New climate change resource launched

The Water Research Foundation, a member-supported, international, nonprofit organization that sponsors research to enable water utilities, public health agencies, and other professionals to provide safe and affordable drinking water to consumers, has launched a new climate change clearinghouse for water professionals.

The Water Research Foundation has undertaken the Climate Change Strategic Initiative to establish a research program focused on impacts of climate change on water supplies. This clearinghouse is part of that initiative.

Link to site.

Adult fiction reading, from the Water Library

Wisconsin has been enjoying a lovely dry spell of late summer weather this month. That's not great for the farmers but outdoor enthusiasts like bikers and boaters, love it. There is a chance of rain this weekend, so why not pick up a water-related fiction book? We have a new reading list with some of our titles.

Any Wisconsin resident can borrow materials from the Water Library. Just ask!

'People of the Sturgeon' book launch this Sunday

This Sunday, September 20th will mark the official launch of the new book, PEOPLE OF THE STURGEON, WISCONSIN'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH AN ANCIENT FISH. The event will begin at 4pm and will feature Sea Grant's very own Kathleen Schmitt Kline and Fred Binkowski, along with Ron Bruch from the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources. The coauthors will detail a few of the book’s topics in their presentation and recollect some of their personal favorite tales. Following the presentation, the authors will open the discussion and sign copies of the book.

If you are unable to attend the event on Sunday, you can order the book today, already signed by the coauthors. Visit the ASC Pubs store.

Happy Birthday Robert McCloskey!

Today, September 15th, is the birthdate of the late, great children's book author and illustrator, Robert McCloskey. Though Mr. McCloskey authored and illustrated only eight of his own books and illustrated ten written by others, he received two Caldecott awards, three Caldecott honors, and countless accolades for his body of work.

His most famous books is MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS, about a family of mallard ducks living in Boston Public Garden. The Water Library has a copy for loan available. McCloskey's book, BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL, has a special place in the heart of the Water Library staff as it has been the favorite of both my daughters.

This quote attributed to McCLoskey sums up what might have been his appeal: "But I'm not a nut, really, as anybody can see. I have one foot resting on reality and the other foot planted firmly on a banana peel."

His biographical sketch in Wikipedia is here.

Brief biography here.

Study Reveals Dynamic Wisconsin Climate, Past and Future

A very important study has just been released from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that big changes are in store for Wisconsin’s weather during the next century. The future climate projections were developed through the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in support of the Wisconsin Initiative for Climate Change Impacts (WICCI), a partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and others to assess the potential impacts of climate change on Wisconsin industry, natural resources and human health.

Read the full text of the press release.

Two authors will be speaking at a community forum tomorrow at the Nelson Institute. Information on that forum is found here.

Water Library featured in ENVIRONMENT

A column just out in ENVIRONMENT magazine - BYES OF NOTE - is all about the microblogging Web site, Twitter, the latest rage in social media. Written by George Clark, a librarian at Harvard University, the article is an excellent summary of Twitter: how it works, what it's good for, and he introduces some great Twitter resources around the country with environmental themes.

Wisconsin's Water Library began a Twitter feed in June and now has 69 followers. Library staff sends tweets on water- and library-related events, news, resources. The article features the library's Twitter feed.

If you would like to follow the library on Twitter, create an account and use this account: http://twitter.com/WiscWaterLib

Read Clark's entire article here.

Finding Solutions to a Mysterious Corrosion Harbor Problem

A recent article written by Kathleen Schmitt Kline and Gene Clark, both of Wisconsin Sea Grant, is featured in the 2009 Wisconsin Great Lakes Chronicle, a publication from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. The article details studies of the corrosion issues found in the Duluth-Superior Harbor. The results of the studies will be beneficial for all facility managers around the Great Lakes as they consider
repair alternatives for prolonging the useful lives of their docks and supporting structures.

Read the full text of the article here.

For more information about the ongoing studies on corrosion, visit Wisconsin Sea Grant's Web site.