Watertopia

Watertopia

Imaginative solutions for clean and sustainable water.

Quick Facts

90%
Trapped heat produce by greenhouse gases is absorbed by the ocean
8"
Sea levels have risen 8 inches since the beginning of the 20th century. The current rate is accelerating.
40%
Americans living in coastal counties fall into an elevated coastal hazard risk category.

Ready to get started?

Ideas and questions to kick-start your thinking

Make a documentary

  • Not everyone has access to clean drinking water, why?
  • Where does the water in your faucet come from?

Write your own story

  • California is famous for it’s beaches, what stories can you tell from the shore?
  • How does drinking water get contaminated?

Water facts to get you started

  • For Angelenos, some of the drinking water originates in Colorado. 
  • California has one of the largest inland estuaries in the world. 
  • Half of the water used in cities in California is for outdoor use, including yards and trees. 
  • 62% of CA voters say that limited public access to the coast and beaches is a problem. 
  • Three out of four Californians say that they visit the coast of California at least once a year. 

Do your own research—a couple resources to get you started

Watertopia Films, Class of 2018

A Clean Perspective (first place)

by Matt Dorgan of Point Loma High School

Do More, Be More (second place)

by Charlotte Win of Cypress High School

Water You Doing? (third place)

by Ariel Caballero-Lopez, Melody Escamilla and Joshua Stelly of LAUSD/USC Media Arts and Engineering Magnet


Ecotopia

“Watertopia” was introduced as a category as 2018, it replaced “Ecotopia.” Here are the top films from 2017’s “Ecotopia” submissions.

The Emerald (best film)

by Marina McNairy, Julian Torres, Roberto Valencia & Salar Khorramnezhad of Culver City High School.

Take a Moment (first runner up)

by Ciara Page & Amél Adrian Gibson of Culver City High School.

A BETTER FUTURE! (second runner up)

by Jocelynn Nazarit of Los Angeles River School.