WaterWired

TGIF - Tweets Galore! It's Friday, 26 August 2011 - Special Shakespeare Edition

When you read this Mary Frances and I will be in Ashland, OR, at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It's our annual trek to see some Shakespeare and other plays. This year we will see four in three days. We will see Henry IV, Part Two; Julius Caesar; The African Company Presents Richard III; and
Ghost Light.

Julius Caesar was great. Done in-the-round, we had front row seats. The actors wore a variety of garb, plus Caesar was portrayed as a woman by a woman.

Shameless plug: we're staying at the Chanticleer Inn, a great B & B. 

I really like Ashland, which is on I-5 between Medford and the California state line (about 15 miles north). I sometimes think about retiring here but realize that making such a decision based on visiting three days per year is a foolish one. For now, it's the proverbial nice place to visit...

Enough already - here is your weekend water displacement behavior facilitator.

 

Books and Book Reviews
Via @chanceofraincom Excellent read: Emily Green, her LV reporting and Prud'homme's 'The Ripple Effect' http://bit.ly/q04d9p

Via @circleofblue Interview w/ Author Charles Fishman on his latest book, The Big Thirst http://su.pr/1dIQ6g @cfishman #water

 
Bottled Water and Drinking Water
EPA report on characteristics of DW systems serving <10,000 people. http://1.usa.gov/nIYy4A

 RT @ICareAboutWater Another look at bottled water http://t.co/

Nestlé Waters North America 2010 Corporate Citizenship Report.http://bit.ly/qFJZLL

Climate Change
Via @climateprogress NSF Quietly Closes Out Inspector General Investigation; Michael Mann Completely Vindicatedhttp://bit.ly/qPGFzr

RT @tveitdal New Iceland current could sway N. Atlantic climate http://bit.ly/pIJmSs

NPR: Trying to unravel the mysteries of Arctic warming.http://n.pr/nOP73A 

RT @Revkin Fox News shocker: "facts are certainly on Huntsman’s side" on global warminghttp://www.collide-a-scape.com/2011/08/23/foxs-brain-room/ @keithkloor

RT @LATenvironment Is nature doing what the climate models predict? http://lat.ms/nmoaMG

RT @ClimateTreaty Arctic climate will change faster than Antarctichttp://bit.ly/mXAZDC

RT @HuffingtonPost Keystone XL pipeline: "Obama's biggest climate test" http://huff.to/pzge1J

RT @NRDC This @SciAm article is topical today: Global Warming and the Science of Extreme Weatherhttp://bit.ly/oTZ1RP #Iren

RT @disturbedwater Climate change and poverty reduction:http://bit.ly/nUUb7x via @AddThis

Conflict
Aaron Wolf Videos: 1) Columbia River Treaty; 2) Basins at Risk; 3) Transboundary Basins & CC; & More! http://bit.ly/pUSsNs

Aaron Wolf videos: basins at risk, Columbia River treaty, transboundary waters. http://bit.ly/oDW9MV

Conservation, Recycling,and Reuse
RT @RecycleWater The Psychology of Water Reclamation and Reusehttp://bit.ly/o1S4oy

Via @AGCTX Can Sewage Help Solve Texas' Water Problems?http://trib.it/ozqePk via @TexasTribune

RT @kate_sheppard Sewage Snow: Coming Soon to a Ski Slope Near You? http://bit.ly/nj0dRe

 RT @UCRiverkeeper School has system's first rainwater recovery system http://fb.me/yVo9JO6S

 Water International, 36(4) - July 2011: Wastewater Use in Agriculture: Economics, Risks & Opportunities http://bit.ly/rqwDli


Economics
RT @jfleck next draft:Economic Sustainability Plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta http://bit.ly/nRAzXD (pdf) via @DeltaCouncil #cawate 

Energy
RT @columbiawaterCleanTechnica: When Picking Solar Options, It's the Water, Stupid:http://bit.ly/nyrfoT #solar #water 

Ethics, Gender, and Religion
Announcing the Water Ethics Network and Newsletter http://bit.ly/rbR9R4

First issue of Water Ethics Newsletter http://bit.ly/oUBnvP

David Groenfeldt starts the Water Ethics Network - info and join here:http://bit.ly/rn1yOZ 

Events
Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2012: information and nomination form:http://bit.ly/mY1Qvt 

Battelle's 8th biannual remediation conference, 21-24 May 2012, Monterey, CA.http://bit.ly/qMZe4y

TheWaterChannel webinars on food, water, WaSH.http://bit.ly/oNceTl

Global Health and Innovation Conference 2012, Yale Univ. 21-22 April. http://bit.ly/13ik9Q 

Sustaining the Blue Planet: Global Water Education Conference,Bozeman, MT, 13-16 September 2011http://conta.cc/mM9IyL

AWRA Summer 2012 conferences:will link 2,Emerging Contaminants & Riparian Zones,back-to-back (25-29June,Denver).Overlap on 27th. More soon.

