Podcast appearances and mentions of Marc Reisner

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://darsword.wordpress.com/2022/10/09/__trashed/

We are running out of WATER! In today's book club discussion, we talked about a book called "Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water" by Marc Reisner. Water issue relates to real estate development, infrastructure, urban planning, architecture and landscaping design, economic development, and politics. All of these topics and stakeholders heavily tie to commercial real estate. So even though this book talks about water issue and dam development in west part of the United States, we think it's very important to talk about it in our book club. We hope you will like today's episode!  Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://cre-media.com/subscribe Social Media LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cre-media Instagram: https://instagram/cre_mediagroup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxhFD4yDokHv6u3UxhjYtGA Please contact us here: https://www.cre-media.com/contact Disclaimer: This commercial real estate podcast is intended for commercial real estate professionals, institutions, and investors only. The views expressed in this show are for informational, entertainment, and educational purposes only, and do not imply suitability. Views and opinions expressed are those of the presenters only and do not reflect the views of their employers, institutions, and associations. The information is not intended as investment advice, is not a recommendation about investing, and the presenters and their companies are not acting as your fiduciary.

Dani has water and Doug is making snow angels to his heart's content. This week we attempt to discuss the book Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner, a sweeping history of water in America, including exploration, conservation, and reclamation. Play a game to lose, get used to it, this is America, and Shatner seems nice. Buy the book: https://www.villagebooks.com/book/9780140178241 Watch the movie: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PR2BSGQt2DU Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, videos, and more! https://www.patreon.com/ALifeOutside We've merch! https://teespring.com/stores/a-life-outside-podcast Find out more about us and access our stories and episodes: https://www.alifeoutsidepod.com/ Follow us: TikTok https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeApskrU/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8azr4noqQqB164qOh3MAoA Twitter http://Twitter.com/alifeoutsidepod Instagram http://Instagram.com/alifeoutsidepod Theme song performed by Jasmine Emery: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/7dCRpW27znCU3nEU6

Marsh's Paul Foye and Marc Reisner and Oliver Wyman's Rory Heilakka look at how COVID-19 and other trends will affect cities and the way people live and work. You can access a transcript of this episode here. For more insights and insurance and risk management solutions, follow Marsh on LinkedIn and Twitter and visit marsh.com.

