Water, Pipes and Satellites

This third bonus episode explores water. 

First, we take to the skies with UNC Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Professor Tamlin Pavelsky. Pavelsky, who serves as the freshwater science lead for NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, shares findings from the Atlantic Coast to the Yukon Delta to the Kakhovka Dam. SWOT is visualizing rivers and lakes in ways we've never seen before.

In the second half of the episode we hear from Anna Patterson, program director at the UNC Environmental Finance Center. Anna begins by sharing the challenges water utilities, especially those that are underfunded, face when trying to manage stormwater. She shares how green infrastructure can change the way we view stormwater and how utilities might go about paying for this type of infrastructure.

Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.