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TheRole of the Urbanite in Water Resource Planning

Aug 23, 2013

MM
Stage· 232 messages
Aug 23, 2013

Maggie Messchersmidt is a masters student at Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs who worked in Peru and Honduras in community-managed forests where the synthesis of water resource planning and conservation. Today, she drops by to Tawk about the seeing the city as an ecosytem, and how watershed management of the most forward and participative sort can help connect urban and rural landscapes for improved water quality and rationing.

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:00 PM

Are we on?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:00 PM

Yay!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:00 PM

Looks like we're on.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:01 PM

Let me get the housekeeping out of the way:
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:01 PM

Welcome, Everyone!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:01 PM

If this is your first time, welcome and log in to participate.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:01 PM

Audience members, you can log comments, ask questions and chat amongst yourselves. Be sure to click on the “Who’s Here?” button and click to listen to the other audience members so you can see their comments.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:02 PM

Comments can be “upvoted” by clicking the thumbs-up sign in the bottom right corner. This will change the comment to “Overheard” status, as signified by the blue OH symbol in the upper left-hand corner.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:03 PM

The hosts can see your comments only after they’ve been “Overheard.” We’ll try to spotlight these comments to answer your questions and include as many comments as possible. Glad you’re here!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:03 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“Hi! Rebecca and Maggie! :)”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:03 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“So Maggie's profile gives me the sense that she is a very smart person. Anyone else get that impression?”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:04 PM

Hi. Rachel! Yes, Jordan, she's bright. She's really a gem of a person.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:04 PM

Hello!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:05 PM

Aha! And here she is!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:05 PM

Just barely able to crack this!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:05 PM

Without further ado, ladies and gents, Maggie Messerschmidt!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:06 PM

Thanks Becky! Good to get to chat with you. (We go way back to Honduras 2008-2010).
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:07 PM

Yup. I met Miss Maggie as a Honduras Peace Corps Volunteer. Were you PAM or Wat-San?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:07 PM

Protected Areas Management
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:07 PM

Do we have any other Peace Corps folks here?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:07 PM

Maybe just me. Aaron Meyers may drop by later.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:09 PM

Great. Well, Becky, I was thinking of opening the chat with a little discussion about conceptualizing watershed management in the urban context...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:09 PM

Yes! Let's get into it.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:09 PM

What are watersheds and why do they matter to us in an Urban context?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:09 PM

I love the topic of urban ecology and it makes a lot of sense when we start to think about managing water.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:10 PM

Watersheds are defined according to drainage areas, referring to geographic areas
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:11 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“So how bad are things? How soon until we all really start to experience water shortage?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:11 PM

Eek! What a question! Where are you?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:11 PM

Jordan's in New York.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:11 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“I think we already have been for a while Jordan ? I'm thinking of California and Nevada regions”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:12 PM

I guess that depends on where you live, your groundwater supply, etc.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:12 PM

Exactly, Rachel.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:12 PM

My husband is from Lima, Peru. His folks have days in the city where there is simply no water available.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:13 PM

Has anybody read the book Cadillac Desert?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:13 PM

I have not. What's it about?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:14 PM

Here's a review I just found: http://www.feasta.org/documents/feastareview/bruges.pdf
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:14 PM

It is an excellent story of water in the western United States.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:15 PM

wow. SEVEN STATES? I had no idea it was that big!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:15 PM

(The aquifer, I mean)
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:15 PM

It describes how over-zealous we have been in using up groundwater. Less the 50% of the water table remains...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:15 PM

That is sobering.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:16 PM

So that makes you start thinking of the role of the water that we don't see...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:16 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“who's in charge? how do we allow that to happen?”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:16 PM

And it implies that the problem is bigger than we like to think about. It makes me feel panicky.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:17 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“poor management of resources”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:17 PM

I guess that is another complex question: It has a lot to do with measuring (or not measuring), and ignoring what we do measure.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:17 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“so i went to a conference dedicated to H20 a few years back for an honors class and I think they estimated that only 1% of water on the planet is actually freshwater?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:17 PM

I think a lot of people are panicking now... especially when drought hits.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:18 PM

That's a stat that makes you think about how limited of a resource water actually is.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:18 PM

So, we know that we have been careless, but what now, right?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:19 PM

So, to put this in perspective, we're draining an aquifer that provides water to the breadbasket of America. So, water = food. Water crisis = food crisis.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:20 PM

There are a lot of ideas and projects out there that are working... but yeah, Lucy, how to reverse so much damage.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:20 PM

We don't think about this in the States much, because we have insurance like subsidies and imports. Prices go up, but the population doesn't starve.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:21 PM

So, in thinking about water management, we have to take it more seriously so we DON'T begin to see food crises.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:21 PM

So bringing it back to watersheds and watershed management, Rachel had a question that takes us back there.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:21 PM