MT Section AWRA 2011 Conference registration now open (6-7 October in Great Falls). Great group! http://bit.ly/n3caks

 
Floods and Droughts
RT @gravelbar Missouri River Governors Criticize Army Corps for Flooding http://bit.ly/qutyWk

RT @MGhydro @chanceofraincom: Pakistan again suffers flooding. NASA has images and links. http://1.usa.gov/pI1T49

RT @peakwater Expanding Deserts, Falling Water Tables and Toxins Driving People from Homes. http://bit.ly/qFIppI via @AddThis

Great Lakes
Waukesha: The Next Test of the Great Lakes Compacthttp://bit.ly/nIEH7m

Supersized Water Diversion Raises Questions for Great Lakes States http://bit.ly/phNrGi

RT @columbiawater National Wildlife Foundation: Report Calls for Great Lakes Compact Resolution: http://bit.ly/pAawTA #GreatLakes

Humor
RT @aguanomics Monday funnies http://goo.gl/fb/DLSm0 #propertyrights #funny 

Is a Real Water Conflict Brewing at World Water Week in Stockholm? http://bit.ly/rnU6zA

Hurricanes
RT @WhoDat35 Irene Poised to Strike a Nation Seemingly Content to Worry Less About #ClimateChange (NYTimes)http://nyti.ms/qV5gXa

Via @WhoDat35 I'll post this & I will get some grief from tweeple. Yes, I think it's good to remember & grow from it. http://bit.ly/pyX2EU

Via @chanceofraincom Visual history of havoc wreaked by hurricanes on northeast USA cities.http://bit.ly/qlcydc

Via @hydro_intl Live Hurricane Tracking Map: ESRI has created a mash-up of Hurricane Irene. http://bit.ly/qx3YZ3
 

Hydrofracking and Shale Gas
Any hydrofracking in the area? RT @dotearth Eastern Earthquake Provides Useful Warninghttp://nyti.ms/q1poGz

RT @highcountrynews Halliburton exec takes a swig of natural gas #fracking fluidhttp://on.msnbc.com/qMaxzd to prove it's safe

MT @rebootingfuture Central NY municipalities take steps to control hydrofracking. http://ow.ly/68Xxi #MarcelllusShale

RT @NRDC Can the Fracking Industry Self-Regulate? - Ben W. Heineman Jr. - The Atlantichttp://bit.ly/pfnV4f

Environmentalists could undermine shale-gas plans, Alberta cabinet documents suggest http://bit.ly/r0WIBc

 MT @Ken_Silverstein Shale Gas Panel Advises Disclosure, Transparency. #Energy Sec. Chu will decipher. Bizhttp://j.mp/ql1NZG via @AddToAny

 
Miscellaneous
Worth repeating: "Civilization exists by geological consent,subject to change without notice."-Will Durant

 @watsonjae Welcome to Twitter, Julie!

Just met with prospective grad student. She had a small tattoo of the Great Lakes on her wrist. We're gonna get along just fine!

Thanks to Seametrics, Inc.,for the AWRA shout-out! http://bit.ly/nidRCI

Seametrics Gives Shout-Outs to AWRA and Other Organizations http://bit.ly/mR1Q97

 Virginia Earthquake Presentations from IRIS http://bit.ly/nTK2Af

Via @cbdawson Take a look: how some #groundwater levels were affected by the #VAquakehttp://on.doi.gov/nHRwbd #water

@YaleE360 Strange journey of traveling microbes: possible role in causing rain,spreading disease,changing climatebit.ly/pdZGHg

RT @columbiawater Straight: Human Health Linked to Oceans:http://bit.ly/r7NdFM #oceans #health

Chloroquine + Too Many Committees + WaterWonkism = Sweet Dreams http://bit.ly/ocXjKq

