Chaos is a ladder

Of course I love all the stories we do at Delaware Currents — or why would we do them?

But this one — this one I’ve linked here — is a must read. Its title gives some hint of what it’s about:

Chaos is a ladder.

Yes, that’s a quote from the fiendishly opportunistic Littlefinger in “Game of Thrones,” but read, yes, this story, and find a way to steady yourself against the harsh winds blowing from Washington and perhaps ready yourself for the opportunities that chaos can breed.

I attended a gathering of water people from the watershed to hear from Emily Patrolia, the founder and CEO of ESP Advisors, and Diana Silva, an attorney with Manko, Gold, Katcher and Fox.

Silva discussed the impact of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on issues affecting the water world, but it was Patrolia who addressed the anxiety that so many are feeling.

That’s why I want you to read that story. It will not so much give you hope, but a way to think about the current situation that will make you feel less powerless.

Please pass it on to others you know and love who are affected by the gyrations in all the federal agencies, or affected by funding freezes, or shocked at how science is being dismissed.

And share it. Please. We are all in this together.

Also that night we had a brief debrief on where we’re at with the Water Table project.

Its goal was to develop a watershed-wide group focused on water quality that is open to all of the very divergent watershed stakeholders, from academics, to advocacy groups, to industry, to the environmental agencies of the four watershed states, and on and on.

Well, those adverse headwinds from Washington are making progress a little slow but the Water Table is still pushing forward.

YAY!

And not much of a cheer for the next story, but not really a boo either: Repairs to the Delaware Aqueduct are paused again.

It’s such a complicated project and it’s been in the works for something like 10 years. But I was thinking when I got the news, what a different world we lived in 10 years ago — speaking mostly of weather now. There were fewer extremes and more predictability.

And trying to plan for eight months when New York City can do without the water supplied by the aqueduct is a much harder goal than it once was.

Our fitful weather and the possibility of droughts make the repair that much more urgent.

Trying times for all of us. Take care.

Thanks for reading.