How can society be persuaded to adopt a diet based on plant products, which is far more beneficial for the global climate? Scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research (PIK) suggest introducing a meat tax, arguing that expensive hamburgers will encourage people to choose plant-based foods more often.

By Julian Cribb; Jan 11, 2026 Published on Substack The rivers that are the lifeblood of the planet and of human civilisation are dying. Worldwide, the evidence is unequivocal, massive, unchallengeable. Humans are hastening to destroy their main source of food, drink, nature and community, as fast as we can go. The scientists who have […] The post Rivers of Death appeared first on Circle of Blue.

The government is imposing requirements linked to the EU’s Drinking Water Directive. Manufacturers must ensure that products in contact with drinking water are made from end materials that have been tested and approved in accordance with new EU legislation. The government is proposing amendments to the Planning and Building Ordinance to ensure that Sweden complies […] The post Sweden adapts rules on materials in contact with drinking water appeared first on Water News Europe.

Independent panel reveals 20 years of systematic operational failures led to Calgary's catastrophic water main ruptures—but conspicuously avoids the labor dynamics that made accountability impossible. When 60% of a city's water supply runs through a pipe classified as "low priority," and zero of three scheduled inspections were completed, the problem isn't technology. It's governance, authority, and the uncomfortable truth about who really runs municipal utilities.

As 85% of the US and 71% of Canadian farmland face drought conditions, water utilities across North America must shift from reactive crisis management to proactive operational protocols. This guide examines drought types, economic impacts exceeding $367 billion in the US alone, and Alberta's landmark water-sharing agreements that demonstrate how coordinated response beats crisis scrambling.

A landmark 2026 study from Conservation Science Partners introduces the Protected River Index—the most comprehensive assessment of U.S. river protection ever conducted. The findings are sobering: only 12% of America's rivers are adequately protected, while 66% have no protection at all. With freshwater species declining 85% since 1970 and 110 million Americans relying on unprotected rivers for drinking water, the research exposes critical gaps in traditional conservation metrics and charts a path toward the 30x30 global protection goals.