waterloop: exploring solutions

In many parts of the U.S., political partisanship and climate change pose challenges for environmental progress. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes have shown to be a place for rare bipartisan support for investing in clean water and healthy communities. Also, climate change could offer silver linings for the region, such as a longer growing season for agriculture and as a refuge for people migrating from impacts like drought or sea level rise.

These opportunities are discussed in this episode with Joel Brammeier, President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Joel also talks about progress in cleaning up highly polluted areas, combating invasive species like Asian Carp, and engaging communities in shaping water projects.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet focused on solutions and science. Visit https://www.waterloop.org

The relationship between water and conflict has a long history. Sometimes a fight arises over water resources. Other times water is used as a weapon during war. In other cases water is collateral damage. The history is detailed in the Water and Conflict Chronology and discussed in this episode with Peter Gleick, President Emeritus and a Senior Fellow at the Pacific Institute.

Peter also talks about examples from the chronology such as the first entry from 2400 B.C. in Mesopotamia, the destruction of a water system in New York City during the Revolutionary War, and the involvement of water in the current invasion of Ukraine.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet focused on solutions and science. Visit https://www.waterloop.org

Before Hurricane Katrina, the work to protect and restore Louisiana’s coast was fragmented among various government agencies with limited budgets and little coordination. The devastation of the storm and continued catastrophic loss of land and wetlands spurred the formation of a central agency to coordinate all activities and funds as the state recommitted to saving the coast.

The efforts of that government agency and the 50-year, $50 billion plan it spearheads is discussed in this episode with Chip Kline, Chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority for Louisiana. Chip also talks about following the best science, specific projects to bolster hurricane protection and coastal restoration, and the need for both traditional infrastructure and natural buffers.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet focused on solutions and science. Visit https://www.waterloop.org

The water challenges are serious for Navajo Nation, including one in three families lacking running water, impacts of climate change straining the land, and legacy pollution tainting some sources. But a spirit of resilience and leadership from within are steadily leading Navajo Nation toward a more sustainable water future.

A focus on solutions instead of obstacles is also key, as discussed in this Pass The Mic episode, which is guest hosted by Emma Robbins, Executive Director of the Navajo Water Project at DigDeep.

Emma speaks with Crystal Tulley-Cordova, Principal Hydrologist at the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, about her experience growing up in a home without running water, her journey as a woman in science and government, her belief in collaboration and partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to helping her community.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet, made possible in part by a grant from Spring Point Partners.

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Tremendous attention is paid to decisions, dollars, and officials at the federal and state levels, but local government is arguably the key cog in water management. Local leaders and staff are the ones ultimately spending funds, setting policy, and implementing programs that directly impact water resources and people’s daily lives.

That’s why it is vital to listen to and assist those at the local level, as explained in this episode with Cynthia Koehler, Executive Director of the WaterNow Alliance. She talks about top challenges and current trends for local government in the areas of finance, equity and affordability, and adoption of innovation, as well as how water utilities are becoming anchor institutions in the community.

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