The lush green color you see in the Sacramento Valley during summer is from a half-million acres of young rice fields. Those fields are not only beautiful to see, their ecosystem is impressive in its abundance and diversity. “Rice ecosystems are fascinating marshes maintained by human beings,” said naturalist, artist and educator John Muir Laws. “Many of the birds have adopted these. You look at them – there’s shallow water and green plants growing out of them. That’s a great place to find food. That’s a great place to nest.” Laws has made several treks to rice country, including with nature journalists, whose artwork chronicling their natural surroundings with enthusiasm, love and creativity. His new book with Emilie Lygren, “How to Teach Nature Journaling: Curiosity, Wonder, Attention,” is another in a long line of informative and inspiring books about our natural world. Nearly 230 wildlife species depend on Sacramento Valley rice fields for their habitat, and early summer is a critical time for many. Shorebirds such as American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts are nesting and raising their next generation, as they have for generations. Additionally, White-faced Ibis, Egrets, Herons and many other birds are frequently seen and well-fed. Seeing wildlife is a daily occurrence for rice grower Hans Herkert in Colusa County.  “It may be my favorite part of rice farming is the synergy between the rice farmers and wildlife,” he remarked. His two and a half-year-old daughter, Harper, occasionally joins him in the field and is an expert spotter of Snowy Egrets among the rice plants. Greg Yarris is Science Coordinator for the Central Valley Joint Venture, a partnership of 19 organizations and agencies to improve bird habitat throughout the Central Valley.   As a biologist, he has a great appreciation for what rice fields provide for wildlife. “When I see rice fields, I think of birds being fed, especially during the winter. But I also see an extensive breeding ground during the spring and summer. The beauty of rice fields is it provides year-round habitat. During the fall and winter, we get millions of ducks and geese that come down from the north, and during the spring and summer we have local Mallards, Cinnamon Teal and Gadwall that will make this home.” Yarris said rice is so valuable to wildlife that, in the Joint Venture’s implementation plan, they have a goal to maintain at least 350,000 acres of shallow-flooded rice fields during the fall and winter.  Since the vast majority of California’s original wetlands are gone, he said the value of rice fields to our environment is significant. “For us to replace the value of rice with comparable natural wetlands would be extremely difficult and not cost effective,” he said. There are several programs working to help rice growers maintain or enhance wildlife habitat, including the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, BirdReturns, Bid4Birds and a complementary program with wheat growers. Here’s a quick look at some of the wonderful wildlife found in rice fields during summertime Here’s a link to much more information on wildlife in Sacramento Valley rice fields.  Episode Transcript John Muir Laws: Rice ecosystems are fascinating marshes maintained by human beings. Many of the birds have adopted these. You look at them. There's shallow water and green plants growing out of them. That's a great place to find food. That's a great place to nest. Jim Morris: Naturalist, artist, and educator John Muir Laws is passionate about rice farming in the Sacramento Valley. It provides food and a resting place for millions of birds. This time of the year, shorebirds nest and raise their next generation. Come along as we venture to the thriving ecosystem found in California rice fields. Jim Morris: Welcome to Ingrained, the California rice podcast. I'm your host, Jim Morris, grateful to have worked for 30 years with farmers and ranchers. It's summer, and one of my favorite times of the year in the Sacramento Valley. You have the rice fields with a lot of color and plenty of wildlife getting food and rest. Here's more from John Muir Laws on two of the most common and beautiful shorebirds you can find in rice fields right now. John Muir Laws: The black-necked stilt is a beautiful critter you can find in the rice fields. Bold, contrasting black and white body and incredibly long, bright red legs. And they will hunt by carefully stepping through shallow water and pecking at whatever little crustaceans or other small animals they can see in front of them. So, very, very small food types, so a long, thin, very precise bill. John Muir Laws: American avocets have a beautiful orange head, soft orange color, and a contrasting black and white body. If you look carefully, you'll notice that their bill is not straight, but it curves up slightly at the tip. And what they'll do is they hunt by touch. So, they'll lower their head to the water surface and move it rapidly back and forth, side to side, side to side, side to side. And where they bump into a small crustacean floating in the water, gobble, gobble, gobble, they nibble it up and then go on to the next one. So, you'll see them doing this touch feeding as they slowly move forward through the water, their head going back and forth, back and forth in front of them. Jim Morris: I'm in Colusa County at Hans Herkert's rice fields. It's such a peaceful environment out here, Hans. A little breezy today, but very nice. How has this year gone so far? Hans Herkert: Yeah, good morning, Jim. It's gone really well so far. It's been an early season. In fact, this is the earliest season in my short tenure. I believe we've just finished planting my eighth rice crop. Started planting in late April and finished on the 21st of May this year. Jim Morris: So, we're about a third of the way through the growing season, roughly, and that'll be a fall harvest. What are some of the things you see in these rice fields besides the plants themselves? Hans Herkert: Lots of wildlife year-round. This time of year, we're seeing a lot of killdeer on the rollovers on the levees. They prefer that habitat. We're some avocets in the fields, some shorebirds, and some ducks, and ducklings this time of year as they're being weaned up. Jim Morris: This is all compatible, right? You can grow a crop and also help the environment too? Hans Herkert: Absolutely. I think it may be my favorite part of rice farming is the synergy between the rice farmers and the wildlife. Jim Morris: There are conservation programs that help this whole cause. What are some of those that you know and have participated in, and how helpful are they? Hans Herkert: They've been very helpful. I've participated in a few, Jim. My first involvement was with a program called BirdReturns, and I've also been involved with a program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. And now, for the first time this year, a great program through the California Rice Commission, Bid4Birds. All three of those programs have been helpful to me as a beginning farmer and helpful to the environment and to the wildlife species that really are thriving out here. Hans Herkert: I think I could probably say that if those programs didn't exist, wildlife would still flourish in rice fields. But my opinion of these programs are that they enable growers to enact practices, extend some of the practices that they're already doing, and enact some new practices on their operations, provide some funds to make it feasible. There's a certain cost to managing, and pumping water, and maintaining that shallow level of water on the field. And so, if we can manage water earlier in the season and later in the season, on those shoulders of the wildlife season in both the winter time and spring time, that's really what these programs are enabling us to do. Jim Morris: I think it's wonderful to see the nests and to see generation after generation of wildlife out here. Do you have some favorite birds or ones that you see more often out here? Hans Herkert: I definitely have a few favorites. Great-blue herons are the big ones, and they're fun to watch. I've got a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Harper, and she enjoys coming out here. I tell you, she can spot a snowy egret every bit as good as any three-year-old I know. She's really up to speed on her bird identification, and it's fun to watch her. We have a lot of bitterns, and they're