RT @gravelbar US judges rule for teacher who called creationism 'superstitious nonsense' - CSMonitor.com http://bit.ly/qGOoF1

RT @NatGeo Why are east coast earthquakes rare?http://on.natgeo.com/pPfJDK

RT @KEZI9 @oregonstateunivScientists Develop Computers that "Watch and Learn"http://ow.ly/682nE #news #Oregon

Looks like 1000' of uplift! MT @jfleck @markgrossi: Mt. Whitney is 15,501' -- must have grown. I remember 14,497 or so http://ht.ly/67yU8

MT @NSF Interested in water resource research & policy? Tune in to #ChangingPlanet - "Adapting to Our Water Future"http://ow.ly/6cUgV

Opportunities
Two postdoctoral positions in UC-Irvine's Hydroclimate Research Group. http://bit.ly/o8OeOQ 

 
People
Congrats to new 2012 AWRA directors: John Tracy (ID WRRI); John Wells (State of MN); Carol Collier (DE River Basin Comm) - Pres-Elect. 

@PeterGleick Welcome back! Your 'vacation from water' sounds like mine! Maybe we should try the Sahara next time! 

RT @NWRIwater Congrats to James Barnard of Black & Veatch who received the 2011 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize http://www.siww.com.sg/lee-kuan-yew-water-prize-laureate-2011

  
Stormwater
Via @WaterAU Australian stormwater flow software goes global: http://bit.ly/rnijnN #water

Gargoyles and Gorillas: CWAA Ben Grumbles' Presidential Pipeline newsletter. http://bit.ly/oaVZyT

RT @americanrivers Milwaukee leads with "natural" approaches to storm water management. http://tinyurl.com/3qzol34

Of Gargoyles and Gorillas: Ben Grumbles on EPA's Upcoming CWA Stormwater Regulations http://bit.ly/rk2gry

Streams and Dams
RT @jfleck via AP, am newspaper version of my story on ash blackening Rio Grande:http://j.mp/nA3SJM #nmfire #nmwx 

Editorial: IDWR budget cuts compromise dam safety: another Teton Dam? http://bit.ly/r0GVvY 

Via @PortlandPHLUSH How is the water? Full of s**t. Riverkeeper report on Hudson River.http://bit.ly/r1ThO4

RT @River_Restore Violent protests follow approval of massive dam project in Patagoniahttp://bit.ly/jZS0E3 via @EcoInteractive @Riverboys

MT @MGhydro @LakeScientist: Plans to reverse the Chicago River to stop invasive species moving between basins goo.gl/NCLr

MT @jfleck @bruce_katz Yonkers rediscovers Saw Mill Riverhttp://goo.gl/Seoj3 As Providence showed,downtowns,rivers perfect mix for cities.

MT @USACESacramento USACE model shows #cawater flow in the #SacDelta. Video: http://bit.ly/nZlLab Story:http://1.usa.gov/osHyTu #science

I think it's called 'groundwater''RT @ruisaldanha via @TopicfireNewsScientists find underground river beneath Amazon.http://bit.ly/po0wN1

Twitter and E-Newspapers
The @WaterUtilities Daily is out!http://bit.ly/gPIkJ2 ▸ Top stories today via @del_agua @chaswatersystem @nwriwater @umainewate

RT @medindoagua The *Água & Water * Daily is out!http://bit.ly/hRCisK ▸ Top stories today via @txawwa @c_hervebazin@aguanomics

The @WaterStJournal Daily is out!http://bit.ly/haf8gw ▸ Top stories today via @parvez1 @softwater123 @acwawater @whitewatergroup

RT @medindoagua The *Água & Water * Daily is out!http://bit.ly/hRCisK ▸ Top stories today via @waterwatchnews @aguanajarra @NRDCWater

RT @WaterUtilities Daily is out!http://bit.ly/gPIkJ2 ▸ Top stories today via @masterchris11 @mydcwater

RT @dietvorst E-Source Sanitation News is out! http://bit.ly/ocHQQ2▸ Top stories today via @watsancollabcou @andynarracott @julesbiscuit

 RT @WalkerNewsDesk Daily is out! http://bit.ly/lWsMix ▸ Top stories today via @watershedwatch_ @artemisbm @semanticweb @acxiom

RT @WorldHygienePrg The Daily WASH is out!http://bit.ly/l3bFmq ▸ Top stories today via @rocketboy76 @jke @waterisbasic @watsancollabcou

