WaterWired

Robert Lackey Video: 'Use — and Abuse — of Science in Water Resource Policy and Management'

Robert T. 'Bob' Lackey's recent AWRA Webinar has been posted on the Oregon State University website. Here is the link.

Bob's one of the smartest guys in the room and very provocative (according to some).  

Here is his PDF: 
Download AWRA-Lecture-Use-and-Abuse-of-Science-Slides-Lackey-May-4-2016

   

Enjoy!

"To  succeed,  a  wild  salmon  recovery  strategy  must  change  the  trajectory  of  the  major   policy  drivers  or  that  strategy  will  fail;  it  will  be  added  to  a  long  list  - 165  years  in  the  making - of  noble,  earnest,  and  failed  salmon  recovery  strategies." - Robert T. Lackey   

Our Ten Cents: 'Groundwater and the 8th World Water Forum'

It's been my limited experience that trying to get groundwater on the agenda of the World Water Fora is like the proverbial pulling of teeth from a distraught grizzly bear.

In an ideal world, one should not have to do this because groundwater should be included in the discussions of IWRM, water management, water governance, water conflict, etc. But the powers-that-be don't see it that way. 

Below is a proposal the three organizations whose logos are shown above sent to the World Water Council in time for this week's 8th World Water Forum Kick-Off session in Brasilia. We limited the text to two pages - one piece of paper - adhering to the KISS [Keep It Short, Stupid!] rule.

Comments are welcomed. The full text follows the PDF. 

Download Groundwater at 8WWF_Final

***************************************************************************

Groundwater and the 8^th World Water Forum

    Contact: Michael E. Campana, Technical Director, AWRA
                                       [email protected]

“The exposure of multinational companies to depleting and degrading groundwater is increasing. The rapid depletion of aquifers is a systemic risk to one billion people in the world’s growing economies. Aquifers are shared across national borders and have the potential to spark conflict. Companies must 
act beyond their site operations and help improve groundwater governance if they are to ensure their sustainable growth.” – Foreword, ‘Global Depletion of Aquifers’, Chapter 4 in Earth Security Index 2016 Report.

The MDGs are now history and we have moved into the era of the SDGs. Although water now has its own goal - #6 Clean Water and Sanitation - it is a crosscutting issue that affects all goals. Besides SDG 6, water is arguably especially important to SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger); 5 (Gender Equality); 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy); 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities); 13 (Climate Action); 14 (Life Below Water); 15 (Life on Land); and 17 (Partnerships). Groundwater, by far the largest liquid freshwater reservoir, looms large in all these goals. Its importance likely has been magnified by the desiccation of surface freshwater resources via global warming. It should therefore be afforded a significant presence at the 8^th World Water Forum. Groundwater quality must also be addressed; to consider only groundwater quantity is to deal incompletely with the resource.

With the aforementioned as background, we, the American Water Resources Association, the National Ground Water Association and the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre, propose the following sessions at 8WWF [note that Session 7 includes all freshwater resources]:

1) Sustainable Groundwater. What exactly is meant by ‘sustainable’ groundwater? Experts speak about groundwater as being sustainable, renewable, unsustainable, nonrenewable, etc. What do these terms mean? Others assign sustainability or renewability using a temporal criterion. Is it renewable over a 50-year timespan? 100 year? Does it matter? What guidance can hydrogeologists and modern groundwater science provide to water managers and planners?

2) Groundwater in a World of Diminishing Surface Freshwater Supplies. Can we identify geographical hotspots where groundwater supplies could be utilized to mitigate conflict and supplant declining surface water supplies? This session will involve identification of areas where surface water supplies are expected to decline, populations increase, and groundwater can be developed.

3) Groundwater, Hydrophilanthropy, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH). How can groundwater and the concept of hydrophilanthropy be used to enhance our ability to bring WaSH to the world’s population so that the MDGs can finally be met and exceeded? [This could be separated into two sessions, with hydrophilanthropy given its own session that would include all freshwater.]

4) Groundwater Governance and Management. With the increased importance of groundwater, its governance and management become more important. Governance and management models will be examined and case studies examined. The combined (integrated) governance of groundwater, surface water, quality, and ecosystem requirements will be addressed.

5) Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR). MAR can be implemented at small and large scales. Local entities [India is a good example] have developed successful MAR schemes. MAR at regional scales might be able to harvest water from faster-than-normal melting glaciers (Andes, Himalayas, etc.) and store the water from this ‘one-time-only’ melt for use as a buffer to replace declining surface freshwater resources. [This session could be combined with [2] above.]

6) Groundwater Tools for the 21^st Century. Groundwater has entered the realm of ‘Big Data’, cloud computing, satellite remote sensing (GRACE, etc.), mobile phone ubiquity, nanosensors, non-invasive porous medium and fluid characterization, etc. How can these technologies best be integrated into groundwater management? What technologies are on the horizon? [note that ‘new’ GRACE satellites will be launched in 2017.]

7) A Quarter Century of IWRM: What Have We Learned? This session transcends groundwater by including all freshwater resources. By the time of 8WWF in 2018, the concept of IWRM will be about 25 years old. It is time for a thoughtful retrospective to assess IWRM’s efficacy and suitability for a world now focusing on SDGs. Is IWRM obsolete? Does it adequately address and inform water management in a [hydroclimatologically] non-stationary world?

*******************************************************************************

Enjoy!

 "Aquifers are shared across national borders and have the potential to spark conflict. Companies must
act beyond their site operations and help improve groundwater governance if they are to ensure their sustainable growth.” – from the Foreword, ‘Global Depletion of Aquifers’, Chapter 4 in Earth Security Index 2016 Report,

Josh Newton's Water Jobs & More - 28 June 2016 (Updated: 29 June)

Josh is in Brasilia attending the Kick-Off meeting for the 8th World Water Forum.

Josh's awesome new Water Jobs website is up! Take a look here! His jobs are on Facebook, too!  

View Josh's 28 June 2016 water jobs online here.   

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshnewtonH2O. Follow Josh's Water Jobs on Twitter: @joshswaterjobs

Josh's and other job notices are archived here. All the jobs I post are archived at Twitter; the hashtag is #JobWaWi. 

Dates shown are closing dates unless otherwise indicated. 'None' means no closing date was indicated. 'Soon' means, well...soon!

As more jobs come in I will post them at the bottom (Additional Positions) and date when I post them. I am also posting some general job sites. I will continue to post my weekly summary of Josh's jobs and more.

Some General Employment Resources:

1) Check out @AidJobs - Vacancies in aid, development, humanitarian & nonprofit sector (volunteers, consultants or F-T employment) http://aidjobs.org

2) UN Jobs in Water Resources

3) UN Jobs in Water Management

4) UN Jobs in Water and Sanitation

5) Global Water Jobs

6) WASH Vacancies

7) Academic Jobs Online

8) Get Hydrology Jobs

9) AAG Jobs

10) @BCWaterNews Jobs Click 'View Jobs' at http://bcwaterjobs.com 

11) @EcologyWA - Current Openings - Updated every few days http://1.usa.gov/1evxlPd

12) Geoscience Job Board

13) California DWR Jobs

14) AZ Water Career Center 

15) Florida Water Jobs

16) NYC DEP 

To the jobs!

Josh’s Pick:

1) Program Assistant (Climate and Water) – Skoll Global Threats Fund (San Francisco): Until filled (I'd be applying here if I were more junior. Skoll is doing some great work on water)

Minimum experience level requested:

0-4 years

2) Special Projects Coordinator – water.org (Kansas City, MO, USA): Until filled

3) European Senior Project Officer (Water Program) – CDP (Berlin): 30 June

4) Programme Officer (Latin America) – International Center on Small Hydro Power (China): 22 July

5) Programme Officer (Publishing) - International Center on Small Hydro Power (China): 31 July

6) Research Analyst – University of Arizona/Water Resources Research Center (Tucson, AZ, USA): 6 July

7) Planning and Policy Associate – Waterfront Alliance (New York): 15 July

8) Assistant /Associate Planner (Water Resources) - Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (Chicago): 9 July

9) Environmental Protection Specialist – Washington DC Government (Washington DC): 30 June

10) Program Officer (International Climate Policy) – WWF-US (Washington DC): Until filled

11) Finance & Administration Manager – Lake Winnipeg Foundation (Winnipeg, MB, Canada): 12 July

