WaterWired

Two Evenings with Neil deGrasse Tyson

Mary Frances and I treated ourselves to two nights - about 4.5 hours on 28 and 29 November - listening to
lectures by famed astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. It was a remarkable experience. As if you did not know Tyson is an excellent lecturer with a well-developed sense of humor and a style that puts you at ease. He is an accomplished storyteller. And did I say smart? 

This won't be a review - just my few stream-of-consciousness (really?) thoughts on the event.

The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in dpwntown Portland was the venue. It holds about 2800 people. It was close to full on Wednesday and looked to be just about full on Thursday. Both crowds were enthusiastic.

Yes, he did start each talk with a playful dig at those who feel Pluto should be a planet (after an introduction via 'Fly Me to the Moon'). 

He spoke on a different topic each night: 1) Adventures in Science Literacy (28 November); and 2) The Cosmic Perspective (29 November). Brief descriptions are on the event website:

“Adventures in Science Literacy”
The joys of knowing how the universe works and the disasters that can unfold when you do not. In this illustrated talk, examples of each will be drawn from across time and cultures, culminating in a commentary on the state of science in America today.

“The Cosmic Perspective”
There is no view of the world as emotionally potent as the one granted by a cosmic perspective. It’s one that sees Earth as a planet in a vast empty universe. It profoundly influences what we think and feel about science, culture, politics, and life itself.

 He promoted a few books (this is one of his PowerPoints):

We bought signed cooies of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and his most recent (written with Avis Lang),  Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military. I don't fault him for doing a little sales pitch; he did not spend a lot of time on his books.

He gave a few fascinating examples on each topic. He spoke of his encounters with the US justice system - three calls for jury duty, but released each time during voir dire. In one case involving a person alleged to have sold 3000 milligrams of cocaine to an undercover police officer he questioned why '3000 milligrams' was used instead of '3 grams' (about a tenth of an ounce). Thisfirst case resonated with me since I use similar examples in the water resources field.

He said he felt it could prejudice the jury, since '3000' would sound like a lot to many people. He was excused. In another his excuse came about because he said that eyewitness accounts are not as reliable as most people believe. He used his debunking of many 'flying saucer' cases as examples. Excused again!

He made an interesting correlation between the iconic 1968 Earthrise photo by Apollo 8 and the rise of the environmental movement and laws that arose in the late 1960s and early 1970s. 

All in all, money and time very well spent. We enjoyed it and it appeared that our fellow attendees did as well.

Fans will be glad to hear that the TV series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey will premier in March 2019... 

One minor complaint: he spent a lot of time running from center stage to the podium at stage left to change slides. Duhhhh.....

I would be remiss if I did not mention the sexual impropriety allegations against him by three women. Here is the Guardian article and Tyson's Facebook post on the issue.

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." - Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963 (tnx Neil deGrasse Tyson)

CRS Report: 'The Geospatial Data Act of 2018'

This brief CRS report by Peter Folger describes the recently-passed Geospatial Data Act of 2018.

Download CRS_GDA2018_22Oct2018

I had posted on the GDA (see here and here) especially about its exclusionary procurement aspect. 

Here is a statement from the American Association of Geographers announcing the passage of the GDA without the restrictive provisions. Thanks to to the AAG, UCGIS and Dr. Dawn Wright of Esri for their vigilance.

 The introductory material:

In the 114th and 115th Congresses, several bills entitled the Geospatial Data Act were introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives. Congress did not act on legislation introduced in the 114th Congress; however, in September 2018, a version of the bill, the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 (GDA), was included in H.R. 302, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, as Subtitle F of Title VII. Congress passed H.R. 302 on October 3, 2018, and President Trump signed it into law on October 5 as P.L. 115-254.

The federal government has recognized the need to organize and coordinate the collection and management of geospatial data since at least 1990. In that year, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised Circular A-16—which provides guidance regarding coordination of federal surveying, mapping, and related spatial data activities—to establish the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and to promote the coordinated use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data nationwide. Past Congresses have recognized the challenge of coordinating and sharing geospatial data from the local, county, and state level to the national level and vice versa. Until enactment of the GDA, however, the executive branch had led nearly all efforts to better coordinate and share geospatial data within the federal government.

