Felicia Marcus, Water in the West

Felicia is also an attorney, consultant, and member of the Water Policy Group. She most recently served as Chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board, where she implemented laws regarding drinking water, water quality and state's water rights, as well as heard regional board water quality appeals, settled disputes, and provided financial assistance to communities to upgrade water infrastructure. Before her appointment to the Water Board, she also served in positions in government, the non-profit and private sector. In government, Felicia served as the regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Southwest region during the Clinton Administration, where she was known for her work in bringing unlikely allies together for environmental progress and for making the agency more responsive to the communities it serves, particularly Indian Tribes, communities of color, local government and agricultural and business interests.

Water is often considered an untold climate story. From water scarcity and drought, to extreme flooding and rising sea level, the impacts of our changing climate on this critical resource demand our attention. In this episode, Jason and Felicia dig deep into her background and have a great discussion about the intersection of water and climate. what the biggest risks are, how much those risks are factored in today, what some of the barriers are to properly factor in those risks, and from a solution standpoint, what we can do about it.

In this episode, we cover:

[2:55] Felicia's background
[6:26] Why water matters generally and in the context of climate change
[15:44] The human right to water movement
[21:41] How the playbook for managing water needs to change in response to the changing climate
[29:05] The business case for improving and increasing water recycling
[36:57] The role of conservation and efficiency in urban landscapes
[40:55] How location may impact the approach to water management
[44:58] Water and corporate risks
[50:41] The regulatory environment for water
[59:19] The need for a mindset change to accelerate our progress around water

Get connected:
Jason's Twitter
Felicia’s Twitter
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Episode recorded on October 3, 2022

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant