Our Love Hate Relationship With Water

Two thirds of the planet is covered in water. In south Louisiana,
it may often seem like a lot more than that!


We are surrounded by lakes and bayous. We're bisected by one of
the largest rivers in the world. And we're sloughing off a
football field of land every 30 minutes into the massive Gulf of
Mexico that makes up our south coast.


We are so vulnerable to the power of all this water, and also so
dependent on it. We love the water - we rely on it not just for
sustenance but also for recreation. We even pay companies to dig
pools of water in our back yards so we can swim, sunbathe and
entertain.


Unsurprisingly, Louisiana businesses and institutions have become
experts in water – how to contain it, control it and have fun
with it.


Alyssa Dausman is Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist at
the Water Institute of the Gulf, an independent, non-profit,
applied research institution that was created right here in Baton
Rouge over a decade ago to advance science and develop integrated
methods to solve complex environmental and societal challenges
around coastal and climate-related issues.


Alyssa has more than 20 years experience working in hydrology and
science to support decision-making. She is currently leading
strategic planning efforts for Gov. John Bel Edwards’ Climate
Task Force as well as for the Capital Area Groundwater
Conservation Commission. In addition, she’s working with the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers on developing and implementing Strategic
Planning for Research and Development. She is an expert on issues
related specifically to the Gulf of Mexico, and has been
published and lectured all over the world. 


Parker Ewing is owner of Ewing Aquatech Pools, a Baton
Rouge-based swimming pool contractor that has been in business
since 1966 and has designed and built more than 6-thousand pools
and hot tubs for customers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.
Aquatech is a family business that Parker joined after graduating
from the University of Alabama, where he majored in political
science and Russian – an interesting combination that on the face
of it might not sound like preparation for a life digging pools,
but Parker the Pool Digger is a lesson in not judging a book by
its cover!


Due to the state of the Covid 19 Omicron pandemic when this show
was recorded, we were forced out of our usual launch spot onto
Zoom. But normally Out to Lunch Baton Rouge is recorded live over
lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard.


Jill Lafleur took photos of this conversation which you can find
at our website, itsbatonrouge.la. And you can hear more
lunch-table conversation about Baton Rouge's relationship to
water here.


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