RT @agleader The #cawater Daily is out! http://bit.ly/cAyvY1 ▸ Top stories today via @arroyolover @flowinguphill

RT @medindoagua The *Água & Water * Daily is out!http://bit.ly/hRCisK ▸ Top stories today via @chanceofraincom @cdnwaternetwork @loticwater

RT @agleader The #cawater Daily is out! http://bit.ly/cAyvY1 Top stories today via @salmonwaternow @culligannorcal @waterwired @alexbreitler

RT @medindoagua The *Água & Water * Daily is out!http://bit.ly/hRCisK ▸ Top stories today via @waterschool @watercancharity @anagovbr

RT @medindoagua The *Água & Water * Daily is out!http://bit.ly/hRCisK ▸ Top stories today via @circleofblue @tapitwater @aguaorgmx

TGIF - Tweets Galore! It's Friday, 19 August 2011 - Special Movie Edition http://bit.ly/pguFbo

RT @WhoDat35 The Environmental Daily is out!http://bit.ly/f6ZJjL ▸ Top stories today via @ejgertz

RT @WaterFootprints Daily is out!http://bit.ly/eDEDnD ▸ Top stories today via @efilterwater @watercrunch

The RT @WaterUtilities Daily is out! http://bit.ly/gPIkJ2 ▸ Top stories today via @australia_today@phxwater @watertreatment_ @ge_water

WaSH
Via @nytimesscience Kill malaria parasites with low-power microwaves?http://nyti.ms/qfKI2Y 

Via @medindoagua Advances in sanitation bypassing poor & rural communitieshttp://bit.ly/nW96OG

Toilet talk from Sweden - World Water Week http://bit.ly/qKvsP9

RT @johnsauer Great manual from@acfusa @ACF_France - Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for Populations at Risk:http://ow.ly/6au8M #wwweek

RT @dietvorst E-Source Sanitation News is out!http://bit.ly/ocHQQ2 ▸ Top stories today via @bopinc @rosegeorge3 @defeatdd @healthebay

No more cannonballs at the local swimming hole; brain-eating amoebas could get you! http://n.pr/qGSqzD

RT @strasser Our latest in Senegal is the Ronkh Water Project.http://bit.ly/ptwSRE #cleanwate

Water Supply, Use, and Infrastructure
Idaho GW users move ahead with plans to buy fish farms.http://bit.ly/p4fyqA

Via @PacificInstitut Article in @PNASNews describes peakwater in context of global & local water challenges http://bit.ly/po7EaR

Via @CAPArizona @lasvegassunSNWA board member wants projects reconsidered lasvegassun.com/news/2011/aug/

SNWA: LV pipeline could cost $15B (incl financing).http://bit.ly/ppclCG

Via @jonnypeace @sltrib Oil shale skepticism http://bit.ly/oVDVtI

@usbr Releases Draft Environmental Documents for Modification to Friant-Kern Canal on.doi.gov/qNY1Ql

Via @StephenCurtice RT @MarlitaH Two Oklahoma Indian Tribes Contest State for Water Rights http://ht.ly/68iGg

MT @craigtimes $700M cuts to FL water districts but @FLGovScottsays it won't hurt environment or water supply http://bit.ly/pu6cCM

RT @UNDP_IPC New @UNDPreport examines what role water providers in #Kenya play in #poverty reduction:http://bit.ly/nE5v0s 

RT @geostuff Database of water,wastewater pipeline infrastructure systems: national database on technologies.http://bit.ly/o6BNVw

RT @jfleck The case for calling it a “Peripheral Thingie” : jfleck at inkstain http://bit.ly/ni8S3X #cawater #sacdelta

SNWA pipeline has critics - even in Las Vegas area.http://bit.ly/nQhTNU

RT @jfleck via @deltanatlpark - more evidence of need for "Peripheral Thingie" for generic canal/tunnel discussion:http://bit.ly/p7qmPc

EPA revamps its sustainable water infrastructure website.http://1.usa.gov/qQX6B9

T @indiawater @IWMI_Water_News:http://Earthsky.org: Water-food link suggests more holistic farming approach http://tiny.cc/4l8nk

"Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven." - William Shakespeare

Of Gargoyles and Gorillas: Ben Grumbles on EPA's Upcoming CWA Stormwater Regulations

Ben Grumbles, former EPA Assistant Administrator and current President of the Clean Water America Alliance (CWAA), recently opined on EPA and stormwater regulations in his August 2011 Presidential Pipeline column. I have copied it below. [Note: AWRA has an MOU with the Alliance and I have personally contributed to the CWAA.]

