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Episodes

Jan. 25, 2021

waterloop #72: Collaborating for a Sustainable Colorado River with Te…

The higher temperatures and reduced precipitation in the Colorado River Basin are no longer viewed as a short-term drought, but as a longer-term aridification caused by climate change. The alarming strain on the region’s water resources is being met wi...

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Jan. 19, 2021

waterloop #71: Getting Flint's Lead Pipes Out of the Ground

As the drinking water crisis unfolded in Flint, it became clear that removing all of the lead pipes to people’s homes would be a daunting challenge. Among the reasons - a lack of records on locations, competing approaches for the …

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Jan. 11, 2021

waterloop #70: Accelerating Change in Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers with …

Conversation and collaboration are key ingredients in accelerating change in water management across Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania, where aging infrastructure, mining and fracking, and emerging pollutants like PFAS are part of the water chal...

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Jan. 5, 2021

waterloop #69: Keeping Watch on California’s Coast with Sean Bothwell

The spectacular California coast is incredibly diverse, from the mega-urban areas of Southern California and the Bay Area to the rugged rural areas of the Central Coast and Northern California. The water challenges are equally diverse,

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Dec. 16, 2020

waterloop #68: Greg Characklis on Managing Financial Risks from Envir…

Greg Characklis is Director of the Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems at the University of North Carolina. In this episode Greg explains the financial risk to society from variability in the environment, including rainfall, water levels,

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Dec. 16, 2020

waterloop #68: Greg Characklis on Managing Financial Risks from Envir…

Greg Characklis is Director of the Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems at the University of North Carolina. In this episode Greg explains the financial risk to society from variability in the environment, including rainfall, water levels,

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Dec. 14, 2020

waterloop #67: Philip Berke on Planning for Resilient Communities

Philip Berke is the Director of the Center for Resilient Communities and the Environment at the University of North Carolina. In this episode Philip explains the pressing need for communities to focus on planning to become more resilient to climate …

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Dec. 7, 2020

waterloop #66: Kathryn Lucero on Progress for Colonias on the U.S.-Me…

Kathryn Lucero is Community Environmental Management Specialist at Communities Unlimited. In this episode Kathryn talks about colonias, the Spanish word for neighborhood, which is used in reference to residential areas along the U.S.

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Dec. 2, 2020

waterloop #65: Heather Stapleton and Lee Ferguson on Studying PFAS Ex…

- - Heather Stapleton is a professor and Lee Ferguson is an associate professor at Duke University. In this episode Heather and Lee discuss how discovery of GenX in North Carolina’s Cape Fear River sparked testing for PFAS in waterways …

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Nov. 29, 2020

waterloop #64: Susana De Anda on the One Million Californians Without…

An estimated one million people in California lack access to safe, reliable drinking water and most of them are Latino and low-income individuals. Susana De Anda is the Executive Director of the Community Water Center and explains how it uses …

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Nov. 22, 2020

waterloop #63: Marc Edwards on Investigative Science and Engineering …

Marc Edwards is a Professor of Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech University. In this episode Marc discusses how he became involved in the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan and that it was a failure of responsibility across all levels …

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Nov. 16, 2020

waterloop #62: Felicia Marcus on Water Policy in California

Felicia Marcus is a Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program and member of the Water Policy Group. In this episode Felicia discusses many of the major water issues in California, drawing from her experience in leadership roles …

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Nov. 11, 2020

waterloop #61: Peter Colohan and Stacy Timmons on Building the Intern…

Peter Colohan is the Executive Director of the Internet of Water project at Duke University and Stacy Timmons is the Associate Director of Hydrology Programs for the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources.

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Nov. 9, 2020

waterloop #60: Tim Male and Seyi Fabode on Reimagining Drinking Water…

Tim Male is Executive Director of the Environmental Policy Innovation Center and Seyi Fabode is CEO and Co-Founder of Varuna. In this episode Tim and Seyi discuss the need to reinvent the Consumer Confidence Reports that drinking water utilities are …

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Nov. 2, 2020

waterloop #59: Diane Durance on Growing the Blue Economy in North Car…

Diane Durance is the Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). In this episode Diane explains that the term Blue Economy refers to a range of economic uses of ocean and …

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Oct. 27, 2020

waterloop #58: Nathan Ohle on Partnerships for Rural Communities

Nathan Ohle is the CEO of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership. In this episode Nathan talks about the communities and character of rural America, and how water challenges often stem from resource and capacity issues.

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Oct. 21, 2020

waterloop #57: Rick Luettich on Hurricane Science, Impacts, and Resil…

Rick Luettich is Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina. In this episode Rick explains that climate change is warming the ocean and atmosphere and raising sea level,

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Oct. 19, 2020

waterloop #56: Colin Wellenkamp on the Mississippi River Cities and T…

Colin Wellenkamp is the Executive Director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative. In this episode Colin discusses how mayors for more than 100 cities and towns on the main stem of the Mississippi River work together on common …

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Oct. 15, 2020

waterloop #55: Dan Bena on Corporate Stewardship and Global Sustainab…

Dan Bena is a former water and sustainability executive at PepsiCo and currently a senior consultant for the Safe Water Network. In this episode Dan discusses how a global company like PepsiCo views its relationship to water and how corporations …

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Oct. 13, 2020

waterloop #54: Mariah Davis on Advancing Diversity at Environmental O…

Mariah Davis is Policy and Campaigns Manager at the Choose Clean Water Coalition. In this episode Mariah talks about her journey as a Black woman in the environmental field and how she feels about the intense focus on equity the …

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Oct. 7, 2020

waterloop #53: Chris Moore on the Power of Oysters

Chris Moore is Senior Scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In this episode Chris discusses the incredible ability of oysters to filter water and provide habitat for other species. He explains how policy changes, restoration projects,

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Oct. 5, 2020

waterloop #52: Bill Teichmiller on the Benefits of a Water Utility Co…

Bill Teichmiller is the CEO of the EJ Water Cooperative. In this episode Bill discusses how a not-for-profit, member-owned water cooperative provides services to over 77,000 people and is an alternative to public and private water utilities.

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Sept. 27, 2020

waterloop #51: Haley Plaas on the Science of Harmful Algal Blooms

Haley Plaas is a PhD student in the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina. In this episode Haley discusses the science of harmful algal blooms, including causes, toxins they can produce, and concerns for human health.

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Sept. 23, 2020

waterloop #50: Jaimal Yogis on Waves, Surfing, and Zen

Jaimal Yogis is the author of Saltwater Buddha, The Fear Project, All Our Waves Are Water, and Mop Rides the Waves of Life. In this episode Jaimal shares his perspective on the spiritual connection people feel to the ocean and …

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