not flashy birds, but I tend to like their personality. The American bittern is another favorite of mine. Jim Morris: And they're looking at you like, "You don't really see me. You just think you do." Yeah, they're wonderful birds. And I love them too. You mentioned your daughter, and I want to talk a little bit about family. Your dad, Bob, left quite a legacy in California rice. One of the things that comes to my mind is when he brought author, Marc Reisner out to rice country, Marc was not keen on growing rice in California, and after Bob and others visited with him and showed him the rice fields, Marc Reisner thought completely differently and became a real advocate for growing rice. So, tell me about your dad's legacy and how it may impact your daily work here on the farm. Hans Herkert: It impacts me greatly. He left such a substantial mark on the rice industry and as on me, as his son, and he instilled his passion for rice farming, the rice industry and how it not only co-exists, but really thrives with wildlife species in the Sacramento Valley as well. And so, the Marc Reisner story is such a great story, and it's been remembered over the years for a great reason. And I remember being eight or nine years old with both my dad and Marc Reisner driving around the Valley, looking at rice farms and looking at birds. And that's a memory that I'll carry forever. And it seems as though it's made an impact on our industry and rightfully so. I think that the California rice industry has been creating so many benefits, environmental benefits and industrial benefits to the California and the Sacramento Valley that it really just needs to be communicated and learned about. That's definitely part of my dad's legacy. Jim Morris: I'm also visiting with Greg Yarris, Science Coordinator for the Central Valley Joint Venture. And let's start with the joint venture. What is this effort all about? Greg Yarris: Well, the Central Valley Joint Venture is a partnership of 19 organizations and agencies that was originally formed in 1988 to improve bird habitat throughout the Central Valley. It initially started as a waterfowl plan focused entirely on ducks and geese, but in the mid 2000s, it expanded its views to try and include other birds such as shorebirds, waterbirds, and landbirds. Jim Morris: As a biologist, when you're here looking at these rice fields, what goes through your mind when you see this environment? Greg Yarris: When I see rice fields, I think of birds being fed, especially during the winter, but I also see an extensive breeding ground during the spring and summer. The beauty of rice fields is it provides year-round habitat. During the fall and winter, we get millions of ducks and geese that come down from the North. And during the spring and summer, we have local mallards, cinnamon teal, and gadwall that will make this home. Greg Yarris: The flooding of it coincides with the nesting season of our locally-nesting ducks. But what we are lacking are upland nesting areas. So, there's a couple of programs that our partners have employed to try and improve the upland nesting conditions. One is the Regional Conservation Partnership Program that the California Rice Commission and other partners are working on in cooperation with the Natural Resource Conservation Service. And that will provide thousands of acres of planted nesting cover during the spring and summer to provide that upland habitat for nesting ducks. Another program is a delayed harvest of wheat fields that the California Waterfowl Association has been working on. And what that will do is pay an incentive to farmers who delay the harvesting of their wheat fields to ensure that the duck nests hatch and the ducklings make it to wetlands before the harvest occurs. Jim Morris: When you say upland, can you just explain from a layperson's term, what that means? Greg Yarris: Basically means areas that are not flooded. Traditionally, the Central Valley was a large expanse, combination of wetlands, and uplands, and riparian zones. So, a lot of that has been replaced, but we currently have fewer and fewer upland areas that are maintained as habitat. Jim Morris: Speaking of historic California and how things have changed, we have lost well over 90 percent of our traditional wetlands. How important are the rice fields, not only now, but moving forward? Because I would assume a lot of those traditional wetlands aren't just going to magically come back. Greg Yarris: We have lost, as you stated, over 90 percent of our wetlands, but fortunately, rice fields have replaced what used to be wetlands and provide a lot of the same habitat. They feed ducks during the fall and winter, and geese and shorebirds as well. And they do provide that spring, summer breeding habitat. So, it really is a year-round benefit having rice here in the Valley. Jim Morris: The joint venture itself is a grouping of individuals and organizations to try to make a difference with our environment. How important is that cooperative work between the growers, state and federal government, conservation groups to maintain and enhance what we're seeing here in California rice country? Greg Yarris: It's extremely important. In fact, in our implementation plan, we have a goal to maintain at least 350,000 acres of rice flooded during the fall and winter. It's been challenging to try to maintain the current level of flooded rice here in the Valley, primarily because of cost of water, the availability of water, the recent drought that we had, and also, some of the groundwater laws that have been enacted recently. So, the joint venture has worked with other partners to incentivize flooding of rice, especially during the times when we need it most and where we need it most. Greg Yarris: Some examples of that are the California Winter Rice Habitat and Center program by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, BirdReturns from the Nature Conservancy, and also the Bid4Birds program that the California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation has recently created. Those are all great methods to try and maintain that level of flooded rice that we have here in the Valley. We also have a goal to provide 50,000 acres of upland nesting habitat on fallow rice fields, primarily using cover crops to enhance not only the soil, but also provide that upland habitat for nesting birds. Jim Morris: We've had another dry year in California, so water use is something that's on people's minds. When you look at California agriculture and you assess the value of a crop, how important is it to look at the environmental benefits for rice, not only just the value of rice as a food crop? Greg Yarris: Well, I think it's extremely important. Rice does provide other value to the environment, especially for ducks, and geese, and shorebirds. So, maintaining that crop both during the spring and summer for breeding birds, but also having that grain there in the fall and winter when these fields get flooded is extremely important. For us to replace the value of rice with comparable natural wetlands would be extremely difficult and not cost-effective. Jim Morris: Rice fields benefit many wildlife species year-round, and hopefully those contributions will continue for generations to come. That will wrap up this episode. Thank you to John Muir Laws who does a lot of fantastic work with enthusiastic nature journalists. And he has several excellent books, including his most recent, “How to Teach Nature Journaling: Curiosity, Wonder, Attention”. Go to johnmuirlaws.com to get your copy. And check out his events page. He's doing a lot of Zoom meetings to provide joy and a creative spark to those at home during this time of COVID-19. John Muir Laws: Nature journaling is a great way to help yourself get more out of any chance that you get to go outside and look and explore in a natural place. The process of nature journaling helps you slow down, and concentrate, and focus. You'll get so much more out of each observation that you make. You're going to find that there are lots of things, even in your refrigerator or the weeds between your house and your neighbor's house, that can provide opportunities for exploration and discovery. Jim Morris: Also, big thanks to Hans Herkert and Greg Yarris for their time and passion. You can go to podcast.calrice.org to find out more and listen to additional episodes. We would love to hear your feedback. Thanks for listening.

