WaterWired

Paper: 'Evaluation of Environmental Factors Affecting Hydropolitics of Helmand Transboundary Basin Using Remote Sensing Images'

Thought I'd post this forthcoming paper. I had a little role in it.

'Evaluation of Environmental Factors Affecting Hydropolitics of Helmand Transboundary Basin Using Remote Sensing Images'

(Forthcoming in the Iran and Caucasus Journal)

Key words: Hydropolitics of Helmand, Transboundary River, Water Policy, Remote Sensing

Authors

1-Hassan Noorali, PhD Student in Political Geography at the University of Tehran, Iran

2-Seyyed Abbas Ahmadi, Assistant Professor of Political Geography at the University of Tehran, Iran, Corresponding Author*

3-Michael E. Campana, Professor of Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management, Oregon State University, USA

4-Mostafa Barroudi, Master of Remote Sensing, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran

Download HelmandHydropolitics- (2)

Abstract

Water is a political issue right now, and the Middle East is one of the major regions in the world in terms of water policies and conflicts. One of the countries that is struggling with many hydropolitical problems with its neighbors is Afghanistan, which is the source of many rivers. One of these rivers is the Helmand River, which is the most important factor in the dispute between Iran and Afghanistan. The Helmand River drains half of southern Afghanistan and supplies about 80 percent of the water to Sistan's uninhabited areas. In fact, Helmand is Sistan's vital artery. The river flows into the four wetlands of Hamoun Helmand, Hamoun Saberi, Hamoun Bringak and Hamoun Pozak. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the environmental factors affecting Helmand hydropolitics by examining land use changes in the Helmand River catchment in three classes of water, vegetation and soil from 1986 to 2021.The results show that environmental factors have affected the hydropolitics of Helmand and these factors have caused Sistan, downstream of the Helmand River catchment area, to suffer from severe water shortages and the natural, human and animal ecosystem of this region will be disrupted. The detection of land use changes in the Helmand River Basin 1986-2021, and the analysis of data confirm the influence of environmental factors on the intensification of political decisions in the Helmand Basin.

Enjoy!

"When the cat and mouse agree, the grocer is ruined." - Iranian proverb

CRS InFocus Report: 'Role of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Environmental Justice'

From Angela C. Jones an important CRS InFocus report (updated 7 September 2023): 'Role of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Environmental Justice'.

Download CRS_InFocus_Rpt_Role_USEPA_Env_Justice_7Sep2023

The role of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in environmental justice is rooted in multiple executive orders (E.O.s) and implemented through a wide range of agency programs and activities. Legislation has been introduced in multiple Congresses to require the consideration of environmental justice in federal agency decisions; this legislation has not been enacted to date. Environmental-justice-related E.O.s and examples of EPA’s implementation of selected directives are discussed below.

Environmental Justice Executive Orders
Three E.O.s, one issued by President Clinton and two by President Biden, direct EPA and other agencies to consider environmental justice when carrying out agency programs and activities, subject to existing law. E.O.s in themselves generally do not establish federal law; they are presidential directives for the management of executive departments and agencies that instruct the implementation of existing law. Under the E.O.s, executive departments and agencies are responsible for interpreting the statutes that authorize their respective programs and activities to determine the extent to which environmental justice may be incorporated as a facet of their mission. Although the authorizing statutes do not explicitly preclude consideration of environmental justice, other implementation criteria established in law could be inconsistent with such considerations.

On February 11, 1994, President Clinton signed the first E.O. focused on environmental justice, E.O. 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, which directs each executive department, EPA, and certain other agencies to “make achieving environmental justice part of its mission.” E.O. 12898 more generally directs executive departments and agencies to integrate environmental justice into their respective missions to “the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law.” Some departments andagencies have incorporated the consideration of environmental justice into their respective regulations to carry out E.O. 12898. E.O. 12898 also established the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (IWGEJ), comprising the heads of certain executive agencies and departments, including EPA. E.O. 12898 states that it is intended to supplement E.O. 12250 for implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which generally prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs or activities.

E.O. 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, signed by President Biden on January 27, 2021, amends E.O. 12898. Sections of E.O. 14008 expand the environmental justice directives to EPA and other federal agencies and executive departments, restructure the IWGEJ into the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council (Interagency Council), and establish the Justice40 initiative (discussed below), among other provisions. For EPA specifically, E.O. 14008 directs the agency to administer the new White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. E.O. 14008 also directs the agency to focus its enforcement efforts on violations that may have a “disproportionate impact on underserved communities” and to build upon existing pollution monitoring and notification programs for the public. E.O. 14008 further directs the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to develop the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), a government-wide online mapping tool designed to assist federal agencies in identifying disadvantaged communities for the purposes of the Justice40 initiative. CEQ released the first version of CEJST in November 2022.

