Research

Aqua Utilities Florida: The High Cost of Poor Service

Published on February 23, 2012 - Fact Sheets: Aqua Utilities Florida,a a subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based Aqua America, is the largest private water utility in Florida, serving drinking water to about 60,000 people statewide. Many customers are deeply dissatisfied with the company and report chronic water quality and customer service problems, yet these customers pay some of the highest water rates in the state. State legislators need to take action to stop this consumer rip-off. No Floridian should have to pay excessive prices for poor service from Aqua Utilities or any other water company.

Nevada's Groundwater Pipeline: Shortsighted and Unsustainable

Published on February 15, 2012 - Fact Sheets: There is something suspicious afoot in Nevada: a proposed multibillion-dollar water pipeline that Pat Mulroy, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), has promoted for more than two decades. The proposed project would convey groundwater in Nevada via a 300-mile pipeline from the northeastern Lincoln and White Pine counties to Southern Nevada and the Las Vegas Valley.

The Road to Rio+20: Why You Should Care and What You Can Do

Published on January 09, 2012 - Fact Sheets: From June 20–22, 2012 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, heads of state, UN agencies, and global stakeholders will convene for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) — commonly known as “Rio+20.” The world is at a crossroads: the convergence of global economic meltdown and unchecked global warming is driving action in the streets, from the Arab Spring to the Occupy Movement. We must seize this momentum and use Rio+20 to force a paradigm shift.

GMO w Europie uprawy i marketing (Polish)

Published on November 30, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Łączny areał upraw genetycznie modyfikowanych w Unii Europejskiej zmniejszył się w 2009 roku o połowę w porównaniu do 2006 roku, a tendencja spadkowa utrzymuje się nadal. W 2009 roku rośliny genetycznie modyfikowane uprawiane były na 0.05 procenta pól uprawnych Europy.

New York City is NOT Protected!

Published on November 25, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," have enabled the oil and gas industry to extract natural gas from rock formations deep below ground, called shales. Fracking entails injecting a large amount of water, sand and toxic chemicals at a pressure high enough to fracture the shale and release the natural gas. The oil and gas industry now wants access to natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations underlying large regions of the State of New York.

Livestock Traceability: What You Need to Know

Published on November 14, 2011 - Fact Sheets: In 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its latest attempt to create a national animal traceability program, despite close to a decade of widespread opposition from ranchers and $100 million allocated on a previous, failed attempt.

The Private Water Industry's Stake in Shale Gas Development

Published on November 03, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Gas drillers use a water-intensive process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract natural gas from shale. The process injects millions of gallons of water, mixed with sand and chemicals, under high pressure to crack the rock formation to release natural gas. Much of that water returns to the surface, along with water from underground, contaminated fracking fluids and other, possibly radioactive, substances. Private water players can make money on both ends by selling water to drillers and then treating the wastewater.

Six Myths and Facts About Perdue’s Savefarmfamilies.org

Published on October 31, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Savefarmfamilies.org, a website launched on September 15, 2011, was purportedly created to help Alan and Kristin Hudson, who own a poultry operation located near Maryland’s Eastern Shore, pay their mounting legal bills from a lawsuit filed by the environmental non-profit Waterkeeper Alliance and its local member program, Assateague Coastkeeper. It claims to be a grassroots effort to help save the “family farm,” including the Hudsons’, from radical environmental groups. Unfortunately, it attempts to do so by perpetuating many myths about industrial chicken operations in Maryland and the lawsuit itself. In fact, SaveFarmFamilies.org is an “astroturfing” effort — an industry-generated website used to spread misinformation while purporting to be by farmers, for farmers. This fact sheet is intended to debunk some of the many inaccuracies and misstatements promoted by the website.

The Gold Rush for Frac Sand in the Midwest

Published on October 30, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a drilling process used by the oil and gas industry to extract natural gas that is locked away in tight rock formations and buried deep within the earth. The process injects large quantities of water mixed with sand and toxic chemicals under high pressure to break apart the rock and release the gas. Over the past decade, advances in fracking technologies have enabled the development of previously uneconomical sources of natural gas, so fracking has expanded rapidly. However, this expansion has faced increasing public resistance due to the resulting environmental pollution and public health problems. Frac sand is a type of industrial sand — which is often referred to as “silica sand” because of its high levels of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Frac sand is mined like other types of sand and gravel, which typically entails an open pit using standard mining equipment.

Keep Southeast Michigan’s Water in Public Hands

Published on October 20, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Residents across southeast Michigan must protect their water supply and fend off the looming threat of privatization. State lawmakers and officials have the ability to take away local decision-making powers and make it easier for private interests to control one of the largest water utilities in the country. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, water supplier for two in five people and sewage treatment provider for one in three people in the state, undoubtedly faces an uphill battle against dwindling sales and escalating needs, but privatization is not a viable option. It fails to address the system’s underlying problems and likely would only worsen Detroit’s water woes.