Stakeholders have long recognized the need to better organize and manage geospatial data among federal agencies and among the federal government, local and state authorities, the private sector, and academia. Some observers and stakeholders have commented that the GDA has the potential to improve the extent and efficiency of executive branch agency coordination of geospatial activities and thus to help minimize duplication of effort in acquiring and using geospatial data, saving taxpayers money. However, it could be argued that some level of duplication of effort, and of inefficiency in the management and sharing of geospatial information, will always exist across a vast federal bureaucracy in which a majority of government information has some geospatial component. It also could be argued that the size of the federal bureaucracy is only one factor contributing to the challenges of organizing and managing geospatial data; surveying and mapping activities themselves are prone to duplication of effort among the different missions and goals of the executive branch.

The GDA codifies aspects of OMB Circular A-16, authorizing many of its existing components and modifying or expanding upon other aspects. The GDA continues the FGDC and supports the goal of creating a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), defined in the new law as “the technology, policies, criteria, standards, and employees necessary to promotegeospatial data sharing throughout the Federal Government, State, tribal, and local governments, and the private sector(including nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education).”

The GDA adds a number of congressional oversight components. For example, it adds a requirement for annual performance reporting from each of the federal agencies responsible for a specific geospatial topic (or theme), and it requires the FGDC to conduct a summary and evaluation of each agency in fulfilling the responsibilities listed in the GDA. The annual summaries and evaluations must be made available to the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC, charged with providing advice and recommendations to the FGDC). Further, the law requires the FGDC to make available to Congress, not less than every two years, a report summarizing and evaluating agency performance, comments from the NGAC, responses to those comments, and responses to comments from the responsible agencies themselves.

One long-standing issue for Congress has been the cost of geospatial activities to the federal government—namely, what it costs to acquire, manage, share, and use geospatial data. To help address that concern, the GDA requires the responsible federal agencies to inventory and assess their geospatial data assets as part of their annual budget submissions. The GDA potentially could illuminate for Congress how each responsible agency budgets for its geospatial activities, which may allow Congress to better evaluate what portion of agency appropriations contributes to the federal geospatial enterprise. This information could enable Congress to query the Director of OMB (the vice-chairperson of the FGDC), about the budgetary implications of agency expenditures on geospatial-related activities in each budget cycle.

Enjoy!

"Big data is like teenage sex: everybody talks about it, nobody really knows how to do it, everyone thinks everyone else is doing it, so everyone claims they are doing it." - Dan Ariely

Bless Their Hearts! NWF's Texas Living Waters Project Produces 'Best Bets for Texas Water' - A Guidebook for Texas' Water Future

Sarah Bates of the National Wildlife Federtation - one of the  brightest lights when it comes to the Western  water-land nexus - just sent me this missive about the Texas Living Waters Project. 

Funny I would receive this today. I just finished sending Texas Water Wonk (H2OWonk) extraordinaire Todd Votteler a message. He is editing a fiuture (July 2019) issue of Water Resources IMPACT on - you guessed it - Texas Water! Stay tuned!

 Here's Sarah's email:

NWF’s Texas Living Waters Project team has released an educational guidebook that establishes our positions on and explores the pros and cons of different water supply options in Texas. You can view the interactive guidebook here: https://texaslivingwaters.org/bestbets

This project came together thanks to many contributions and rounds of revisions from the Texas Living Waters policy, science and conservation team. Please send congratulations to: Tom Spencer, Annie Schmitt, Norman Johns, Jennifer Walker, Myron Hess, Susan Kaderka, Ruthie Redmond (Sierra Club) and Paula Paciorek (Galveston Bay Foundation).

In addition to this online release, our team will be leading outreach efforts through webinars for both reporters and the general public, and will leverage our print booklet to build relationships through a state legislative briefing, the Texas Tribune’s Rural Texas Symposium, and one-on-one meetings with local representatives in key counties.

Here’s the release we sent out earlier this week:

Free educational resource helps Texans play an informed role in preparing for Texas’ water future

The Texas Living Waters Project, a coalition of National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter and Galveston Bay Foundation, will release Best Bets for Texas Water this Thursday, Oct. 25. This guidebook explores strategies in Texas’ water security toolbox so that communities can prepare for both flood and drought without sacrificing wildlife and the environment.

