Thursday, September 28, 2017

BLOG: Groundwater - The Neglected Child of the Water World

by Bill and Rosemarie Alley

We look forward to participating in the Groundwater Foundation's national conference in Boise. Rosemarie will begin with her insights on writing about science for the general reader. Bill will follow with groundwater examples from around the world, and conclude with thirteen key factors that contribute to good groundwater governance.

As we all know, groundwater is the neglected child of the water world. There are many interesting books and documentaries about surface water that are raising awareness and appreciation for today’s challenges with rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. But when it comes to groundwater—that 95 percent of earth’s unfrozen fresh water—most people are barely aware of it.

This has begun to change in recent years. Thanks in large part to the hard work of
organizations like the Groundwater Foundation and the National Ground Water Association, we are seeing a growing interest and appreciation of this great hidden world. From the community to the regional level, people are beginning to understand that effective groundwater governance requires collective action, with stakeholders working together, instead of the top-down decision-making that governs surface water. Groundwater is a democratic resource, not only because of its wide availability but also because managing it wisely means that people have to get together and be willing compromise.

As a scientist/nonscientist writing team, our goal in writing “High and Dry: Meeting the Challenges of the World’s Growing Dependence on Groundwater” was to bring greater visibility to the importance of, and growing threats to, this precious resource. Our goal was to cover groundwater as a global issue, but not as another crisis book. As such, we included stories of people and organizations who are working hard to make a difference, including the Groundwater Foundation.

We hope to see you in Boise!
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2017 Groundwater Foundation National Conference | October 24-26, 2017 | Boise, ID
Don't miss out - hear Bill and Rosemarie and other expert speakers. The Alleys' book will be available for purchase and signing at the conference. Register today! 



As a scientist/nonscientist writing team, Dr. William M. Alley and Rosemarie Alley communicate complex environmental science issues to a broad public. Dr. Alley provides the scientific expertise and Rosemarie’s job is to turn it into an engaging narrative. They have written two books together, as well as articles and Op/Ed pieces, and have given talks to a wide range of audiences. Their experiences as an unconventional team have given them unique insights in how to successfully hook the public’s interest with environmental science issues.

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