E.O. 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, signed by President Biden on April 21, 2023, builds upon these two previous E.O.s and amends certain provisions in them. E.O. 14096 sets out a “whole-of-government” approach to environmental justice and applies to a broader scope of federal agencies than E.O. 12898, which generally limited its directives to IWGEJ member agencies. E.O. 14096 establishes new directives and expands other directives for federal agencies to make achieving environmental justice part of their missions, consistent with E.O. 12898 and subject to each agency’s statutory authority. For example, E.O. 14096 directs each federal agency to submit an Environmental Justice Strategic Plan to CEQ. E.O. 14096 also modifies the membership of the Interagency Council and establishes a new White House Office of Environmental Justice within CEQ.

E.O. 14096 also directs federal agencies to consider environmental justice in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) federal environmental review process. (See CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10590, Addressing Environmental Justice Through NEPA, for more information.) In addition, E.O. 14096 directs EPA to establish an online environmental justice information clearinghouse, among other responsibilities.

What Is Environmental Justice?
What constitutes environmental justice has been an ongoing question for many years. There is no definition of environmental justice in federal law. EPA generally has defined environmental justice as the “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” Other federal departments and agencies may tailor their definitions of environmental justice to their respective missions.

E.O. 14096 specifies a new uniform definition of environmental justice for consideration by EPA and all other federal departments and agencies when implementing E.O. directives, within the scope of existing laws. The E.O. defines environmental justice as “the just treatment andmeaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability in agency decision making and other Federal activities that affect human health and the environment.”

EPA Implementation
In 2022, EPA created a new Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, which consolidated the functions of existing agency offices, including the Office of Environmental Justice previously organized within the Office of the Administrator. The new office is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the three E.O.s (discussed above) throughout the agency, administering environmental justice grants, providing training and technical assistance, developing and managing screening and mapping tools, and coordinating with other agencies in their consideration of environmental justice.

The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), established prior to E.O. 12898, serves as a federal independent advisory committee to EPA. Since its creation on September 30, 1993, the NEJAC has consulted with the agency on environmental justice matters and implementation of related E.O.s.

EPA Guidance for Regulatory Analysis
The federal environmental statutes that authorize EPA to issue regulations do not specify environmental justice as a criterion for agency decisions. These statutes address the protection of human health and the environment regardless of population demographics.

Issued in June 2016, the EPA Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis establishes procedures for evaluating environmental justice concerns potentially associated with agency regulatory actions. This guidance is intended to provide consistency across EPA’s programs and offices in integrating environmental justice into the implementation and enforcement of the federal statutes that the agency administers in coordination with delegated states. This June 2016 guidance supplements EPA’s Guidance on Considering Environmental Justice During the Development of a Regulatory Action, finalized in May 2015.

EPA Strategic Plan
EPA’s FY2022-FY2026 strategic plan outlines the agency’s most recent approach to implementing E.O. 12898, E.O. 14008, and E.O. 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. In this strategic plan, the agency sets a goal to “take decisive action to advance environmental justice and civil rights” and outlines three related objectives: (1) promoting environmental justice at the federal, tribal, state and local levels; (2) embedding environmental justice into EPA’s programs, policies, and activities; and (3) strengthening civil rights enforcement in communities with environmental justice concerns.

EJSCREEN
Launched in 2015, EPA’s EJSCREEN is a screening and mapping tool intended to provide environmental and demographic data for specific locations. EPA categorizes EJSCREEN as a resource for stakeholders and communities to evaluate the overlap between environmental conditions and demographic characteristics to inform public comments on proposed rulemaking, permitting, and other regulatory actions. EPA last updated the tool in 2023 to include additional environmental and health data, new indexes, and additional map layers. EPA emphasizes that EJSCREEN is not intended to identify environmental justice communities or form the basis of agency determinations of the existence or absence of environmental justice concerns. EJSCREEN has a different purpose and uses a different methodology than the CEJST government-wide screening tool discussed above.

