Messaging For Sustainable Water Resource Management

Messaging For Sustainable Water Resource Management In Times of Abrupt Climate Change & The Most Serious Economic Crisis in Modern History

Lyle Brecht - November 2008 *DRAFT

Lyle Brecht Background: MS degree in applied ecology with a specialty in systems theory from the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota and a MBA from Harvard University. Beginning as graduate student, worked on “sustainability” projects related to the impact of nuclear power economics on electric utilitiesʼ stock price; the application of biological systems analysis to watershed protection; the use of microbial agents for weapons; the provision of bicycle and pedestrian design in urban transportation systems in major cites of the US, Canada and Europe; the impact of federal grants for wastewater treatment infrastructure on the financial health of cities and towns in the US; the use of water conservation as a demand management tool for water utilities; the design of AI software and operations maintenance software for the transportation industry; the design of on-line research supplies procurement systems for the pharmaceutical industry; and nuclear non-proliferation strategy. Helped raise almost a billion dollars as a business development specialist for both private and public sector environmental projects. Helped set-up global television coverage for the first Live Aid concert to raise money for AIDs victims. For the past two years, since being elected to serve on the Sewanee Utility District board as a commissioner, helped re-organize the governance practices of the utility to become more proactive and planning oriented and to make financial decisions based on solid analysis.

Conventional Messaging about Water in the United States: Most Americans, at least the 85% that obtain their freshwater supply from water utilities believe that: (1) freshwater is ubiquitous; (2) potable water is in infinate supply; and (3) freshwater is always immediately available - just turn on the tap. However, the reality is different: (1) freshwater is a scarce natural resource in dwindling supply; (2) supplying potable water is expensive; (3) few countries in the world are wealthy enough to run a 24/7 positive pressure system that enables one to “just turn on the tap” and sufficient water always flows. Between 1950-2000 public water consumption tripled. There are about 46,000 water utilities in the U.S. today. Not all water supplied by a water utility reaches the customer. Real losses occur from operator errors, leaks, line breaks. Not all of the water that reaches the customer is properly measured or paid for. Apparent losses occur from inaccurate meters, accounting mistakes. Public utilities will need to invest $150 billion over the next 20 years to meet growing source development, storage, treatment, and distribution needs. Utilities are charging more for water as obtaining new supply is costly. In So. CA, some utilities give consumers low flow toilets and require all new development to recycle water on-site. GA, TX, CO, NM promoting xeriscape landscaping for dry climates.

Predominant Messaging about Bottled Water: (1) Privatized water (branded water) is healthier than public water supply; (2) spending $3.00/gal on bottled water rather than ~less than one cent per gallon for public water supply is reasonable; (3) bottled water is safe and convenient. The truth about bottled water: (1) the majority of bottled water sold in the U.S. is just re-filtered municipal water; (2) spending $3.00/gal on bottled water because it is somehow “better” than public water supply is nonsense; (3) in fact, public water supply is safer than bottled water in that, unlike bottled water, it is highly regulated by federal and state regulatory agencies that require continual testing for quality. Bottled water is neither regulated, nor is continual testing required. Bottled water is not convenient, it produces a massive waste stream in throw-away plastic bottles.

Sustainability

Our patterns of discourse organize our understandings and determine to a large extent the breadth of reality we apprehend. That is one of the aims of education: to widen our fields of vision by introducing vocabulary, theory, and experience. I would like to point out a tradition of silence that has encapsulated and limited our discourse concerning sustainability by framing this discourse in hegemonic, positivist-scientific language. The positivistic-scientific paradigm assumes that sustainability is merely a requirement for science and technology to fix. Thus, all we need to do is to replace dirty coal w/ clean coal electric-generating plants and the world can go on with its business. This positivist-scientific language presents an ideological framework that invokes a false value-neutrality and objectivity that delimits truth as what can be expressed in positivist or scientific language and relies on dualistic thinking to judge what is “acceptable” discourse concerning these topics. I would like to suggest that thinking about sustainability in this fashion is both evaluative and normative and begs asking the question that remains silent, not about which methods of inquiry are proper when addressing issues of sustainability, but who uses them and to what ends?

Aristotle called the free speech of citizens - truthful speech - parresia. In parresia, “one who speaks the truth is also one who is prepared to witness to the truth by living in service to the truth and in solidarity with others seeking the truth” (Northcott, 2007). Thomas Aquinas coined the term “affected ignorance” to describe individuals, and in this case maybe whole societies, as those who “choose not to know what can and should be known.” Maybe one of our roles today is to act with parresia towards those around us who exhibit affected ignorance. The idea of “Living in Truth” rather than “living in the lie” was developed in the Eastern Bloc countries in the 1970s and ʻ80s and ultimately led to the nonviolent overthrow of Soviet power in those countries w/ the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Combines non-violent, noncooperation of Ghandi/King w/ “truth” living teachings of Jesus. Best described by Vaclav Havel in his “Power and the Powerless” or by a close reading of the gospels in the NT and the prophets of the OT.

U.S. Freshwater Use: 48% thermoelectric power; 34% irrigation; 11% public supply; 5% industrial; 2% self-supplied domestic, livestock, aquaculture, mining. Globally, water utilities are the single largest user of electric power, consuming from 2 to 10% of the power used in any country. In the U.S., water utilities consume 3% of the electric power generated.

20th century droughts: 1934, 1936, 1939-40 - the “black blizzards” (dust so thick that it concealed the sun for days at a time) of the Dust Bowl Drought in the U.S. caused by a combination of moderate to extreme drought that covered as much as 80% (July 1934) of the U.S. and poor soil management of agricultural lands. 1950-57 - severe drought in the Great Plains that cut U.S. agricultural food production in some states by 50%. Temperatures in Dallas exceeded 100 degree F for 52 days during the summer of 1953. 1980 - widespread drought in the U.S. costs $48.4B (2002$) and 10,000 deaths. 1987-89 - drought covers 36% of the U.S. Farming on marginally arable lands and pumping of groundwater to the point of depletion exacerbated impact; $60B in damages, 7,500 deaths.

300 Million Population

Americans use 75% more water per capita than people in other developed nations

Trends: Aquifers are being depleted much faster than they are being recharged; Streams are becoming polluted by agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, and industrial and municipal wastes; Increasing demand and more persistent drought due to climate change are drying up lakes. Results: 4 of 5 fastest growing metro areas have experienced water shortages in past two years: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.; Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas; and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. Historically, collapse of urban areas has been due to running out of water supply.

It is in the self-interest of public water utilities to inform citizens concerning the truth about freshwater resources and the proper management of these resources. Might these public institutions be encouraged to deliver a message concerning the protection and use of water resources: (1) demand management (plugging distribution leaks, metering water use, and implementing conservation pricing); (2) adding developerʼs charges for new construction so that growth pays for growth (e.g. water resource charges, water infrastructure charges, and wastewater infrastructure charges); (3) pricing water and sewer services at its economic cost of production; (4) providing water education along with 12x/year billing and in primary and secondary schools. Required: (1) legislative changes and funding initiatives; (2) TDEC executive orders and oversight ; (3) public participation and willingness to learn the truth about water resources. Meets almost all mesaging criteria discussed during August meeting: (1) looks to an affordable future; (2) timely, given the present financial crisis and focus on impacts of abrupt climate change; (3) increases transparency; (4) expands interest beyond “environmental coalitions;” (5) appeals to citizens from all walks of life, backgrounds; (6) has grassroots apeal; (7) the message delivery system is already in place; (8) opportunity for modeling other messaging.