This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Ellen Gilinsky about Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, which refers to the 2015 Clean Water Rule that defined the scope of federal water protection, particularly for streams and wetlands that share a hydrologic system with "navigable waters." Gilinsky was the associate deputy assistant administrator for water at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); she is an expert on all things WOTUS. Raimi and Gilinsky discuss why WOTUS is so important for federal regulation of surface waters; why the waters that fall under regulation are so tricky to define; and how the Trump administration has sought to change the definitions, with implications that reduce regulation. Just last week, EPA and the US Army Corps of Engineers published their Navigable Waters Protection Rule to change the definition of WOTUS and "navigable waters," demarcating four categories for waters under jurisdiction. The new rule becomes effective on June 22 this year, although lawsuits already are challenging it. References and recommendations: "Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity" by Sandra Postel; https://islandpress.org/books/replenish "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/567281/where-the-crawdads-sing-deluxe-edition-by-delia-owens/ "Cadillac Desert" by Marc Reisner; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/323685/cadillac-desert-by-marc-reisner/

This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with RFF senior fellow Margaret Walls. Along with coauthors Patrick Lee and Matthew Ashenfarb, Walls published a study last week on the economic impacts that result from the establishment of national monuments. The study looks at how the designation of a national monument affects businesses and employment in the surrounding area. While some have argued that monuments stifle economic activity by making land off-limits to extractive activities like oil and gas drilling, others argue that national monuments generate growth in other industries, such as tourism. In their new study, Walls and colleagues provide answers. References and recommendations: "National monuments and economic growth in the American West" by Margaret Walls, Patrick Lee, and Matthew Ashenfarb; https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/12/eaay8523 "Cadillac Desert" by Marc Reisner; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/323685/cadillac-desert-by-marc-reisner/ "The Source" by Martin Doyle; https://wwnorton.com/books/The-Source "Nuclear explained: Where our uranium comes from" by the US Energy Information Administration; https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/where-our-uranium-comes-from.php

