The lives of working-class folks tragically intersected with a load of hazardous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, in early February 2023. Zoning laws—designed to keep incompatible uses apart—were of little use in this situation. Additional safety…
Thoughts From Engineers: Precipitation Estimates That Make Us or Break Us
On the eve of the New Year, in a one-two move suggestive of a “prepper” mentality, the U.S. Congress passed two laws that address the issues of national…
Thoughts From Engineers: Where the Water Will Go
The local waterfront pub you’ve been in the habit of visiting for burgers and fries on Friday night is very likely to be flooded several times…
Thoughts From Engineers: Data for a New Era in Water Management
Engineers are trained to solve for unknowns, but we absolutely need solid facts elsewhere in the equation. Data are key, folks, and we all know our solutions are only as good as what we have to work with. The Internet of Water (IoW), a concept first articulated…
Thoughts From Engineers: Urban Heat Islands Grab the Latest Climate Headlines
Extremely high temperatures searing U.S. and European cities in recent weeks invariably focuses the world’s attention on the “urban heat islands” that cities by and large represent. With rising temperatures of late, cities are literal hotbeds for…
Thoughts From Engineers: The Supreme Court Kicks the Climate ‘Ball’ Back to Congress
Many predicted in the days leading up to the release of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision in West Virginia v. EPA that something “big” was about to happen. In any other decade, I think the decision would’ve been characterized…
Thoughts From Engineers: When Cities in the Midwest Run Dry
The states surrounding the Great Lakes have always been a bit smug about the bounty of freshwater on their doorstep. These states have been equally vigilant about keeping this resource close and have drafted laws to protect this enormous concentration…
Thoughts From Engineers: On Shaky Ground: The Effect of Human Activity on Drinking Water
The results of a study examining the relationship between land use and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) contamination were published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology in February 2022 (bit.ly/PFAS2022).…
Thoughts From Engineers: Cybersecurity: More at Risk Than Meets the Eye
As an indicator of how quickly events are evolving lately, by the time this column goes to print, the geopolitical circumstances in which we find ourselves today could be radically changed. What seemed unlikely to occur a few months ago—namely the invasion…
Thoughts From Engineers: The Elusive Plea of COP26
I’ll confess I’m probably more fixated than most on climate-related news. When the media began to post updates on the progress of the United Nation’s 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Scotland in early November 2021, I was ready to see the…
