Equity In Every Drop - A Waterkeeper Alliance Podcast

Waterkeeper Alliance

This podcast features the diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives of our global movement of Waterkeeper groups, impacted community members, and leading experts. Join us for meaningful conversations about critical issues threatening our waters and the actions, policies, and solutions we need to promote environmental equity, advance environmental justice, and protect everyone's right to clean water. Whether you're a seasoned advocate or new to the cause of clean water, join us to listen, learn, and amplify the demand for equity in every drop. WHAT TO EXPECT IN SERIES 4 Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance This series of six episodes will take listeners on an international journey to hear from Waterkeepers around the world. It will highlight the work and various threats, challenges and opportunities specific to each global region, examining the different circumstances these advocates face, as well as the similarities that run through all of their work in ensuring everyone’s right – around the world – to clean water. Join us as we discuss international collaborations, the impact of armed conflict on water quality, the role of community engagement, and so much more. SERIES 3 RECAP Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance From the battle against plastic waste and toxic chemicals to protecting wetlands and addressing nonpoint source pollution, this series of six episodes will explore the critical challenges and promising solutions in the fight for clean water. We’ll highlight the incredible work being done by advocates, experts, and community leaders who are pushing back against the erosion of laws and regulations, ensuring that the protection of people and the environment takes priority over corporate interests. Join us as we discuss actionable solutions, international collaboration, and the policies needed to safeguard our water for future generations. SERIES 2 RECAP Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance In Series 2 we discussed factory farms and the practice of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. These industrial facilities wreak havoc on water and air quality, human health, and the economic well being of communities and small scale farmers. In these episodes, we were joined by advocates, legal scholars, and health experts, as well as the community members who must endure the consequences of these toxic factory farms. SERIES 1 RECAP Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance From the crystal-clear waters of The Bahamas to the vibrant landscapes of Sénégal and the environmental battlegrounds throughout the United States, this six-episode series explores the critical climate-related threats to our water quality, quantity, and security and reveal the realities facing vulnerable communities already bearing the brunt of climate change. To learn about our global water movement and how to get involved, visit waterkeeper.org.

  1. Swimming Urban Rivers

    FEB 19

    Swimming Urban Rivers

    Host Thomas Hynes speaks with Laura Reinsborough of Ottawa Riverkeeper about the Ottawa River’s swimmability and watershed protection. Reinsborough outlines her background in environmental studies, founding an urban fruit tree nonprofit in Toronto, and leading Food for All New Brunswick. She describes the Ottawa River as a 1,200+ km river with a vast drainage basin, the largest tributary to the St. Lawrence within the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence freshwater system, and notes it runs through unceded Anishnabe Algonquin territory across Ontario and Quebec. Ottawa Riverkeeper began in 2001 in response to untreated sewage from combined sewer overflows across a fragmented watershed of over 300 municipalities. She reports that the City of Ottawa’s overflows have been reduced by over 90% through transparency, monitoring (including real-time public maps and email notifications), and major infrastructure, including a sewage storage tunnel completed in 2021.  Despite improved water quality, public perception lags; a 2020 survey found most believed the river unsafe. Reinsborough says people do swim (herself included), and urban beaches test safe about 85% of the time, with results aggregated on Swim Guide and advice to wait 24–48 hours after heavy rain. She discusses the Swimmable Cities Alliance and swimming as human “rewilding.” Additional priorities include road salt, 85+ fish species, American eel decline due to 50+ dams, PFAS and microplastics, and nuclear waste concerns. She also describes River School (launched 2023 at River House), reaching about 4,000 students with hands-on watershed, biodiversity, and water-quality education, including a birchbark canoe module.

    37 min

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

This podcast features the diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives of our global movement of Waterkeeper groups, impacted community members, and leading experts. Join us for meaningful conversations about critical issues threatening our waters and the actions, policies, and solutions we need to promote environmental equity, advance environmental justice, and protect everyone's right to clean water. Whether you're a seasoned advocate or new to the cause of clean water, join us to listen, learn, and amplify the demand for equity in every drop. WHAT TO EXPECT IN SERIES 4 Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance This series of six episodes will take listeners on an international journey to hear from Waterkeepers around the world. It will highlight the work and various threats, challenges and opportunities specific to each global region, examining the different circumstances these advocates face, as well as the similarities that run through all of their work in ensuring everyone’s right – around the world – to clean water. Join us as we discuss international collaborations, the impact of armed conflict on water quality, the role of community engagement, and so much more. SERIES 3 RECAP Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance From the battle against plastic waste and toxic chemicals to protecting wetlands and addressing nonpoint source pollution, this series of six episodes will explore the critical challenges and promising solutions in the fight for clean water. We’ll highlight the incredible work being done by advocates, experts, and community leaders who are pushing back against the erosion of laws and regulations, ensuring that the protection of people and the environment takes priority over corporate interests. Join us as we discuss actionable solutions, international collaboration, and the policies needed to safeguard our water for future generations. SERIES 2 RECAP Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance In Series 2 we discussed factory farms and the practice of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. These industrial facilities wreak havoc on water and air quality, human health, and the economic well being of communities and small scale farmers. In these episodes, we were joined by advocates, legal scholars, and health experts, as well as the community members who must endure the consequences of these toxic factory farms. SERIES 1 RECAP Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance From the crystal-clear waters of The Bahamas to the vibrant landscapes of Sénégal and the environmental battlegrounds throughout the United States, this six-episode series explores the critical climate-related threats to our water quality, quantity, and security and reveal the realities facing vulnerable communities already bearing the brunt of climate change. To learn about our global water movement and how to get involved, visit waterkeeper.org.