3 Invaluable Lessons from Reese Tisdale Water has an impact on every aspect of our lives, so researching this incredible resource is critical. Water market regulation has been soft, but it is changing. Forecasts show, over the next 15 years, it will cost upwards of $15B for water infrastructure repairs and rehabilitation.   This week, host Sue Dyer speaks with Reese Tisdale, the President of Blue Field Research. Reese is an expert on water and its effect on the market and the world around. He shares the politics of how development occurs and water's role in project development.   Reese's Water Journey (01:53) Blue Field Research was founded in 2012. They started the company with the realization that water touches all aspects of our lives from business to personal. They do market research on water for supply companies, investors, and regulators who need more information and insight into what's happening in the water space.   Defining the Water Market (03:58) The water market incorporates all aspects of water (water, wastewater, and stormwater) from supply to discharge. We look at the water market Globally (outside the US), in the US/North America, and Industrial vs. Municipal. When starting the company, we thought most of the work would be outside the US but they were wrong. Demand in the US: There are 75,000 water/wastewater systems in the US and over 3 million miles of pipe in the ground.   The Trends in Helping with Infrastructure (06:33) Systems are old and mapping isn't good -but companies are getting better at that. Forecasts show, over the next 15 years, it will cost upwards of $15 billion for repairs and rehabilitation. The key is rehabilitating more efficiently utilizing technologies in place. Using different material types will help in building and re-building. Focusing on workforce management: the aging of the baby boomers, etc.   Meaningful Predictability of Resources (09:43) Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to make the workforce smarter so they can do other things. The simple need for remote monitoring.   What the Research is Showing (12:30) We are starting to see emerging contaminants (algae blooms, etc.). Impacts on the daily water supply, such as drought. Utilities are trying to understand what's real and what's not.   The Most Insightful Research Bluefield Research Has Done To Date (16:06) Water market regulation has been soft, but it's changing. States are regulating the water market, not the Federal government.   What Bluefield Research Does (19:45) Help companies understand the market landscape (challenges in the market, opportunities to provide treatment or management). Provide off the shelf reports, annuals, inside agreements with clients or bespoke research for clients.   The Difference in the “Water Side” of the Water Market (23:00) They must have enough capacity for new development. The role of industry and commercial business are treating their own water and becoming more self-sufficient. Water rates rose 3.5% last year. Their focus is on how to "reign in" the expenditures of water procurement and discharge. Utilities need to see the trends so they are acting, not reacting.   The Most Difficult Aspects of Water Research (26:23) Being true to the data that's collected. Staying true to our research methodology. Clients challenging results based on their own perspective.   The Very Best Advice Reese Has Ever Gotten (29:42) Look at other companies not from where they are, but from where they started, and measure yourself in the same way.   Reese’s Favorite Piece of Technology (31:21) The Podcast app in his phone. There’s so much to learn, but some of it is just “waves on the ocean” as well.   Resources for Listeners (32:21) Book Recommendation: Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner   Contact Reese (33:20) Contact Reese on LinkedIn Blue Field Research Website   Reese’s Parting Advice (34:16) Truly think about the cost of the glass of water in your hand and all the assets that go into it. Realize how much of an impact water has on our lives.   Check out our Construction Dream Team LinkedIn Group!   Visit the ConstructionDreamTeam.com/resources page to see all of our guests’ recommended books, websites, etc.    Remember…Construction Dream Team drops every Monday morning at 4am PST.  Please head on over to ConstructionDreamTeam.com to sign up for our newsletter and don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify!