12) Program Coordinator (Natural Resources Management) – Aga Khan Foundation (Afghanistan): 12 July

5-9 years

13) Senior Specialist (Water and Environment) – Engility (Alexandria, VA, USA): Until filled

14) Water Resources Technical Planner – TNC (West Palm Beach, FL, USA): 12 July

15) Senegal nationals: Environment & Climate Officer – IFAD (Dakar): 16 July

16) Kenya nationals: Environment & Climate Officer – IFAD (Nairobi): 16 July

17) Peru nationals: Environment & Climate Officer – IFAD (Lima): 16 July

18) Indonesia nationals: Environment & Climate Officer – IFAD (Jakarta): 16 July

19) Healthy Communities Staff Attorney (Water) – Earthjustice (New York): Until filled

20) Director of Development (Global Water) – TNC (Arlington, VA, USA): 31 July

21) Manager (Water Resources) – Edwards Aquifer Authority (San Antonio, TX, USA): 8 July

10+ years

22) French speakers: Assistant Technique GIRE auprès de l’ABN – Autorité du Bassin du Niger (Niamey, Niger): 30 June

23) Senior Water Program Manager – AECOM (Norfolk, VA, USA): Until filled

24) China Program Officer – GGGI (China): 14 July

25) Senior Technical Manager – UNOPS (New York): 4 July

Not stated/Other

26) US nationals: Program Analyst (WASH Policy and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist) – USAID (Washington DC): 18 July

27) US nationals: Program Analyst (Water and Sanitation Research Specialist) – USAID (Washington DC): 18 July

28) Head of Programme (Risk and Resilience) – ODI (London): 13 July

29) Government & Regional Affairs Representative - Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Los Angeles): 25 July

30) US nationals: Environmental Social Science for Resilience Research - U.S.   Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Washington DC): Until filled

31) Four lake-related postdoc positions – Vermont EPSCoR/University of Vermont (Burlington, VT, USA): Until filled

32) US nationals (or LPR): National Watershed Integrity Mapping – US-EPA (Corvallis, OR, USA): Until filled

33) Integrated Water Management (Post-Master’s Research) – US-EPA (Narragansett, RI, USA): Until filled

34) Climate Interaction Postdoctoral Fellow (Climate & Ecosystems) – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley, CA, USA): Until filled

35) Program Officer (Technology Transfer) – International Center on Small Hydro Power (China): 20 July

36) 1-2 Community Education and Outreach Staff (Pro Agua) – William C. Velasquez Institute (California): Until filled

WASH:

37) WASH/Shelter Program Manager – ACTED (Afghanistan): Until filled

38) WASH Resilience Adviser – Oxfam GB (Oxford, UK): 22 July

39) Regional Programme Officer (East Africa Region) – WaterAid (East Africa): 1 July

40) Water and Sanitation Engineer – UN-DPKO (Lebanon): 6 July

41) Sector Leader (WASH) – SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (Nairobi): 15 July

42) National WASH Cluster Co-Coordinator – NRC (South Sudan): Until filled

43) WASH Officer – Save the Children (Lagos, Nigeria): 11 July

44) WASH Adviser – Save the Children (Lagos, Nigeria): 11 July

45) DRC nationals: Un(e) Administrateur (trice) au Programme WASH – UNICEF (DRC): 9 July

46) DRC nationals: Un(e) Administrateur (trice) WASH chargé(e) de l’assurance qualité des partenariats – UNICEF (DRC): 9 July

47) WASH Technical Advisor – Global Communities (Silver Spring, MD, USA): Until filled

48) Emergency Roster: WASH Team Lead (P4) – WHO (Various): 15 July

49) WASH Program Manager – Mercy Corps (Lebanon): Until filled

Consultancies:

50) Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development and Adaptation to Climate Change – UNDP (Home-based w/travel): 7 July

51) Ghana nationals: Scaling-up of the Rural Sanitation Model and Strategy – UNICEF (Ghana): 7 July

52) Strategic Environmental Assessment Expert – GGGI (Jakarta): 28 June

53) Associate Environmental Economist – GGGI (Indonesia): 1 July

54) Bangladesh nationals: Senior National Expert on environmental/natural resources economics – UNDP (Dhaka): 11 July

