Rethinking H2O

What is the water energy nexus and why is it important to you? Well, it’s complicated. But we’re here to break it down. The Alberta Energy - Water Nexus Project provides context into the intricate relationship between water and energy consumption as it pertains to agriculture, industry and induvial consumption. As there is no silver bullet to our energy - water problem, we must work amongst multiple stakeholders and energy resources to solve this challenge. Executive Director of Alberta Water Portal Society, Kim Sturgess, leads the charge around this Energy Water Nexus discussion. She teaches us how this portal can be an educational resource for everyone and provides context for individuals on how they can reduce their overall footprint. We hope you enjoy this thoughtful discussion and if you want to learn more, please visit https://albertawater.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Come explore Nature is Medicine in Alaska with Scott Ramsey. Scott leads the Alaska Outdoor Science School which brings kids into the wild and allows people to experience nature in real life.  Located at the end of North America’s longest glacial fjord lies Haines, the Alaska Outdoor Science School (AOSS) enables tangible experiences for children around the world. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, majestic mountains, dynamic glaciers, and wild rivers, Alaska creates the ideal environment to experience one of the last “wild” worlds. AOSS takes a different approach to education. In the traditional classroom setting, students do their best to retain bits of data for a test or paper that they have been given from a textbook and lectures. However, research indicates that this type of learning is generally superficial and less meaningful. Instead, AOSS has lasting learning from experience for students. The AOSS approach combines lectures with experiential opportunities to ground learning and help root understanding. Using nature as a living textbook makes learning more meaningful. To learn more visit https://www.aoss.education/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

#JANDYSTRONG is a story of strength, perseverance and hope.  For those of you that do not know Jake Anderson, please enlighten yourself with this podcast to gain some perspective on life and inspiration for the future. In this episode you will learn about Jake's story, his road to recovery and upcoming events.  In particular, September 29, 2019 will be the fifth and final year at the Chicago half marathon event, and we encourage YOU to come out and support.  For those of you who are new to the JandyStrong movement, we are doing this fundraiser to raise money for paralysis research and recovery, and to support friend Jake Anderson, as he continues to embark on his long journey of extensive medical care and physical therapy.  Last year at the Chicago 1/2 marathon, Jake used a customized tandem trike – engineered by himself and three other UW-Madison students – to complete the 13.1 mile race along Lake Michigan.  It was another significant milestone in Jake’s recovery and an inspiration to us all.  Jake plans to participate again this year, with sights set on beating last year’s finishing time of 1:57:47. If you enjoy this podcast and want to support Jake, please consider donating to the GoFundMe link found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jandystrong-5th-annual-halfmarathon-fundraiser --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

What if we could make our existing infrastructure talk to each other to make our communities more resilient? Faced with a water challenges, a few PHD students from the University of Michigan set out to harness data to solve some of the Great Lakes water challenges.  In this podcast, you will hear from Sara Troutman and Gregory Ewing to learn more about how this project came to life.  In 2018 the Water Environment Foundation opened up the LIFT intelligent water systems challenge to rethink the water problem in the Great Lakes region. Due to many stressors in the Great Lakes region, such as aging infrastructure, changing populations, and rapid development, the sewer and storm water conveyance system is strained well beyond its design. As a result, the combined sewer system experiences untreated combined sewer overflows. To combat these persistent untreated outflows, the University of Michigan team engineered a plan to use real-time sensor feeds to control valves, pumps and gates in the existing system, which dynamically reconfigure themselves to changing inputs. Their winning LIFT Challenge submission lays out an algorithm that can be applied to Great Lake Water Authority system and that is accompanied by a real-time dashboard and decision support tool for operators. The web-based decision-support dashboard is a key innovation, giving real-time readouts of measurements from across the storm water system and also providing control recommendations to the user as determined by the market-based control algorithm. Through data and testing, they were able to show that there is a significant opportunity for GLWA to use its current system (sensors, storage basins, pumps, etc.) to maximize storage and reduce combined sewer overflows. To follow the ongoing program, please visit http://open-storm.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

In this episode of the ReThinking H2O Podcast, we are honored to discuss “Water is Medicine” in action with Travis Bays! Travis started the Bodhi Surf + Yoga camps which are week-long experiential learning vacations in Costa Rica. This includes surfing, yoga, and community and nature immersion to facilitate memorable learning experiences for guests. The most important takeaways of the week are that knowledge and skills are acquired, connections are made, and you leave fulfilled! Once a peace corps member, Travis focuses on listening to others and making sure his business impacts the local community. Travis will elaborate how they encourage sustainable lifestyles with pre, during and post trip education around environmental consumer decisions. If you want to watch a video about what is Bodhi, please watch this video or visit their website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjzSvYqZEdU, https://www.bodhisurfyoga.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Let’s talk about the ocean and fisheries. On this episode of the ReThinking H2O Podcast, we discuss with the President of Lazuli advisors Matt Merighi, who is an interdisciplinary expert at the intersection of policy, business, and technology in the international water sector. Matt gives us context about the ocean and what role the ocean plays with tourism, law, economics and overall climate issues. In addition, Matt will lay the groundwork around aquaculture and how we can address food and nutritional security around the world. To learn more and get in touch with Matt please visit https://www.lazuliadvisors.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

