logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
47m 27s

Understanding the Real Fight Over Water ...

bloomberg
About this episode

Arizona recently announced new constraints on housing development in the areas around Phoenix. At issue is water rights and scarcity, which have been a challenge for the US Southwest for as long as people have been living there. That being said, the region is currently in the midst of a 25-year megadrought and when you combine that with booming growth, difficult choices may have to be made. But how do water rights get divided? Who holds them? How much is water worth to the housing developers, farmers and semiconductor manufacturers that have flocked to the state? To learn more, we speak with Kathryn Sorensen, director of research at the Kyl Center for Water Policy at the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University. We discuss both current and past water management practices in the state.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Alex Imas on Why Economists Might Be Getting AI Wrong
Everyone knows that new technologies can be really disruptive to the labor market, but eventually new jobs emerge and things come back into balance. And there is a sense in which many view AI with the same lens. Yes, there will be pain in some sectors, but then there will be prod ... Show More
47m 2s
Apr 17
Planet Money Turned Everyday Annoyances Into an Economics Book
There are a lot of things to be annoyed about in modern life. The high cost of food and housing and childcare. Dating apps that don't seem to work. The fear of AI replacing you at your job. These are all common complaints and concerns, and each of them can be traced to a specific ... Show More
39m 1s
Apr 16
Brad Setser on the War in Iran and the Future of the US Dollar
It's possible that the war in Iran could reshape financial flows in significant ways. Perhaps the Gulf states will end up as less desirable places to do business. Perhaps Iran will have a tollbooth at the Strait of Hormuz. Perhaps this episode will accelerate the world's shift aw ... Show More
51m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Arizona’s Pipe Dream
<p>A Times investigation revealed that in much of the United States, communities and farms are pumping out groundwater at alarming rates. Aquifers are shrinking nationwide, threatening supplies of drinking water and the country’s status as a food superpower.</p><p>Christopher Fla ... Show More
39m 3s
Mar 2023
How Profits Motivate Change
<p>"If something is profitable, it will be done," says Martin Wolf of the Financial Times. We explore how profits will drive the energy transition and how and where water from the Colorado River is used.</p><p>Topics covered include:</p><ul><li>How profits have led to higher ener ... Show More
28m 12s
Nov 2023
Groundwater Wars
Kingman, Arizona, a small farming town in the desert, is a cautionary tale in the West’s water crisis. About a decade ago, large corporate farms started moving into the desert of Mohave County, growing thirsty crops like alfalfa and nuts. At the time, there were practically no ru ... Show More
33m 38s
May 2023
Behind the historic deal to save the Colorado River
In the western US a landmark deal to protect one of the country's most important waterways has finally been reached. The Colorado River serves more than 40 million Americans across multiple states, but it’s drying up at an alarming rate. Drought, overuse, and climate change are l ... Show More
56m 26s
Feb 2022
Special Episode: Changing Tides - Water Scarcity
tail spinning
8m 38s
Aug 2023
20. From Geology to Sustainability: Sharing the Story of the Edwards Aquifer with Gregg Eckhardt
tail spinning
40m 23s
May 2024
How did a Mormon town grab first dibs on Alberta water?
As Alberta struggles to navigate several years of dry conditions in the province, its historic water license system has come under scrutiny. In short, whoever got water rights first has first dibs on the water today. One of the small towns that really benefits from this system is ... Show More
23m 15s
Jun 2024
Preparing for a Water Crisis
Each of the last 12 months has become the hottest ever on record and the UN Secretary General has warned that countries must act on the climate crisis within the next year and a half. This week Audie talks to Bill Weir, CNN’s Chief Climate Correspondent, about how the climate cri ... Show More
32m 37s