water pollution

The Water Situation in Colombia: Both Good and Bad?

HydrateLife WASH, Water Pollution, Water Treatment 3 Comments
The Water Situation in Colombia: Both Good and Bad?

Colombia is a beautiful country.  I went there a few weeks ago for vacation and was amazed at the natural beauty throughout the country.  I experienced everything from lush mountains to beautiful beaches and tropical (but very humid) forests along the way, and was never disappointed.  However, Colombia has, and does, have its share of problems.  The most known is its issues with drugs, but I’m not really interested in that.  I’d like to talk about their issues with water.continue reading

Gaza’s Water Woes

HydrateLife Facts/Statistics, Health, WASH, Water Pollution 1 Comment
Gaza’s Water Woes

Let me start off by saying that I am aware that the situation in Gaza is a very touchy subject to a lot of people and with that in mind I will do my best to keep my personal views out of what I’m about to write.    However, I would ask that whatever your views may be please try to read this with an open mind and think about the innocent people and children that are living in this situation.continue reading

Polluted Rivers: Argentina’s Matanza-Riachuelo River

HydrateLife Environment, Water Pollution 7 Comments

Today let’s travel to Argentina and take a look at the heavily polluted Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin.  This river (it’s actually more of an estuary), which meanders for 40 miles through Buenos Aires, has been heavily polluted for years by industrial waste, sewage, and everyday garbage.   For the seven million people that live near or along the river that means dirty water, dirty air, and a number of health problems. The pollution in this river is not new for Argentina.  Forcontinue reading

The Niger Delta: Soaked in Oil

HydrateLife Environment, Water Pollution 8 Comments

Like many places around the world the Niger Delta is cursed.  It’s cursed by the vast resources that lay underground in the form of oil.  Since the 1950’s the Nigerian government along with multinational corporations have been extracting oil from this region and devastating the ecosystem and its people.  Today, Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, extracting 2 million barrels of oil a day, leading to oil making up 80% of their national revenue. So who’s pumping all of thiscontinue reading

Protecting our Waterways Naturally: Riparian Buffers

HydrateLife Environment, Health, Water Pollution, Water Treatment No Comments

You’re standing on a farm looking out over a huge group of cows to your left.  The smell is pretty bad, and you’re disgusted by the cows walking around in their waste without a care in the world.  You glance over to your right and notice a beautiful stream that runs along the farm and then continues on.  All of the sudden the clouds open up and a downpour hits. As the rain comes down the ground is getting saturatedcontinue reading

Ethiopia’s Lake Koka: The Green Lake

HydrateLife Environment, Health, Water Pollution 2 Comments

Lake Koka in Ethiopia started out as…well, as nothing.  It is a man-made lake that was formed by the damming of the Awash River back in the 1960s.  For many years after the lake was formed it was a place where tourist came to marvel at the beauty and wildlife.  For the thousands of people who live in the area it is used for everything from washing and drinking to irrigation and fishing.  Basically it is the reason that theycontinue reading

Water Heroes: Lynn Henning – Battling Livestock Pollution

HydrateLife Environment, Health, Water Heroes, Water Pollution No Comments

Welcome to this week’s edition of Water Heroes.  This week we’re talking about Lynn Henning who has gained notoriety due to her persistence in fighting for clean water in Michigan.  Since 2000 she has been working to stop water pollution coming from large livestock farms around her home, throughout Michigan, and now in other states in the country.  Her advocacy and hard work has earned her the prestigious Goldman Prize in 2010 and the 2012 Planet Defender Award, and shecontinue reading

Water Heroes: Ma Jun – 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize Winner

HydrateLife Environment, Health, Water Heroes, Water Pollution No Comments

Welcome back for another edition of Water Heroes.  This week I’ll be talking about Ma Jun who has just received the Goldman Environmental Prize for “bringing unprecedented environmental transparency and empowering Chinese citizens to demand justice”.  Ma is no stranger to the environment.  He has been an environmentalist in China for years, and is also a writer, environmental consultant, journalist, and is director of the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs, or the IPE.  Let’s take a look at somecontinue reading

Who Do You Buy Your Clothing From?

HydrateLife Environment, Health, Studies, Water Pollution No Comments

Are the companies that make your clothes environmentally friendly?  For a lot of us the answer is no.  Yesterday I stumbled onto a new report released by the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs on water pollution from the textile/apparel industry in China.  This report, titled Cleaning up the Fashion Industry, quoted a 2010 report as saying the textile industry in China ranked 4th in wastewater COD emissions and 3rd for overall wastewater discharge out of its 39 industries.  Althoughcontinue reading

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