Episodes

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 order, and a community that was distrustful and in many ways disconnected. But more than five years later most lead pipes are out of the ground. In this episode reflections on the experience and lessons learned are shared by Ben Pauli, Assistant Professor at Kettering U...
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 order, and a community that was distrustful and in many ways disconnected. But more than five years later most lead pipes are out of the ground. In this episode reflections on the experience and lessons learned are shared by Ben Pauli, Assistant Professor at Kettering U...
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 order, and a community that was distrustful and in many ways disconnected. But more than five years later most lead pipes are out of the ground. In this episode reflections on the experience and lessons learned are shared by Ben Pauli, Assistant Professor at Kettering U...
Jan. 11, 2021

waterloop #70: Accelerating Change in Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers with Alison De Luise and Karl Russek

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 challenges. In this episode Alison De Luise, Senior Advisor at the Water Center at Penn, and Karl Russek, Director of Applied Research at The Water Center at Penn, talk about their work in the region to understand water challenges and the priorities of...
Jan. 11, 2021

waterloop #70: Accelerating Change in Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers with Alison De Luise and Karl Russek

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 challenges. In this episode Alison De Luise, Senior Advisor at the Water Center at Penn, and Karl Russek, Director of Applied Research at The Water Center at Penn, talk about their work in the region to understand water challenges and the priorities of...
Jan. 11, 2021

waterloop #70: Accelerating Change in Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers with Alison De Luise and Karl Russek

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 challenges. In this episode Alison De Luise, Senior Advisor at the Water Center at Penn, and Karl Russek, Director of Applied Research at The Water Center at Penn, talk about their work in the region to understand water challenges and the priorities of...
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, with climate change, stormwater, agriculture, the energy industry, and more as problems. In this episode Sean Bothwell, Executive Director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, discusses a variety of solutions, including regulations to account for the impact of ...
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, with climate change, stormwater, agriculture, the energy industry, and more as problems. In this episode Sean Bothwell, Executive Director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, discusses a variety of solutions, including regulations to account for the impact of ...
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, with climate change, stormwater, agriculture, the energy industry, and more as problems. In this episode Sean Bothwell, Executive Director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, discusses a variety of solutions, including regulations to account for the impact of ...
Dec. 16, 2020

waterloop #68: Greg Characklis on Managing Financial Risks from Environmental Variability

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, and temperature, as well as extreme weather events. He discusses the increased attention on the risk from lenders, investors, insurance companies, and credit agencies, and how a variety of traditional and innovative tools can be used to manage fi...
Dec. 16, 2020

waterloop #68: Greg Characklis on Managing Financial Risks from Environmental Variability

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, and temperature, as well as extreme weather events. He discusses the increased attention on the risk from lenders, investors, insurance companies, and credit agencies, and how a variety of traditional and innovative tools can be used to manage fi...
Dec. 16, 2020

waterloop #68: Greg Characklis on Managing Financial Risks from Environmental Variability

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, and temperature, as well as extreme weather events. He discusses the increased attention on the risk from lenders, investors, insurance companies, and credit agencies, and how a variety of traditional and innovative tools can be used to manage fi...
Dec. 16, 2020

waterloop #68: Greg Characklis on Managing Financial Risks from Environmental Variability

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, and temperature, as well as extreme weather events. He discusses the increased attention on the risk from lenders, investors, insurance companies, and credit agencies, and how a variety of traditional and innovative tools can be used to manage fi...
Dec. 16, 2020

waterloop #68: Greg Characklis on Managing Financial Risks from Environmental Variability

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, and temperature, as well as extreme weather events. He discusses the increased attention on the risk from lenders, investors, insurance companies, and credit agencies, and how a variety of traditional and innovative tools can be used to manage fi...
Dec. 16, 2020

waterloop #68: Greg Characklis on Managing Financial Risks from Environmental Variability

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, and temperature, as well as extreme weather events. He discusses the increased attention on the risk from lenders, investors, insurance companies, and credit agencies, and how a variety of traditional and innovative tools can be used to manage fi...
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 change. He discusses a variety of approaches, from hardening of infrastructure to managed retreats, that communities are taking in places like Virginia, New Hampshire, and Texas. Philip also talks about efforts to evaluate and expand resilience planni...
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 change. He discusses a variety of approaches, from hardening of infrastructure to managed retreats, that communities are taking in places like Virginia, New Hampshire, and Texas. Philip also talks about efforts to evaluate and expand resilience planni...
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 change. He discusses a variety of approaches, from hardening of infrastructure to managed retreats, that communities are taking in places like Virginia, New Hampshire, and Texas. Philip also talks about efforts to evaluate and expand resilience planni...
Dec. 7, 2020

waterloop #66: Kathryn Lucero on Progress for Colonias on the U.S.-Mexico Border

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.-Mexico border that often have substandard housing and lack basic infrastructure such as water. She discusses how efforts of the past 20 years have brought drinking water to a large percentage of colonias, including where she works in Texas. Kathryn explains the bene...
Dec. 7, 2020

waterloop #66: Kathryn Lucero on Progress for Colonias on the U.S.-Mexico Border

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.-Mexico border that often have substandard housing and lack basic infrastructure such as water. She discusses how efforts of the past 20 years have brought drinking water to a large percentage of colonias, including where she works in Texas. Kathryn explains the bene...
Dec. 7, 2020

waterloop #66: Kathryn Lucero on Progress for Colonias on the U.S.-Mexico Border

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.-Mexico border that often have substandard housing and lack basic infrastructure such as water. She discusses how efforts of the past 20 years have brought drinking water to a large percentage of colonias, including where she works in Texas. Kathryn explains the bene...
Dec. 2, 2020

waterloop #65: Heather Stapleton and Lee Ferguson on Studying PFAS Exposure in North Carolina

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 across the state, which found elevated levels of the forever chemicals in the Haw River. They explain how an exposure study is examining PFAS in drinking water, resident’s blood levels, and effects on birth outcomes. Heather and Lee also talk about developing policy ...
Dec. 2, 2020

waterloop #65: Heather Stapleton and Lee Ferguson on Studying PFAS Exposure in North Carolina

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 across the state, which found elevated levels of the forever chemicals in the Haw River. They explain how an exposure study is examining PFAS in drinking water, resident’s blood levels, and effects on birth outcomes. Heather and Lee also talk about developing policy ...
Dec. 2, 2020

waterloop #65: Heather Stapleton and Lee Ferguson on Studying PFAS Exposure in North Carolina

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 across the state, which found elevated levels of the forever chemicals in the Haw River. They explain how an exposure study is examining PFAS in drinking water, resident’s blood levels, and effects on birth outcomes. Heather and Lee also talk about developing policy ...