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May 2020 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.

Op-Ed: No COVID-19 Models Are Perfect, But Some Are Useful

The global coronavirus pandemic has brought renewed interest and focus on scientific models as we try to get a handle on what the future will bring, how many people will fall sick and die, what the economic impacts will be, and what actions politicians should take.

Water in the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (“HEROES ACT”): May 2020

The newly proposed House of Representative’s emergency supplemental appropriations bill was just released. Among the $3 trillion dollars it allocates are several provisions related to water and wastewater agencies, residential water use, and agriculture.

Want to Help Fight COVID-19? List Your Organization’s Work on the Water Action Hub

People around the world are told to wash their hands to “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of COVID-19, but what if you don’t have a sink or tap in your home?

Impacts of Water Usage During Coronavirus Pandemic

The Impact of Using Low-Saline Oilfield Produced Water for Irrigation on Water and Soil Quality in California

In California, drought and a reduction in natural water availability in recent decades have led to a search for alternative water sources for agriculture. One controversial potential source is oilfield produced water, a byproduct of oil extraction.

Pacific Institute President Jason Morrison to Join UN Global Compact Leaders Summit

On June 15th and 16th, 2020, Pacific Institute President Jason Morrison will attend the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit. Taking place virtually, the high-level summit will allow participants and Global Compact Local Networks to participate in their own time zones. This year's summit marks 20 years of bringing businesses around the world together to advance sustainability.

How Can the World Avoid the Spread of Future Pandemics?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought up problems and challenges related to basic sanitation, as this is not only a global health crisis, but also a social crisis that affects the lives of millions of people living in vulnerable situations. 

Data Show Millions at Risk of Water Shutoffs During COVID-19

President Jason Morrison to Attend California Water Action Collaborative Spring Meeting

From May 26th through 28th, Pacific Institute President Jason Morrison, along with Director of Research Heather Cooley and Research Associate Cora Kammeyer, will attend the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC) virtual spring meeting.

Coronavirus Halts Climate Research and Raises Fears of Long-Term Hit to Science Budgets

The Environment, Climate, and a Global Pandemic

The 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic is having the unexpected and unintended effect of teaching us lessons about both the vulnerability and the resilience of our natural ecosystems and environment. As of this writing in late April, we are still in the middle of it, with no obvious end in sight, as the virus continues to spread around the world.

What the US’ Response to Coronavirus Can Teach Us About Climate Change

Op-Ed: Opportunities Are Plentiful to Sustain California Agriculture in the Face of Water Supply Uncertainties

Nationally, we export about $40 billion of agricultural products annually. There is nothing wrong with importing or exporting food; we live in a global economy, which is extremely important to California’s prosperity.

On Earth Day, Envisioning Our Shared Future (2020)

On this Earth Day, the 50th anniversary of the world’s largest environmental movement and in the midst of a global crisis, we are all invited to think of earth as one big system in which the vitality of all life is interconnected.

New Report on Mapping Public Water Management

Poor water management poses major risks to agriculture, industry, and local communities. However, there is a critical lack of information available about local water conditions, making better management difficult.

Mapping Public Water Management: Proof of Concept

What cannot be measured cannot be managed. Poor water management poses major risks to agriculture, industry, and local communities. However, there is a critical lack of information available about local water conditions, making better management difficult.

April 2020 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.

How the Global Lockdown is Affecting our Environment

From Sea Turtles to Sunsets, the Surprising Ways the Coronavirus Pandemic is Impacting the Environment

On Earth Day, Envisioning Our Shared Future

We don’t inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children. This saying, commonly attributed to American poet Wendell Berry, reminds us that we are stewards of the earth.

When Utilities Shut Off Water for the Poor, We Are All at Risk

When a household fails to pay its water bill in full for more than a given period of time – typically one or two months – its water service may be shut off by the water utility serving the household.

Opportunities are Plentiful to Sustain California Agriculture in the Face of Water Supply Uncertainties

Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute to Receive Innovation in Sustainability Science Award

April 16, Oakland, California -- The Ecological Society of America (ESA) has announced that Dr. Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute will receive the Innovation in Sustainability Science Award, along with co-authors, for the paper "Nexus Approaches to Global Sustainable Development," published in the journal Nature Sustainability.

Pandemic Shines a Light on Critical Water Issues — Will Congress Fund Solutions?