WaterWired

Soroosh Sorooshian Lecture: 'Current State of Hydroclimate Modeling'

Dr. Soroosh Sorooshian, one of the world's foremost hydrologists and director of UCI's Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS), gave this lecture at CITRIS last November. 

 

"A theory has only the alternative of being right or wrong. A model has a third possibility: it may be right, but irrelevant." - Manfred Eigen 

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 19 - 25 May 2012

Always apprehensive when someone sends me an email or letter that begins, "I was cleaning out my desk drawer when I found these pictures..." Uh-oh...

Former student Stephen Carlton did that recently (although I think spouse Laurie Oberholtzer found the pictures) and included four pictures from 1989 when Steve, Laurie, Sarah Raker, Diane Nork (now Kukol) and John Duffy joined me in Santa Cruz, CA (I was on sabbatical at UCSC) for my 41st birthday) Sarah, Diane Steve and John) are shown in the picture taken by Laurie). All but John and Laurie were former grad students at UNR who'd suffered through my courses.

I have very fond memories of that event, although I am still peeved that they forced me to wear a funny hat, put a paper flower in my mouth, and hold a bottle of Lemon Hart Demerara Rum.

Okay, now down to business. I have kept last week's 'Positions Open' on the list.

And for those of you who celebrate Memorial Day this coming Monday, please remember why we do. 

Note: to access a story, click on the link beginning with 'http://', 'is.gd', or 'bit.ly'. Clicking on a link beginning with '@' will take you to that person's Twitter account; clicking on a link beginning with '#' will take you to a Twitter list containing Tweets about a particular topic.

Some items may not have a hot link to a story, which is fine - it may have been just an informational item or a personal message to someone. Or, I may have screwed up and forgotten the link! 

Enjoy!

 

Books,Films,  and Reviews
Book - 'Climate Change Policy Failures: Why Conventional Mitigation Approaches Cannot Succeed' http://is.gd/LvQNc0

Finishing 'US Water Mgmt' class with FL WMDs. Using material from @cynthiabarnett's 'Mirage' and Tom Swihart's 'Florida's Water'.

Via @EcoCentered Avengers sequel pitch: fighting our #water crisis? Kyle Rabin's reflections on @lastcalloasis: http://is.gd/mlKQ2P

 Bottled Water, Tap/Drinking Water
RT @WaterOnline Israel to add magnesium to drinking waterhttp://ow.ly/b3fAJ

Via @chinawaterrisk Infographic: Better in a Bottle?http://bit.ly/HcDGNF

NYT: Late for School After a Long Journey for a Drop to Drink.http://nyti.ms/Ktl0nm

Scientist Develops Simple Way to Make Clean Water for Everyone.http://is.gd/guGZdw

RT @indiawater Lemon juice can purify water in half an hour?!http://bit.ly/KBSYHS #waterquality

RT @HealingWaters Another recent video: Curious how we make dirty water safe to drink? http://ow.ly/aO6GI #RaiseTheLevel

RT @FWaterSys Reading Huntsville, AL story, Do I need to #filter my #water ? http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/05/ask_us_do_i_need_to_filter_my.html

 California
Also US problem, too. Via @LPAWater @OCWaterSummit - Mulroy:#cawater problem is West's problem, need to transcend provincialism.

RT @PacificCouncil Current Draft of the Delta Plan | Delta Stewardship Council http://fb.me/1qDLWa3gP

Mike Wade letter to @sacbee_news Look at water issues from Westlands perspective. http://is.gd/7WIBqA #cawater

@aguanomics Can we end hydraulic mining? http://is.gd/vL5MDs#cawater

Via @chanceofraincom God, Lawn, and Me http://is.gd/kBcQpX

 

Climate, Climate Change, and Meteorology
John Matthews Is No Dope: Better Living Through Water Infrastructure http://bit.ly/KUy9Ib

Via @climateprogress Heartland Conf: Special Guest Lord Monckton Goes Birther, Admits to ‘No Scientific Qualification’http://bit.ly/L7L63S

Catholic Bishops on Climate Change and Environmental Justicehttp://bit.ly/Jwg8UY

RT @ClimateTreaty Financial tool used climate change uncertainty to select land http://bit.ly/K8IFws

