Subscribe to newsOn September 7 2012, an amended version of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), which has been under debate since 2005, was agreed upon by the governments of the U.S. and Canada, setting the stage for increased environmental scrutiny on farming operations in the region for the foreseeable future. (link)
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Environment Southland (ES) commissioned Diffuse Sources and NIWA to develop a robust methodology for calculating nutrient loads for the streams discharging to the Waituna Lagoon. The study used extensive data collected by Environment Southland to examine the behaviour of particulate matter, and different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, and estimated catchment loads using a range of methods. The results of the study will be used to support Environment Southland's ongoing efforts to prevent the lagoon from flipping from its current diverse macrophyte dominnce (with unique seagrass (Rupia) assemblages) to one dominated by algae. The report is available on the ES website (link)
With the release of comprehensive report cards Auckland residents can now gauge how their neighbourhood rates in terms of the quality of their marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments; as well as air quality, and the quality of life in general. (link).
A direct link to Auckland's Report Cards are here: http://stateofauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/
Note
Diffuse Sources provided advice on an earlier version of the marine and freshwater report cards and we are currently working on report cards for Kaipara Harbour.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have produced the first detailed data on how large-scale dairy facilities contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. This research was conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory in Kimberly, Idaho.(link)
Protecting local rivers and burns from diffuse pollution is the aim of environmental experts who will be walking parts of the Tay water catchment during April and May.(link)