Daily Archives: February 18, 2016

Water

Two-Thirds of the World Faces Severe Water Shortages

New York Times
NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR

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About four billion people, or two-thirds of the world’s population, face severe water shortages during at least one month every year, far more than was previously thought, according to Arjen Y. Hoekstra, a professor of water management at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

In a paper published Friday in the journal Science Advances, Dr. Hoekstra and his colleague Mesfin M. Mekonnen designed a computer model to create what they say is a more accurate picture of water scarcity around the world. Severe water scarcity can lead to crop failure and low crop yields, which could cause food price increases as well as famine and widespread starvation. Continue reading Two-Thirds of the World Faces Severe Water Shortages →

Environment, Water

4 Billion People at Risk as ‘Water Table Dropping All Over the World’

Common Dreams

Global scarcity of key life source far worse than thought, new study finds
Andrea Germanos, staff writer

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A new analysis reveals that global water scarcity is a far greater problem than previously thought, affecting 4 billion people—two-thirds of the world’s population—and will be “one of the most difficult and important challenges of this century.”

Previous analyses looked at water scarcity at an annual scale, and had found that water scarcity affected between 1.7 and 3.1 billion people. The new study, published Friday in the journal Science Advances, assessed water scarcity on a monthly basis, more fully capturing the specific times of year when it could be an issue. Continue reading 4 Billion People at Risk as ‘Water Table Dropping All Over the World’ →

trafficking

Slave-Labor Loophole Closed by U.S. Senate After 8 Decades

Bloomberg News
Gap in law let slave-made products enter U.S. if needed
New focus on slavery in supply chains of global companies
The White House said President Barack Obama intended to sign the bipartisan legislation into law
Erik Larson

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For 85 years, the U.S. government has turned a blind eye to companies that import goods derived from slavery — so long as domestic production couldn’t meet demand for those goods. That’s about to change.
The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to close a loophole in the Tariff Act of 1930, which bars goods made by convict, forced or indentured labor, amid a new focus on slavery in the supply chains of global companies. Almost 21 million people are enslaved for profit worldwide, the United Nations says, annually providing $150 billion in illicit revenue. Continue reading Slave-Labor Loophole Closed by U.S. Senate After 8 Decades →