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I can help you clean your shirt, and always fall but I’m never hurt. Look for me to beat the heat, I can run without any feet. What am I? Well, it’s water. That’s the focus today after a United States federal judge blocked implementation of a Biden administration rule to protect seasonal streams and wetlands, while Spain and Italy deal with drought. And New York City’s unending war on rats has a new commanding general in today’s ESG Spotlight.

A federal judge in North Dakota temporarily blocked implementation of a Biden administration rule establishing protections for seasonal streams and wetlands in 24 states, according to court documents.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hovland granted the states’ request for a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the United States rule, which was finalized in December.

The rule protects waterways that have a “significant nexus” to navigable U.S. waters – a standard that ranchers, developers and other industry groups have said is overly broad and creates burdensome permitting and regulatory hurdles.

West Virginia and 23 other Republican-led states sued the EPA and other federal agencies in February, alleging the rule violates the U.S. Constitution and sows confusion for landowners. An EPA spokesperson said the agency was reviewing the ruling and called the Biden administration rule “the best interpretation” of the Clean Water Act.

The lagoon of Santa Olalla is seen dried out at Donana National Park, southern Spain, August 22, 2022. Estacion Biologica de Donana (EBD-CSIC)/ Handout via REUTERS

The case is part of a protracted battle over the scope of the Clean Water Act and what waterways the federal government has the authority to regulate.

Speaking of regulating waterways, a plan to legalize irrigation around the Donana wildlife reserve in southern Spain, one of Europe’s largest wetlands and a wintering location for migratory birds, has sparked an outcry during a prolonged drought.

Scientists and the national government warn the park is in critical condition with lagoons drying out and biodiversity disappearing and want a reduction in water extracted.

“There is no water at all. It makes no sense to promise something that is not there,” Environment Minister Teresa Ribera said on Tuesday, vowing to take all possible legal measures to protect Donana from the move “that directly attacks one of the country’s most precious ecosystems”.

While some irrigation is already allowed, many farmers use illegal wells that drain underwater reserves. The central government closed 220 illegal wells this week, and plans to close hundreds more in the near future. The European Commission, which has already taken Spain to court for failure to protect the wetlands, warned last month the plan could lead to sanctions.

Meanwhile, Italy’s government said it would appoint a special commissioner to address the effect of a drought crisis, along with a task force made up of leading officials from various ministries.

Dry winter weather has stoked concerns the country could face a second drought after a state of emergency was declared last summer for the highly productive northern agricultural areas surrounding the Po river.

Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said last month the government would invest almost 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) in a package designed to tackle drought.

Romy Stokes, 5, and her mother Lindsey Stokes outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S., April 2, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Mark Smith, strategic water sector director at UK-based environmental consultancy RSK, shares his thoughts on the water crisis and destroyed wetlands:

“People across the globe are now experiencing climate change as a water crisis. Whether it’s floods, droughts or storms, global warming changes water. So, it’s not right to treat water as somehow separate from climate change.”

“There is a water crisis, but the planet is not running out of water. What we have is a clean water access problem, and this problem is growing globally. In most parts of the world there IS sufficient water, but it’s often polluted and unusable.”

“We’ve destroyed ecosystems – as the U.N. Secretary General once said – and in particular we’ve destroyed wetlands. Wetlands are the key to local water cycles, and it’s in wetlands that most of our natural water sources have been eroded. We urgently need to regenerate wetlands. These include mangrove swamps in the Middle East and wetlands in East Africa.”

“Low tech solutions that can be operated within the community can restore wetlands. The international community needs to support low tech solutions in developing countries, such as maintaining or fixing local water purification infrastructure.”

The Biden administration’s proposal to sharply cut tailpipe emissions and vehicle pollutants is on a fast track as the future of U.S. auto production could become a presidential campaign issue next year.

The EPA is moving with urgency to mandate a 56% cut in vehicle emissions by 2032, a requirement it forecasts will result in EVs accounting for two of every three new vehicles sold within a decade.

Javier Ramiro, Co-Chief Scientific Officer of hops farming start-up Ekonoke controls the plantation of hops in Alcobendas, Spain, March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Juan Medina

Spain’s Ekonoke is seeking a solution by cultivating water-intensive vines indoors through renewable-powered hydroponic systems that use nearly 95% less water than traditional outdoor farming. Over in America, New York City’s Mayor crowned a new rat queen to solve the city’s rodent troubles.

In warehouses outside Madrid, twists of hop vines grow under LED lights and close supervision in what their guardians say could be the best way to futureproof the supply of a key ingredient in the world’s most popular alcoholic drink, now threatened by climate change.

Due to their need for “goldilocks” conditions of long summer days and mild temperatures, hops are traditionally grown in temperate climes found in areas like Germany’s Hallertau, the Czech Republic or the northwestern United States.

However, research shows more frequent droughts and plagues due to global warming are driving down both yields and quality – a growing headache for the beer industry. According to growers’ associations, U.S. production was down 12% year-on-year in 2022, while German output saw a 21% decline and Czech yields fell by more than 40% due to abnormally hot and dry growing conditions.

A rat jumps into a puddle in the snow in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 2, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo

New York City’s unending war on rats has a new commanding general. Mayor Eric Adams announced that Kathleen Corradi, an education department employee, had been appointed New York’s first-ever “rat czar,” part of Adams’ effort to combat a growing rodent population in the country’s most populous city.

“You’ll be seeing a lot of me – and a lot less rats,” Corradi, whose official title is “citywide director of rodent mitigation,” said at a news conference. “There’s a new sheriff in town.”

“Some $300 billion of business value is at risk due to water scarcity, pollution and climate change. It is vital the corporate sector invest now to protect this natural asset.” 

Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and executive director of the United Nations Global Compact

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