Not to mix religion and politics, but the fantastic fixtures on cathedrals and other buildings are speaking a lot to me these days (so far only figuratively), as green infrastructure cheerleaders and EPA critics gear up for a politically-bruising battle over stormwater regulations. We should all look up from time to time in our search for progress and common ground--from the curb and the fence line to the gutters and rooftops, to the forest canopies and landscapes beyond the big box.

Look up the word "gargoyle" and you'll find Latin and French roots meaning "throat" and "gullet". Think of gargle and spew. If all goes well, the artful spouts channel both rain water and evil spirits away from the building.

Today's important issues over stormwater have evolved into complex technical, financial, legal, policy, and political choices, and much of the drama is playing out on the national stage with EPA's upcoming Clean Water Act (CWA) stormwater regulations. Art, skill, luck, and good will are needed to find the right mix at the right level.

Understandably, there's concern about potential costs and constraints imposed by strangers with big hammers (or gorillas with federal badges, so to speak). Home builders, property owners, and policymakers are asking some legitimate questions about legal authority and fiscal austerity surrounding potential EPA CWA post-construction standards and property retrofit requirements. But there are also great opportunities to drive green infrastructure locally
and regionally with thoughtful, flexible standards.

With that in mind, the Clean Water America Alliance teamed up with American Rivers to identify principles for successful green infrastructure strategies and stormwater regulations. You can read the entire statement HERE but here are some of the basics:

"Widespread adoption of green infrastructure can: improve the health and livability of our communities; expand employment opportunities; reduce municipal expenses; and improve the safety, security, and sustainability of our water resources and ecosystems."

"EPA's upcoming stormwater rule should include clear, achievable, and flexible standards and provisions that encourage the adoption and use of green infrastructure practices and help advance a broader green infrastructure strategy, combining regulatory and non-regulatory tools such as financial, technical, and research-related assistance."

More specific provisions within the statement delve into the relevance of the new rule to wet-weather permits and consent decrees.

The Clean Water America Alliance is also providing green infrastructure insight through its Urban Water Sustainability Council, chaired by Kevin Shafer of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage Department. The Council is convening a first-class leadership conference in world water hub, Milwaukee Wisconsin, October 3-5, with unique opportunities to share ideas and learn from multi-disciplinary teams from 5 cities. One is Los Angeles, a leader in green infrastructure and a winner of the 2011 U.S. Water Prize.

You can learn more about LA's green and integrated water resources works, as well as plans for the 2012 U.S. Water Prize competition, during a free one-hour webinar on August 31, hosted by the Clean Water America Alliance and Water & Wastes Digest of Scranton Gillette Communications. Learn more and register for the webinar HERE. 

These days, most gargoyles are simply ornamental grotesques and there's nothing wrong with that. However, the need for high performing tools and systems, beyond individual barrels and gardens, grows greater every day in watersheds across the country. Success is achieved and maintained through voluntary, collaborative efforts but well-crafted regulatory drivers are also needed, whether at the local, state, or federal level and whether you call them gorillas, enforcers, or green cheese. When you find the right mix at the right level, it's not only fantastic but functional too.

 "The Romans realized, as have every civilized people since, that living in cities is impossible if the water supply is not reliably clean and fresh." - Francis H. Chapelle, The Hidden Sea: Ground Water, Springs, and Wells, 1997

Virginia Earthquake Presentations from IRIS

IRIS is the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, supported by the National Science Foundation. My colleague Bob Yeats sent this PDF around.

Download 110823virginia

You can access animations and the Power Point here.

Enjoy!

"I know great earth changes have been predicted for the future, so if you're looking to avoid earthquakes, my advice is simple. When you find a fault, just don't dwell on it." - Unknown

Seametrics Gives Shout-Outs to AWRA and Other Organizations

Time for another Shill alert!

Our Seametrics friends - the folks who build all kinds of flow measurement devices - have given AWRA a shout-out on its blog. They have been doing this for other organizations as well: California FarmWater Coalition; Soil and Water Conservation Society; American Water Works Association; and the Warden Colony.

Here is the AWRA entry:

The American Water Resources Association (AWRA) was founded in 1964 at a time in US history when water rights, management and a need for increased resources was literally changing the landscape of the country.