Internships:

55) Summer Research-Policy Intern – TreePeople (Los Angeles): Until filled

56) French speakers: Event Planning for the Geneva Environment Network Secretariat – UNEP (Geneva): 8 July

57) Intergovernmental Policy Coordination and Interagency Processes – UNEP (New York): 6 July

58) Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI) programme support – UNEP (Geneva): 8 July

59) Intern/Assistant to the Senior Regional Advisor (Europe) – Ramsar (Gland, Switzerland): 15 July

Additional Positions:

Posted: 28 June 2016

60) Postdoctoral Position: GEOMAR (Kiel, DE) - Earth System Modeling on Glacial Timescales. Closes: 22 July http://tinyurl.com/gw9vt9l  #JobWaWi

61) Position: North Santiam Watershed Council (OR) - Restoration Project Technician. Closes: 15 July http://tinyurl.com/jqb95wd  #JobWaWi

62) Position: North Santiam Watershed Council (OR) - Restoration Project Manager. Closes: 15 July http://tinyurl.com/h5fh88d  #JobWaWi

63) Position: @Willamette_P (Portland, OR) - Ecosystem Services Specialist. Closes: 18 July http://tinyurl.com/j3po7ar  #JobWaWi

64) Postdoc Position: U of WA or Carnegie Mellon U - Regional-scale Water Resources Modeling Under Climate Change.  Download Postdoctoral_Research_Associate_Opportunity_NSF_062016-2

65) Position: Snohomish County (Everett, WA) - Water Quality Specialist III - Public Works. Closes: 12 July http://bit.ly/2917zzT  #JobWaWi

66) Position: Wetland Services, Inc. (Henderson, KY) - Field Ecologist. http://tinyurl.com/gwppbfn  #JobWaWi

Posted: 29 June

67) Position: @USDA_ARS (Beltsville, MD) - Chemist. Closes: 12 July. http://tinyurl.com/jrpwy29  #JobWaWi

68) Position: Walker Basin Convervancy (Reno, NV) - Water Conservation Program Manager. OUF http://tinyurl.com/jk2jp2c  #JobWaWi 

 

69) Position: @UConnExtension (Haddam, CT) - Municipal Stormwater Educator. OUF. http://tinyurl.com/h8j6kdw  #JobWaWi

 

70) Position: @USGS (Fort Collins, CO) - Research Ecologist. Closes: 25 July. http://tinyurl.com/z7qa53e  #JobWaWi

 

71) Positions: @USGS (Reno, NV & Dixon, CA) - Cartographic Technicians. Closes: 5 July http://tinyurl.com/zetrlv7  #JobWaWi

 

72) Position: @BLMArizona (Safford) - Hydrologist. Closes: 13 July. http://tinyurl.com/z7gfz27  #JobWaWi

 

73) Position: @USDA_NRCS (Bloomsburg, PA) - Soil Conservationist (Resource Conservationist). Closes: 6 July. http://tinyurl.com/jk26gz2  #JobWaWi

 

74) Position: @smithsonian (Washington, DC) - Research Geologist. Closes: 20 July. http://tinyurl.com/jqhgo94  #JobWaWi

 

75) Position: @ColumbiaNature (Vancouver, WA) - Conservation Lead. Closes: 18 July. http://tinyurl.com/j7lyma3  #JobWaWi

 

"The truth is more important than the facts." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Enviro-Sciences - 27 June 2016

Another Reno Rodeo is in the books! 

I survived my one-week course (aka 'boot camp') in Physical Hydrology, 10 AM - 4:50 PM each day. Shades of my Edwards Aquifer Authority all-day lectures on 8 April 2016. Next up: the Yakima Valley, where it will be close to 100 degrees F (38 C) most of the week.

Would you be interested in receiving these Bulletin Boards via email directly from Elaine? Send an email to [email protected] with the word “subscribe” in the subject line and the email address will be added to Elaine's email list. 

Elaine's previous Bulletin Boards are archived here and at #EJHBB on Twitter.

Here is a link to the weekly water news and jobs for  18 - 24 June 2016.

Note: all the links should be hot; if not, paste the URL into your browser. The PDF and Word lists below contain the URLs.

Here are the lists in Word/PDF:

As a PDF:  Download Bulletin_board_lists_27June2016

As a Word document:  Download Bulletin_board_lists_27June2016  

Geosciences Bulletin Board - 27 June. Compiled by Elaine J. Hanford. 

USGS launches new website

• https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/welcome-new-usgsgov-1

New book provides significant glimpse of ice-free Greenland

• http://sciencenordic.com/new-book-ice-free-greenland-photos-and-science
• The Book: http://www.icefreegreenland.info/

Is there a simple explanation for rogue waves?

• http://www.technology.org/2016/06/22/understanding-rogue-ocean-waves-may-simple/

Unusual methods used by paleontologists to find fossils

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-are-some-weirdest-ways-paleontologists-find-fossils-180959557/

USGS estimates 72 percent probability of M6.7+ in San Francisco Bay area before 2043, Hayward, Calavaras, and San Andreas fault are most likely sources

• http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/06/22/hayward-fault-poses-the-highest-quake-danger/

Extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous not only mean the demise of large dinosaurs, but also many mammal species as well

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/event-wiped-out-dinosaurs-nearly-did-mammals-well-180959521/

Canadian sea-floor instruments will monitor seismic activity very close to Cascadia fault

• http://www.nature.com/news/canadian-earthquake-detector-has-deep-sea-edge-over-us-rival-1.20130

Lava “skylights” are forming on Hawaii when portions of lava tube roof collapses

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lava-skylights-hawaii-volcano_us_5769b9f8e4b09926ce5cf59e

NSF looking for new facility to store Antarctic marine-sediment cores

• http://www.nature.com/news/iconic-antarctic-geology-lab-gets-the-boot-1.20096

Amber specimens reveal mid-Cretaceous insects disguised themselves with exoskeletons of other bugs

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/some-ancient-insects-wore-exoskeletons-other-bugs-disguise-themselves-180959554/

When assessing the impacts of abandoned mines, geoscience should be kept in mind

• http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/bringing-geoscience-bear-problem-abandoned-mines

Weather-related tsunami (meteotsunami) hit New Jersey & Delaware beaches causing water levels to drop a half meter

• http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/06/weather-related_tsunami_hits_jersey_shores_report.html

Fossils of Tetrapdophis amplectus, a snake-like species that lived 110 million years ago, may help shed light on evolution of snakes

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Rare_snake_fossil_sheds_light_on_early_reptile_evolution_999.html

Sierra Nevada snowpack may need a few more years to recover

• http://phys.org/news/2016-06-sierra-nevada-snowpack-recover-drought.html

More fossils will help fill in the gaps on the T-Rex family tree

• http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/statistics-shine-light-t-rex-family-tree

A new type of meteorite that was found in a limestone quarry has been identified and has a distinctive composition with almost all minerals – except spines & chromite - altered

• http://www.sci-news.com/geology/new-type-meteorite-ost-65-03955.html

USGS has developed preliminary regional hydrogeologic/geochemical model of aquifers in Texas

• https://www.usgs.gov/news/assessing-groundwater-over-time-gaines-terry-and-yoakum-counties-texas

Massive boulder falls onto Waterfall Way…no one injured… 4-hour task to remove it

• http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/gigantic-rock-an-even-bigger-task-to-move-off-road/3048662/

The Caribbean Sea makes a loud “Rossby whistle” that can be heard in space in the form of oscillations of the gravity field of Earth

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160621111549.htm

Constant large-scale motion has now been documented along the San Andreas fault system

• http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/san-andreas-fault-gps-reveals-constant-large-scale-motion-around-california-system-1566507

Ultra-deep diamonds contain ringwoodite transitioning to bridgmandite

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/diamonds-illuminate-origins-earths-deepest-oceans-180959480/

Another court ruling…just which federal agency is responsible for regulating fracking?