Justice40
E.O. 14008 directs CEQ and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with federal departments and agencies, to publish recommendations on “how certain Federal investments might be made toward a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits flow to disadvantagedcommunities” in seven environmental, energy, and infrastructure areas. In 2021, OMB released the Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice40 Initiative for federal agencies, providing additional direction on Justice40 for EPA and other agencies. In April 2023, as directed under E.O. 14008, EPA released its first Environmental Scorecard on Justice40 implementation covering FY2022, which identified 74 EPA Justice40 covered programs, 40 related EPA funding announcements, and $14 million in available funding opportunities for Justice40 covered programs.

EPA Appropriations
There is no consolidated line-item of funding for EPA’s implementation of environmental-justice-related E.O.s within the annual appropriations acts that fund the agency. Although there is no separately explicit program authority, Congress has provided specific funding in annual appropriations acts primarily for interagency coordination and environmental justice grant programs. These grant programs provide technical assistance and funding for state, tribal, and community-based environmental justice activities. Other EPA funding to implement the E.O.s is generally integrated across the agency’s appropriations accounts that fund its programs within the scope of the authorizing statutes. Title II, Division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) appropriated $108.04 million to EPA for environmental justice. The President’s FY2024 budget request includes $375.00 million for environmental justice at EPA.

Enjoy!

"It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), Christmas Eve sermon, 1967

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary 16 - 22 September 2023

Via @WaterDisputes: Montana Lakes Conference is October 18-20 in Whitefish, MT @lodgewhitefish . It includes a #water conflict management & transformation workshop by @FourWorldsLLC Aaron Wolf & @H2OWonk See conference details & register here: https://tinyurl.com/32kkkkju

Enjoy!

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Links will not appear in more than two categories (excluding the very first category). I have also added two more 'Daily Water Newsletters' to increase coverage. These are the Midcontinent US Water News Daily (#MCUSwater) and the Southeast US Water News Daily (#SEUSwater). The former samples news media within 500 miles of Kansas City, KS and the latter within Knoxville, TN).  With the other seven dailies this affords pretty good daily coverage for the USA.

Scroll down to 'Positions Open' and 'Previous Weeks' Positions Open' to see the jobs. All my individual job Tweets are archived at #JobWaWi. Previous weekly summaries are archived at:  #WaWiNews or click here. If a link does not work, paste the URL into your browser.
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Top Twenty-Five (More or Less)
From @TheJournalCO: Colorado Sens. @MichaelBennet, @SenatorHick call for multilevel government and agency action on tribal access to clean water. https://tinyurl.com/544u38r5 #cowater

The Nature of the SDGS at Midpoint: Snapshot of Progress https://bit.ly/467d7FG #water4climate

It's @USATODAY w/ @DinahVP: 'Climate Point' - 21 Sept 2023. Warming climate played huge role in Libyan floods and heat may contribute to New Yorkers' deaths. Smoke, air quality alerts descend on San Francisco Bay Area. A study explains why. More! https://tinyurl.com/a3h8cma5 #scicomm

In @PasStarNews: "It's an emergency!" Midwest towns scramble as drought threatens drinking water. https://tinyurl.com/bdeb4sav #MCUSwater

CRS InFocus Report: 'Environmental Reviews and the 118th Congress' https://bit.ly/3EJUPOw #scicomm

Via @OPB: @NASA imagery shows scale, impact of logging in drinking watersheds on Oregon Coast. Nearly 1/3 forests across 80 drinking watersheds serving coastal cities have been cut during last 20 years. https://tinyurl.com/mty3rbyk #PNWater

In @csmonitor: For safer drinking water, the ingenuity of simple solutions https://tinyurl.com/2b2wx47b

In @csmonitor With world distracted,Azerbaijan makes bold move. Russia has long maintained status quo in Armenian-populated region Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan But Moscow no longer appears willing to do so, & Azerbaijanis taking region by force. https://tinyurl.com/2ua54y77

From @KTLA: Push to drain Lake Powell gaining momentum https://tinyurl.com/379n6k98 #SWUSwater

Webinar from #AWRA2023: 'From Forests to Faucets: Resilient Forests and Water Supplies' 20 Sept 2023 1-2 PM ET w/ Christina Burri of @DenverWater Register (Free for @AWRA National Members) and view at leisure. https://tinyurl.com/ydkfd23k #AWRA20

From @csmonitor: Planning a trip to Europe? Don’t forget the paperwork. Starting in 2024 the EU will require travel authorizations from more than 60 visa-exempt countries, including US, Canada, and the UK. https://tinyurl.com/mrxszu6n #Travel

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 18 September 2023 https://bit.ly/44WXrTO #AWRA2023

It's @thewaterloop Episode #195: 'Adventures in Hydrology' with Chris Wolff. https://youtu.be/-8s5yMGJy0A?si=TiqHvUK7wHv1Rlqv

