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Issues: Health and the Environment

A Water Agency for the 21st Century: Can "Mother Met" Become Met 2.0?

November 20, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
california, californiadrought, californiarivers, californiawater, coloradoriver, MWD, waterconservation, waterefficiency, waterrecycling, waterreform

To the non-water wonk, a long-range planning process within the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (known as Met) might appear as exciting as drying paint. But for those of us within the water community, it has the potential to...

The Governance Reform Bill - Stronger Protections for the Delta

November 10, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
agriculture, baydelta, BDCP, california, californiawater, delta, deltasalmon, salmon, sanjoaquinsacramentodelta, waterconservation, waterlegislation, waterreform

Over the coming week, my colleagues and I will write about some of the major provisions in the ambitious package of water reform legislation passed on November 4.  The many provisions in this complex package will require some time for...

The Growing Middle on California Water Legislation

October 28, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
california, californiarivers, californiawater, centralvalleyproject, delta, fishermen, fishing, salmon, water, waterpolicy, watersupply, waterwars, westlands

Since the end of the legislative session in September, support for ambitious water reform legislation has been growing steadily. Not only is the list of those calling for change long, but it also includes some unlikely allies. Major stakeholders from...

California Hits Peak Water, But Virtual River Offers Solution

October 15, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
baydelta, california, californiadrought, californiarivers, californiawater, coloradoriver, klamathriver, losangeles, monolakebasin, owensriver, peakwater, salmon, sandiego, sanjoaquinriver, sb68, trinityriver, virtualriver, waterconservation, waterefficiency, waterrecycling

In the past decade, people have become familiar with the concept of peak oil -- the notion that we have passed the zenith of oil extraction and are facing a steady decline in the amount of oil we can recover....

Horseshoes, Hand Grenades and California Water Policy

September 14, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
california, californiawater, delta, deltavision, salmon, sanjoaquinriver, sanjoaquinsacramentodelta, waterconservation, waterrecycling

Harry Truman once said that "close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades."  In the coming year, we'll see if close also counts in California water policy.  Last Friday, in the closing hours of the legislative session for the year,...

The California Water Bills: How to Make the Delta More Like the Netherlands than New Orleans

August 14, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
bayconservationanddevelopmentcommission, baydelta, delta, flooding, globalwarming, levees, netherlands, neworleans, sealevelrise

What do Dutch engineers and the new California water governance bills have to do with one another? Quite a lot, I realized the other afternoon, as I listened to a group of engineers explain how the Netherlands is preparing its...

Skin in the Game: A Lesson for Planning the Future of the Delta

August 11, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
baydeltaconservationplan, californiawater, delta, peripheralcanal, sanjoaquinsacramentodelta, waterconservation

A recent op-ed written by Delta Senator Lois Wolk points out an obvious truth, but one that she thinks has been forgotten in the Delta: When you are planning the future of a community, you have to involve the community. ...

A Rare Opportunity for Change: California's Five New Water Bills

August 10, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment , Solving Global Warming

Tags:
california, californiadrought, centralvalleyproject, delta, deltavisiontaskforce, globalwarming, waterconservation, waterefficiency

I have been working on California water issues for 25 years, and I've learned that major opportunities for transformative change doesn't come around too often. Now is one of those times. Late last week, the California Legislature released a package...

Barry Nelson
Barry Nelson
Senior Policy Analyst, Water Program
San Francisco
During the week, I’m the director of the California Vision Project for NRDC’s Water Program,...
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