The U.S. coast is unprepared for the increasing impacts of storms and sea level rise on communities, infrastructure, the economy, and the environment itself. Comprehensive changes in leadership, policies, programs, and funding could create a more resilience coastline. In this episode Jeff Peterson discusses his book A New Coast, which…
In the Mississippi Delta there is no bigger force on the economy and the environment than agriculture, with its tens of millions of acres of farmland that both feeds a nation and impacts water quality. In Arkansas programs can help both if they arise from collaboration and provide benefits for…
Although New Mexico receives far less attention than many other western states, it is at the precipice of a water crisis, with climate change further straining the arid state and groundwater impacted by the oil and gas industry. The situation is discussed in this episode with Laura Paskus, author of…
When making decisions on groundwater management it's important to have a comprehensive understanding of data gaps and defer to protection of water sources even if there is an absence of information, says Melissa Rohde of The Nature Conservancy. podcast here: https://bit.ly/GroundwaterData #water #waterloop #groundwater
Last century’s approach to water management was based on controlling nature, a fragmented infrastructure system, and general sense there was plenty of water. But the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century have spurred a transition to a water management approach revolving around circularity, scarcity, and nature itself. The past,…
A lack of information on groundwater has historically posed challenges for management. Now emerging tools are expanding and organizing the data available for decision-making, as discussed in this episode with Ben Kerr of Foundry Spatial, Melissa Rohde of The Nature Conservancy, and Tom Gleeson of the University of Victoria. They…
When budgets are low and needs are high, the public sector moves forward with safe solutions, pays for water projects upfront, and hopes for the best. But it's time to fund innovation and outcomes, says Eric Letsinger of Quantified Ventures. Full #podcast here: http://bit.ly/EnviroBonds #water #waterloop #innovativefinance
How to build an environmental impact bond, by Eric Letsinger of Quantified Ventures. -start with a municipal bond -identify metrics for environmental outcomes -layer interest rates on the performance curve -measure results & pay investors accordingly #podcast here: https://bit.ly/EnviroBonds #water #waterloop #innovativefinance
Farmers in Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and several other states are paid to put in conservation measures and the resulting carbon offsets and water quality benefits are sold to companies, cities, states, & USDA, says Eric Letsinger of Quantified Ventures. Watch the podcast at https://bit.ly/EnviroBonds #water #waterloop #sustainableagriculture
An environmental impact bond was used to finance development of #wetlands along the Louisiana coast. The metric for return on investment is tied to the level of success in slowing down coastal erosion, says Eric Letsinger of Quantified Ventures. Watch the podcast here: https://bit.ly/EnviroBonds #water #waterloop #wetlands
Residents of Toledo, Ohio deal with water challenges ranging from pollution in Lake Erie to lead pipes for drinking water to increasing utility bills. Toledo’s communities of color and low-income have historically lacked information and input in water issues such as these. But now that’s changing through community outreach as…
Budgets are struggling to keep up with the scale and scope of water projects that need funding in communities across the U.S. At the same time, it is extremely difficult for public agencies to take risks on solutions that could address water challenges in more affordable and effective ways. In…
Selective breeding of oysters can create populations that are more resilience to freshwater. This is done by choosing "tough parents" used to surviving in low salinity conditions, says Morgan Kelly of Louisiana State University. Watch the #podcast at https://bit.ly/LouisianaOysters #water #waterloop #oysters #louisiana #marinebiology
It would be better for the health of oysters for diversions of the Mississippi River into estuaries to occur during winter months when oysters can survive longer in freshwater, says Morgan Kelly of Louisiana State University. Watch the #podcast at https://bit.ly/LouisianaOysters #water #waterloop #oysters #louisiana
Freshwater is the biggest threat to Louisiana's oysters. Freshwater is increasing because of heavy rainfall driven by climate change and man-made diversions of the Mississippi River, says Morgan Kelly of Louisiana State University. Watch the #podcast at https://bit.ly/LouisianaOysters #water #waterloop #oysters #louisiana
Property owners need to be convinced that living shorelines are durable before installing them. This example shows that a hurricane destroyed a bulkhead yet the neighbor's living shoreline was fine, says Carter Smith of Duke University Marine Lab. See the #podcast: https://bit.ly/LivingShorelines #water #waterloop #waterpodcast #livingshorelines #dukemarinelab
When wave energy hits bulkheads and seawalls it eventually destroys the nearby habitat. Living shorelines, however, absorb wave energy, maintain marshes, improve water quality, and last longer, says Lexia Weaver of the North Carolina Coastal Federation. Watch the #podcast at https://bit.ly/LivingShorelines #water #waterloop #livingshorelines #nccoast
Coastal erosion is a natural process in North Carolina that often threatens property developed close to the water. That led to the hardening of shorelines with bulkheads and seawalls, says Carter Smith of Duke University Marine Lab Watch the #podcast at http://bit.ly/LivingShorelines #water #waterloop #coastalerosion #dukemarinelab
North Carolina made it so property owners can get permits much faster and easier for installing living shorelines, which also put them on equal footing to the permit process for bulkheads, says Daniel Govoni of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Watch the podcast at https://bit.ly/LivingShorelines
The Colorado River is managed under the “Law of the River,” a complex series of agreements, laws, legal decisions, and regulations that originated with the 1922 Colorado River Compact. There are important lessons and successes from the past 100 years to remember as the basin faces urgent water challenges driven…
Oysters are an iconic and important part of Louisiana’s coastal ecosystem, culture, and economy. But in addition to harvest pressure, the oysters are under stress from increased freshwater, either from heavy rainfall fueled by climate change or diversions of water from the Mississippi River. In this episode Morgan Kelly, an…
Historically bulkheads, seawalls, and other hardened structures were used along the Carolina coast to protect from the forces of erosion, waves, and storms. But there is a rise in the use of living shorelines, a stabilization technique that uses natural materials like rocks, oyster reefs, and plants. Living shorelines are…
A common market-based approach to environmental conservation is stream mitigation banking, which allows an entity to degrade or destroy a stream while developing property in exchange for restoration of a stream someplace else. A new book Streams of Revenue explores the history of this practice and is authored by Martin…
The higher temperatures and reduced precipitation in the Colorado River Basin are no longer viewed as a short-term drought, but as a longer-term aridification caused by climate change. The alarming strain on the region’s water resources is being met with a more holistic approach to management, a deeper sense of…