Conversation with The Milk Carton Kids about their favorite books and writers, including Haruki Murakami, Neil Stephenson, Cormac McCarthy and Marc Reisner

Episode 2-03: Misty Water-Colored Memories Wherein I review: 6 - Ex-Purgatory (Ex-Heroes #4) by Peter Clines 7 - No Sunscreen for the Dead (Serge Storms #22) by Tim Dorsey 8 - Treason's Harbour (Aubrey & Maturin #9) by Patrick O'Brian 9 - Ex-Isle (Ex-Heroes #5) by Peter Clines 10 - Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner

Brad Arnold earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The Milwaukee School of Engineering and a Masters in Agricultural & Natural Resource from UC Davis. You can also reach Brad directly by email barnold.engr@gmail.com [1:30] Brad found his interests in environmental engineering and tied it in with his knowledge of hydraulics gained through mechanical engineering classes and parlayed that into a sensor system design in grad school. He then got involved in water management and ties it all together in the podcast. [4:15] How can you get a undergrad in mechanical engineering and then get a masters in civil engineering? [8:50] What really has Brad fired up in water management? [10:45] California is sinking – ground water subsidence – has dropped many feet in the last century [11:40] An ah-ha moment – he started to understand the bigger picture. [14:40] Don’t get scared off by the math and science requirement, it gets easier when it gets applied. Also look at the course catalog from the schools you are looking to see what the focus might be, for example is the mechanical engineering degree automotive focused or more general? [18:10] Lightening round time: best advice, personal habit, phone app and book. Interesting Links, courtesy of Brad: USGS resource for ‘land subsidence’ in California:  Based on our discussion of the land sinking due to overdrafting of groundwater supplies for agriculture, mostly in the Central Valley. This ‘California Water 101’ from the Water Education Foundation out here also provides some good details on our water systems. STEM courses from major universities and companies, for instance, any high school student could enroll in ‘Python Basics for Data Science’ to start learning programming website: Coursera book: Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner.   You can get a free book from Audible at www.stemonfirebook.com and can cancel within 30 days and keep the book of your choice with no cost. Free Audio Book from Audible.

Marc Reisner joins the podcast to reprimand Adam and Chuck on what they got wrong in the original Moses episode and lead them back to the promised land of truth.

Nathan has two recommendations this week: Cadillac Desert, a thorough history of the American West’s pursuit of fresh water by Marc Reisner, and Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, a cooperative […]

Hi everyone, and thanks for visiting our blog!I want to discuss a subject that is very near and dear to me, especially as I write this in the middle of 2014 in California. Yes, I'm talking about water, or as we are currently experiencing, the apparent lack thereof.President Obama speaking in the parched Central Valley of CaliforniaThere are so many things I want to say about water in California, and so many angles to this subject, that it is hard to know where to begin. Suffice to say, this will be one of many posts I compose on water.One important consideration is the fact that much ink has been spilled and many tongues have wagged dry discussing the state of water in the Golden State. And for good reason. California is the most populous state in the U.S. with an economy that would be in the top ten of the world if counted independently, and much of this economy depends on water. Not only the billions of dollars generated by our agriculture industry, but other key sectors like the tech of Silicon Valley.Thus, I won't profess to be an expert on water or the first to provide insight on the subject. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits I can provide is to point readers in the direction of smarter minds as I attempt to stand on the shoulders of giants and holler loud about the current crisis we face. Read brilliant books like Cadillac Dessert by Marc Reisner, or if you're feeling a little less ambitious watch the cinematic version; heck, re-watch the Jack Nicholson classic Chinatown with a close eye on the politics of water that course throughout the plot.Jack Nicholson in ChinatownThere are plenty of great websites and resources to learn about the current state of water affairs, from essential information provided by the state's Department of Water Resources to the think tank The Pacific Institute to Wholly H2O.Water is a topic that can lead to some very heated debates, particularly in California. I don't mind wading into that fray and tackling some contentious issues, but before I do, I think I'll close this initial discourse on H2O with a fairly non-controversial idea: water conservation. Particularly in the midst of a drought, one of the most effective tactics is to reduce water consumption. This approach, known also as demand reduction, can be applied to other sectors, such as energy, and is both extremely cost-effective and ecological.Earlier this year I had the opportunity to write an article for SPUR on leading water conservation strategies being employed in the Bay Area by water agencies and public utilities, which I wanted to share. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!-------------------------------------------------------------Last but not least, a water tip: related to the aforementioned SPUR article, I'd like to offer a suggestion for folks to reduce their water consumption. Many cities and water districts offer water audits or surveys, in which a specially trained agent comes to a person's house or apartment and comprehensively inspects the home. They look at all water-using appliances, check for leaks, make sure everything is running optimally, and then make suggestions based on their findings, provide tips, and sometimes even hand out free devices or rebates. So if you pay a water bill, call your water provider and ask if they provide this service, which is usually free of charge!

