Day: 21 November 2006

More compulsory water meters in the pipeline

Water meters could be rolled out across England's dry South East following proposals to give water companies new powers to impose compulsory metering in water-scarce areas.

Trend suggests we’re winning war on waste, Minister claims

Figures showing a 3% fall in the waste produced by households last year, and a 10% fall in the amount being sent to landfill, have been welcomed by the Government as a sign that the tide of rising waste might be on the turn.

Particulate matter soars as Russian fields burn

Unfavourable winds and dry weather has led to a rise in the levels of particulate matter in parts of Scotland and Northern England as agricultural fires in Russia burn out of control.

Still no post-Kyoto plan as climate talks end

The Nairobi climate talks closed with an agreement that greenhouse emissions had to be halved in the coming years, but no concrete timetable for action.

Special Report – Desalination

As drought and climate change put pressure on water resources around the world, desalination is becoming increasingly popular as a solution to water woes in coastal areas. The Middle East has remained the world's desalination hub since Kuwait built the first ever large-scale desalination plant in the 1960s, but the technology is spreading fast. From sweltering Australia to 'rainy' England, governments and water companies are looking to desalination plants to increase supply, while entrepreneurs develop and commercialise new technologies.

Cutting desalination’s energy habit

Droughts cost the United States billions of dollars each year. Desalination could bring relief - but energy-guzzling technologies like reverse osmosis are plagued by financial and environmental drawbacks. Here Joseph Ellsworth, CTO of Xdobs.com, proposes an alternative.

Desalination for London – techno-fix or necessity?

Water shortages in 'rainy' London may sound like a joke to many foreigners, but as the South-East England drought continues the capital's water supplier is finding it increasingly difficult to match shrinking supplies and growing demand. A desalination plant could reverse the trend - but at what cost? Phil Burston of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds considers the balance, and outlines the alternatives.

Fresh Water From the Ocean Waves

Desalination and energy efficiency often make uncomfortable bedfellows but in the waters of Western Australia, researchers are working on a device which produces fresh water and electricity at the same time. Mike Proffitt, CEO of developers Renewable Energy Holdings, and technical director Alan Burns told edie about their innovative device.

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