RT @NRDC 2011, Minnesota: 34 rainfall records, 16 heat records & 21 snowfall records. Do something. http://j.mp/JhKeHe

RT @ngwatweets Atmospheric Warming Intensifies Earth’s Water Cycle - Science News http://fb.me/1EW9oVZmO

RT @NWF Methane gas is leaking out as ice melts across Alaska and Greenland: 150,000 "seeps" located: http://bit.ly/K1oy33

RT @tveitdal Climate scepticism: Heartland Institute facing uncertain future as staff depart and cash dries up http://bit.ly/K3howS

For anthropogenic effects (incl. GW pumpng) on sea level rise, see 1994 Nature paper by Sahagian et al. http://is.gd/rTah4P

RT @watercrunch It really is hot in here: U.S. has warmest 12 months on record http://zite.to/L8FjgG via @zite

RT @tveitdal WRI: Four key issues to watch during Bonn climate talks http://bit.ly/L7lDUM

RT @ClimateTreaty For Qatar, climate forum offers a test but also a chance http://bit.ly/KMixqe

Conferences and Call For Abstracts/Papers
Call For Abstracts (due 16 July): Sustainable Stormwater Symposium, Portland, OR, 19-20 September 2012.http://is.gd/ZFlbEU

Call for Abstracts - Montana Section AWRA 2012 Meeting, 11-12 October. http://is.gd/NrDyyq

RT @siwi_media egistration for the 2012 World Water Week is now open. #water #food #security http://fb.me/1RjaeVsCz

2012 AWRA WA State Section Conference 11-13 Sept: Columbia River, Basin and Treaty. http://is.gd/EkYNdR

Via @deepseadawn MT @gisjourno Great preview of EsriUC, largest geospatial conference in world http://bit.ly/JWNOJJ #gis

River Restoration Northwest Annual Symposium (5-7 February 2013) - Call for Abstracts and Sessions! http://is.gd/hg4QaS

Education and Science 

RT @NCSE Check the story's sidebars, such as "Conflict abounds in climate education" http://is.gd/U5tvbD

In Corvallis 22 May? Hear John Matthews: 'Better Living thru Water Infrastructure: Ecology,Economics & Communications'http://is.gd/gAKBIv

Politicization of Science: A Study http://bit.ly/L9GUgt

Events
RT @GWPnews NewsFlow: First India Water Week Focuses on Water-Energy-Food Nexus http://fb.me/1K5FwnVeK

National Wetlands Month? Who knew? Short video on wetlands from USDA. http://is.gd/AZI3VC

Via @cgiarclimate Miss @climatesociety seminar on satellite rainfall #data yesterday? Watch it at http://j.mp/Lv5PLb cc @zeusisdead
 

Groundwater
Via @Alwi_Eisner MT @ombwatch: Gas reserves type of rock involved=high risk of GW contamination from #fracking in NC:http://bit.ly/JczutJ

RT @guardianeco Draining of world's aquifers feeds rising sea levelshttp://gu.com/p/37yby/tf

Hydrofracking, Shale Gas, Oil Sands, and Energy
RT @billmckibben That's odd, methane found in 2 wells in Pennsylvania. Don't light up near the faucet! http://is.gd/rXC2EJ

 Via @rebootingfuture With Chesapeake Energy in chaos, the#Marcellus Shale Coalition remains silent http://shar.es/qolYQ

Noble Energy Spending $8 Billion to Drill Colorado's Shale Oil Fields http://is.gd/3Yexqh

RT @HuffingtonPost Pacific Northwest's only commercial nuclear plant gets 20-year license renewal http://huff.to/LgCV1G

Via @EcoCentered @EcoWatch: ODNR Waters Down #FrackingRegulations. http://bit.ly/KFPUhQ 

@OhioEnviro @JedThorp@EnvironmentOH

Via @greenwatchdogNY That U. Buffalo study on natural gas drilling and #fracking? Not peer-reviewed, after all. http://fb.me/15SvPKMtt

RT @grist Don't you dare touch our beer, frackers:http://bit.ly/MoyRSd

Hydrophilanthropy
RT @livingwater Lowering pipe into the drill hole http://ow.ly/i/DIn2

RT @OSUHydrophiles Walk For Water http://flic.kr/p/c2e9JW

Miscellaneous

RT @HuffingtonPost HuffPost Science is posting live updates of solar eclipse http://huff.to/K3ORai

