Pierce on Building Resilient Water Systems

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Greg Pierce, director of UCLA’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at UCLA Luskin, commented in an Associated Press story about creating resilient water and waste systems for historically neglected communities most vulnerable to climate change. A report, published by the Pacific Institute, with DigDeep and the Center for Water Security and Cooperation, highlights ways that communities where climate change has disrupted access to water can use nature-based solutions paired with technology while also pointing out barriers to implementation. It notes that funding for critical infrastructure projects has been cut or paused under the Trump administration. The report “comes at a very depressing moment where we’re not going to see federal action in this space, it doesn’t seem, for the next four years,” said Pierce, an adjunct associate professor of urban planning and co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.

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Pierce on California’s Drought Dilemma

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Greg Pierce, director of UCLA’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab, commented in a Guardian article on California’s drought, which is predicted to worsen in the coming months despite recent heavy rains. Southern California’s driest start to its rainy season in recorded history is accompanied by a lower-than-average snow pack in the Sierra mountain range, while the Southwest is experiencing a La Niña weather pattern characterized by a dry winter season. Mountain snows, which are crucial to the flow of the Colorado River during spring and summer, also did not materialize. The Colorado River supplies millions of people with water across the Southwest. “We are near a tipping point on the Colorado,” said Pierce, an adjunct associate professor of urban planning and co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, noting that climate change is going to reduce the river’s predictable flow.

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Pierce on State of L.A.’s Water System

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Gregory Pierce, director of UCLA’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at UCLA Luskin, commented in media outlets including POLITICO, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Reuters and LAist on the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles region. Firefighting — already hampered by strong Santa Ana winds — has been further diminished by lack of water, which has left some fire hydrants dry. While local and state leaders are receiving criticism for the area’s lack of preparation, some fire experts and urban water experts have described the situation as “the perfect storm” and “the worst-case scenario,” which no city could have fully prepared for. “I don’t know that any place in the world has a system like that,” said Pierce, who also serves as co-director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. Pierce explained that such a system for fighting wildfires would be extremely expensive as well as come with potentially negative climate impacts that could create further fire risks.

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Learning More About the Water We Drink

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Gregory Pierce, co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, spoke to Women’s Health and Voice of San Diego about the relative safety of tap, bottled and filtered water. “On average, the water in the United States is held to a higher standard and tracked more closely than that in other high-income countries,” said Pierce, who directs the center’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab. Compared to tap water, “bottled water has less oversight and fewer rules. It’s usually not safer,” he said. But Pierce added, “It’s a good idea for everyone to look into the quality of the water coming out of their tap, as water quality often varies even within the same city.” If tap water, looks, smells or tastes bad, residents should contact the local water agency, government offices or advocates, he said.

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Recycling Wastewater to Protect Clean Water Supply

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Gregory Pierce, co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI), spoke to the Los Angeles Times and LAist’s AirTalk about a new study that assesses Los Angeles’ plan to invest in a $740-million facility to recycle wastewater into clean drinking water. “Any way you slice it, our estimates are that the benefits are going to vastly outweigh the costs,” Pierce said. LCI researchers examined about 100,000 potential scenarios, including shortages caused by droughts or major earthquakes that could rupture aqueducts and cut off outside supplies. “Because climate uncertainty will be the largest driver of the city’s water shortage, the city must adapt by developing more local, reliable supplies,” he said. “It’s worth making that investment even though it’s a high cost up-front.” In a separate AirTalk appearance, Pierce, who also directs LCI’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab, weighed in on the historical and contemporary importance of the century-old L.A. aqueduct.

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Establishing a Renter’s Right to Air Conditioning

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A Smart Cities Dive article examining local policies that establish a renter’s right to cooling equipment cited two experts from the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, Gregory Pierce and V. Kelly Turner. A number of cities are mandating cooling requirements, but in many cases tenants are still on the hook for their energy bills. Pierce recommended that cities and utilities work together to make cooling more affordable, particularly during hotter weather. Turner said any equity-oriented program must involve listening to community members about the tough choices they must make, and she encouraged local governments to act swiftly: “The question is, ‘Can we get something on the books to at least give people a fighting chance of having a safe thermal environment?” A separate article by The Good Men Project cited a Center for Innovation report that found that, in California, 29% of renters, compared to 20% of homeowners, do not have central or room air conditioners.

