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Peter H. Gleick for White House Water Advisor

Posted by: Maven on November 10, 2008 at 6:06 am

From the American Water Resources Association blog:

No sense beating around the bush: we’ve got some serious water issues facing the USA (and the world). If I have to enumerate them, then you’ve been living under a rock or not reading this blog, or both. Paramount among these issues is the fact that the USA has no national water policy/strategy/vision/plan (choose your favorite term).

President-Elect Barack Obama needs to appoint a White House Water Advisor. I eschew using the sexier term “water czar” because I am not talking about someone with absolute life-or-death authority. But I want someone who has the ear and confidence of the President and can speak for him on water issues. He/she would have an office in the West Wing and a staff as well. That person would attend Cabinet meetings, and be distinct from the Science Advisor. Water is too important to be rolled into ”science” with a bunch of other things.

So what would this person do?

* Advise the President on water and related issues, both domestic and foreign
* Be the administration’s water “point man/woman”
* Make policy recommendations
* Liaise with Capitol Hill and the states
* Coordinate Federal water agencies and policies (I know, dream on!)

Obviously, we need someone smart and who “thinks outside the box” (apologies for using that hackneyed term). Sorry, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin, but ‘Joe/Jane Six-Pack’ or ‘Joe the Plumber’ won’t do. Nor will another lawyer suffice; we already have TMDLs. And let’s get someone who is OTB (Outside The Beltway), not a political hack, and doesn’t espouse the SOS. Gee, that’s a tall order!

So who fills the bill? Dr. Peter H. Gleick, President and co-founder of the nonprofit GleickPacific Institute, is the best person for the job. When it comes to water, he’s well-respected and the smartest one in the pool.

More from the AWRA blog by clicking here.

Note: Michael Campana, the author of this post, has his own blog, Water Wired, which you can check out by clicking here.

November 10, 2008 · Filed Under National water news

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