The heavy rainfall that parts of Texas have experienced in recent weeks is consistent with climate change studies that predict more intense periods of both flood and drought across the state, causing hardship as communities struggle to prepare for both water extremes. Even as flooding events become more intense, Texas’ inevitable droughts will continue to threaten the long-term viability of the state’s water supplies.

While the most recent (2017) State Water Plan predicts a steadily rising population and growing municipal needs during the next 50 years, it also predicts the state will increasingly have fewer existing water supplies and higher potential for water shortages. As Texans grapple with the challenge of providing enough water for a growing state and a changing climate, the Best Bets for Texas Water guidebook breaks down the pros and cons of different water supply strategies so that community leaders, water suppliers and residents alike can understand the potential impacts of different water supply decisions.

This resource evaluates nine different water supply and management strategies against the following criteria:

• Environment: How does this strategy impact rivers, springs, bays and wildlife?
• True costs: This criteria looks beyond dollar signs to the big picture. How does this strategy affect the Texas economy (and water customers whose wallets foot the bill for water supply projects)?
• Long-term viability: Decades from now, will this strategy have been worth the investment? Looking forward, are there any opportunities and concerns that we already know to expect?

“The good news is that many strategies exist for Texas communities to prepare for a future with more people and less water,” said Tom Spencer, director of the Texas Living Waters Project. “But when it comes to implementing these strategies, the stakes are high. If water supply projects aren’t examined closely and done carefully, water could be wasted, rivers could be depleted, and wildlife could be harmed – all while Texans foot the costly bill.”

Texans can utilize this resource to better understand some of the strategies that will likely be considered during upcoming planning and decision-making processes, such as the 2019 Texas legislative session and the utility-led development of five-year Water Conservation Plans, due May 2019. As the individuals who typically bear the cost burden of water supply strategies through the water rates they pay, residents can use the information in this guide to hold decision-makers accountable for state and local water management approaches.

In addition to the digital version of this resource, the educational tool is also available upon request as a physical booklet. Texans hoping to take a deeper dive into these materials may do so by registering for a webinar that the Texas Living Waters Project team will host on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. Central Time.

Press contact:

Tom Spencer
Director, Texas Living Waters Project
spencert@nwf.org, 512-610-7763

The Texas Living Waters Project is a collaboration of conservation groups working to ensure that there will always be enough fresh water. We do this by using science-based advocacy to encourage balanced approaches to Texas water management. It’s important for our wildlife, our economy and our kids.

I would have loved to have seen 'Best Bets for Nevada' but that's just me.

Enjoy!

"If that ain’t a fact, God’s a possum." - Texas saying

Patrick Griffiths: Good Water News for the City of Bend - OWRD Conservation Award and More!

One of the first WaterWonks I met when I arrived in Oregon in 2006 was Patrick Griffiths of the City of Bend. Patrick hosted me on a visit to the water facilities and was a veritable fountain (pardon the pun) of information not only on Bend's legendary water system but also on Oregon water issues, people and idiosyncrasies. No question was too simple or vague.

Patrick and I have not communicated for a few years so it was wonderful to hear from him. He's now Water Resources Manager for the City of Bend so he was naturally proud of a recent award Bend received from the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD).

Here is the email he sent: 

So wanted to share some good news – you can decide if it is noteworthy and worthy of sharing on WaterWired or other channels.

Bend has again won Gold – tying for first with City of Ashland in OWRD's recent Conservation Awards  (news release attached):

Download 18-08AnnoucementofWinners

Much of the credit goes to budget bounce back post-recession and hiring a great Conservation Program manager and staff, but for me after 18 years of chipping away on the conservation continuum as part of my water resources responsibilities and supply portfolio, we submitted our “Top Ten Integrated Conservation Strategies” to try and show the whole iceberg of work going on to support our public facing WaterWise Program.

They (OWRD) liked it and I think responded to the comprehensive nature of what we have going on.  The 2000-2017 water production graph is a compelling look at water use too!  Clearly always more to do, but big data is getting into the water world with mostly good results!