• http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/22/483061014/federal-judge-strikes-down-obama-administrations-fracking-rules

Russia launches the biggest and most powerful icebreaker in the world, powered by two nuclear reactors

• http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/16/482288188/russia-launches-worlds-biggest-most-powerful-icebreaker

General Bathymetric Charge of Oceans project may create a comprehensive map of the ocean floor

• https://mic.com/articles/146707/we-still-haven-t-mapped-most-of-the-ocean-but-that-could-be-about-to-change#.F2a7BsCgU

Team of experts to assess damages to Monad Shoal following removal of ship that went aground

• http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/96258/experts-to-assess-extent-of-damage-of-monad-shoal

PG&E announces that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant will be shut down in 2025

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/last-nuclear-power-plant-california-will-shut-down-180959527/

Enviro-Sciences BulletinBoard - 27 June. compiled by Elaine J. Hanford.

USGS launches new website

• https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/welcome-new-usgsgov-1

New book provides significant glimpse of ice-free Greenland

• http://sciencenordic.com/new-book-ice-free-greenland-photos-and-science
• The Book: http://www.icefreegreenland.info/

Is there a simple explanation for rogue waves?

• http://www.technology.org/2016/06/22/understanding-rogue-ocean-waves-may-simple/

Unusual methods used by paleontologists to find fossils

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-are-some-weirdest-ways-paleontologists-find-fossils-180959557/

USGS estimates 72 percent probability of M6.7+ in San Francisco Bay area before 2043, Hayward, Calavaras, and San Andreas fault are most likely sources

• http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/06/22/hayward-fault-poses-the-highest-quake-danger/

Extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous not only mean the demise of large dinosaurs, but also many mammal species as well

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/event-wiped-out-dinosaurs-nearly-did-mammals-well-180959521/

Canadian sea-floor instruments will monitor seismic activity very close to Cascadia fault

• http://www.nature.com/news/canadian-earthquake-detector-has-deep-sea-edge-over-us-rival-1.20130

Lava “skylights” are forming on Hawaii when portions of lava tube roof collapses

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lava-skylights-hawaii-volcano_us_5769b9f8e4b09926ce5cf59e

NSF looking for new facility to store Antarctic marine-sediment cores

• http://www.nature.com/news/iconic-antarctic-geology-lab-gets-the-boot-1.20096

Amber specimens reveal mid-Cretaceous insects disguised themselves with exoskeletons of other bugs

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/some-ancient-insects-wore-exoskeletons-other-bugs-disguise-themselves-180959554/

When assessing the impacts of abandoned mines, geoscience should be kept in mind

• http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/bringing-geoscience-bear-problem-abandoned-mines

Weather-related tsunami (meteotsunami) hit New Jersey & Delaware beaches causing water levels to drop a half meter

• http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/06/weather-related_tsunami_hits_jersey_shores_report.html

Fossils of Tetrapdophis amplectus, a snake-like species that lived 110 million years ago, may help shed light on evolution of snakes

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Rare_snake_fossil_sheds_light_on_early_reptile_evolution_999.html

Sierra Nevada snowpack may need a few more years to recover

• http://phys.org/news/2016-06-sierra-nevada-snowpack-recover-drought.html

More fossils will help fill in the gaps on the T-Rex family tree

• http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/statistics-shine-light-t-rex-family-tree

A new type of meteorite that was found in a limestone quarry has been identified and has a distinctive composition with almost all minerals – except spines & chromite - altered

• http://www.sci-news.com/geology/new-type-meteorite-ost-65-03955.html

USGS has developed preliminary regional hydrogeologic/geochemical model of aquifers in Texas

• https://www.usgs.gov/news/assessing-groundwater-over-time-gaines-terry-and-yoakum-counties-texas

Massive boulder falls onto Waterfall Way…no one injured… 4-hour task to remove it

• http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/gigantic-rock-an-even-bigger-task-to-move-off-road/3048662/

The Caribbean Sea makes a loud “Rossby whistle” that can be heard in space in the form of oscillations of the gravity field of Earth

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160621111549.htm

Constant large-scale motion has now been documented along the San Andreas fault system

• http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/san-andreas-fault-gps-reveals-constant-large-scale-motion-around-california-system-1566507

Ultra-deep diamonds contain ringwoodite transitioning to bridgmandite

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/diamonds-illuminate-origins-earths-deepest-oceans-180959480/

Another court ruling…just which federal agency is responsible for regulating fracking?