From @OPB: How ‘carbon farming’ could help Oregon reach its climate goals. https://tinyurl.com/2kbssxfv

CRS InFocus Report: 'Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate' https://bit.ly/45RB5EL

CRS InFocus Report: 'Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Status of Oil and Gas Program' https://bit.ly/48iA9un

From @grist: The American chestnut tree is coming back. Who is it for? As federal agencies prepare to deregulate transgenic chestnuts, Indigenous nations are asserting their rights to access and care for them https://tinyurl.com/2rktpa5d #chestnut

Books, Reviews and Related
Free PDF from @groundwaterproj: 'Urban Groundwater' by Ken Howard. https://tinyurl.com/pcbrrymz #groundwater #globalwater

Bottled Water, Tap/Drinking Water
In @PasStarNews: "It's an emergency!" Midwest towns scramble as drought threatens drinking water. https://tinyurl.com/bdeb4sav #MCUSwater

Via @OPB: @NASA imagery shows scale, impact of logging in drinking watersheds on Oregon Coast. Nearly 1/3 forests across 80 drinking watersheds serving coastal cities have been cut during last 20 years. https://tinyurl.com/mty3rbyk #PNWater

In @csmonitor: For safer drinking water, the ingenuity of simple solutions https://tinyurl.com/2b2wx47b

Bullshit and Crap Detection

California
The @CA_DWR Water News--> 22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/ys6wu3ch #cawater

The @CA_DWR Water News --> 21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3meh3364 #cawater

The @CA_DWR - California Water Plan eNews --> 20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/bdz4bwdj #cawater

The @CA_DWR Water News --> 19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/a9z95jd9 #cawater

The @CA_DWR Water News --> 18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yj3msarp #cawater

From @UCDavisWater: 'Future Ancestors of Freshwater Fishes in California' by Peter B. Moyle. https://tinyurl.com/5bzb5u

Canada
Canadian Climate Institute - News Update - September 2023. 'Heat Pumps Pay Off: Unlocking lower cost heating and cooling in Canada'; More! https://tinyurl.com/4fwprnpx #cdnwater

The @CanadianWater Newsletter - 18 Sept 2023. Land-Water Nexus: SOLUTIONSCAPES; Toxic Traces; Arctic Evolution; Climate Collaboration; Nature Defence; More! https://tinyurl.com/2p968ac7

Climate, Climate Change, and Meteorology
Canadian Climate Institute - News Update - September 2023. 'Heat Pumps Pay Off: Unlocking lower cost heating and cooling in Canada'; More! https://tinyurl.com/4fwprnpx #cdnwater

It's @USATODAY w/ @DinahVP: 'Climate Point' - 21 Sept 2023. Warming climate played huge role in Libyan floods and heat may contribute to New Yorkers' deaths. Smoke, air quality alerts descend on San Francisco Bay Area. A study explains why. More! https://tinyurl.com/a3h8cma5 #scicomm

From @OPB: How ‘carbon farming’ could help Oregon reach its climate goals. https://tinyurl.com/2kbssxfv

Colorado
From @TheJournalCO: Colorado Sens. @MichaelBennet, @SenatorHick call for multilevel government and agency action on tribal access to clean water. https://tinyurl.com/544u38r5 #cowater

Conflict and Cooperation 
Via @WaterDisputes: Montana Lakes Conference is October 18-20 in Whitefish, MT @lodgewhitefish. It includes a #water conflict management & transformation workshop by @FourWorldsLLC Aaron Wolf & @H2OWonk. See conference details & register here: https://tinyurl.com/32kkkkju

In @csmonitor With world distracted,Azerbaijan makes bold move. Russia has long maintained status quo in Armenian-populated region Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan But Moscow no longer appears willing to do so, & Azerbaijanis taking region by force. https://tinyurl.com/2ua54y77

Disasters: Droughts, Floods, Wildfires and More
From @CNN: UN revises previous high Libya death toll. https://tinyurl.com/42b2b2hr

Daily Water Newsletters Each entry provides links to articles, videos, etc. on various aspects of water in the state/region indicated. Job openings are often found at the very bottom of each entry.

