CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:00).
Sections below are the following:
Transcript of Audio
Audio Notes and Acknowledgments
Images
Sources
Related Water Radio Episodes
For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.).
Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-15-21.
TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO
From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 18, 2021.
SOUND – ~8 sec
This week, those abrupt stops to the sounds of the Roanoke River, Gray Tree Frogs, and a household water faucet set the stage for an episode marking the observance of “Imagine a Day without Water,” to be held this year on October 21. We start with some music designed to help you do such imagining. Have a listen for about 40 seconds.
MUSIC - ~42 sec – instrumental
You’ve been listening to “Flow Stopper,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at the Yale School of Music. Besides flowing rivers, calling frogs, and household faucets, almost any aspect of life could be affected by a lack of water, including the biological structures and functions that make life possible. Increasing the awareness of water uses and needs is a goal of the “Imagine a Day Without Water” campaign. According to the event’s Web site, the effort is, quote, “a national education campaign that brings together diverse stakeholders to highlight how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of investment,” unquote. The event is part of the “Value of Water Campaign,” focused on water infrastructure needs. These campaigns are coordinated by the US Water Alliance, a non-profit organization made up of people from water utilities, government, business, other non-profits, communities, and research establishments.
Worldwide, billions of people don’t have to imagine lacking good water. According to the United Nations, as of 2019 over 2 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water, and over 4 billion people lacked access to safely managed sanitation.
In the United States, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ water infrastructure “Report Card” for 2021 estimated over $1 trillion needed through 2029 for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater, with $434 billion of that not yet funded.
And in Virginia, the Department of Environmental Quality’s 2020 “Water Resources Report” identified several water challenges, including maintaining groundwater availability over the next 50 years; coordinating water planning among localities; gauging the impact of unpermitted water withdrawals; understanding stream water quality and ecology; and investing in water-resources personnel, science, and education.
Water is fundamental for energy, commerce, industry, agriculture, aquatic and terrestrial life, and human biology. Imagining a day without water—and learning about where water’s lacking—can help us envision and work toward well-watered future days.
Thanks to Torrin Hallett for composing this week’s music for
Virginia Water Radio, and we close with another listen to the last 10 seconds
of “Flow Stopper.”
MUSIC - 10 sec – instrumental
SHIP’S BELL
Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624. Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show. In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.
AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The sounds at the beginning of this episode, all recorded by
Virginia Water Radio, are as follows:
Roanoke River on from the Roanoke River Greenway between Franklin
Road and Smith Park in Roanoke, Va., December 6, 2020;
Gray Tree Frogs at Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Va., July 8,
2016;
Household water faucet in a Blacksburg, Va., residence, November 17, 2013.
“Flow Stopper” is copyright 2021 by Torrin Hallett, used
with permission. Torrin is a 2018
graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio; a 2020 graduate
in Horn Performance from Manhattan School of Music in New York; and a 2021
graduate of the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. He is
currently a graduate student at the Yale School of Music. More information about Torrin is available
online at https://www.facebook.com/torrin.hallett. Thanks very much to Torrin for composing the
piece especially for Virginia Water Radio. Following are other music pieces composed by Torrin for
Virginia Water Radio, with episodes featuring the music.
“A Little Fright Music” – used in Episode
548, 10-26-20, on water-related passages in fiction and non-fiction, for
Halloween.
“Beetle Ballet” – used in Episode
525, 5-18-20, on aquatic beetles.
“Chesapeake Bay Ballad” – used in Episode
537, 8-10-20, on conditions in the Chesapeake Bay.
“Corona Cue” – used in Episode
517, 3-23-20, on the coronavirus pandemic.
“Geese Piece” – used most recently in Episode
440, 10-1-18, on E-bird.
“Ice Dance” – used in Episode
556, 12-21-20, on how organisms survive freezing temperatures.
“Lizard Lied” – used in Episode
514, 3-2-20, on lizards.
“New Year’s Water” – used in Episode
349, 1-2-17, on the New Year.
“Rain Refrain” – used most recently Episode 559, 1-11-21, on record rainfall in
2020.
“Runoff” – in Episode
585, 7-12-21 – on middle-school students calling out stormwater-related
water words.
“Spider Strike” – used in Episode
523, 5-4-20, on fishing spiders.
“Tropical Tantrum” – used most recently in Episode
580, 6-7-21, on the 2021 Atlantic tropical storm season preview.
“Tundra Swan Song – used in Episode 554, 12-7-20, on Tundra Swans.
“Turkey Tune” – used in Episode
343, 11-21-16, on the Wild Turkey.
Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode. More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com.
IMAGES
“Imagine a Day Without Water” campaign logo, accessed online at https://imagineadaywithoutwater.org/resources.
SOURCES
Used For Audio
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), “2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure,” online at https://infrastructurereportcard.org/.
