As I walk out of the grocery store with two bags of groceries (in recyclable grocery bags of course) costing almost $80 I start to contemplate how bad is this drought? Recently corn prices topped $8.00 a bushel (a 50% increase from a month ago) and soybeans crossed the $17 a bushel mark. These are prices we have never seen before in the world. This also causes meat prices to rise dramatically as well because … Read more »
Trends
CategoriesARE WE WASTING THE DROUGHT?
We’ve always exalted Charles Fishman’s book The Big Thirst on our blog, but recently he wrote an article for the New York Times I think just missed its mark in a couple of ways. Charles Fishman is an asset to our industry and an excellent proponent for water management in the United States so I was excited to see him… Read more »
A business case for understanding climate change
I just saw this post on CBRE’s blog Speaking of Green. It was written by Michael Gottlieb, a managing partner for Advanced Green Solutions. It points out some important issues concerning the risks of climate change for commercial properties. Thanks Michael for letting us post it here. “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know for sure that… Read more »
An Evening with the Redfords
Threats to the once-mighty Colorado River may seem insurmountable, causing a potentially catastrophic scenario for the millions who depend on it, but there is still hope. In the new film Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for a New West, Executive Producer Robert Redford and Producer James Redford offer solutions for the future of the American West. The Colorado River cuts through seven U.S. and two Mexican states; it is the lifeline to expanding… Read more »
A Trip To The Hill
Today is day two of the Irrigation Association’s Advocacy Day in Washington DC. This is running in conjunction with PLANET’s legislative day on Capitol Hill and Renewal and Remembrance, the day PLANET members volunteer manpower and equipment to enhance the beauty of Arlington National Cemetery. Each year, this event draws hundreds of landscape and lawn care professionals from across the country to Arlington National Cemetery to spend the day mulching, cabling,… Read more »
July Is Smart Irrigation Month
For most of us who subscribe to this blog, every month is smart irrigation month. The good news for us is the Irrigation Association created smart irrigation month as an initiative to increase public awareness of the value of water-use efficiency and grow demand for water-saving products, practices and services. July is the selected month because it is typically the month water requirements are highest… Read more »
It's Hot!
The official start of summer is tomorrow. If you take a look at the record temperatures across the United States you will notice summer has been here for awhile. The first three months of 2012 were 6 degrees higher than average in the lower 48 states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s great to be able to wear shorts in February but there are some potential negative effects. According… Read more »
It’s Hot!
The official start of summer is tomorrow. If you take a look at the record temperatures across the United States you will notice summer has been here for awhile. The first three months of 2012 were 6 degrees higher than average in the lower 48 states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s great to be able to wear shorts in February but there are some potential negative effects. According… Read more »
A Little Louder Please
There is little doubt in my mind we are headed toward another drought in California. If you look at the drought monitor for California we are quickly trending in the wrong direction. It’s been a little over a year since Governor Jerry Brown declared the drought for California was officially over. Many periodicals and headlines proclaim the same great news. At the time I couldn’t help but wonder if the news was… Read more »
Water Awareness Month — Help Spread the Word!
May is water awareness month in California and the majority of people I speak with don’t know about the campaign. The California Water Awareness Campaign is a yearlong effort by organizations in California to heighten public awareness of water. This has been happening since 1989. This year there are over 70 cities and water agencies contributing to the program and approximately 300 water agencies, farm bureaus, and various other organizations… Read more »
Stocks
American Water Works - AWK
Aqua America - WTR
California Water Service Group - CWT
American States Water Company - AWR