• http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/22/483061014/federal-judge-strikes-down-obama-administrations-fracking-rules

Russia launches the biggest and most powerful icebreaker in the world, powered by two nuclear reactors

• http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/16/482288188/russia-launches-worlds-biggest-most-powerful-icebreaker

General Bathymetric Charge of Oceans project may create a comprehensive map of the ocean floor

• https://mic.com/articles/146707/we-still-haven-t-mapped-most-of-the-ocean-but-that-could-be-about-to-change#.F2a7BsCgU

Team of experts to assess damages to Monad Shoal following removal of ship that went aground

• http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/96258/experts-to-assess-extent-of-damage-of-monad-shoal

PG&E announces that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant will be shut down in 2025

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/last-nuclear-power-plant-california-will-shut-down-180959527/

"It's not what they say about you. It's what they whisper about you." - Errol Flynn

Global Groundwater Galore and More! Read Earth Security Group's 'Earth Security Index 2016'

This report, the Earth Security Index 2016, was just released by the Earth Security Group. The target audiences are multinational corporations and governments - and of course WaterWonks like me.

Download The-Earth-Security-Index-2016

Click on the graphics to enlarge them. 

There are several forewords to the report. here are the first two:

Alejandro Litovsky, Founder & CEO, Earth Security Group

The societal context for companies operating on a global scale is changing and requires a new kind of business leadership. Companies must look for new ways of partnering with governments and stakeholders to improve the social and ecological stability of the environment around them. At the Earth Security Group, we call this ‘business diplomacy for sustainable development.’

Over the next 5 to 10 years, the developing countries that host large capital investments of global companies in infrastructure, extractives and agriculture, will experience greater social and environmental stress. Large dams, mines, factories and farms are becoming more exposed to water scarcity, land con icts, power outages and more extreme weather. Companies must build trust in their capacity to steward resources in order to retain the legitimacy to operate and grow.

We have developed the 2016 Earth Security Index as a strategic tool for corporate boards to identify the opportunities to adopt a resource leadership position.

The recommendations focus on three global industries. They are based on our outlook of their operating environment in the developing countries that are most important to their investments.

The report should be used as a practical guide to shape corporate strategies, to communicate a company’s alignment with country priorities, and to inform their dialogue with governments. These are three necessary conditions to unlock the next phase of cross-sector cooperation for sustainable development.

Pio Wennubst, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

SDC is supporting the Earth Security Index Report as a modern, fresh and useful tool to engage the private sector on global development challenges.

I personally value this report because it helps me to spread the key message that is embedded in all my activities in development diplomacy: That a strategic dialogue based on facts can help to bridge the different perceptions, interests and personal experiences surrounding development challenges. This is vital for an agency pursuing positive systemic changes.

Societal evolution has shown us that systems often don’t change without a crisis. However, in a crisis, decisions made are often based on fear, undermining trust and cooperation and limiting the potential energy for change. The challenge is to move from a personal to a collective mood for change. I consider the Earth Security Index 2016 as the best of the series so far. This is because it helps to activate the corporate sector towards a fact-based dialogue on development priorities. It proposes to embed new collaborations in a much needed process of business diplomacy that goes beyond corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility.

We are at a point where the private sector now needs to move to integrate all the three dimensions of sustainability — economic, social and environmental — into their main business plans. And we, in the public sector, must help to develop incentives to move in this direction. Congratulations for this excellent piece of work.

What struck me was Chapter 4 on 'Global Depletion of Aquifers'. Here's the opening statement:

 The chapter is very good. Succinct, no wasted words. GRACE data give the global picture. Corporate emphasis is featured. Eight aquifer systems are indentified as 'hot spots'. The lone US representative is the Central Valley of California; the High Plains Aquifer System (Ogallala) is not there. Three are in North Africa, and the rest are in Asia. 

The report discusses groundwater governance, transboundary (transnational) aquifers, institutional shortcomings, insufficient data, mapping and assessment.

Recommendations for business leadership (page 51):

1) Business endorsement of principles for groundwater governance

2) A business leadership role in transboundary aquifer governance

3) A global open data partnership for aquifers

I will give this a closer read - there is more than just groundwater, but it's great to see someone take a crack at it. Bless you, ESG!

Enjoy!

"Big ideas, big opposition. Little ideas, little opposition. No ideas, no opposition." - Sheikh Hamza Yusuf on @FareedZakaria