Oregon Water News Weekly
18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/4kj27525 #ORwater

California Water News Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2p87nbhm #cawater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/bdep2sxh #cawater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/4mc5swpt #cawater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3s9d3cvr #cawater

18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/48d8fenf #cawater

17 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yc9c7zr3 #cawater

16 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/fv9az8w4 #cawater

Colorado Water New Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2sbzcpx5 #cowater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3j7ytp2k #cowater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yc3yp77j #cowater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yc64vhd7 #cowater

 

18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/mu65sujf #cowater

 

17 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3938k5xh #cowater

Florida Water News Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/mr2sx9pf #FLwater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yc8y6p9x #FLwater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3fnfe5kb #FLwater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/4vuj7exp #FLwater

18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/39k6b42m #FLwater

17 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/5xdavk5n #FLwater

16 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/bdnensnf #FLwater

Midcontinent US Water News Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/mr4bt4ey #MCUSwater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/54rf2tjt #MCUSwater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/4bctj67s #MCUSwater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/379ae7bn #MCUSwater

18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/y5hvtyra #MCUSwater

17 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/dzuhyc79 #MCUSwater

16 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2aphz6wm #MCUSwater

Northeast US Water News Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/nhjjjmt5 #NEWater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/mtuxdpzr #NEWater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/y625jjy7 #NEWater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2p9msfma #NEWater

18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/5e76xr9s #NEWater

17 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/5yhhacus #NEWater

16 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/45d96y7c #NEWater

Pacific Northwest Water News Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3w86cafh #PNWater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yc5ehh6u #PNWater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2zw86vnu #PNWater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/26u3bts5 #PNWater

18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/448zu449 #PNWater

17 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/muyan6fc #PNWater

Southeast US Water News Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/mr6c4yud #SEUSwater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yckfvr7d #SEUSwater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2ekax5ze #SEUSwater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2p88b2b2 #SEUSwater

Southwest US Water News Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yc6vzyy5 #SWUSwater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/dj9hntnb #SWUSwater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/dtx7k7zb #SWUSwater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/ycyh55zn #SWUSwater

18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3usds4z2 #SWUSwater

17 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yckpt8wa #SWUSwater

Texas Water News Daily
22 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/33axssu6 #txwater

21 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/5fm7rkjm #txwater

20 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/hbcc8v48 #txwater

19 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/mu8d6bte #txwater

18 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2s4d4zck #txwater

17 Sept 2023. https://tinyurl.com/4ax9sym4 #txwater

Education, Events, and Opportunities
The PWQA 66TH ANNUAL TRADE SHOW & CONVENTION, OCTOBER 11 & 12, 2023. https://tinyurl.com/28ayfbc2 #cawater

E-Newsletters and E-Newspapers
The @WaterNetworkNewsletter - 22 September 2023. Trending Technology~Editors Choice~Knowledge Exchange~Featured Jobs~Featured Events~Questions~More! https://tinyurl.com/y2d9vh9e #scicomm #globalwater

It's @USATODAY w/ @DinahVP: 'Climate Point' - 21 Sept 2023. Warming climate played huge role in Libyan floods and heat may contribute to New Yorkers' deaths. Smoke, air quality alerts descend on San Francisco Bay Area. A study explains why. More! https://tinyurl.com/a3h8cma5 #scicomm

Ethics, Gender, Indigenous People, Rights
From @TheJournalCO: Colorado Sens. @MichaelBennet, @SenatorHick call for multilevel government and agency action on tribal access to clean water. https://tinyurl.com/544u38r5 #cowater

Global Water
The @WaterNetworkNewsletter - 22 September 2023. Trending Technology~Editors Choice~Knowledge Exchange~Featured Jobs~Featured Events~Questions~More! https://tinyurl.com/y2d9vh9e #scicomm #globalwater

The Nature of the SDGS at Midpoint: Snapshot of Progress https://bit.ly/467d7FG #water4climate 

From @grist: The American chestnut tree is coming back. Who is it for? As federal agencies prepare to deregulate transgenic chestnuts, Indigenous nations are asserting their rights to access and care for them https://tinyurl.com/2rktpa5d #chestnut

Groundwater and Hydrogeology
Free PDF from @groundwaterproj: 'Urban Groundwater' by Ken Howard. https://tinyurl.com/pcbrrymz #groundwater #globalwater

Personal, People, Interviews, and Quote
Today's Quote (@Nature 9/22/23) “Some of the agents started going to the bar at noon.I’m not blaming them b/c I’ve done that.” Some of the 25 AI-powered characters computer scientist Joon Park let loose in the virtual Smallville started showing some “subtle unexpected behaviors”.

Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been." - @antonioguterres, @UN Secretary-General, referring to the @SDG2030

Quote of the Day (@Nature 9/21/23) “A betrayal of our children, of our international responsibilities, and scientifically illiterate.” - Physician-scientist Anthony Costello, a former director at @WHO (1/2)

Costello responds to news that @10DowningStreet Prime Minister RishiSunak will reverse some of the country’s carbon-cutting policies. (Twitter post) Read more: UK government’s climate U-turns put legally binding targets in jeopardy. (2/2)

Quote of the Day @Nature 9/20/2023- “Infants must learn about body they have not they were supposed to have.”Little twitches we & other animals make while sleeping aren’t echoes of dreams,says psychologist Mark Blumberg-they help us learn what it feels like to move our own bodies,

"Remember my work is OUR work. Your work is your work. Our first priority is getting our work done. Thanks!" - @ass_deans

Quote of the Day (@Nature 9/19/23) - “[Plant] breeding is like having a baby; the birth expectation & joy of watching them grow is amazing.” Geneticist Prince Matova says creating new crop varieties is an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the survival of humanity.

"Remember my work is OUR work. Your work is your work. Our first priority is getting our work done. Thanks!" - @ass_deans

From @csmonitor: Planning a trip to Europe? Don’t forget the paperwork. Starting in 2024 the EU will require travel authorizations from more than 60 visa-exempt countries, including US, Canada, and the UK. https://tinyurl.com/mrxszu6n #Travel

"Don't tell me what the law is, tell me who the judge is." - Roy Cohn (quoted in @slate via @TheWeek)

"People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day." - A.A. Milne (quoted in @theknowledgeldn via @TheWeek)

Quote of the Day (@Nature- 9/18/23) - “It’s kind of like the telescope signs its own art work like the telescope is an artist itself.” Conceptual artist Ashley Zelinskie, who works with Webb Space Telescope, discusses distinctive diffraction spikes on its groundbreaking images.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick - you will go far." - Teddy Roosevelt (1901)

"The dean has asked me to read this message expressing her enthusiasm over the board’s restructuring of the college. She had a 90-minute meeting at an airport this morning and couldn’t attend this event." - @ass_deans

PNW Water
Via @OPB: @NASA imagery shows scale, impact of logging in drinking watersheds on Oregon Coast. Nearly 1/3 forests across 80 drinking watersheds serving coastal cities have been cut during last 20 years. https://tinyurl.com/mty3rbyk #PNWater

From @OPB: How ‘carbon farming’ could help Oregon reach its climate goals. https://tinyurl.com/2kbssxfv

Policy, Planning, Law, Governance, Economics, IWRM, and Management
From @tiffdowell: Texas Ag Law Blog - 18 Sept 2023. @USDA NASS Publishes Cash Lease Data for 2023 https://tinyurl.com/ms27cpys #txwater

Positions Open    #JobWaWi
Position: King County (Maple Valley, WA) - Environmental Scientist I. Closes: 15 October 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2yp6awdy #JobWaWi

From IISD: Climate Change Job Vacancies - 13 September 2023 ~17 Jobs! https://bit.ly/3PE6NQa #ClimateAction

Josh's Water Jobs and More! 19 September 2023 >305 Jobs! https://bit.ly/3PLpnWg #JobWaWi

Previous Weekly Water Summaries - Go To #WaWiNews
TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary 16 - 22 September 2023 https://bit.ly/464lEsE

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary 9 - 15 September 2023 https://bit.ly/46bDMAA

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary 2 - 8 September 2023 https://bit.ly/3sNwzZj

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary 26 August - 1 September 2023 https://bit.ly/3Z2Iq1F #globalwater

Reports, Publications, and Journals
CRS InFocus Report: 'Environmental Reviews and the 118th Congress' https://bit.ly/3EJUPOw #scicomm

CRS InFocus Report: 'Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate' https://bit.ly/45RB5EL

CRS InFocus Report: 'Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Status of Oil and Gas Program' https://bit.ly/48iA9un

Science, Medicine, Health, and Technology
The @Nature Briefing - 22 Sept 2023. Brainless box jellies learn from experience; Surprising start to Japan’s ‘Ivy League’ fund; Scientists ‘under attack for political gain’'; 5 criteria for higher-yielding crops; Futures: Would you still love me? https://tinyurl.com/53zzexk9 #scicomm

The @Nature Briefing - 21 Sept 2023. These logs could be earliest wood structure; What we know about India’s Nipah outbreak; Consciousness theory ‘is pseudoscience’; Consciousness theory ‘is pseudoscience’ World leaders recommit to better future. https://tinyurl.com/769uevvp #scicomm

