Turning the Tide, Saving the Chesapeake Bay

Latest Episodes:

A Shot in the Arm Dec 05, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker talks with Senior Water Quality Scientist Dr. Beth McGee about opportunities to help farmers reduce water pollution and improve their bottom lines.

Program Notes:

01:05 Why putting agricultural best management practices in place can help our water quality. 04:20 About the Federal Farm Bill and funding for the Bay watershed. 07:30 Addressing deficiencies in the current Farm Bill with the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancement Act of 2017 11:55 CBF's role in facilitating Farm Bill program funding for farmers and creating partnerships. 14:30 The importance of availablity of technical assistance for farmers 15:20 Governors and congressional representatives supporting the legislation.

Find out more about the Federal Farm Bill and the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancement Act of 2017 at cbf.org/farmbill.

Photo by Benjamin Tankersley

A Mixed Bag for Menhaden Nov 21, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker talks with CBF's Senior Regional Ecosystem Scientist Chris Moore about recent developments in the management of the Bay's most important fish.

Find out more about the current state of the menhaden fishery.

Watch the video "Why Are Menhaden the Most Important Fish In the Sea?"

Photo credit © Jay Fleming

A Badge of Courage Nov 07, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker sits down with DC Water General Manager and innovative environmentalist George Hawkins to discuss the ins and outs of distributing drinking water to and collecting wastewater from millions of capital-area residents and visitors. Find out about some of the biggest innovative green power and infrastructure projects you've probably never heard of.

Program Notes:

02:14 A look at Washington, D.C.'s water and sewage footprint.

11:09 Just how clean is the water coming out of the Blue Plains water treatment plant?

13:00 DC Water's advanced waste-to-energy water treatment plant is the largest of its kind in the world.

18:00 With a goal of becoming power self-sufficient, DC Water is taking on new solar and microgrid projects.

20:20 One of the cleanest biosolid soil amendments available.

21:40 Behind DC Water's $2.6 billion public works project to solve the challenges of D.C.'s combined sewer system and how an innovative funding program called Environmental Investment Bonds is enabling an exciting new green infrastructure project.

30:50 A look at DC Water's innovation-focused culture and what it means for employees and rate payers.

Learn more about Environmental Impact Bonds.

Photo credit DC Water

My Pet Oysters Oct 24, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker interviews CBF's youngest official oyster gardener, Graham Mitchell, about the oysters he is raising and the good they will do for the Chesapeake Bay.

Learn more about oyster gardening with CBF in Maryland and Virginia.

Photo credit Kenny Fletcher/CBF Staff

Up In the Air Oct 11, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker talks with CBF attorneys Ariel Solaski and Alayna Chuney about recent litigation aimed at reducing the air pollution from neighboring states that negatively affects the health of our citizens and our waterways.

Program Notes:

02:20 An overview of the lawsuit 08:10 Air pollution's impact on human health and how this lawsuit can have an impact 12:35 CBF's litigation team and the issues they are working on 16:04 What's coming up for the current litigation case

Find out more about the case at cbf.org/upwind.

Photo credit: iStock

A Clean Bay Makes Good Business Sense Sep 26, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker talks with Virginia Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Keith Martin about the importance of clean water to a healthy economy and the interest of Virginia's voters and businesses in a clean Chesapeake Bay.

Links from today's podcast:

Key findings from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce survey of voter attitudes in the Commonwealth.

Virginia Chamber of Commerce "Blueprint Virginia 2025"

Photo credit: Kaveh Sardari, Sardari Group

The Most Important Fish Sep 12, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker gets the latest on menhaden from Maryland Fisheries Scientist Allison Colden.

Menhaden management is absolutely critical for the future of the Chesapeake Bay. If you are concerned about the levels of menhaden, having forage species available, and the management of menhaden by politicians, not scientists, find out about the public hearings coming up this fall which will influence the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's decision making on the future of Chesapeake menhaden.

Virginia listeners—let your elected officials know you are concerned about the plight of menhaden and their ability to be part of the great Chesapeake Bay system, and encourage conservation first.

Photo courtesy Allison Colden

PROGRAM NOTES

01:54 What it means to be "the most important fish in the sea" 03:28 What the industrial menhaden fishery looks like 06:10 Menhaden for bait 07:00 Ecological concerns 13:05 Fishery management is making a difference, now the industry is pushing back 15:13 The importance of small menhaden in the Chesapeake nursery vs. large menhaden in the ocean 16:40 Amendment 3 and the scientific principal of ecological reference points 18:30 Menhaden as filter feeders: transforming algae into energy for larger fish

21:00 What does the loss of menhaden as forage fish mean for the great Chesapeake striped bass?

It's Not Accidental Aug 29, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker talks with esteemed estuarine scientist Walter Boynton about trends in the Bay's health.

Learn more about the state of the Bay, progress of pollution reduction throughout the Bay watershed, the role of the Chesapeake Bay Program, and the impact of climate change on the Bay.

Contact EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and let him know you want funding restored for The Bay Journal.

Subscribe to The Bay Journal

Program Notes:

3:46 The 'Whole system' approach to ecology 7:35 Scientific signs that the Bay is turning the corner 9:40 Improvement to the Chesapeake Bay system is not accidental 15:17 Three things we can do as individuals continue to forward restoration of the Bay 17:55 The role of the Chesapeake Bay Program, our federal partner in the Bay restoration effort 22:27 Loss of funding for the Chesapeake Bay Journal 26:46 The impact of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay 33:46 Complex marine systems around the globe--what areas are seeing progress, what areas are being stressed, what can we learn? 36:00 How dead zones are changing in the Chesapeake Bay

Photo credit SPARK101.com

Something's Happening Here Aug 15, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, we bring you an inspiring speech that Congressman John Sarbanes addressed to students at CBF's 50 Forward event on July 15, 2017.

Find out more about CBF's 50 Forward event.

Photo by Alex MacLennan/CBF Staff

Knowledge, Bravery, Gratitude Aug 01, 2017

Show notes

CBF President Will Baker and Student Leadership Coordinator Megan Fink get inspired by the impressive work that the Bay's student leaders are doing.