What is hydrology? In short, hydrology is the study of water.  Specifically, hydrology looks at how people impact water and how water impacts people. What is adventure? Adventure is an exciting experience that often invokes emotion. What does the intersection of Adventure and Hydrology look like? Meet Chris Wolff. Chris is the founder and director of Adventure Hydrology who is a hydrologist, adventurer, and filmmaker who uses visual imagery, video and storytelling to connect people to our ever-changing planet. Chris brings you along on his adventures to show you how truly amazing our planet is. By following his YouTube Channel, you can follow all the amazing efforts from the volunteers, scientists and conservationists around the world.  Instead of looking at water as what we use to flush our toilets, adventure hydrology explores the world through the lens of adventure. In this podcast, you will learn about: -The locality of water shed management  -How we as humans can pay it forward to make a positive impact on our watershed -Small acts of stewardship that can make a social impact -What does watershed management look like in New Mexico compared to California -Why are we growing almonds in the desert  To learn more, visit the Adventure Hydrology website http://adventurehydro.com/ or follow @AdventureHydrology --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Did you know that over $15 billion is spent on water infrastructure in the developing world each year and 40% of systems break after 2 years as there is no trackable revenue for maintenance? How do we fix this? eWaterPay strives to solve this problem by offering a pre-payment smart tap that ensures all revenue is tracked and accountable and transparently used by private organizations or governments to pay for maintenance of systems. CEO Alex Burton tells us about how the eWATERpay system is a cheap, simple technology that uses mobile money, near field communication and the Internet of Things cloud server monitoring. Users can purchase credit through several methods, including using the eWATERapp on smartphones, purchasing through mobile money. The credit loads onto their eWATERtag, and eWATERtaps installed at distribution points dispense water and take credit when the user presents the token. The eWATERpay system has helped to solve several challenges. First, water is now available 24/7, which has reduced queues at the tap, and means community members are now free to get water whenever they want. Research by eWATERpay in Gidewari village shows that the average time spent collecting water has reduced from three hours to just ten minutes. Additionally, every drop of water is paid and accounted for, as water is only dispensed once a user presents an eWATERtag at the tap. The money goes directly into an online bank account, and the ‘Essential management model’ means 80% of revenue from water user fees goes to use for operation and maintenance, ensuring the water points keep working. To learn more please watch this video : https://vimeo.com/289269195 Or visit their website : https://www.ewaterpay.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

The best solution for a community is the best solution that works for them. Isla Urbana has harnessed the power of rain water harvesting to bring tangible water solutions to the largest city in Mexico, Mexico City.  Jennifer White of Isla Urbana tells us about how they have designed an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable rainwater harvesting system that collects and cleans rainwater for households, schools and health clinics. The system is inexpensive, easy to install and provides individual residences with about 40% of their water supply. Implemented on a large scale throughout Mexico City, this simple technology could provide 30% of the city’s water and could help give a sustainable source of water to the 12 million Mexicans with no access to clean water. The rainwater harvesting systems are promoting sustainable water management practices, mitigating the city’s flooding problems, relieving poverty, reducing carbon emissions, and providing a reliable source of water for the citizens of Mexico City and throughout the country. As half of the people on earth now live in cities, creating sustainable urban systems has the greatest impact on environmental and social issues. To ensure a future with access to clean water, the most vital resource on the planet, innovative water saving technologies need to be enacted on a large scale starting today. To learn more please visit : http://islaurbana.org/english/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

 What does it mean to ‘Eat Less Water’? Have you ever thought about how much water it actually takes to make the food that we consume? Turns out, it takes a lot of water… Florencia Ramirez, author of Eat Less Water, tells us how her journey towards water conservation initially started in the shower. While living in drought prone California, she commonly heard the normal drought procedures such as take shorter showers and don’t water your lawn. This set off Florencia to introduce shower timers to the public, making it easier for people to actively conserve water. After selling over 80,000 water shower timers, Florencia then had an “A-Ha” moment and realized she was actually focusing on the wrong room in the house. While people can conserve water in the bathroom, the impact of water conversation is much larger in the kitchen. In her book Eat Less Water, Florencia gives us a vivid journey about the water and food crisis in America.  We learn about how individuals can make a difference with our diet choices while also further understanding where our food comes from. At the beginning of every chapter we learn some startling water facts about our favorite foods:  1 pound of red meat = 1,800 gallons of water  1 pound of chocolate requires = 7,727 gallons of water  1 six-pack of beer requires 178 gallons of water  Florencia walks us through the many misconceptions around the term “organic” and “sustainable” farming, and provides us with a roadmap on how to fix our water & food problems. Most significantly, she even provides delicious “eat less water” recipes at the end of every chapter in the book. Florencia inspires us to believe that there is power in the collective, and that we as individuals can make a tangible difference in the world around us. All starting with what you eat for breakfast tomorrow. To learn more please visit: https://eatlesswater.com/  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