Sure, Becky, less water for farmers and water rationing also, so we are already seeing some resource grabbing. We also can think about water quality.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:22 PM

Oh Nestle!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:22 PM

Barf!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:22 PM

Water quality is certainly suffering.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:22 PM

So there is a guy in Los Angeles who is offering flights of fancy bottled water at his restaurant!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:22 PM

$12
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:23 PM

Nasty!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:23 PM

So, Jordan, they are doing that... I have some papers, but it is pretty costly and energy intensive.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:23 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“Can someone PLEASE figure out how to desalinate ocean water. PRETTY PLEASE!!!”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:24 PM

I would advocate first for investment in natural capital (see New York City and the Catskill Mountain forests).
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:25 PM

Yeah, at least now we are seeing some refilling stations...
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:26 PM

So in Peru, this desalinization thing was a frequent topic... as was catchment planning.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:26 PM

Which is why watersheds are important.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:26 PM

Catchment is part of the solution to the problem of availability, yes?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:27 PM

One idea was to think about catching ocean fog in horizontal sheets... fresh water!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:27 PM

Wow!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:27 PM

That works in the Andes cloud forests on the western slope...
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:28 PM

But not everywhere obviously.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:28 PM

How MUCH water can they catch that way?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:28 PM

Where do they store it?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:28 PM

Mmm, let's see if we can find a stat? I don't recall.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:29 PM

I guess I'm mostly asking if it's like a personal use solution, a village solution, or maybe even applicable for true urban areas?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:29 PM

But this happens at altitude... there's no desalinization required.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:30 PM

Yes, a community-based solution.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:30 PM

That's it, Jordan! Rain dance intervention!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:30 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“and are there any dances we can do to make it rain?”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:30 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“@Jordan I can show you how to rain dance.. My father taught me the Native's rain dance once :)”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:31 PM

Ha, there were a few dances in the Andes: Yacu Hamunchu. Check out our film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAJcswQyEyo
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:31 PM

There are lots of good audience questions, but I want to see where Maggie wants to go with this.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:32 PM

Well, so catchment planning means thinking about forests at the top of the watershed, right?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:32 PM

(I'm glad you mentioned the documentary, Maggie! I left it off the list :/ )
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:32 PM

Catching fog is one idea, but trees and vegetation are natural sponges...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:32 PM

Yes!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:33 PM

So planners are thinking a lot about cities (usually at the bottom of a watershed - lower in altitude) and the forests (higher altitude) that "catch" the water supply and provide that for urban areas.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:34 PM

This is the story of New York City, where there was investment in water quality by investing in forests.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:35 PM

But!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:36 PM

Riparian forests, all along a watershed, filter nutrients and provide us with cleaner freshwater.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:36 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“do we have enough forests?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:36 PM

No we don't Jordan!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:36 PM

Riparian means along river banks.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:36 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“natural filtration! :) Nature knows what its doing we need to trust it more :)”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:37 PM

yes, grasses, sedges, shrubs and trees - all of it plays a role
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:38 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“so the problem with refilling aquifers is that it takes longer for the natural filtration process to do so.. than it does for us to use the water correct?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:38 PM

And it's a whole lot cheaper to conserve what is already there than to build a filtration system.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:38 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“On a practical level, can we develop new forests, or revitalize old ones?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:38 PM

Yeah, Rachel, or in other words, we are consuming faster than the water cycle is replacing.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:39 PM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“yes and no,JB. yes we can by replanting but no when you have people who want whats in them...namely the wood and land”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:39 PM

The incessant march of "Development" seems to be a huge obstacle.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:40 PM

Alliance for Community Trees is doing great community work related to this.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:40 PM

http://actrees.org/
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:40 PM

What do they do? Do they plant in urban areas? Work on extant forests?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:41 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“I know Nevada had an incentives program for residents to plant natural shrubbery trees etc... instead of grass lawns - helping rebuild some natural filtration”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:41 PM

yes, of course, we deforest in the name of development all the time. Cool, Rachel! Yes, so many things to do...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:41 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“Oh yeah, lawns are a HUGE problem too, right?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:42 PM

plant native, drought tolerant plants, use rain barrels, and build rain gardens...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:42 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“Do we do a good enough job catching rainwater, or can we get better at that too?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:42 PM

and green infrastructure can include catchment techniques throughout the watershed and in the city
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:43 PM

We can do much better at that. One benefit of a rain barrel is that you can catch all the water from your roof, and reuse it for things like watering your lawn, washing your car, etc.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:43 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“what are rain gardens? sounds cool”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:43 PM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“some US states have BANNED collecting rain water http://beforeitsnews.com/politics/2013/04/collecting-rainwater-now-illegal-in-many-states-2513766.html”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:43 PM

Lucy, that is true-ish. But the controversy is overblown.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:44 PM