Alden Griffith reads from Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner, published by Penguin Books. "As is the case with most western states, California's very existence is premised on epic liberties taken with water -- mostly water that fell as rain on the north and was diverted to the south…"

It's been 40 years since the clean water act was signed into law. The goal was to assure safe water quality for the environment, humans and wildlife. But with new contaminants, population growth, and climate change, the landscape of our water supply has been transformed.  Meanwhile, regulation is being framed by some as an enemy of progress. On this edition; a look at how we manage our water in the twenty-first century. Are we doing too little…or are we trying to control too much?   Featuring: Alex Prud'Homme, Journalist and Author of The Ripple Effect: The Fate of Freshwater in the Twenty-First Century; Jon Rosenfield, Bay Institute Conservation Biologist; Richard Nixon, President of the United States; William Ruckelshaus, former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator; Tom Ries, Ecosphere Restoration Institute President; Sonny Vergara; former Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director; Robin Felix, Southwest Florida Water Management District media relations manager; Mary Jean Yon, Audubon Florida lobbyist; Bob Buckhorn, Mayor of the City of Tampa   For More Information: The Pacific Institute http://www.pacinst.org/   The Bay Institute http://www.bay.org/   Food and Water Watch http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org   Clean Water Action http://www.cleanwateraction.org/   Alex Prud'Homme http://www.alexprudhomme.com/   Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/   Ecosphere Restoration Institute http://www.ecosphererestoration.org/   SWFWMD Matters http://swfwmdmatters.blogspot.com/   Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/cockroach/   Audubon of Florida http://fl.audubon.org/   City of Tampa Wastewater Department http://www.tampagov.net/dept_wastewater/   The Blue Planet Project http://www.blueplanetproject.net/   Steven Solomon's The Water Blog http://thewaterblog.wordpress.com/   Public Policy Institute of California: Water http://www.ppic.org/main/policyarea.asp?i=15   Salmon Aid http://www.salmonaid.org   Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/   Articles:   Gone With the Flow: How the Alteration in Freshwater Flow is Killing the Bay Delta http://www.bay.org/publications/gone-with-the-flow   The Growing Battle for the Right to Water by Maude Barlow http://www.alternet.org/water/76819   Water and the War on Terror by Steven Solomon http://grist.org/politics/2010-03-02-water-and-the-war-on-terror/ ­ Film:   Flow http://www.flowthefilm.com/   The Last Call at the Oasis, the documentary: http://www.participantmedia.com/films/coming_soon/last_call_at_the_oasis.php   Books:   Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water by Peter Gleick http://islandpress.org/bottledandsold/9781610911627.html   Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World's Water by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, http://www.thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1022   The Ripple Effect: The Fate of Freshwater in the Twenty-First Century by Alex Prud'Homme http://books.simonandschuster.com/Ripple-Effect/Alex-Prud%27homme/9781416535454   WATER: The Epic Struggle For Wealth, Power, and Civilization by Steven Solomon http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/?authorid=26031   Cadillac Desert, The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780140178241,00.html The post Making Contact – Drips of Change: Preserving Our Freshwater appeared first on KPFA.