The Republic of South Sudan is the world’s youngest and poorest countries in the world. South Sudan’s environment is starkly beautiful but harsh. It has just two seasons: one dramatically wet, the other dry with temperatures often rising above 120°F during both seasons. During the rainy season, water is plentiful for villagers, their crops and their animals. But during the annual six-month dry season, life changes for the worst. The dry season forces millions of South Sudanese each year to leave their village homes in search for water. Some have to abandon their homes and move all together while others, usually, women and children, are forced to trek miles every day to collect water from ponds, marshes, ditches, or hand-dug wells, where the water is often contaminated with disease-causing parasites and bacteria. The results are pain, sickness, even death, especially among infants and children. Through the challenges and despair, the story of Salva Dutt provides us inspiration to move forward and never give up; even when things get tough. Salva was born in a rural village in southwestern Sudan to the Dinka Tribe. At 11 years old, the Sudanese civil war reached his village and separated Salva from his family. He joined thousands of boys, famously known as the "Lost Boys" on their journey by foot to seek safety in a refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. After living in refugee camps for 10 years, Salva was given the opportunity to move to the United States, where he would be embraced by a family in Rochester, NY. A few years later Salva learned that his father was still alive in Southern Sudan but was suffering from a water-borne parasites and disease. This inspired Salva to help his father and his country by bringing clean water to those in need. This was the beginning of Water for South Sudan. In this podcast with President Bob Shea and Executive Director Lynn, we learn about the positive impacts that Water For South Sudan makes in South Sudan.  Water For South Sudan delivers direct, transformative and sustainable quality-of-life service to the people of South Sudan by efficiently providing access to clean, safe water and improving hygiene and sanitation. We will learn that while instability can grow in some places, SO CAN STABILITY. With the foundation of safe drinking water, the future of South Sudan is bright.  To learn more please visit www.WaterForSouthSudan.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

What is the status of water efficiency in Florida?  Because Florida experiences some of the highest amounts of rainfall in the United States, this creates a breadth of water opportunities and water challenges for Florida.  In this podcast with Deirdre Irwin, the Water Conservation Coordinator at the St Johns River Water Management District, we learn about issues of water efficiency as it pertains to water runoff in urban environments and widespread irrigation for farming.  Deirdre will help us answer questions such as: What are the risks to the aquifers? What storm water rules exist to prevent excessive run offs? And what strategies can be imposed to ensure a healthy watershed for all water users?  While businesses and farming operations play a significant role in the Florida watershed story, the individual households also play a significant role.  It may seem insignificant, but you will learn about what you as the individual can do to make an impact on the water shed environment. Some ideas, such as washing your jeans a few less times a year or skipping a week of watering you lawn, can make a significant impact on the watershed if everyone works together. Deirdre is a true water advocate that shows us how the St. Johns River Management District lives true to their mission, which is “to protect our natural resources and support Florida’s growth by ensuring the sustainable use of Florida’s water for the benefit of the people of the District and the state.” To learn more please visit https://www.sjrwmd.com/  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Many people may think operating an organization in a fragile state like Central African Republic (CAR) is a crazy idea. Yet, Water For Good jumped right into the opportunity. How do you go about tackling water poverty in one of the world’s most forgotten countries? Because there is no “one size fits all” solution, this requires a grass roots approach to tackle the water crisis. Water For Good incorporates capacity building from the ground up that includes well drilling, sustainable maintenance teams and accountability throughout the entire process. Through a market based approach that keeps the revenue within the country of CAR, Water For Good continues to create opportunity for the people of CAR. The journey is far from over, but there is hope. We invite you to learn more about this remarkable organization through the interview with CEO Richard Klopp. Learn more at www.WaterForGood.org  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Sometimes our purpose in life hits us in the face when we least expect it. When Katina Rankin was going through some of the daily stresses of her normal life as a reporter, she realized she had a calling to do something more in order to help those in need. One night she had an “A-HA” moment to do something more for others in the world, which caused her to start her own organization called Katina's Klassroom, which helps those in Jamestown Ghana with education and health opportunities.  Katina started Katina’s Klassrom along the premise of a quote by John Adams: “Before any great things are accomplished, a memorable change must be made in the system of education...to raise the lower ranks of society nearer to the higher.” Katina’s Klassroom stands on a firm principle: With Books You Can Go Places. Thus, Katina's mission is to significantly improve the reading skills and educational opportunities of pre-k to middle school children in underserved communities.  By developing action plans with schools and parents, creating techniques for getting a child engaged in reading beyond the classroom, and tackling food insecurity which is directly tied to a child’s learning - Katina’s Klassroom brings empowerment to the youth. Katina’s Klassroom and Wristsponsible are working together to bring safe water to the NOYAA school academy. This will continue to build a foundation for positive learning and opportunity for the children of Jamestown Ghana. To learn more about Katina’s Klassroom, please visit http://katinarankin.com/klassroom.html  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

