazil, Rights MANAUS, South America, Tefé's, Lake Tefé, Tefé

☆ US Army engineers are dredging the dwindling Mississippi River 24/7 and battling seawater creeping upstream toward New Orleans' drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Maiya Focht | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This threatens both the country's international supply chain and national drinking water access. AdvertisementAdvertisementA long stretch of drought in the Midwest has caused the Mississippi River to drop to abnormally low levels. Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty ImagesProblem two: Louisiana's drinking water is at stakeAn estimated 18 million people get their drinking water from the Mississippi. For example, it's contaminated the drinking water of roughly 23,515 residents in Plaquemines Parish where residents are advised to only drink bottled water. These aren't permanent solutions, but they buy local communities precious time to prepare to find alternate drinking water sources, Roe added.

Persons: Mother Nature, —, Colin Wellenkamp, Lou Dell'Orco, Louis District, Dell'Orco, they're, John Bel Edwards, Joe Biden, Kevin Dietsch, Biden, Edwards, Matthew Roe, it's, Sills, Roe, she's Organizations: Service, America, Getty, Towns Initiative, Associated Press, Shipping, AP, St . Louis District US Army Corps of Engineers, USACE, US Army Corps of Engineers, Louis, Louisiana's, Louisiana Gov, New Locations: Mississippi, Midwest, Louisiana, Cities, St.Louis, St, Louis, Gulf of Mexico, Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans

☆ When Will the Saltwater Wedge Reach New Orleans?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

When Will the Saltwater Wedge Reach New Orleans? Lake Pontchartrain By Oct. 28, saltwater is expected to reach a major intake valve at Carrollton that serves most of the city. Gulf of Mexico Lake Pontchartrain By Oct. 28, saltwater is expected to reach a major intake valve at Carrollton that serves most of the city. Gulf of Mexico Lake Pontchartrain By Oct. 28, saltwater is expected to reach a major intake valve at Carrollton that serves most of the city. Gulf of Mexico Lake Pontchartrain By Oct. 28, saltwater is expected to reach a major intake valve at Carrollton that serves most of the city.

Persons: Biden, Bernard, It’s, ”, Jeffrey Graschel, hydrologist, doesn’t, CONN, Matthew Roe, “ It’s, ” Mr, Graschel Organizations: New, Jefferson, Salvador Pointe à, Army Corps of Engineers, Copernicus, Midwest, U.S . Drought Monitor, National Weather Service, NEV, ALA, MISS, Oregon State University In, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, National Weather, Army Corps Locations: Orleans, Mississippi, New Orleans, Louisiana, Pontchartrain, Carrollton, Algiers, Salvador, la, Mexico Lake Pontchartrain, Salvador Pointe à la, Mexico, Gulf, Ohio, Slidell, La, Minnesota, MAINE, MINN, VT, N.H . IDAHO, S.D, N.Y, WIS, R.I, PA, IOWA, NEB . OHIO, UTAH, COLO . CALIF . VA, KAN . MO, KY, N.C, TENN, OKLA, ., MISS . TEXAS LA, FLA, NEV . UTAH, CONN, WYO, NEV . OHIO, Myrtle Grove, ”

☆ New Orleans residents brace for salt water intrusion as Biden declares national emergency
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

An aerial view of New Orleans can be seen from a drone above the Mississippi River on April 1, 2023 in New Orleans, La. Ricky Carioti | The Washington Post | Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden on Wednesday declared a federal emergency for a saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River, which is threatening New Orleans' water infrastructure. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects that two New Orleans water treatment plants will be affected by the end of October: the Algiers Water Treatment Plant on Oct. 22 and the Carrollton Water Treatment Plant on Oct. 28. Solutions under considerationAt a New Orleans City Council meeting on Wednesday, councilmembers, officials from the SWBNO and from the Department of Homeland Security discussed possible response strategies. Some New Orleanians are wondering why the city is always playing defense, despite the warning signs of saltwater intrusion in years past.

