January 2009 Blog Posts (13)

Duck on the Road

Hi water geeks,

A video just for fun, forwarded by Conci Bokum. It is about a duck, which does have some small link to water:

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/weird/Trucking_Duck_All__National_.html

Added by Staci Matlock on January 30, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

To cut taxes or not?

Tax cuts do not help the unemployed. Those Republicans who believe that they do need to lose their jobs. Then they will see how much a tax cut will help. More tax cuts? What a bunch of hog wash!

Added by Robert D on January 28, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Here is my take on the national housing crisis...

I do not own a house or have a sub-prime mortgage. I do know real estate having worked and invested in the industry in a wide variety of capacities for more than a quarter century. Here is my take on the economy, energy, and the housing crisis.

First, let’s set the record straight on a couple of things. Owning real estate is an illusion. Thinking or not thinking of Yellowstone Caldera blowing up in our faces probably depends on your attachment to that illusion. We are only Stewards… Continue

Added by Robert D on January 28, 2009 at 3:30pm — No Comments

More data, better water management?

If the foundation for good management and policy is good information than one of the biggest problems for New Mexico is water managers have had to make decisions with the data on hand, not neccessarily the data they needed.

As the story about the http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Tracing-water-s-hidden-journey--Placitas--Hydrogeologist-maps-ain the New Mex today points out, very little of the state's aquifers have been fully mapped. Yet houses go in, cities grow, on the… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 26, 2009 at 5:34pm — No Comments

New water, dirty water

Baghdad's Sadr City gets a new water treatment plant that will serve about a tenth (200,000) of its population, if no one blows it up.

Six states are joining Ohio to figure out the source of E. coli pollution of 500 miles along the Ohio River.

And, according to… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 23, 2009 at 6:09pm — No Comments

Is the American Southwest Running Dry?

Is the American Southwest Running Dry?
By Tara Lohan, AlterNet
Filmmaker Jim Thebaut talks about the precarious future of the Southwest and the call for a national water plan.
Read more »

Added by ErnestO Stolpe on January 23, 2009 at 6:57am — No Comments

A watershed moment

The Obama rama is well under way - a beautiful, long awaited day.

A watershed moment as it were.

Let's hope it can remain that way. Perhaps if those of us listening use the opportunity to rethink our lives, our economy and our country. And if the people speaking the words really believe what they say.

Should some of the bailout pie go for water infrastructure? Absolutely. Local and state governments can't come up with all the money needed to repair and refurbish aging… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 20, 2009 at 11:34am — 2 Comments

Smart Growth?

Water groupies -

Here's a conference for those of you wondering if Smart Growth and Water can go in the same sentence.

The Albuquerque Convention Center, Jan. 22-24, will host the 8th annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference.

This year's conference looks at national land use planning strategies for dealing with drought and climate change.

"Rapid population growth, climate change and flooding, aging infrastructure, inefficient water use, and water quality… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 16, 2009 at 6:07pm — No Comments

Where's the water?

Good Friday morning all,

I spent a lovely day yesterday visiting with part of the aquifer mapping team at New Mexico Tech. These guys have dream jobs when they're not pushing paperwork - surveying and collecting data to model water flows in the state. The aquifer mapping portion is linked to the geologic mapping program that's been around 18 years. Still, they've only had money and staff to map the geology of 30 percent of the state at a level useable for aquifer… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 16, 2009 at 10:15am — No Comments

Wherefore wind

Hi all,

Check out the New Mex online Sunday. I'll have a series of stories in there about wind energy. It may be clean and green, but there are some questions about where the wind facilities are proposed in New Mexico. Some interesting debate is ahead as wind energy rises in the state.

All the stories will be moved to Green Line after their published, along with extra material and Web sites to check out for more information.

In other water news, a huge water and… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 9, 2009 at 10:02am — 2 Comments

Ashes to ashes

Good hump day, water guys and gals,

Water and energy meet two ways. Energy production requires water. The waste from hydrocarbon and nuclear energy production can pollute water.

Three days before Christmas, a retention pond near the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston steam plant ruptured, spilling 3.1 million cubic feet of fly ash downstream and across hundreds of acres of land. One house… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 7, 2009 at 12:12pm — No Comments

Ocean currents, water dialogue

Good morning, water groupies,

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program just released today a new study on marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy. It covers wave, current and ocean thermal energy conversion technologies and what companies are doing it where.

Also, don't miss the 15th annual New Mexico Water Dialogue meeting happening Jan. 15 in Albuquerque… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 5, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Happy 09!

Dearest water geeks:

Hope you all had marvelous winter holidays and that 2009 is a stellar year fo you, despite economic and environmental predictions of woe.

In light of those predictions and all our money problems, here are a few great freebies:

1. The New Mexico Environment Department is offering free radon testing to residents, as long as results are shared with the state. Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil. It is linked to 22,000 cases… Continue

Added by Staci Matlock on January 2, 2009 at 11:05am — 1 Comment