So there is the issue of diverting water sometimes.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:44 PM

It depends on where you are, what the laws are...
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:44 PM

In the midwest, it makes perfect sense.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:44 PM

Regulations vary per state, but most of them have to do with either extremely large catchment practices (30,000 gallon tanks) or water that comes off roofs in an unsanitary manner.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:46 PM

There are some federal and state grants that are cost-shares for managing your property through the USDA but they mostly target farmers. The green infrastructure concept is pretty fresh still, and standards are still underway.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:46 PM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“"In the United Kingdom, water butts are often found in domestic gardens to collect rainwater, which is then used to water the garden. However, the British government's Code For Sustainable Homes encourages fitting large underground tanks to new-build”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:46 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“I think a nation wide incentive program to work WITH nature on your own property should be established. That way we can all do our part and those helping this issue get a little something extra”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:47 PM

So, the problem remains for urbanites on what they can reasonably do.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:47 PM

In most cases, a home-use water barrel is a safe bet (but check state and local regs)
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:48 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“yes i have heard of some local grants etc... hopefully this will keep momentum and end up as something done nationally and not just for farmers per say :)”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:48 PM

So a rain barrel is a start. We can also do bio-swales and berms... green infrastructure.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:48 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“what about apartment buildings?”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:49 PM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“if there is a balcony,you can collect water”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:49 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“roof tops jordan?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:49 PM

The whole concept is to slow the flow and help water to infiltrate into soil. This reduces erosion, saving soil volume, relieving city infrastrucure..
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:50 PM

There are often opportunities to get involved in school projects. Our local coop in Bloomington has rain barrels!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:50 PM

Awesome!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:51 PM

So, reasonably, an educated/trained person could help a school provide for some of its water needs?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:51 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“in the city filled with pavement the water usually becomes runoff correct? which is why natural filtration is so important?”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:51 PM

I know Rachel, I get concerned about that too. We value""our natural capital only to have it turn into, well, capital.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:51 PM

(Responding to your last comment!)
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:52 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“should we all invest in water barrel production? are they hard to make?”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:52 PM

Green Rooftops?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:52 PM

Right, runoff is often full of nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorous) that end up in lakes, taking sediment with it.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:53 PM

And it can cause septic problems, etc.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:53 PM

Another great option, Becky.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:54 PM

City planners are thinking about these things, but I guess we are here to think about what the average person can do...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:54 PM

Nitrogen and phosphorous overload also disrupts eco balance in rivers, lakes and ocean systems.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:55 PM

Overgrowth of plants kills wildlife by choking it out.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:55 PM

That's when you see algal blooms, and water becomes toxic!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:55 PM

And that has to do largely with agriculture, no?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:55 PM

Anyway, I think we can't overlook that we can get involved in public meetings and advocate for these things.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:56 PM

True!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:56 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“yes... for sure. As someone from "the land of 10,000 lakes" it saddens me to see how many fresh and clean lakes have since turned to green algae filled waters :(”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:56 PM

Most cities have an appointed person or office who is in charge of stormwater management... and who are happy to have public support.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:57 PM

Ah - so that's someone to ask about rain barrels and green rooftop projects, too?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:57 PM

Yes!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:58 PM

Find out what projects are going on in your city! It's likely that there is a lot! And this actually saves public dollars...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:59 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“just found my stormwater management site for my town awesome! :)”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 11:59 PM

I think permaculture is another beautiful movement of voices across the US, as are transition communities.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:59 PM

Nice! And Maggie directed us to the EPA's page Surf Your Watershed.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:59 PM

YES!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 11:59 PM

Permaculture is key!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:00 AM

Permaculture might be a little more sub-culture but nonetheless teaches the most basic principles to caring for land and water.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:00 AM

And understanding the continuity of water across land is primary in permaculture.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:01 AM

That's something taht can be done even inside the city. Encourage planners to plant native grasses, plants with DEEP roots that hold soil and water in place.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:01 AM

Right?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:01 AM

Instead of the shallow grasses that we favor for lawns?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:01 AM

Yes, see The Land Institute for their work with native grasses with deep roots!
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:01 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“one thing I was surprised about at that National H20 conservation conference I went to years back were how many everyday citizens local MN's showed up and were asking questions. So people are paying attention.”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:01 AM

Wes Jackson and Wendell Berry have teamed up in recent years for such work.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:02 AM

Land Institute is an incredible organization. They're featured in Dirt: the Movie, which talks a lot about permaculture. Watch it!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:02 AM

Yeah, I think we realized we were missing some basic pieces of the puzzle! How did we not know how the water cycle worked!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:02 AM

Great film Becky
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:03 AM

Well, that's our human folly. It's not that scienceisn't awesome, but it's just that this stuff worked long before we came along to "discover" it.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:03 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“you are of course missing out one big future/present problem with all this - CLIMATE CHANGE.”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:03 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“what may work today may not work,say in 5 or 10 years time”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:03 AM

Yes, Lucy. Planning for drought...
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:04 AM

I'm sure that's a concern, Lucy. We're going to get into very tight spots, especially in keeping up with urban demand.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:04 AM

We won't have, for example, sugar maple around here thanks to climate change. How will that affect our forests, our catchment areas?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:04 AM

That's tragic.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:04 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“yes it's like we tried to re-invent the wheel when it came to nature.. and now we are like oh no! what did we do?”

