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Taking on Water
All of the water on Earth is connected: lakes, oceans, estuaries and beaches, rivers and streams, stormwater, wetlands, and more. As the various channels ebb and flow challenges rise to the surface: watershed protection, water infrastructure, water and climate, water and energy, and health and water.
In an increasingly warming world where sustainable management of this element is more crucial than ever, the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES) and Hammer Museum at UCLA have come together to explore the most pressing issues surrounding the current and future state of water in a year-long series of symposia, film screenings, and more. “The Next Wave: Quality, Quantity, and Accessibility of Water in the 21st Century” will cover water topics on a local and global scale.
IoES Public Programs Manager Kate Thomas explained the impetus for selecting water as the focal point of a year-long series. “We wanted a cohesive theme, but also one that would incorporate many different environmental concerns like climate change, biodiversity, and environmental justice. Water is a multifaceted issue affecting everything and everyone — it was a natural fit for a series.”
Topics will include California’s water supply, rising sea levels, hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), the L.A. River, ocean acidification, plastic pollution, international water supply, and water rights. The discussion series will run throughout 2015, with monthly events, all at the Hammer Museum. Admission is free and each event will be live streamed, with recordings available for viewing online afterwards.
“The Next Wave” kicked off January 22 with a screening of “Watermark,” a documentary that explores the impact human intervention has had on the world’s water supply. Coming up on February 5 is “Can California’s Water Ever Be Sustainable?” The panel discussion will examine the state’s challenges of meeting the water demands of a growing population, an ongoing drought, and the increasing impact of climate change. Experts from the IoES, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, State Water Resources Control Board, and Public Policy Institute of California will consider ways the state can better manage its water resources.
Through this new public engagement partnership the Institute and Hammer Museum aim to offer a stimulating series of events that ignite the mind and inspire change. “Outreach is a principal component of the Institute’s mission. “The Next Wave” is a great opportunity to dig really deep into one issue and engage an audience over an extended period of time,” said Thomas.
She continued, “Ultimately, we hope this series really resonates with people. We want everyone to come away better informed and more impassioned on the issues surrounding water. Hopefully that knowledge will translate to action in some way – big or small. That would be ideal.”