California Water: From Local to Global

Heather Cooley 
Co-Director of the Water Program, 
Pacific Institute, Oakland, California 

Ms. Cooley’s presentation begins with a look at California’s water – where it is found, how it is distributed, and water use patterns. She moves on to California’s water management challenges, including decaying infrastructure, limited availability/growing demand, declining water quality, collapsing ecosystems and fisheries, and climate change. She then focuses on new trends and sustainable thinking to tackle these problems, including a “rethinking” of demand, supply, and management. Conservation, waste reduction, and the “soft path of water” are among the key concepts she advocates.  Ms. Cooley received the U.S. EPA’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and earned an MS in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley. 

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Recorded: March 1, 2013