Persons: Ricky Carioti, Joe Biden, John Bel Edwards, Biden, Jesse Keenan, Mia Miller, Miller, Joseph Giarrusso, SWBNO, Councilmember Lesli Harris, Councilmember, there's, We're, Bywater, Stephen Murphy, bode, Murphy Organizations: Washington Post, Getty, Wednesday, Louisiana Gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Biden's, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, Board, New, New Orleans City Council, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers New, Water Board, Tulane University, New Orleans City, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, Tulane University's Disaster Management Locations: New Orleans, Mississippi, La, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans, Algiers, Carrollton, Bywater, councilmembers

☆ A group of bull sharks lived in a golf course pond for 17 years. Scientists say they could be in other ponds in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A group of bull sharks lived in a freshwater golf course pond for over 17 years. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor almost two decades, a golf course in Australia boasted a unique selling point — a shark-infested pond near its fourteenth hole. Sharks in a golf course pond is odder still. They are somewhat of a scientific marvel because they've lived in freshwater longer than any other bull shark that scientists have observed. AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to a recent study, these bull sharks in the golf course pond lived there for an estimated 17 years — more than half of bull sharks' projected 30-year life span.

Persons: —, they've, Melissa Cristina Márquez, wasn't, Amy Smoothey, Slate, Vincent Raoult, it's, Peter Gausmann Organizations: Service, Sharks, Forbes, Deakin University, New York Times Locations: Australia, Panama, South Africa

☆ I reluctantly went on my first cruise vacation. It was surprisingly fun, but the crowding was intense.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Haley Tenore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But I was recently persuaded to book a cruise vacation — and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Haley TenoreThe ship had several dining options, including a buffet, a dining room, room service, and a Ben and Jerry's kiosk that also served Starbucks coffee. I wouldn't write off going on another cruise, but I think I prefer planning my own trips. If I'm going to a new city, state, or country, I like to be able to plan where I'm gonna go, how long I'm going to spend there, how much money I will spend, and when I'm going to need downtime. AdvertisementAdvertisementDo you cruise, or work on a cruise ship, and have a story to share?

Persons: I've, Christopher Biggs, CocoCay, Haley Tenore, Ben, —, I'm Organizations: Caribbean's, Service, Royal Caribbean's, Royal Caribbean, Admiral Cruises, Royal, New Locations: Bahamas, Baltimore, Nassau, CocoCay, Royal Caribbean, mealtimes

☆ ‘Monster Fracks’ Are Getting Far Bigger. And Far Thirstier.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | Blacki Migliozzi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +23 min

Dallas TEXAS Austin Houston San Antonio Dallas TEXAS Austin Houston San Antonio TEXAS TEXAS Amarillo Lubbock Dallas El Paso TEXAS Austin Houston San Antonio Corpus Christi UNCHARTED WATERS ‘Monster Fracks’ Are Getting Far Bigger. Water wells that supply fracking Nationwide, fracking has used up nearly 1.5 trillion gallons of water since 2011. Now they account for almost two out of every three fracking wells in Texas, the Times analysis found. ‘Monster fracks’ take off in Texas Proportion of fracks Source: FracFocus chemical disclosure database as of Aug. 1, 2023. In 2020, New Mexico halted sales of water supplies to oil and gas companies fracking on state land.

☆ Polls Show Australia Indigenous Referendum Support Slipping, Likely to Fail
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Renju JoseSYDNEY (Reuters) - Support for a referendum to constitutionally recognise Australia's Indigenous people slipped further, with the landmark proposal set to fail in a national vote roughly three weeks away, two opinion polls showed on Monday. Altering the constitution requires a national referendum in Australia and only eight have passed since 1901 when the country was formed. Australia, which will hold the referendum vote on Oct. 14, has no treaty with its Indigenous people, who make up about 3.2% of its 26 million population. The referendum debate has divided opinions with supporters arguing the Voice will bring progress for the Aboriginal community, while opponents say it would be divisive. It also showed the approval ratings for Albanese, who has staked significant political capital on the referendum, fell 5 points to 46%.

Persons: Renju Jose SYDNEY, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Renju Jose, Lincoln Organizations: Australian Financial, Labor, The Australian, Voters Locations: Torres, Australia, Sydney

☆ Polls show Australia Indigenous referendum support slipping, likely to fail
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Support for a referendum to constitutionally recognise Australia's Indigenous people slipped further, with the landmark proposal set to fail in a national vote roughly three weeks away, two opinion polls showed on Monday. Altering the constitution requires a national referendum in Australia and only eight have passed since 1901 when the country was formed. Australia, which will hold the referendum vote on Oct. 14, has no treaty with its Indigenous people, who make up about 3.2% of its 26 million population. The referendum debate has divided opinions with supporters arguing the Voice will bring progress for the Aboriginal community, while opponents say it would be divisive. It also showed the approval ratings for Albanese, who has staked significant political capital on the referendum, fell 5 points to 46%.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Renju Jose, Lincoln Organizations: Australian Financial, Labor, The Australian, Voters, Thomson Locations: Torres, Australia, Sydney

