Sigma Xi's Year of Water BlogA blog about water: science, policy and ethics, for Sigma Xi's Year of Water H20 08National water policy aha moments- July 23, 2008 Politicians often get a hard time, perhaps deservedly on occasion. But how do they fare when it comes to national water policy It&8217;s increasingly clear that water is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Whether it&8217;s drought in the West, floods along the Mississippi or Missouri watersheds, or aging urban infrastructure, there&8217;s no doubt ...http://water.sigmaxi.org/?p=106 New way to identify high risk areas for arsenic contamination- July 14, 2008 Contamination of groundwater by the poisonous element arsenic is a major health risk for millions of people, particularly in Southeast Asia. Up until now, identifying high risk areas has required expensive surveys based on sampling and analyzing groundwater directly from suspect areas. A Swiss team, based at the Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, has developed ...http://water.sigmaxi.org/?p=105 Flood does good Huh- July 11, 2008 Most of the news we hear about floods is bad. Witness the recent disaster that wiped out significant portions of the Midwest&8217;s corn and soybean harvest and impacted thousands of lives. But floods can be a force for good too, especially if technology can help control them. That&8217;s the case in the Grand Canyon where scientists ...http://water.sigmaxi.org/?p=101 Water Advocates- July 7, 2008 Water Advocates is the first US-based nonprofit organization dedicated solely to increasing American support for worldwide access to safe, affordable and sustainable supplies of drinking water and adequate sanitation. Based in Washington, DC, the organization&8217;s purpose is to advocate for projects rather than to implement them directly. Water Advocates works with all sectors of American society ...http://water.sigmaxi.org/?p=94 Science debate features water as one of the top questions- July 3, 2008 A grass-roots movement calling for a presidential debate on science has declared water issues to be one of the top questions to be addressed. Science Debate 2008 was formed in November 2007 &8220;working to restore science and innovation to Americas political dialogue.&8221; The group called for a presidential debate on science akin to those held on ...http://water.sigmaxi.org/?p=93 |