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Pierce on California’s Water Quality

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Greg Pierce, director of UCLA’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab, commented in a CalMatters article about nearly 1 million California residents whose water does not meet state standards, according to an annual assessment released by California’s State Water Resources Control Board. The report, which updates earlier research by Pierce and colleagues at the Luskin Center for Innovation, notes that while more than a decade has passed since the state recognized clean, safe, affordable and accessible drinking water as a human right, nearly 400 water systems statewide don’t meet state requirements, particularly in disadvantaged and lower income communities of color. Despite nearly a billion dollars spent on grants in disadvantaged communities, estimated costs of fixing water systems would require billions of dollars over the next several years. “The subtext of this report is pretty clear,” said Pierce, who commended the water board’s transparency and extensive analysis. “The state just needs to put its money where its mouth is.”

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Pierce on Water Safety, Affordability and Dwindling Supply

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Gregory Pierce, co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, spoke to news outlets about California’s water supply, safety, access and affordability. Around the country, water bills are rising as utilities upgrade aging infrastructure to meet standards for clean drinking water. New federal legislation would make permanent a pandemic-era program to help low-income families pay their bills and prevent shutoffs of water service. Investing in water infrastructure is an urgent priority, Pierce told the Los Angeles Times, adding, “We need to do more to support those who can’t pay.” Pierce also spoke to the Water Values podcast about water service and inequity in mobile home parks, and to CapRadio about below-average snowpack levels in California. Warmer storms this winter brought lots of rain but less snowfall — “a worrying trend to see coming to fruition,” said Pierce, who directs UCLA’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab.

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School Travels to State Capital for Research Briefing and Alumni Gathering Back-to-back events in Sacramento provide networking opportunities and showcase scholarly works

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In mid-February, a contingent of more than 30 people from UCLA Luskin made the trip to northern California in an effort to connect with alumni, government officials and policy experts involved in state government.

The two-day gathering in Sacramento was envisioned as the first of what will become an annual feature of the Luskin’s School’s outreach efforts, pairing an alumni get-together in the state capital with a research-focused briefing for elected officials and their staffs.

The UCLA Luskin Briefing at UC Center Sacramento took place during the time when new bills were being finalized for the next legislative session, and the hope is that the research of UCLA Luskin and its various research centers can put current and future legislative leaders in a better position to make data-informed decisions.

“It was very well attended by elected and appointed officials,” noted Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, who made the effort a priority for this academic year and actively participated in the planning process. “The elected officials I talked to afterward were very appreciative for the event and told me that they hope to see more such events from our School.”

Two briefing sessions were held. A session on water management highlighted research by Adjunct Associate Professor Gregory Pierce MURP ’11 PhD UP ’15, co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. A session on affordable housing was led by Associate Professor Michael Lens, associate faculty director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies.

The briefing and the Alumni Regional Reception, which took place the evening before, brought together faculty, staff or alumni from all four departments — Public Policy, Social Welfare, Urban Planning and the Undergraduate Program — as well as members of the Luskin School’s Board of Advisors.

A group of about 20 current Master of Public Policy students also made the trip, getting an opportunity to connect directly with alumni whose footsteps they may hope to follow, including Assemblyman Isaac Bryan MPP ’18, a member of the affordable housing panel.

Find out more about the briefing and view the bios of the 12 people who participated as speakers or panelists.

View photos from the alumni reception

Sacramento Alumni Regional Reception 2024

View photos from the research briefing

Sacramento Briefing 2024

 

An Equity-Focused Transition to Clean Energy in L.A.

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Media coverage of UCLA’s LA100 Equity Strategies report, which will help the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power meet its goal of prioritizing equity as it transitions to renewable energy sources, featured several members of the UCLA Luskin community. Gregory Pierce, co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, which produced the report’s chapter on energy affordability, addressed the DWP’s goal of transitioning to 100% carbon-neutral power by 2035 on KCRW’s Greater L.A. “I’m fairly optimistic that the city will get there, but it needs to move really quickly,” Pierce said. The report, which featured research from across the UCLA campus, was also highlighted in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. Their stories cited Stephanie Pincetl UP PhD ’85, a professor at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, and Cynthia McClain-Hill, president of the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners and a member of the UCLA Luskin Board of Advisors.

Listen to the KCRW report
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