Ok, maybe there's no need for the Jim Morrison reference (Morrison referred to himself as The Lizard King instead). Michael Campana, after all, is no water king. But he does like to refer to himself as an inveterate, unrepentant, water wonk.
You can also call him a hydrogeologist, Professor of Geosciences at Oregon State University, founder of the Ann Campana Judge Foundation, a water conservation projects developer,devout water protector, and about a million other names.
One thing's for sure--Michael Campana's no bore and neither are his uplifting water protection projects.
Hear about them all, along with his plan to save the world--one water bucket at a time.
Tell us about your role as a hydrogeologist and Professor of Geosciences at Oregon State University.
I teach courses in hydrogeology and water resources, and advise students writing Master’s or doctoral theses. I also teach non-water courses, such as introductory geology courses.
I enjoy doing service work - helping people outside OSU with water issues. For example, I am helping Benton County, OR, where I live, develop a water plan. I also make presentations on water and related issues before civic, school, and other groups.
I am also active in a number of professional societies related to water and conduct research. What are some of your research interests?
Surface water – groundwater interactions; transboundary water resources management; effects of climate change on water resources, environmental fluid mechanics.
Why the push to educate the world on clean water and the need to work on water projects in general?
We all need clean water, whether we live in New York City or a village in Tanzania. We have a responsibility to be good stewards of our water resources, not to waste them, and to keep water clean not just for ourselves, but for other living things.
Many people – about 1.1 billion, mainly in the developing world – do not have access to clean water. About 2.3 billion do not have access to sanitary facilities. Water, health, and sanitation are intimately related. Often times, water becomes contaminated in areas with little or poor sanitary facilities. And unclean water and little or no sanitation can lead to disease and death.
Clean water and sanitation are also women’s empowerment issues. In the developing world, the responsibility for collecting water for household use falls almost exclusively upon women and girls. Collecting water is often tedious work; it may take hours to reach the source, and then there is the trek home carrying 5 or more gallons of water, weighing over 40 pounds. Girls help their mothers with the water chores and often miss or drop out of school to do so. And when girls reach puberty, the lack of sanitary facilities – such as latrines – may be a source of embarrassment to them. So they drop out of school. Uneducated women have fewer opportunities to succeed, generally have more children, and are more apt to be condemned to a live of extreme poverty.
Can you offer some tips on how to conserve water?
Almost everyone has heard of the carbon footprint; I believe that in the years to come we will all become more conscious of our water footprint, a measure of the amount of water we use.
I would urge everyone to calculate his or her water footprint by using The H2O Calculator.
There are a lot of little things you can do to conserve water: don’t keep water running when you brush teeth or shave; before using a dishwasher or clothes washer, wait till you have a full load; fix leaky faucets; install a low-flow showerhead; turn off the shower when you wash your hair and/or lather up, then turn it back on to rinse (a Navy shower); install low-volume toilets.
Outdoor watering comprises the biggest water use for residences. Some tips: don’t use your hose to clean your driveway or sidewalks; don’t water in the middle of the day when the temperatures are high, but at dawn or in the evening; don’t water when the wind is blowing; use rainwater harvesting for irrigation when you can, but check with your state/municipality to see if this is legal; consider a greywater system for recycling – again, check local building/plumbing codes; if you have a sprinkler system, don’t run it so that water runs down the street; check the homepage of your local water utility – you will usually find conservation tips appropriate to your area.
You can also visit: http://www.watercasa.org/watersavinginfo.php and http://www.eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm. Keep in mind that we can also conserve water by being cognizant of how much ‘virtual water’ we use. That is the amount of water required to produce a certain good. For example, producing animal protein generally requires far more water than producing plant material of equal mass. It takes something like 1000 liters of water to produce a kilogram of wheat but to produce the same amount of meat takes 5 to 10 times more water. Keep that in mind when you opt for a hamburger rather than another food. You may not be conserving your water, but someone else’s.
The H2O Calculator accounts for virtual water.
How can you get a saltwater aquarium owner to care about freshwater?
I would ask her for which of the following activities does she use freshwater: Drinking? Bathing? Brushing teeth? Cooking? Dish washing? Clothes washing? Lawn, indoor plant, and flower watering? Car washing? What is the ACJ Foundation and what kind of projects stem from it?
The Ann Campana Judge Foundation (www.acjfoundation.org) is a hydrophilanthropy I established in 2002. It is named in memory of my late younger sister who was murdered on 9/11; she was on board American Airlines 77 that was crashed into the Pentagon. Even before 9/11 I was interested in starting my own charitable foundation to fund and undertake water and sanitation projects in the developing world. Afterwards I decided that this would be a wonderful way to honor her memory and accomplish my goals. The ACJF funds small, village-level projects (highest amount: $12,000) in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, and Nicaragua. If you look under ‘Current Projects’ on the ACJF website you’ll see the kinds of things we fund – latrines, potable water systems, etc.
What other water and sanitation projects have you done for developing countries?
I organized a team that trained the Embera Indians in Panama to drill their own water wells and install pumps. When I was at the University of New Mexico I took June trips (2001 through 2005) with my graduate students to help Honduran villagers build water systems. I also took three groups of undergraduate students to Honduras to work on water research projects. In Kazakhstan I led a team to develop a Master’s degree in Environmental Management and Engineering at the Eurasian National University. I am also managing a NATO surface water quality project in the South Caucasus countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. How severe has the problem of water conservation become?
I don’t view water conservation as a problem, but as a solution. I think water conservation is a ‘source’ of water that has frequently been overlooked. In many instances when people start to exhaust their water supplies they invariably decide to seek more water. But by conserving the water they already have, they can avoid the expense and potential adverse effects of developing additional supplies. What action is currently being taken to help combat this problem?
Water utilities, conservation and civic groups, businesses, schools, et al., are encouraging people to be cognizant of the water they use and how to lower the amount used.
Why start a blog on the topic of freshwater and water conservation?
Why not? When I started WaterWired in January 2007 there were few others doing water blogs. I’ve been told by some people that I have a knack for knowing what’s important and/or interesting and what isn’t. I decided to use that knack in deciding what to post. I also have enough of an ego to believe that I can make a difference with what I say. I am also a frustrated writer. So blogging satisfies all these things and has been one of the most rewarding things I have done. And I also have an email list and a Twitter.
How can we educate the world on the very serious matter of clean water and water conservation?
We can set a good example for our friends, families, and even strangers. We can encourage businesses, governments, schools and others to be water wise. Urge your local libraries, schools, and clubs to show some of the many excellent water films available today, and hold discussion or reading groups. Give presentations and demonstrations, especially to children. Finally, support groups that promote clean water and water conservation programs.
Do you believe that the freshwater issue is bigger then the issue of ocean conservation and other saltwater problems? Why or why not?
Each of these issues is extremely important to the survival of humans and other living things. There is no point in trying to determine which one is bigger or more important.
He's a water king? He can do anything?
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