United Nations, “Global Issues/Water,” online at https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/water.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), “Water Use Data for
Virginia,” online at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/va/nwis/water_use/.
US Water Alliance, online at http://uswateralliance.org/.
Value of Water Campaign, online at http://thevalueofwater.org/.
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), “Status of Virginia’s Water Resources: A Report on Virginia’s Water Resources Management Activities,” October 2020, online (as a PDF) at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/2119/637432838113030000. The section on”Water Resource Challenges and Priorities” starts of page 27.
Value of Water Campaign, “Imagine a Day Without Water,” online at https://imagineadaywithoutwater.org/; this site is the source of the quote used in this episode’s audio.
World Health Organization (WHO), “Drinking Water,” June 14, 2019, online at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water.
For More Information on Current Water Infrastructure Needs and Funds
PBS NewsHour, “How the infrastructure bill delivers on clean water—and how it falls short,” August 4, 2021 (7 min./2 sec. video, with online transcript).
U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Biden-Harris
Administration Invests $272 Million to Improve Rural Water Infrastructure for
270,000 People Living in Rural Communities Across the Country,” October 14,
2021, News Release.
Virginia Governor’s Office, “Governor Northam Announces Virginia to Reduce Water Pollution, Increase Access to Clean Water,” July 27, 2021, News Release.
RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES
All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html). See particularly the “Overall Importance of Water” and “Water Quality, Waste Management, and Water/Wastewater Treatment” subject categories.
Following are links to some
previous episodes with
information on water uses or needs.
Episode
122, 8-6-12 – on worldwide water needs.
Episode
372, 6-12-17 – on water infrastructure needs, including information from
the American Society of Civil Engineers’ “Report Card for America’s
Infrastructure” for 2017.
Episode
592, 6-15-20 – on Virginia’s biennial water-quality assessment in 2020.
FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION
Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode’s audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post.
2020 Music SOLs
SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.”
2018 Science SOLs
Grades K-3 plus 5: Matter
K.4 – Water is important in our daily lives and has
properties,
Grades K-5: Earth and
Space Systems
3.7 – There is a water cycle and water is important to life
on Earth.
4.7 – The ocean environment.
Grades K-5: Earth
Resources
K.11 – Humans use resources.
1.8 – Natural resources can be used responsibly, including
that most natural resources are limited; and that human actions can affect the
availability of natural resources.
3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems.
4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources.
5.9 – Conservation of energy resources is important.
Grade 6
6.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in
the natural and human-made environment.
6.8 – Land and water have roles in watershed systems.
6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can
influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment.
Life Science
LS.9 – Relationships exist between ecosystem dynamics and
human activity.
Earth Science
ES.6 – Resource use is complex.
ES.8 – Freshwater resources influence and are influenced by
geologic processes and human activity.
Biology
BIO.2 – Chemical and biochemical processes are essential for
life, including that water chemistry has an influence on life processes.
BIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations,
communities, and ecosystems, including that natural events and human activities
influence local and global ecosystems and may affect the flora and fauna of
Virginia.
2015 Social Studies SOLs
Grades K-3 Economics
Theme
2.8 – Natural, human, and capital resources.
3.8 – Understanding of cultures and of how natural, human,
and capital resources are used for goods and services.
Civics and Economics
Course
CE.6 – Government at the national level.
CE.7 – Government at the state level.
CE.8 – Government at the local level.
CE.10 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels.
World Geography Course
WG.2 – How selected physical and ecological processes shape
the Earth’s surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their
environment and are influenced by it.
WG.4 – Types and significance of natural, human, and capital
resources.
WG.18 – Cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve
problems and settle disputes.
Government Course
GOVT.7 – National government organization and powers.
GOVT.8 – State and local government organization and powers.
GOVT.9 – Public policy process at local, state, and national
levels.
GOVT.15 – Role of government in Va. and U.S. economies,
including examining environmental issues and property rights.
Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online
at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/.
Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels.
Episode 250, 1-26-15 – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd
grade.
Episode
255, 3-2-15 – on density, for 5th and 6th grade.
Episode 282, 9-21-15 – on living vs. non-living, for
kindergarten.
Episode 309, 3-28-16 – on temperature regulation in animals, for
kindergarten through 12th grade.
Episode 333, 9-12-16 – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved
oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade.
Episode 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten
through 3rd grade.
Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th
through 8th grade.
Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school.
Episode 407, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high
school.
Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school
and high school.
Episode 524, 5-11-20 – on sounds by water-related animals, for
elementary school through high school.
Episode 531, 6-29-20 – on various ways that animals get water,
for 3rd and 4th grade.
Episode 539, 8-24-20 – on basic numbers and facts about
Virginia’s water resources, for 4th and 6th grade.
