Beat+Reporting+in+Texas+(Dan+F)



WITH RAIN FALLING ON TEXAS CITIES, DROUGHT RAGES ON IN RURAL WEST 1.Research institutes Borderlands research institute- probably one of the major programs bringing this issue to the public so there disseminations practices probably led to the reporters use of their information 2. Victims of the drought: personal interviews Albert Miller- the reporter probably had to do some traveling and asking around before finding Miller IN BASTROP’S ASHES OFFICIALS FIND A LESSON IN PRESCRIBED BURNING 3. Special interest groups Prescribed burn alliance of texas- probably wasn’t hard to find as this group is advocating a position that touches a lot of people’s lives 4.Public records Number of people killed and amount of fires- probably required some digging unless a special interest group or news archive had the information. 5.Government agencies Texas parks and wildlife- a logical group to approach and probably well known by everyone in the state in question NO VAMPIRE BATS IN TEXAS. YET 6.Expert- Professor Ron Van Den Bussche- appears to have taken some digging around but universities are a fairly common place to go for experts OIL AND GAS RELATED EARTHQUAKES? TEXAS REGULATORS SPEAK NO EVIL 7.Public Services 911 call center- a logical location to go to for first warnings, basically the reliable version of facebook or twitter that can actually be printed in the news- open records request. 8.Emails Open records request 9.Laws Bans on drilling in other states- probably accessed fairly easily, possible even online or from a news company resource A PLANT CLOSES ON THE PLAINS AND A COMMUNITY PONDERS ITS FUTURE 10.Small businesses Required some traveling and talking to enough people to find enough that wanted to comment. 11.Census data Number of Hispanic in the area à could just be public records at town halls

Short Proposal
 * Title:** Future Water Shortages and How they can be Reduced in Frequency
 * Abstract:** Aquifers around the country are being depleted at an alarming rate that could lead to dangerous water shortages. Without some form of action it is possible that areas will completely run out of water with no chance of recovery. The demand given the size and inefficiency of the general population may lead to the death of the land that provides a significant portion of people’s livelihoods. It is very possible that enough water to sustain certain parts of the United States will be impossible to acquire on some level so it would be helpful to research what options are available to the people in these areas. It would seem that change on some level is required or there will be severe consequences.
 * Overview:** This study seeks to outline the options available to those areas in the heaviest droughts in the U.S. to ensure long-term survival in terms of water availability. Data will be obtained from Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. Water is poised to be an even bigger issue then it already is given the current climate and where it is projected to go. The study will be undertaken by a collaboration of hydro geologists, climatologists, and social scientists. This approach is the best because it will show how some of the driest states in the US are projected to do and what there options are.
 * Background and Significance:** Some of the states mentioned above are already facing hard economic times and many of them are well known for their issues with wildfires. People are worried about the future and what it may bring. Beyond a very local lens, it does not appear that much headway has been made towards a solution to the problem. This is a hard question to answer because it is very possible that the answers will not be those desired by the general public. It is very possible, for example, that some of these areas are uninhabitable and should not have been settled in the first place given the amount of water people need and want.
 * Preparation and Work Thus Far:** A lot of the data in question is already being collected to varying degrees so existing data sets and trends will add strength to the arguments that develop through this line of inquiry. As water issues hit closer and closer to home, the news media has begun to provide a fairly steady flow of reports on the effects of water shortages in these states. This includes a collection of articles by Mose Buchele on wildfire and the plight of the food industry.
 * Methodology and Plan of work:** Within the five states mentioned above, precipitation records, aquifer level records, and water usage records will be used to determine what the best course of action is for areas that are projected to face more and more water shortages as time goes on. The necessity of water conservation and depletion of aquifers from locations outside of those aquifers will be assessed all the way to the extreme level of action to relocate people that may be required.
 * Dissemination:** This work will be presented to the states’ governments in question and this research will seek publication in the appropriate science journals. Resources with visual components and predictions will be available to the public through factsheets with graph projections and the available options.