Years ago I saw a sticker that roughly said: "Nature makes a hazard, man makes a disaster." The distinction is important. As the planet warms, the world is becoming more hazardous. Hotter fires, melting glaciers, bigger storms. Where we place people and assets can increase risk. Or decrease it.

What's the state of the Great Lakes blue economy? Join us for a town hall featuring reporters behind a Great Lakes News Collaborative series examining the relationship between the region’s economy and its most abundant natural resource — water. Stream it June 4 at 7 PM: youtube.com/live/iOwYSSc...

When disasters strike already-stressed housing markets, they disproportionately damage affordable housing stock and put tremendous downward pressure on the market, further squeezing those at the bottom of the ladder. This story features both dynamics: www.npr.org/2025/06/02/n...

US govt water news: - Supreme Court affirms narrow environmental reviews that do not assess upstream or downstream effects - Summer forecast for high wildfire risk and heat - Army Corps posts draft EIS for Line 5 tunnel - USGS reports on Boise River water quality www.circleofblue.org/newsletter/f...

That one weekend a year when Seattle resembles New Orleans

LA's 2025 wildfires didn’t just burn homes, they disrupted water systems, hitting smaller providers & vulnerable communities hardest. New research led by @gregspierce.bsky.social reveals the hidden toll & calls for equitable recovery innovation.luskin.ucla.edu/2025/05/29/u... #UCLA #UCLALuskin

It was great chatting with @waterloop.bsky.social about our recent reporting project on the Great Lakes region's blue economy www.waterloop.org/in-the-newsr...

Big problems for a big river. In-depth look at the Mississippi River delta as this highly engineered and altered system faces saltwater intrusion, erosion, shipping industry changes, rising seas, aging flood control structures www.nola.com/news/environ...

Wildfire smoke is drifting into the Great Lakes region again

Gateway to the azalea kingdom

9 people were killed in a tornado last night in KY. The NWS office responsible for that area has faced some of the most extreme cuts by the Trump administration, including the loss of overnight forecasting. Last night, they were rushing to find help for the office. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/w...

My story on Rio Grande & Pecos River water use in oil and gas drilling during an extreme drought is out today in @insideclimatenews.org insideclimatenews.org/news/1305202...

new from me for @wired.com : the EPA is moving to reorganize its scientific research office, which will likely kill off a small but crucial program devoted to studying the impacts of toxic chemicals—which has been a target of industry groups for years

An information hotline operating since 1953. A person on the phone to answer questions, no matter how mundane or obscure. For callers without the internet or who need to hear a voice. This was a delight to read oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/the-a...

The runoff forecast for the Colorado River this summer wasn't great. Now it's looking worse. And that poses challenges for a basin already in contentious debate about how to cut water use www.circleofblue.org/2025/supply/...

For a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of mobile dog salons

This neighborhood wisteria is a little miracle every spring

Coots a plenty on Union Bay during this rare stretch of cold nights, sunny days

EDGI, as part of the Public Environmental Data Project, has been working for the last two months to archive critical federal environmental data. We're working to build public access, so check back here for updates. If you would like to be involved, reach out: envirodatagov.org/volunteer/

Another wetlands lawsuit to watch www.wglt.org/2025-01-20/s...

Slew of federal agency reports last week: ▪️EPA, health risk of two PFAS in biosolids ▪️EPA, enviro impact of biofuels mandate ▪️USGS, water supply and demand ▪️EPA, toxicity review of inorganic arsenic ▪️NREL, floating solar panels on fed reservoirs That and more.. www.circleofblue.org/2025/federal...

Tomorrow we are going to record a special episode of Water Talk focused on wildfires and water supply + infrastructure. Let us know if we (me and @gregspierce.bsky.social) can address any particular issues on your mind.

Draft report from EPA advisory board makes clear that water affordability is more than customer assistance programs. It includes what is built, how it's operated, and how rates are designed. www.epa.gov/system/files...

While you were wrapping gifts, the federal government was wrapping up its end-of-administration business. EPA reports on water affordability and wetland health Congress adds $100 billion in disaster relief Plus Yakima dairies polluting groundwater w/ nitrate www.circleofblue.org/2024/federal...

Tap water avoidance is a big problem indeed. We've estimated around 61 million Americans do not drink their tap water - see these papers: www.cambridge.org/core/journal... & www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... & www.nature.com/articles/s44...

After a day talking about the future of safe drinking water, it's clear that declining trust in this country -- in the quality of tap water, in our institutions, within our governments -- is a formidable problem

It's the time when I review the past year and summarize what happened with water. Do you even remember January? www.circleofblue.org/2024/world/t...

Last-minute items for Congress include a budget and disaster aid. But also approving a massive water rights settlement for tribes in northeastern Arizona www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...

"Need" is an elastic concept when it comes to household water use. Sterling Ranch shows what can be done with efficient design, let alone behavior change coloradosun.com/2024/11/24/c...

How are water, climate, and violence connected? I spoke with journalist @schwartzstein.bsky.social about The Heat and the Fury, his new book on the topic. It's nuanced reporting on a complex and growing problem. Worth 20 mins of your day! www.circleofblue.org/2024/world/o...

Worth reading and relevant to our moment of stupendous social, cultural, ecological change

Record salmon run in Carkeek Park this year. Such a delight to see this in the city www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...