I have also attached part of our nomination submittal for your review!  Please share out as you see fit.

Download 2018SummaryTopTen ConservationBend

In addition, we are concluding a significant Reclamation Basin Study with some interesting results for the Deschutes, and the irrigation districts are doing some of their best “system improvement plans” (SIPS) to date and chasing big federal money to modernize.  A particular frog and some federal statutes are helping prioritize them a bit…  so lots going on at the basin level too.  Add in the Oregon Legislature apparently making water a priority again as well… could be timely to talk water education!  The state and the Tribes are putting on a invite only water summit Oct 21/22 and facilitated by Jamie Damon. Perhaps you guys can score an invite? (I will raise OSU staff invites at a planning meeting later this week too).

On that note, regardless of the water summit dates, since we now have a little OSU Cascades Campus over here (and growing), I would love to invite you and perhaps your hydrogeologist partner in programmatic crime (Todd) over to sip something from one of our breweries, distilleries or wineries soon to do some informal brainstorming on some water coursework of the future! Be great to chat regardless!  If you have others over here we should pull in, let's do it!

We could throw in a  tour of our new state-of-the-art Water Filtration Facility too and inspect the raw materials of above mentioned product tasting!

Let me know your thoughts and always happy to answer questions and explain our work to date!

Cheers

pg

So good to hear from Patrick and the work he and his staff have done in Bend. I just may take him up on a visit to the other side of the mountains.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

El Paso Water Celebrates 75th anniversary of the W.E. Robertson Water Treatment Plant

Who knew? I received this information from Joshua H. Moniz of El Paso Water. The material is from Martha C. Koester, Public Information Coordinator for El Paso Water.

El Paso Water threw open the doors Sept. 27 at the W.E. Robertson Water Treatment Plant in honor of the plant’s 75th anniversary. Chihuahuita neighbors, former employees and water sector professionals streamed inside, eager to tour the historic and pioneering plant, as mariachis and folklorico dancers provided entertainment.

“This plant represents the foresight of city individuals who dedicated their lives to ensure that El Paso has a continuous, safe and sustainable supply of water,” said President and CEO John Balliew, who fondly recalled beginning his utility career at the plant’s laboratory more than 30 years ago. “We had a great group of employees back then, just as we have now.” 

Significance of plant, neighborhood

Public Service Board member Dr. Kristina Mena spoke about the importance of river water and what it means to El Paso’s water supply. The water treatment plant came online during remarkable growth in the borderland. Residents faced crime, growth, health and environmental challenges, some linked to water quality and supply.

“This beautiful plant marked El Paso’s first step to diversify its water supply so El Paso could thrive and sustain itself,” Mena said. “The importance of river water cannot be understated. Today, El Paso relies on river water for half its water supply in a non-drought year.” 

EPWater commissioned a painting by local, acclaimed artist Patrick Gabaldon to mark the occasion. The painting, “Water Works,” features the close relationship between colorful Chihuahuita and the plant.

“Although the community did have to part with some of their cherished sites to make room for the construction of this plant in the 1940s, within time many in Chihuahuita came to accept the plant and understand that it was necessary because it would benefit the city,” said Christina Montoya, Communications and Marketing Director. “Many residents also took jobs at the plant.”

Moving experience

Chihuahuita Neighborhood Association leader Manuela Rodriguez couldn’t contain her excitement once inside the plant.

“Just walking in brought a lot of memories of my dad who worked here for a long time,” she said. “We fished back here.”

The painting was the cherry on top, she said.  

“What caught my eye was the poles of red, white and blue because my brother and other residents painted all the poles around the neighborhood in the colors of the flag when 9/11 happened.”

To benefit community improvement projects identified by the Chihuahuita Neighborhood Association, signed prints of the painting were sold during the event, with funds collected by the El Paso Community Foundation. For information on purchasing a print – 16-by-20 print is $100, 8-by-10 is $25 — please contact Rene Leon, EPWater Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator, at 915-594-5613 or rleon@epwater.org.

Below is a video about the history of the Robertson plant. If you cannot view it, click here.

Here is a video about the event itself, or click here.

Looks like a good time was had by all.

Congratulations, El Paso Water!

Enjoy!

"I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison