Publications

Deluged by Diesel: Healthy Solutions for West County

There is an estimated six times more diesel pollution released per square mile in the western part of California’s Contra Costa County than in the county as a whole, and 40 times more than in the rest of the state. Diesel pollution has been identified as one of the biggest health threats in California and is linked to cancer, heart disease, premature death, asthma, and other health problems.

Climate Change Questions and Answers Fact Sheet

“After decades of studying climate change, a global consensus has emerged: Climate change is real, has already begun, and poses a grave threat to the United States and the world,” said Dr. Peter H. Gleick, an internationally recognized expert on climate change and water resources. Dr. Gleick is President of the Pacific Institute, a member of the United Nations Sigma Xi Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Advisory Group, and a 2003 MacArthur Fellow.

Climate Change Questions and Answers Fact Sheet

IWMP Evaluation: A Review of the Salton Sea Authority’s Preferred Project Concept for Rehabilitating the Salton Sea

This report, compiled and edited by the Pacific Institute under contract to the Bureau of Reclamation, presents the conclusions generated by an experts workshop that evaluated a proposal to rehabilitate the Salton Sea.

Testimony: Water for Our Future

Freshwater and Foreign Policy: New Challenges

Op-Ed: Selling Out California’s Water

Investing In Clean Agriculture: How California Can Strengthen Agriculture, Reduce Pollution And Save Money

Global competition, suburban encroachment, tighter regulations, and rising input costs are making farming in California more difficult and, in some cases, less profitable.

Op-Ed: Project to Provide Public Access to Draft ISO Standards

After the Asian Tsunami Disaster, Water Crisis Will Remain

The tragedy that has unfolded over the past week in Asia reminds us of the power of water to both give life and take it away. As the death toll rises from the earthquake and devastating tsunami, efforts to provide all manner of aid are picking up speed and urgency.

West Oakland Health Survey

Water managers face significant challenges in meeting the water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, and stormwater management needs of the communities they serve.

Economies of Scale and Scope in River Basin Management

This paper provides pragmatic guidance for more effective water management.

The World’s Water, Volume 4

In this fourth volume of his highly regarded series, Gleick and his research team focus on the most significant current trends worldwide: how to meet the basic needs of over 1 billion people without access to clean water, the growing controversy over public vs. private water, the role of conservation and efficiency in solving water problems, and concerns about skyrocketing bottled water use.

The Myth and Reality of Bottled Water

Sales and consumption of bottled water have skyrocketed in recent years. Sales and consumption of bottled water have skyrocketed in recent years. But users should not assume that the purity of bottled water is adequately protected, regulated, or monitored; in many countries, such as the United States, bottlers themselves do most of the sampling and testing, which opens the door to fraud, misreporting, and inadequate protection.

Clearing the Air in West Oakland: A West Oakland Snapshot

West Oakland: A SnapshotArea “inside the freeways”