The Distribution System Improvement Charge: A Rip-Off For Consumers

Published on October 17, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Investor owned water utility companies are pushing unreasonable rate schemes on consumers across the country. These schemes involve special surcharges that automatically increase water bills without a full public review, so that private utility companies can more quickly make a return on certain water distribution projects and ensure their long-term profitability. The companies are essentially trying to boost their earnings and shed regulatory oversight that protects consumers.

Who’s Benefitting from Factory Fish Farming?

Published on September 30, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Offshore aquaculture is factory fish farming of the sea, growing fish in huge, often over-crowded cages out in ocean waters. It can be problematic for both the environment and the economy. The waste – fecal matter, uneaten food, and any chemicals or drugs used in the operation – flows directly into the ocean, and the result could be long-term damage to the seafloor. Despite its negative impacts, the following groups push for, or would profit from, factory fish farming in the United States and Europe.

Ganacias Privadas, Amenazas Públicas: Como La Agenda De La Gobernadora Martinez Protege A Las Grande

Published on September 27, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Desde el momento que llegó Susana Martinez a ser la gobernadora de Nuevo Mexico el primero de enero, 2011, ella ha trabajado desmantelar las protecciones al aire, la agua y tierra que benefician y que aprecian los Nuevo Mexicanos. La Gobernadora Martinez, entró con garbo con el apoyo conómico de las industrias de petróleo y gas, minería, súper-lechería y otras. Desafortunadamente ha demostrado poca moderación en concediendo los deseos de aquellos quienes quisieran revocarlas protecciones estatales cuales protegen al medio ambiente, también la seguridad y la salud pública.

Private Profits, Public Threats: How Governor Martinez’ Big Business Agenda Endangers New Mexicans

Published on September 27, 2011 - Fact Sheets: From the moment Susana Martinez became New Mexico’s governor on January 1, 2011, she has worked to dismantle protections that benefit New Mexicans and the air, water and land they cherish. Unfortunately, Governor Martinez, who swept into office with the help of campaign donations from oil and gas, mining, mega-dairy and other big industries, has demonstrated little restraint granting the wishes of those who want to see the state’s environmental, safety and public health protections rolled back.

Marketing and Cultivation of Genetically Modified (GM) Products in the EU

Published on August 30, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Major GM-producing countries, agribusinesses, biotech companies and the World Trade Organisation relentlessly pressure the European Union to lower regulatory legal and political landscape. Here is an overview of EU regulation of GMO cultivation and sales as of Summer 2011.

Greenwashing Our Fisheries: Catch Share Programs Do Not Save Our Fish

Published on August 11, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Catch shares are a system for managing our nation’s fisheries that are causing consolidation in the fishing industry at the expense of the livelihoods of thousands of smaller-scale, traditional fishermen and their communities. Such programs are being heavily touted as a means to promote sustainable fishing, but a closer look reveals they do not have a positive environmental record. Catch shares can incentivize the use of larger-scale boats, more damaging gear and wasteful fishing practices that hurt fish populations and the habitats on which they depend.

FOODSTAMPED Action: Economic Justice for Farmers and Eaters

Published on August 04, 2011 - Fact Sheets: The earnings of all but the richest people in America have been stagnant for the past four decades, making it harder for both urban and rural families to put healthy food on the table. The recession made the problem of food insecurity worse. By 2009, one in every seven rural residents and one in every nine urban residents received food stamps. How can we turn things around and build a healthier, fairer food system?

Who Is Benefitting from Factory Fish Farming?

Published on July 26, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Offshore aquaculture is factory fish farming of the sea, growing fish in huge, often over-crowded cages out in open ocean waters. It can be problematic for both the environment and the economy. The waste – fecal matter, uneaten food, and any chemicals or drugs used in the operation – flows directly into the ocean, and the result could be long-term damage to the seafloor. Despite its negative impacts, the following groups push for, or would profit from, factory fish farming in the federal waters of the United States.

H.R. 574: Protecting our Oceans, Coastal Communities and Consumers from Ocean Factory Fish Farming

Published on July 20, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Ocean factory fish farming, also known as open ocean aquaculture, involves growing marine fish in cages and net pens in the ocean. These facilities threaten coastal and fishing communities, consumers, and the health of our oceans. A new piece of legislation would put the brakes on efforts by government agencies to expand this unsustainable industry into federal waters, generally located three to 200 miles offshore.

Opanować łupkową gorączkę: Eksploatacja gazu łupkowego zagraża zasobom wodny pitnej

Published on July 18, 2011 - Fact Sheets: Prowadzone obecnie w Stanach Zjednoczonych odwierty gazu łupkowego to nowość dla przemysłu energetycznego. Można powiedzieć, że technologia tych odwiertów jest pionierska, a jej skutki nie do końca przewidywalne. Stanowi ona poważne zagrożenie dla zasobów wody pitnej w wielu miejscach świata.