AWRA has stayed true to its multidisciplinary roots since its inception and continues to honor its motto of “Community, Conversation, Connections,” as the inspiration of its mission: to create a welcoming forum where people can come together and share ideas and concerns about water resource management.

“The study of water cuts across many disciplines. AWRA attracts individuals who wish to transcend the limits of their own disciplines by exploring water from other perspectives and interacting with others who desire to do the same,” stated Michael E. Campana, AWRA President.

The nongovernmental organization (NGO) pursues this mission in several ways, although perhaps most successfully through its dynamic Conference Series that attracts state, federal and foreign government representatives, specialists in a wide array of scientific and other disciplines and even laypeople with an interest in learning more about water resource management. Conferences are also often held at the state level by its 32 state sections or student chapters, which increases more immediate opportunities to personally engage in the management of local water resources.

AWRA’s commitment to partnerships has allowed it to expand well beyond the US and it frequently contributes to the improvement of water resources in areas suffering serious water crises. As AWRA approaches its 50th anniversary, it has established a presence in more than 50 foreign nations that helps members around the world network to share ideas and technological advancements across borders. Its recent agreement with the Korea Water Resources Association is a testament to the organization’s forward-looking, multidisciplinary approach to water resource management.

Researchers, scientists and specialists of all kinds also take advantage of the NGO’s two publications, the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) and IMPACT. Both are peer-reviewed and available to members. The former presents scholarly, applied articles on a broad spectrum of water resource issues, whereas the latter offers short, topical articles organized around a central theme.

For the public, AWRA offers to keep anyone who is interested up to date on the latest organization and water resource management news through its blog, as well as supporting and announcing public speaking engagements, training courses, award opportunities and other ways for individuals to get engaged and play an active role in protecting their most vital natural resource.

 Thanks to Charles Sipe for writing and posting this.

“The study of water cuts across many disciplines. AWRA attracts individuals who wish to transcend the limits of their own disciplines by exploring water from other perspectives and interacting with others who desire to do the same.” -- Michael E. Campana, AWRA President

Announcing the Water Ethics Network and Newsletter

David Groenfeldt, who directs the Water-Culture Institute, sent around this email announcing  the Water Ethics Network and Newsletter:

The first issue of the Water Ethics Newsletter is now posted on-line.   The Newsletter consists of one-paragraph updates of members' activities related to water ethics, with links to the details.   On the blog site, you can sign up for (free) "home delivery" of the monthly Newsletter via email, which is issued on the 15th of each month (Click on "Subscribe to our Newsletter" at the top of the right column).

The Water Ethics Network has been initiated by the Water-Culture Institute along with several other organizations (listed in the Newsletter) to raise awareness and understanding about the ethics motivating water policies and practices.  The need for a new water ethic was articulated by Sandra Postel in her 1992 book, Last Oasis, and there has been much progress since then in the what, why, and how of ethics related to water.  The Water Ethics Network taps into this world of water ethics work to provide timely news about who's doing what and inspire synergies and partnerships.

You are invited to participate in the Network by reading the newsletter, commenting through the blog, and, especially, by providing material for the Newsletter.  If you are involved in research, analysis, or actions that touch on the values-dimensions of water management in some way, please share what you are doing with your colleagues by sending a brief description to [email protected].  The deadline to submit material for the next Newsletter is 12 September.

If you might be interested in joining the Network as an organizational partner, please contact me directly.  Partnership implies substantive collaboration and can take many forms from funding to co-sponsorship of activities.

Thank you for your interest in the ethical dimensions of water, and I look forward to your participation in the Network!

Here is the introductory paragraph of the inaugural issue of the newsletter:

Welcome to the first monthly issue of the Water Ethics Network Newsletter. Here we present updates from Network members as well as news about current issues dealing with ethical dimensions of water policies and practices. The Network's purpose is to raise awareness about ethical dimensions of water, promote collaboration among the members, enhance understanding, and promote the practical application of ethical concepts and perspectives. The Network is an initiative of the Water-Culture Institute in partnership with the individuals and organizations listed in the sidebar below. Anyone is welcome to subscribe to the Newsletter, and to submit news for upcoming newsletters to [email protected].

Groenfeldt and his partners are to be congratulated for their initiative. The network and newsletter will prove to be important elements of the water discourse.

 "Relativity applies to physics, not ethics." -- Albert Einstein