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Great Lakes’ frigid fresh water used to keep shipwrecks so well preserved that divers could see dishes in the cupboards. Quagga mussels, native to Russia and Ukraine, were discovered in the Great Lakes in 1989, around the same time as their infamous cousin species, zebra mussels. Scientists believe the creatures arrived via ballast dumps from transoceanic freighters making their way to Great Lakes ports. They consume so many nutrients at such high rates they can render portions of the murky Great Lakes as clear as tropical seas. After 30 years of colonization, quaggas have displaced zebra mussels as the dominant mussel in the Great Lakes.

Persons: Tamara Thomsen, Wayne Lusardi, ”, they're, quaggas, Harvey Bootsma, Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot, Daniel J, Carl D, Bradley, Frank H, Moody, Brendon Baillod, Bob Jaeck, Baillod, Milwaukee's Bootsma, “, ” Baillod Organizations: Tuskegee, “, University of California, Riverside’s, Species Research, Biologists, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee's, Freshwater Sciences, Tuskegee Airmen, Tuskegee Army Air Field, UW Locations: MADISON, Wis, Canadian, Ontario, ” Wisconsin, Superior, Lake Huron, Swiss, Russia, Ukraine, Great, Great Lakes, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Cedarville, Straits, Mackinac, Alabama, Madison, Trinidad, Algoma , Wisconsin, Michigan, Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago, Toledo , Ohio

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The tiny Pacific island nation of Niue has come up with a novel plan to protect its vast and pristine territorial waters — it will get sponsors to pay. “Niue is just one island in the middle of the big blue ocean,” Tagelagi said. It's one of the smallest countries in the world, dwarfed by an ocean territory 1,200 times larger than its land mass. Under the plan, the sponsorship money — called Ocean Conservation Commitments — will be administered by a charitable trust. Simon Thrush, a professor of marine science at New Zealand's University of Auckland who was not involved in the plan, said it sounded positive.

Persons: Dalton Tagelagi, Tagelagi, ” Tagelagi, Niueans, we've, —, Lyna Lam, Chris Larsen, Maël, ” Imirizaldu, Simon Thrush, ” Thrush, I'd Organizations: Niue's, Associated Press, Agriculture Organization, Conservation International, Blue Nature Alliance, New Zealand's University of Auckland Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Niue, New York, U.S

☆ In San Francisco Bay, ecologists work to protect sevengill sharks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Nathan Frandino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BERKELEY, California, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Meghan Holst studies the broadnose sevengill shark, so she was naturally concerned when record-setting rain this year altered the shark's nursery grounds in San Francisco Bay. Next, perhaps, will come California Fish and Game Commission protections for the sharks in San Francisco Bay, which she considers a nursing and pupping ground for a species believed to be in decline. San Francisco Bay is one of the world's only known year-round nurseries for the species, Holst said, making the habitat critical to monitor. [1/4]FILE PHOTO-Researchers cast lines to catch broadnose sevengill sharks from their vessel in the San Francisco Bay, California, U.S., June 15, 2023. So if something happens to San Francisco Bay, then we might lose an entire cohort of these sevengill juveniles," Holst said.

Persons: Meghan Holst, Holst, Davis, Nathan Frandino, I'm, Will Dunham Organizations: University of California, REUTERS, International Union for Conservation, Nature, Thomson Locations: BERKELEY, California, San Francisco Bay, Francisco Bay, San Francisco Bay , California, U.S, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina

Earth is exceeding its “safe operating space for humanity” in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said. Earth’s climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and “novel” chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in Wednesday’s journal Science Advances. “We are in very bad shape,” said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. Water went from barely safe to the out-of-bounds category because of worsening river run-off and better measurements and understanding of the problem, Rockstrom said. Political Cartoons View All 1157 ImagesIf Earth can manage these nine factors, Earth could be relatively safe.

Persons: ”, Johan Rockstrom, “, Rockstrom, it’s, –, ” Rockstrom, Jonathan Overpeck, ” Overpeck, Neil Donahue, Duke’s Stuart Pimm, Granger Morgan, ” “ I’ve, ” Morgan, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Potsdam Institute, Climate, Research, Biodiversity, ” University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon, Twitter, AP Locations: Germany, Paris

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