Wednesday, 05 Mar 2003

Watery Grave

The environment, public health, and global political stability all stand to suffer from shrinking freshwater supplies around the world, according to a report released yesterday by the United Nations. In the most complete appraisal of global water resources to date, the U.N. found that the average per-person water supply will decline by one-third in 20 years, and as many as 7 billion people could face water shortages by mid-century. Developing nations and impoverished people will be hit hardest by the shortages, which are fueled by global warming, population growth, and poor management of water resources. The report was released one week in advance of the Third World Water Forum, where delegates from around the globe will converge in Kyoto, Japan, to try to develop strategies to protect water resources and forestall the kinds of crises (ranging from illness to war) that could stem from dwindling freshwater supplies.

Just Say No to Water?

Even those parts of the world lucky enough to have reliable access to drinking water might have cause to pause. Take New Jersey: According to two reports released yesterday, the state's drinking-water supply contains hundreds of chemicals, from prescription medication and deodorant residues to flame retardants and fuel additives. The contaminants were present in tiny concentrations, but researchers said they could not rule out possible human-health risks. Many of the chemicals in the water have been studied only in high doses, so the effects of ingesting them in low amounts over long periods of time are unknown. Moreover, no one knows what impact the chemicals might have when taken together in the cocktails found in the state's water. The reports attributed the contaminants not to industrial practices or illegal dumping, but rather to drugs and other chemicals that are flushed out of the human body and eventually wind up in the state's drinking-water sources.

We're Not Gonna Rock Down to Electric Avenue

The electric car could soon go the way of the dodo, as California moves toward eliminating a rule first approved in 1990 to force automakers to sell a fixed number of electric cars in the state. The proposed changes to the zero-emissions-vehicle rule would allow car manufacturers to earn credits for low-emissions hybrid vehicles, instead of only for electric cars. The changes amount to an acknowledgement that hybrids are more economical and more appealing to customers than electric vehicles. When it comes to cars, as California goes, so goes the nation, so the policy change could sound the death knell for the electric-car market. Meanwhile, Shell announced plans to unveil the nation's first hydrogen fuel-pump at a gas station, in Washington, D.C. The pump will provide fuel for six experimental General Motors fuel-cell minivans that will be loaned out for test-driving, especially to denizens of Capitol Hill. Critics say the cars are a way for automakers to make a good impression on politicians without making any real changes to U.S. vehicle production.

Shipping to Gomorrah

Washington state went to court yesterday to try to prevent the federal government from continuing to ship radioactive waste to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation until the U.S. Department of Energy makes good on a commitment to clean up the site. The state claims that the DOE reneged on an agreement to clean up 78,000 barrels of radioactive waste at the southeastern Washington site. In exchange for the cleanup, the state had agreed to accept another 170 barrels of waste for temporary storage. Now, Washington Gov. Gary Locke (D) wants an injunction against further shipments until the feds agree to a legally enforceable timetable for the cleanup. Environmentalists and nuclear watchdog organizations praised the state for its strong stance, but the feds said yesterday they would not be forced into putting a cleanup commitment in writing.

Slope a Dope

Four decades of resource extraction in Alaska's North Slope has been a mixed bag for the region's environment and people, according to a study released yesterday by an 18-member panel of the National Research Council, the research arm of the U.S. National Academies. The study, which is the first-ever assessment of the cumulative impact of oil exploration and production in the slope, found that oil spills have not been a major problem but noted the negative impact on the region of more than 1,000 miles of roads and pipelines, as well as other infrastructure elements. It also raised concerns about who will take responsibility for cleaning up the area when the oil and gas companies leave, and it questioned whether the industry has contributed to increasing alcohol abuse, diabetes, obesity, and other problems among area residents. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who commissioned the study in 1999, criticized its findings, saying it underestimated the benefits the oil industry has brought to the region.