IoES drought expert brings the saga of California’s water crisis to Hollywood

Premiering fittingly on World Water Day, “Don’t Doubt the Drought,” was not Sony Pictures Entertainment’s latest production, but an informational presentation aimed at the studio’s eco-minded employees hoping to learn more about this increasingly dramatic statewide dilemma from an authority on the issue from UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES).

Employee engagement is part of Sony’s company-wide sustainability goals, with the studio aiming to raise environmental awareness and inspire action. Realizing this objective is facilitated through Sony’s LINKS Green Series.

LINKS programs provide environmental education and volunteering opportunities for studio employees. The LINKS Green Series brings speakers and workshops during lunchtime to educate and increase employee attention to sustainable practices.

As a member of the Institute’s Corporate Partner Program, Sony has access to IoES’ diverse network of academics in areas including green innovation, greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies, sustainability frameworks, and more. This interactive partnership provides the studio with opportunities to learn from and work with distinguished faculty from a major research university.

For “Don’t Doubt the Drought,” Sony invited Madelyn Glickfeld, director of the UCLA Water Resources Group (WRG) at the IoES, to the studio lot in Culver City to speak to employees about the effects of drought in California and the future of water sustainability in the West. Glickfeld manages the California “Drought Report,” an informational portal updated weekly on the drought status, response, and impacts.

The WRG is an effort to establish a network of scholars and scientists across campus with water expertise to initiate collaborations that address complex supply and quality problems and focus on the critical matter of water sustainability in California, as well as the more extensive, arid Southwest. As director, Glickfeld also works to engage with public agencies and other stakeholders to examine the opportunities and obstacles to better water resources management.

Sony’s Environmental Sustainability Director Megan Rast said Glickfeld did a great job communicating about the drought. “I am so grateful our employees were able to benefit from the IoES partnership in this way.”