Opportunities
@EPAwater launches 'Water Is Worth It' video project.http://is.gd/fukDWE

People
Via @reviewjournal Obama names Yucca Mtn. critic to lead NRC.http://bit.ly/KHDQJG

Chloroquine dream #1: Pat Mulroy leaves SNWA, heads to#Sacdelta, kicks some butt, straightens everything out. #cawater

Murderers, Tyrants, Madmen, and Other Advocates of Global Warming: The Iron Lady? http://bit.ly/KCmTA0

@BCWaterNews interview: 10 Minutes With John Cherry (yes, (THAT John Cherry!) http://is.gd/NW7RYR

Policy, Planning, and Management
Matthew McKinney's Montana Marseille Reflections on 6WWFhttp://bit.ly/KZc0ek

Booming natural-gas sector ignites debate over BC Hydro service.http://is.gd/9EWoYg

RT @DropInTheBucket Interesting infographic on reducing your water footprint http://is.gd/DZrZrQ

 RT @WaterNetwork1 Changing the Global Water Footprint for Humanity http://bit.ly/JiY4c6 #water #footprint #thewaternetwork

RT @WaterWired Florida's WMDs: Dire Straits Ahead?http://bit.ly/KycXJR

Positions Open
Positions Open: Luckiamute Watershed Council (OR) - 1) Coordinator http://is.gd/oeFKk6 2) Outreach Serviceshttp://is.gd/HssOOV

Position Open: NM Env. Dept - Mining Section Program Manager.http://is.gd/V7liB8

Positions Open: Various - Scroll down to 'Job Opportunities'.http://is.gd/zLoxhW

Position Open: City & County of SF: Water Ops. Mgr, Hetch Hetchy Water & Power (Moccasin, CA) http://is.gd/5BmRzG #jobs

Positions Open: Scroll down to 'Job Opportunities'.http://is.gd/6Oi53e #Jobs

From Last Week:

Position Open: Utah DEQ - Environmental Scientist - Database Administrator http://is.gd/RvWzrk

Position Open: USGS - Research Geologist, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center http://is.gd/EEwYK6

Position Open: Brown University: Visiting Asst. Prof/Lecturer, Env. Studies.Full consideration to apps by 30 May. http://is.gd/rL5M80

Position Open: BWSC,Inc. (TN) - Water Resources Engineer (entry level). Open till filled.. http://is.gd/BbQn7V
 

Position Open: CH2M Hill (WA): Water Resources Task Manager. Open till filled. http://is.gd/CcAZVf
 

Positions Open (2): River Design Group - Water Resources Engineers (MT and OR) - open till filled. http://is.gd/cFzx4J

Position Open: Ecotrust (Portland, OR) - Summer Communications Internship http://is.gd/bssXgC

Position Open: Powder Basin Watershed Council (OR) Monitoring Coordinator. http://is.gd/AhvbIT

Position Open: Wasco County (OR) Soil & Water Conservation District Summer Intern. http://is.gd/0euj7t

Position Open: USDA-NRCS - Rangeland Management Specialist (TX) http://is.gd/5cTRXP

Position Open: @EPAjobs - Director, Engineering & Analysis Division (DC) http://is.gd/J8USLI

Positions Open: @EPAjobs - Environmental Protection Assistant, Temporary, F-T. (Boston, MA) http://is.gd/TTi0AF

Previous Weekly Water News Summaries (each contains 'Positions Open')

 TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 19 - 25 May 2012 http://bit.ly/Kg6YtH

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 12 - 18 May 2012http://bit.ly/L4hAsj

 TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 5 -11 May 2012 http://bit.ly/J2dkik

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 28 April - 4 May 2012http://bit.ly/IK5W7e

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 21 - 27 April 2012http://bit.ly/Jv2MTJ

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 14 -20 April 2012 http://bit.ly/JdmnHZ

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 7 -13 April 2012 (Triskaidekaphobia Day!) http://bit.ly/ILE3JC

TGIF - Weekly Water News Summary, 31 March - 6 April 2012http://bit.ly/HmCNlk

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 24 - 30 March 2012http://bit.ly/H7fEkw

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 17 - 23 March 2012 http://bit.ly/GRLsGe

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 10 - 16 March 2012 http://bit.ly/xeD89Z

