EcoTalk's Archives

Peter Gleick: The fate of Billions

Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute talks about the connections between water scarcity, climate change, and the fate of billions: "There are a billion people who don't have access to safe drinking water. There are more than 2.5 billion people who don't have access to adequate sanitation services. There are hundreds of millions of cases of water-related diseases every year. What we have is a failure of governments and organizations to meet these basic human needs." LISTEN (11 min)

Wildlife, Water and the Army Corps of Engineers

The Army Corps of Engineers was once one of our nation's most reputable military services, using an incredibly accomplished staff to protect us from natural disasters and help plan our nation's industrial infrastructure. But as NWF Senior Water Resource Specialist David Conrad tells us, "This agency is overwhelmed." Is more pork (from both sides of the aisle) the way to return it to its former glory? Post Katrina, I think everyone is hungry for something different. LISTEN (9 min)

Jeff Cleary & Blue Water Laundry

Jeff Cleary of Blue Water Laundry tells Betsy about the dirty business of dry cleaning, particularly the practice of using perchloroethylene (perc, for short), and the three alternative methods (GreenEarth, CO2, and Wet Cleaning) that do the job without harming groundwater, air, or your body. Ask your dry cleaner for one of these options, and if they respond with a quizzical look, send them our way. If they give you stubborn disdain, let them know what the market demands, and that you'll take your dollar to where you can find the supply. LISTEN (10 min)

Think Outside the Bottle

Is bottled water "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." Corporate Accountability International's Ashley Schaeffer tells Betsy that not only is the bottled water (owned by Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestle) nearly identical to the water in your sink, and not only are they somehow convincing us to pay as much for water as we do for oil, but the prevalence of bottled water contributes to the undermining of the concept of water as a universal human right. There are people all over the world who are already paying the price, and emerging global conflicts over water bode ill for the future.

To change course, and to reassert the primacy of water in the lives of every human on Earth, each one of us needs to start thinking outside the bottle. LISTEN (9 min)

Upgrade Morro Bay's Sewage Plant Now!

Daniel Hinerfeld tells the sad and shocking story of the Morro-Bay Cayucos sewage plant that the city refuses to upgrade asap.
LISTEN (7 min) and take action: Email now

Image: Surfrider Foundation

Plumber Ed del Grande on Water Conservation

Betsy says he sounds like one of the Car Talk guys. Ed says he's a former comedian, and it's pretty clear that Plumber Ed del Grande knows  a heck of a lot about water conservation. He's a spokesman for Kohler, and he chats with Betsy from Knoxville, TN, where he's doing his own "Ed" show for HGTV. LISTEN (12 min)

Bob Feinbaum & HydroNova

Bob Feinbaum tells Betsy about the HydroNova water program. The assumption that sewer water is garbage is wrong. It is possible to use 'living machines' that mimic the cleansing properties of natural wetlands. Wastewater should not be wasted water. LISTEN (8 min)

If you have questions about the water treatment methods of your city, email Bob
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