The @Nature Briefing - 20 Sept 2023. Tasmanian tiger RNA recovered; Powerful laser will ‘film’ chemistry; AlphaFold tool pinpoints disease mutations; NIH upholds controversial plan; Delivery service for cells; We must bring back samples from Mars https://tinyurl.com/yc47h9ss #scicomm

The @Nature Briefing - 19 Sept 2023.Jawbone hints at new human species; Base-editing tool makes clinical-trial debut; How brain cells die in Alzheimer’s; Conservationist released-Iran prison; Cryo-ET catches proteins at play; Getting a promotion. https://tinyurl.com/583xmkc7 #scicomm

The @Nature Briefing - 18 Sept 2023. Octopuses might get ethics oversight; Who is doing ‘gain of function’ research?; War and weather made Libya floods worse; Researchers are honing in on long COVID; ‘I consider retirement tantamount to death’. https://tinyurl.com/52kbkw3z #scicomm

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 18 September 2023 https://bit.ly/44WXrTO #AWRA2023

Streams, Wetlands, Dams, Lakes, and Ecosystems
From @KTLA: Push to drain Lake Powell gaining momentum https://tinyurl.com/379n6k98 #SWUSwater

From @UCDavisWater: 'Future Ancestors of Freshwater Fishes in California' by Peter B. Moyle. https://tinyurl.com/5bzb5u

Today's Tunes
Today's Tune - 22 Sept 2023. Bryan's cruisin' and he's gonna 'Run To You'. I love this guy's voice! https://youtu.be/nCBASt507WA?si=Icxl-hGuhYRXlAfS… #aquadocaudio

Today's Tune - 21 Sept 2023. Remember Air Supply's hit by Russell Hitchcock 'Making Love Out Of Nothing At All'? Real tear-jerler, right? Listen to this version: https://youtu.be/ejbWxamWUjQ?si=w5Rw5ZdryO8J4zyu… #aquadocaudio Now this: https://youtu.be/DN12Emz4XfY?si=sLVI04-_BZEXJTCt… #aquadocaudio

Today's Tune - 20 Sept 2023. Looks like a newer video of Don Henley's great 'All She Wants To Do Is Dance'. Mary Frances and I recall this song from the Flores Airport in Guatemala. https://youtu.be/eud5AurOxm0?si=IU8rolWGOWQnZR1Z… #aquadocaudio

Today's Tune - 19 Sept 2023. Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh songstress with that wonderful husky voice, had a big hit (#3 in US) with 'It's A Heartache'. https://youtu.be/bEOl38y8Nj8?si=CVxDKBTMsvoO4Ls-…… #aquadocaudio 'Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around)' https://youtu.be/lcOxhH8N3Bo?si=6X1go4yUsYVhfzxw… #aquadocaudio

Today's Tune - 18 Sept 2023. This is a great Chuck Berry tune 'Tulane' (no, not the school): https://youtu.be/5LUu7geJqhA?si=n4WrTFG8bW0-WpkP… #aquadocaudio And here is a version by Joan Jett: https://youtu.be/hEb2rfME-xY?si=mrevxCUwgP76pQN9… #aquadocaudio

Today's Tune - 17 Sept 2023. Enjoy this extended-play version of Nicolette Larson's 'Lotta Love'. I'm a sucker for saxophones and flutes. At @Chaminade_HS I occasionally had to put down the alto and pick up the flute. https://youtu.be/tdv69cR_d78?si=XtbXE7xu1JCrxhN4… #aquadocaudio

Today's Tune - 16 Sept 2023. Here's Stephen Bishop with 'On And On'. Speaking of which he was the one whose guitar was smashed by John Belushi in 'Animal House'. https://youtu.be/3oByMiF4hPg?si=zk8t58QePdB9E3Ja… #aquadocaudio

Visuals, Audios, Podcasts and Infographics
It's @thewaterloop Episode #195: 'Adventures in Hydrology' with Chris Wolff. https://youtu.be/-8s5yMGJy0A?si=TiqHvUK7wHv1Rlqv

Water/Land Quality and Contamination
In @PasStarNews: "It's an emergency!" Midwest towns scramble as drought threatens drinking water. https://tinyurl.com/bdeb4sav #MCUSwater

Water Supply and Infrastructure
From @KTLA: Push to drain Lake Powell gaining momentum https://tinyurl.com/379n6k98 #SWUSwater

WTF?
"We have approved a new endowed chair in White Manhood in the Gender Studies Department. The legislature provided an endowment match for this diversity initiative!" - @ass_deans

The Nature of the SDGS at Midpoint: Snapshot of Progress

Each weekday I receive a copy of Nature Briefing - here is the link I received today.  Lately there has been a lot of talk about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here is the July 2023 report.