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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:05 AM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“Americans don't have a great track record when it comes to working with native anything”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:05 AM

If I plant a rain garden, thinking of species that will make it in increased heat. There are good maps out there.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:05 AM

No we sure don't haha.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:05 AM

The joke is that native grasses are the easiest thing TO work with. They grow like, ahem, weeds.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:06 AM

I like that comment Rachel, because there are so many examples of traditional knowledge that speaks to these things.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:07 AM

That's something I love, Maggie - you have experience working with native populations, working from the ground up to find solutions, instead of top-down.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:07 AM

The Alhambra in Grenada, Spain is inspiring to me for all the water management literally built into the building, but that just reflects a way of thinking, a cosmovision.
MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:08 AM

Same for Peruvian amunas, a system of canals that catch water and divert it to porous rock - this is fascinating -
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:08 AM

where it is stored underground, and later emerges, naturally filtered, and with increased flow
MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:09 AM

yes, so what do we do about Nestle?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:09 AM

Good question!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:09 AM

Is that another Tawk?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:10 AM

:)
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:10 AM

What CAN you do about anyone or anything that holds the idea that you can own resources?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:10 AM

Do you have a suggestion?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:10 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“a new human rights movement!”

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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:10 AM

I guess I like to push for regional models...
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:11 AM

public models
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:11 AM

That's valuable in the US, too - getting local people involved instead of just setting up another management office and deploying officers to follow the plan.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:11 AM

and those are less likely to exploit, and sell out to big business
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:11 AM

Yes!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:12 AM

But it means having regional scale projects that work, and coordinate in a national context as well.
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:12 AM

So the offices have to talk to each other! That is something that is problematic all over the globe!
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:13 AM

There have been international treaties for water scarcity... soft law... doesn't get the job done, does it, Kyoto?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:13 AM

I think that arguing the human right to water is a valid cause.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:13 AM

:)
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:14 AM

But we have to speak out for it and make sure our community's water supply stays public.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:14 AM

That seems key. It's probably important to find out who owns water rights in your community.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:15 AM

How do you do that? It should be public record, but it's often difficult to track dpwn.
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:15 AM

Are you paying a bill to a water company?
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Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:15 AM

Who is the provider?
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:16 AM

Aha.
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Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:16 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“I'd say alot of people in our communities would be willing to help build these water saving gardens etc... they probably just need someone to show them how and how easy and beneficial it can be”

MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:16 AM

Yeah, I think they are great education projects.
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:16 AM

Well, Rachel, I think we've maybe arrived at the theme for our next Tawk with Maggie. If she'd oblige.
MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:16 AM

It was fun!
MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:17 AM

I'd love to chat with you all again. It was a lively and exciting convo!
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:17 AM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“Yes! That was awesome! Come back, Maggie!”

MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:17 AM

If nothing else, I think we are all motivated to keep asking questions and to find out more.
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:17 AM

You're great! Yes, it was fun - and I feel like we have so many things left open, because you've shown me that there's both a need and an opportunity for action.
MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:18 AM

Well, is there a place where we can share resources on here?
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:19 AM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“Yes -the Tawk stays up -you can keep adding links”

RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:19 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“yes sounds like a great tawk idea for next time! :) Hoe to get people to care and do something about this! :) Thanks Rebecca and Maggie I learned alot! :)”

MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:20 AM

Okay, I will post some resources, then. Thanks for having me!
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:20 AM

Yes, Thanks, thanks, thanks!
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:20 AM

So, homework is to find out who owns your water, right? ;)
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:21 AM

http://www.landinstitute.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2013/03/06/513a22329f471
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:22 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“I am glad I have my own well right now if you all ever need any water I got ya covered lol”

RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:22 AM

Thanks, Rachel! Fluoride-free, too?
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:23 AM

★ Spotlighted from Jordan Birnbaum

“Well, I know I have another Tawk in me!”

RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:23 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachel McDonnell

“Yes fluoride free too! :) I checked”

RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:23 AM

http://www.hulu.com/watch/191666
RT

Rebecca Westbrook Toker · 12:23 AM

(That's Dirt the Movie)
MM

Maggie Messerschmidt · 12:32 AM

Fog-catching: http://www.avina.net/esp/5755/iniciativas-genera-agua-a-partir-de-la-niebla/