The week that was, March 13-19, 2016

Posted on | March 20, 2016 | No Comments

For more about the bronze, granite and quartz Andrew W. Mellon Memorial Fountain by sculptor Sidney Waugh, click on the image. Photo: Cliff 1066/Wikipedia

The bronze, granite and quartz fountain in front of the National Gallery by sculptor Sidney Waugh was re-started this week after a motionless eight years. Click on the image to learn more about Waugh and the water feature honoring Andrew W. Mellon’s contribution to the gallery. Photo: Cliff1066/Wikipedia

“We asked for it because the National Park Service didn’t want it.” — National Gallery Director “Rusty” Powell, One of DC’s great fountains comes back to life but it shouldn’t have taken so long, Washington Post, 3/17/16 

What do residents get for their extra money? Generally nothing good. — Privatized water costs more than public water, Food & Water Watch, via WaterWired, 3/17/16

“Iron rusts.” — Boulder Director of Public Works for Utilities Jeff Arthur, Boulder council may consider water main break fund, Denver Post, 3/15/16

For many Westerners, the idea of drinking plain hot water is odd. But most Chinese (among others) think Americans’ habit of chugging ice water is equally bizarre, and even unhealthy. — China’s beverage? Hot water, LA Times, 3/12/16

American lobster. Click on the Homarus americanus to learn more about the American lobster from NOAA Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries.

Click on the Homarus americanus to learn more about the American lobster from NOAA Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries.

“The lobsters aren’t walking over there by themselves.” — Maine lobsterman Peter McAlaney, Sweden seeks to stop imports of live Maine lobsters, Portland Press Herald, 3/18/16

The holdover period would benefit large landowners, with no clear value to the public. — Don’t abuse short-term water rightsHonolulu Star-Advertiser, 3/18/16

I find calls for data to be feel-good crowd pleasers. — Also, puppies are cute, On the Public Record, 3/17/16

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Miami performance artist Christine Minnotte’s “Disposable Ethic,” at the Nerve, March 18-19 in FAT Village Arts District, Ft Lauderdale. Source: The Nerve.

“The temptation to just throw a hose in the ocean and suck it out and spend all the money at this time when we truly don’t need it would be a big mistake for the region.” —  Paul Cook, general manager, Irvine Ranch Water District, Water wars: Orange County Water District wants desalinated water. One customer, Irvine Ranch, doesn’t. Who will prevail?, Orange County Register, 3/14/16 

The channels are so large that, even though they are occurring on the underside of a sheet of ice, they can be measured from satellites, because they cause depressions on the ice surface. — Antarctica’s ice is being carved up from below, Washington Post, 3/14/16 

… the 100 ppt safe-exposure level [of the chemical PFOS used in various products including Teflon] that EPA is proposing is still 100 times too high. Activists demand action against industrial chemical in water, Associated Press, 3/15/16 

… there’s little agreement over what level of arsenic in water presents a health risk. — After Flint water crisis, watchdog urges Texas to warn residents about arsenic, Christian Science Monitor, 3/15/16

“Some things just slip by.” Lamesa, Texas school superintendent Steve McLaren, Beyond Flint: Excessive lead levels found in almost 2,000 water systems, USA Today, 3/11/16*

“Why do we even need an EPA?” Utah Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz and chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at a hearing about the mass lead poisoning in Flint, EPA chief, Michigan governor, asked to resign over Flint water crisis, Wall Street Journal 3/17/16

“It’s much ado about nothing. A lot of posturing, finger-pointing, denial of responsibility.” — Flint resident Laura MacIntyre on Copngressional response,  At water-crisis hearing, what Flint residents hear is broken government, Christian Science Monitor, 3/17/16 

It’s been four years since Pam Harris drank water straight from the tap of her home in Arroyo Hondo. — After seven years, Hondo water safer, Taos News, 3/18/16

… contrary to what I wrote yesterday, it might rain again in Albuquerque… —  Correction …, Jfleck at Inkstain, 3/17/16

Waterbird-firstflightfromWindermere-25111911

Waterbird first flight from Lake Windermere, Nov. 25, 1911. Source: Aerodrome.com

Sir, Further to your report on the return of the seaplane (Mar 14), my great uncle, Sol Adams, was the first person to take off and land a seaplane in England (Lake Windermere) in early 1911, on Waterbird. He was the test pilot for Edward Wakefield; it took them close to two years to design, build and successfully fly their plane. — Letter to the editor, Bird of the water, Nicholas Adams, Times of London, 3/17/16 

“We’ll just shut down the party,” deputy Bangkok governor Amorn Kijchawengjul, Bangkok slaps curfew on world’s biggest water fight amid drought, The Nation, 3/16/16 

The epidemic is unfolding in one of the country’s most popular vacation destinations… — Puerto Rico braces for its own Zika epidemic, NY Times, 3/19/16

Scott’s contribution to the current crisis, of course, is to blame President Obama. In declaring an emergency from the lake discharges, the governor mentioned the president or the federal government seven times in 10 paragraphs. — It’s become the ‘US Sugar Water Management District,’ South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 3/18/16

The number of agricultural water entitlements with at least some level of foreign ownership increased by more than half in recent years. — Australia to register its concern about foreigners buying its water, Wall Street Journal, 3/18/16

An estate owned by philanthropist and former media mogul David Geffen used an average of about 27,000 gallons of water a day between June 2 and Aug. 2 — roughly 60 times what an average Los Angeles family uses and about 9,000 gallons more per day than what Geffen was allowed. — Beverly Hills’ get tough policy on profligate water users is having desired effect, LA Times, 3/14/16

*Story from outside the conventional weekly time bracket.

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