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August 2021 Newsletter

The monthly newsletter features the Pacific Institute’s research, publications, news about past and upcoming Institute staff outreach efforts, and media coverage of its work and analysis.

What Role for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors in Combating Climate Change?

Indigenous Action Wins the Day

How California’s Recall Laws Could Change

California Drought Driving Up Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Study

California’s Thirst for Water May Accelerate Global Warming

Overnight Equilibrium/Sustainability – Giant Magnet Could Ease Path to Fusion Energy

The Future of California’s Water-Energy-Climate Nexus

Water and energy are inextricably linked in California and, as one resource faces constraints or challenges, so does the other. With the state looking to both reach its climate change goals and decarbonize its economy through a transition to 100 percent clean energy, water will play an integral role.

As Water Scarcity Grows in California, So Will Greenhouse Gas Emissions Without Urgent Efficiency Measures

September 9, Oakland, California — Without urgent water efficiency measures, carbon emissions associated with water usage in California are likely to spike in coming years, as changing sources of water supply and population growth drive up energy-intensive urban and agricultural water needs.

California’s Farms Face a Reckoning

California Drought: Tackling Water Risks for Agriculture and Apparel

In California, water is a case study in extremes, exacerbated by a fast-changing climate. Periods of epic drought followed by torrential precipitation are the new normal, making it harder to manage water supplies and protect the state’s ecosystems, communities, farms, businesses, and infrastructure. Staying involved, engaged and informed on California water risks and solutions is necessary for agriculture and apparel companies that want to grow.

A New Vigilance: Identifying and Reducing the Risks of Environmental Terrorism

Environmental terrorism is an old type of conflict with a new face. Large, costly wars
between two or more states have become less prevalent over the past 50 years, and with the end
of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union, there has been no bipolar superpower
standoff to suppress the many ethnic, religious, and multipolar political and cultural tensions that
motivate terrorist actions.

Water Resilience Assessment Framework

Climate change is driving many types of water challenges, including water scarcity and abundance, worsening water quality, and shifts in timing of the hydrologic cycle. Shocks and stresses affect the resilience of water systems and the stakeholders that rely on them. Specific guidance on how to understand system resilience and measure systematic changes and intervening actions can ensure a more resilient future for all.

New Water Resilience Assessment Framework Launched at World Water Week

The Pacific Institute, in partnership with the CEO Water Mandate, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), and World Resources Institute (WRI) today launched the Water Resilience Assessment Framework (WRAF) during World Water Week. The Framework is designed to inform and support decisions and actions among stakeholders to ensure both short- and long-term water system resilience. 

Building Resilience Faster at World Water Week 2021 

As the co-secretariat of the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, the Pacific Institute is pleased to be a leading contributor at the upcoming World Water Week.

‘Loudest Alarm Bell Yet’: Unprecedented Water Shortage Declaration for US West

Dry Times For California Farms With Heather Cooley and Ruth Dahlquist-Willard

The impacts and actions of agriculture during drought are discussed in this episode with Heather Cooley, Director of Research at the Pacific Institute, and Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, Farm Advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension. They discuss the variety of choices California farms will make during drought, including where to get water, how much to water crops, what crops to fallow, how to improve water efficiency, and even whether to stay in business.

Newsom Says Mandatory Statewide Water Restrictions for California May Be on the Way

‘Loudest Alarm Bell Yet’: Unprecedented Water Shortage Declaration for US West

Shortage Declaration in the Colorado River Basin Takeaways

Today, the US Secretary of the Interior declared a first-ever Shortage Condition for the Lower Colorado River Basin. After more than 21 years of drought in the western United States intensified by human-caused climate change, the Bureau of Reclamation has released a study projecting that the elevation of Lake Mead will be below an elevation triggering a Tier 1 Shortage Condition that will reduce water access to some users starting in January 2022. It’s a historic move sending reverberations throughout the water policy world — both within the United States and globally.

Megadrought Spurs First-Ever Federal Colorado River Cutbacks

How Water Shortages Are Brewing Wars

What Does It Mean When a Community Runs Out of Water? Many in California Are Finding Out

Comments on the California Public Utilities Commission Amended Scope for a Low Income Water Rates Assistance Program

This letter from the Center for Accessible Technology; Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security; Natural Resources Defense Council; The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water; Community Water Center; and Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability (collectively the Joint Advocates) contains comments on the California Public Utilities Commission Amended Scope for a Low Income Water Rates Assistance Program.

Ways to Save Water During the Drought – and Whether It’s Worth Doing at All