How is it possible to connect veterans with a mission to protect our oceans?  In this podcast, we learn from founder Jim Ritterhoff about how Force Blue unites the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine conservation for the betterment of both. We discuss stories of how veterans that struggled with PTSD get back in the water with a renewed mission to help themselves and the world around them.  We learn about the different threats to coral reefs and how trained divers can help reverse coral bleaching and improve the ocean for everyone to enjoy. The Core Values of Force Blue are: HEROES Humility Excellence Respect Openness Empathy Service Before Self To learn more, visit https://forceblueteam.org/  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Why does the health of the Chicago River matter? Mark Hauser, the Ecology Outreach Manager from the Friends of the Chicago River, gives us context on how the entire ecosystem within Chicago is connected. In this podcast, we will learn about different Friends of The Chicago River initiatives that include the Litter Free Campaign, river shed restoration efforts and interaction with schools across the Chicagoland area. Mark promotes service learning across the community and gets kids to help with clean ups across the river.  Who is the Friends of the Chicago River?  Friends of the Chicago River is the leading charity to support the health of the river and since 1979, Friends has been working to improve the health of the Chicago River system for the benefit of people, plants and animals; and by doing so, has laid the foundation for the river to be a beautiful, continuous, and easily accessible corridor of open space in the Chicago region. https://www.chicagoriver.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Enjoy a captivating conversation with Amy Churchill, the founder and director of operations of Just One Africa. Amy gives us insight into the vision of Just One Africa which is to inspire the individual to effect change, resulting in thriving communities with access to clean water and with the capability of providing for their basic needs. Just One Africa cares for orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya by providing access to clean water and by partnering with local leaders to provide sustainable solutions which create hope through care, education, and community development. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Check out https://www.justoneafrica.org/ to learn more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Do you use water on a daily basis? To shower, cook, clean? If yes....you're a water person. Have you ever thought about your relationships with water? Water defines us way more than you ever thought...In this epic podcast we discuss our #BlueMind with author Wallace J Nichols. To learn more visit links below or follow at @WallaceJNichols @BlueMindWorks https://www.patreon.com/wallacejnichols http://www.wallacejnichols.org/ What is Blue Mind? "The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do." Quotes about water: “I feel I belong in the water—I feel we all belong in the water, I cease to be a sort of obsessed intellect and a shaky body, and I just become a porpoise.” ~ Dr. Oliver Sacks "In this profound study, biologist and researcher Nichols shares the many ways in which water positively impacts not just our lives, but also our minds." ~ Publishers Weekly "My grandfather would go there, and so shall we." ~ Celine Cousteau --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

Leak detection and awareness. Why is it important? In this episode of the Rethinking H2O podcast, we discuss the significance of proactive leak detection. We learn about why pipes leak in the first place and how water detection technology can help find the problems faster. We dive into the role of utilities and end users, especially how we can all do our part on water conservation. To learn more, check out https://en.gutermann-water.com/ or reach out to Tyler Simpson tyler.simpson@gutermann-water.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support

“The extraordinary becomes possible when you make it impossible to remain ordinary” – Dean Hall Even when it seems you can no longer move forward; Dean Hall shows us that human grit can preserve in the most trying times. Dean Hall is a man of many things: cancer survivor, inspirational role model, #BlueMind lover and swimmer. In this podcast, we learn the story of how Dean suffered the loss of his wife and a difficult battle with cancer, and how he utilized swimming to put his life back on track. Dean became the first person to swim the Willamette River, inspiring many around the world and most significantly helping to cure his cancer. In 2014 Dean started "Swimming In Miracles" as the fundraising page for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in 2014 which continues to serve as a community to unite cancer survivors and swimmers around the world. Dean exemplifies how humans can manage stress, overcome obstacles and do extraordinary things. To learn more about Dean, please visit www.swimminginmiracles.com or @swimminginmiracles.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rethinking-h2o/support