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 3 - 9 March 2012 http://bit.ly/xXluYG

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 25 February - 2 March 2012 http://bit.ly/yEY43C

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 18 - 24 February 2012. http://bit.ly/w6elbW

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 11 - 17 February 2012 http://bit.ly/wHGMzb

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 4 - 10 February 2012http://bit.ly/wxqQsX

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 28 January - 3 February 2012http://bit.ly/zdQXyW

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 21-27 January 2012 (Florida Edition)http://bit.ly/yw836U

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 14-20 January 2012 (AWRA Day!)http://bit.ly/wOAXFy

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 7-13 January 2012 (Triskaidekaphobia Day!)http://bit.ly/z8j8s2

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 31 December 2011 - 6 January 2012 http://bit.ly/xvMj3P

Streams, Lakes, Dams, and Ecosystems
Utah judge says streams are public assets, but access still a question http://is.gd/aDhEIW

Rocky Barker: Confront ‘Noah’s Choice’ or keep arguing?http://is.gd/VbWSZR

Sandpoint declines Idaho offer to apply herbicide in Lake Pend Oreille near city beaches to eradicate milfoil. http://is.gd/hjmVkE

Environmental groups, tribes protest nuclear power plant along Green River. http://is.gd/VdbETU

Return of sockeye to Idaho lake: the legacy of Lonesome Larry.http://is.gd/Qbn0CU

RT @americanrivers CO River is basis of West’s economy. One more reason to protect the Green River http://ow.ly/b2Zh6#MER2012

RT @aquatic_habitat Natural, Functional, and Restored Wetlands Conserve Precious Water http://tinyurl.com/84wugx6

Salazar Announces Improvements to Glen Canyon Dam Ops to Restore High Flows and Native Fish in Grand Canyon http://is.gd/DUvTKY

Algae bloom on Bighorn River irks irrigators, anglers.http://is.gd/ervJxm

Twitter, E-Newspapers, and E-Newsletters
WASH Advocates May 2012 Newsletter. http://is.gd/LxS6gC

RT @daviddavis The Poverty & Water Daily is out! http://bit.ly/htVHfn▸ Top stories today via @TFFTAFRICA @austinmann @equitas_inc

H2OSU Newsletter - 21 May 2012. http://is.gd/zLoxhW

Read The Water @h2oMatters Weekly w/top stories via@TheWaterLetter @WaterWired @Waterkeeper @TheRainCatcherhttp://is.gd/nDWRWe

RT@WaterTreatment_ Daily is out! http://bit.ly/rhsrB1 ▸ Top stories today via @MiningConnect @LongBeachWater

The @WaterFootprints Daily is out! http://bit.ly/eDEDnD ▸ Top stories today via @WaterWired @WaterTechOnline @unitedutilities

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

The @Water_Supply Daily is out! http://bit.ly/i1Ca7r ▸ Top stories today via @WaterWired @GetFirefighJobs @CareNews

RT @medindoagua The Água & Water Daily is out!http://bit.ly/hRCisK ▸ Top stories today via @watercrunch@PeterGleick @WUIW 

Water Ethics Newsletter - May 2012. http://is.gd/qLDUw2

OSU CEOAS Newsletter - 'Making Waves' - 25 May 2012.http://is.gd/1AyZRe

@BCWaterNews 25 May 2012: AZ, NM, NV, & US/International.http://is.gd/BC20UP

Water Quality and Wastewater

Via @EcoCentered RT @EPAWater CWA 40th Anniv. Video Project: Tell Us Why Water is Worth It to You in 15 sec videohttp://is.gd/xdGQGu

Study: Pollutants found in remote lakes, rivers. http://is.gd/N5jG2W

RT @MnPCA Minnesota's new pollution watchdog takes control http://is.gd/3i07VY via @mprnews

Water Supply and Water Use
Top 5 Commonly Missed Rainwater Harvesting Cistern Components.http://is.gd/8kKUdV

Wungong Catchment Trial http://is.gd/dxruqW (tnx @cynthiabarnett)

Wyoming snowpack down to 22 percent of average http://is.gd/TpMLns

@nprnews Mongolia's Dilemma: Who Gets The Water? http://is.gd/8TsTPc

Via @waterguru2 El Paso residents urged to cut water use for 2 weeks. http://is.gd/KDcwBb

RT @waltonwater Water supply district in Midland, Texas approves $162 million contract for new 10 MGD pipeline http://bit.ly/Kyluun

RT @markgrossi Snowpack numbers updated today, look at Southern Sierra -- zip http://1.usa.gov/A5Vqqp #cawater

RT @sciam Earth Thirst: Solving the Freshwater Crisishttp://bit.ly/KsElr1

RT @ASCETweets Concerns Over Sinkholes Scuttle Tampa Bay's Reservoir Expansion http://ow.ly/aYCwG

WTF?

Via @SWFWMDmatters From Tom Swihart's Blog: Political cleansing of FL WMD Exec. Directors complete. Consequences dire.http://is.gd/BluTze

WTF? Via @HeartlandInst MT @SeeTac7 TY! 1000s who fight for#liberty & I'll spread #truth on #climatechangelies #IStandWithHeartlandInst

"Florida will be gone altogether, the whole damned place, in not too long." -James Lovelock

Florida's WMDs: Dire Straits Ahead?

Okay, so I'm almost 3,000 miles from Florida and did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. 

However, I am an ex-New Yorker who grew up watching and listening to commercials extolling the virtues of life in Florida, a place where many of my former classmates now reside.  

Seriously though, I do know folks who work at and with some of Florida's Water Management Districts and I have been troubled by what I've heard regarding budget cuts and layoffs.

Then there was this recent post from Tom Swihart's Watery Foundation blog: Florida Water Management Sub-Districts.

But things are not yet as bad as James Lovelock thinks they'll be.

Enjoy!

"There are no WMDs in Iraq; everyone knows they're all in Florida." - hydrologist (former stand-up comedian)

John Matthews Is No Dope: Better Living Through Water Infrastructure

In case you're wondering about the title: I did feel an obligation to aaure my readers that John Matthews is, in fact, no dope, despite this slide (click on it to enlarge) that began his presentation yesterday:

You're wondering if the Power Point gremlins have been up to no good, but the slide is actually a picture of a whiteboard that someone defaced at a recent meeting John attended. Seems that during a meeting break, some ne'er-do-well (rumored to be Dr. Guillermo Mendoza, one of USACE-IWR's bright young engineers) crept in and played prankster. All in good fun, and the group soon returned to more important matters, suxh as designing a QP-based optimization scheme to locate a good South Asian restaurant in the culinary barrens of suburban DC.

Joking aside, here is the PDF of John's presentation, Better Living Through Water Infrastructure: Ecology, Economics and Communications:

Download 2012_v_22 OSU Matthews AGWA comms

His talk was well-received, and it was good to see students flock to the front of the room after the talk to question him. I have received four emails attesting to the excellence of his presentation - that response is unusual. 

So what does he do? Well, John is director  of Freshwater Climate Change at Conservation Internatonal. He also founded the AGWA - Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, a group of 'heavy hitters' that is making strides in the realm of water adaptation to climate change. I'm impressed - I knew of the group and John's participation, but I had no idea he founded it. 

Very good talk and a most enjoyable dinner - some good stories were told. John's doing some remarkable work around the world. You can follow his work and travels on his blog or Twitter. 

And don't bet him that you have more frequent flyer miles. 

"A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door." - Unknown

Catholic Bishops on Climate Change and Environmental Justice

After John Matthews' great talk today (a post will be forthcoming) doctoral student extraordinaire Kara DiFrancesco inquired if he or I had heard about the Catholic bishops' statement on climate change and environmental justice. Neither of us had, but it comes as no surprise that they have such a statement, And it was no surprise to find Kara's informative email awaiting me when I returned from dinner with John.

This is from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services:

Download Catholic response to climate change

 Here is the UCCSB's Climate Change Justice and Health Initiative. The UCCSB actively lobbies Congress,

And there is a Catholic Climate Covenant as well.

So it's safe to say the Catholics and their bishops are not followers when it comes to climate change and related issues. They have done this before, too; I previously posted about some Catholic bishops' efforts to promote environmental stewardship in the Columbia River Basin. In that post I noted other religious organizations besides Catholics who are proactive with respect to climate change and related issues.

Thanks, Kara.

 "The earth dries up and withers, the world languished and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth lies under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt." -- Isaiah 24: 4-6