The table below was in today's report. You can click on these to enlarge them.

Download D41586-023-02808-x (1)

Here is the comment (PDF) from Nature: What scientists need to do to accelerate progress on the SDGs

Download D41586-023-02808-x (1)

Enjoy!

"Unless we act noe, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been." - António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations

CRS InFocus Report: 'Environmental Reviews and the 118th Congress'

Kristen Hite produced this CRS InFocus Report (updated 19 September 2023): 'Environmental Reviews and the 118th Congress'.

Download CRS_InFocus_Rpt_Env_Reviews_118th_Confress_19Sept2023

Click on Table 1 (two parts) to enlarge it (or read them in the PDFs).

Overview of the Review Process Under the National Environmental Policy Act
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.) mandates environmental review of many agency actions. NEPA requires that federal agencies consider potential impacts of their actions that may affect the human environment. If a major federal action could result in significant impacts, NEPA requires the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that analyzes effects of the proposed action and alternatives to that action. An agency may prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to decide whether to prepare an EIS or instead issue a Finding of No Significant Impact. An agency need not prepare either document if a proposed action is unlikely to have a significant impact and falls under a categorical exclusion—a type of activity that an agency has already determined does not usually result in a significant impact—or one that Congress has excluded by statute. Categorical exclusions apply to the vast majority of agency decisions. Agencies typically issue regulations and guidance under both NEPA and their specific statutory authorities to address environmental review requirements.

NEPA and Permitting Decisions
NEPA reviews often contemplate a wide range of potential impacts early in the decisionmaking process. A draft EIS, for example, must include a list of all federal permits, licenses, and other authorizations (generally described here as “permitting decisions”) that must be obtained to implement the proposal. Examples of laws that impose such requirements are the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historic Preservation Act.

Several laws address agency coordination of environmental reviews and permitting, although requirements, time frames, and processes can vary across agencies and authorities. NEPA itself establishes lead agencies, while Title 41 of Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41) contains permitting coordination requirements for “covered projects.” Those projects include federal infrastructure projects with costs over $200 million likely to require multiple federal permits and/or EISs. FAST-41 establishes two-year completion goals and a unified schedule for environmental reviews of such projects.

NEPA in the 118th Congress
The 118th Congress has seen more than 100 bills referencing NEPA since January 2023. Among these is the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (P.L. 118-5), which amended NEPA. Table 1 provides a summary of selectNEPA provisions affected by P.L. 118-5. While proposed environmental review provisions under consideration for the 118th Congress are too varied to offer a comprehensive summary, the following matters appear in multiple bills:

Single document: As amended by P.L. 118-5, NEPA requires a single document “to the extent practicable” if multiple agencies are involved in an environmental review. Some proposals would require more coordination, such as a default single document incorporating multiple agencies’ analysis and/or permitting decisions for a given project.

Time limits: P.L. 118-5 created judicially reviewable time limits for environmental reviews, including two years for a full EIS and one year for an EA. Some bills would impose other time limits such as allowing two years for overall permitting decisions or requiring agencies that miss a deadline to pay a project sponsor.

Inter-agency collaboration and cooperative federalism:Many permitting decisions involve states, tribes, or local authorities. While some proposals would preempt existing state authority for specific decisions (e.g., transmission line siting), others encourage states, tribes, and local authorities to jointly undertake reviews and permitting decisions with federal agencies. P.L. 118-5 expressly authorizes state, tribal, or local agencies to serve as joint lead agencies for coordinating on environmental documents and permitting review schedules.

Community engagement and public comments: Many environmental reviews require an opportunity for public comment. Some proposals would extend public comment periods or require a new community impact assessment. Others would set time limits that could affect agencies’ abilities to solicit, consider, and respond to comments before a final decision.

Judicial review: Typically, the Administrative Procedure Act (APA, 5 U.S.C. § 551 et seq.) governs judicial review of agency decisions. The applicable statute of limitations provides six years to file a claim. Some proposals would provide shorter time limits to file a challenge to NEPA analysis, would exempt decisions from suit if they rely on categorical exclusions, would require a plaintiff to have first raised the matter with the agency, and would direct courts to expedite decisions. P.L.118-5 also added a right of review under NEPA itself for a project sponsor to enforce an EA or EIS deadline.

Enjoy!

"Remember my work is OUR work. Your work is your work. Our first priority is getting our work done. Thanks!" - @ass_deans