Articles by Jim Lauria

61. Cheers To World Soil Day 12/5/2016

    Let’s lift a glass — of water — to celebrate World Soil Day, created by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognize the thin mantle that sustains us. Of course, as a water guy, I look at World Soil Day as a time to highlight the symbiosis of soil and water. As anybody who has been to the barren deserts of China, North Africa or the Middle East knows, soil without water doesn’t produce anything.

62. Water And The Art Of War: Is China Gaining A Stranglehold On The World Water Supply? 10/18/2016

    In the upcoming U.S. presidential election, China has emerged again and again as both threat and ally. With all the talk about trade, economic balance, and military concerns surrounding China, this is a timely opportunity to dive into a little-discussed aspect of Chinese global power plays: water.

63. Share Your Passion 8/26/2016

    Speaking at the Water 2.0: Digital Transformation for the Water Industry Conference in San Diego in early August was an exciting challenge. Here was a tech-savvy, deep-thinking audience that clearly saw the challenges and opportunities presented by America’s need to invest $2.5 to $4 trillion for water and wastewater upgrades over the next 20 years.

64. California Dreaming: The Need For Homegrown Agricultural Water Technology 8/8/2016

    In drought-plagued California, the supply of water falls well short of demand — with food production hanging in the balance. The implications are felt globally, but relief can be found locally.

65. Rural Water Systems: Dancing Backwards And In High Heels 5/24/2016

    About 30 years ago, a Frank and Ernest cartoon tipped its hat to Fred Astaire while giving long-overdue credit to Ginger Rogers. “Sure, he was great,” said a lady in front of a movie theater sign touting a Fred Astaire film festival, “but don’t forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did…backwards and in high heels.”

66. World Water Day Redux 3/22/2016

    It has been five years since I first published this post on World Water Day to remind the general public on how they can play a role in conserving one of our world's most precious resources. It is as relevant now as it was then.

67. Sensorship In The Water Sector 3/1/2016

    Sensorship in the water sector is an issue of growing importance, something that will touch all of us right where we live.

68. Is Water Shortage The Next Big Short? 2/4/2016

    At the end of The Big Short, a postscript stated that one of the story's protagonists, Dr. Michael Burry (played by Christian Bale), was now focused on investing in only one commodity: water. That got my attention.

69. Women And Water 9/21/2015

    In my last column, I referred to “men of a certain age,” zeroing in on the readers most likely to be fascinated in the ’70s and ’80s with both old monster movies and young Brooke Shields. But in no way do I believe water is a male problem (or a female one, at that). Water is an issue that unites us all.

70. The Black Lagoon Or The Blue Lagoon? 8/31/2015

    To men of a certain age, the word “lagoon” conjures two very different images. In the first, it’s the Creature from the Black Lagoon — a scary gill-man emerging from the ooze. In the other, it’s the idyllic Blue Lagoon, with Brooke Shields frolicking in an island fantasyland.