Via the World Bank, a brief look at the Bank’s Central Asia Energy-Water Development Program (CAEWDP): Central Asia is endowed with water and an abundance of rich and varied energy resources — hydropower, oil, gas, and coal. These resources can support increased agricultural production and have the potential to exceed domestic energy demand to supply export markets. […]
Read more »Via the Mitchell Foundation, some interesting commentary at the management of water use for shale oil and gas: The United States is becoming energy independent largely due to a technology that combines horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing. At a recent public meeting I posed a question to the audience, “How much water is used in hydraulic […]
Read more »Via WorldWatch, a look at the watergy nexus in South America: Climate change impacts on water resources are increasingly affecting the vulnerability of global hydropower generation. Higher temperatures and changing weather patterns are altering evaporation, river flow, rainfall patterns, frequency of extreme weather, and glacial melting rates. These effects are compounded by the expected increased […]
Read more »Via Ars Technica, a report on how energy, water, and materials flow through the world’s growing megacities: Over the last century, the explosion of the human population has been accompanied by the growth of cities worldwide. The increased presence of large cities presents unique global challenges regarding environmental sustainability. Megacities, those containing more than 10 million people, are the […]
Read more »Via the Wilson Center’s New Security Beat, a detailed look at the water / energy / food nexus in China: Last month, the China Environment Forum released a new Global Choke Point report,China’s Water-Energy-Food Roadmap. To date, we believe this is the most comprehensive report on China’s interlinked natural resource insecurities – dwindling water resources […]
Read more »Via the Washington Post, a look at the southwest US drought’s watergy impact: The floor rumbled under Mark Cook. His legs vibrated as he stood in a tunnel tucked into the thick base of Hoover Dam, 430 feet below the tourists looking out over Lake Mead. Beneath him, water roared through steel pipes 13 feet […]
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