Entries by Laura Gersony

HotSpots H2O: New Report Urges Policymakers to ‘Wake Up to the Looming Water Crisis’

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Current rates of progress on water, sanitation, and hygiene would need to quadruple to meet UN targets.

HotSpots H2O: Years-Long Drought Pushes Brazil to the Brink

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The country’s worst drought in nearly a century is choking commerce, threatening ecosystems, and diminishing hydroelectric power generation.

The Town that Flood-Proofed Itself

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Ottawa, Illinois learned how to keep its residents out of harms way. But on the river’s edge, safety has often required sacrifice.

Amid Extreme Heat and Drought, Line 3 Pipeline Construction Puts Water At Risk

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State agencies insist — though scientists and indigenous leaders furiously disagree — that waterways won’t be affected.

Climate Change Is Intensifying the Water Cycle, New IPCC Report Finds

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The climate crisis will jeopardize key sources of fresh water and make extreme weather events more severe. But experts say there’s still time to prevent the worst outcomes.

“We Can’t Have Land Back Without Water Back”

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Julia Bernal came of age while living in a watershed turned upside down by dams and diversions. Now an activist, she campaigns for Indigenous rights — and the water to sustain them.

Waste-To-Energy Tech Could Slash U.S. Water Sector Carbon Emissions, But Its Potential Remains Underdeveloped

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U.S. utilities have been slower to adopt the energy- and emissions-saving technologies than those in other parts of the world.

Some Chicagoans Wary of Lead Pipe Replacement

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Mistrust of the government, fears related to immigration, and unclear messaging make the operation a hard sell in some neighborhoods.

Cheap Cybersecurity Defenses Exist, But They’re Not Reaching Water Utilities Who Need Them

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An era of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure has begun. Rural water utilities have vulnerabilities and advantages.

Detroit Flooding Previews Risks from a Warming Climate

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Urban infrastructure in many cities was not built for current and future climate pressures.

In Chicago, Flooding Overwhelmingly Strikes Communities of Color

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Laura GersonyLaura Gersony covers water policy, infrastructure, and energy for Circle of Blue. She also writes FRESH, Circle of Blue’s biweekly digest of Great Lakes policy news, and HotSpots H2O, a monthly column about the regions and populations most at-risk for water-related hazards and conflict. She is an Environmental Studies and Political Science major at […]