Episode description

I’m very excited to share an awesome show with you today, from the fine folks at PBS! God, I love PBS. 

The show is called “NOVA Now” and I’m a longtime huge fan.

This episode is near and dear to the moment we’re in. 

As the Western U.S. faces increasingly dry conditions, the show takes a look at the technologies and practices being developed to cope with drought — especially in vulnerable communities.

Folks: 93% of land in seven Western states is affected by drought. We’re transitioning into desertification. 

We’ve talked about it, you’ve asked about it.

But these increasingly dry conditions have widespread consequences, affecting everything from water quality to our national food supply.

With the help of hydrologists on the ground and in the lab, Dr. Alok Patel digs deep — he learns about the traditional ecological knowledge of the Navajo Nation in the especially hard-hit Southwest.

…and he talks with innovators applying advanced technology to agricultural practices, like drone surveillance and artificial intelligence, to cope with drought.

There’s some very cool stuff in here, and these practices are going to be an instrumental part of the West’s coming decades.

So. Please listen and enjoy today’s episode from NOVA Now, and check out the show wherever you listen to your podcasts, and hit that subscribe button to get all new episodes from Important, Not Important soon!

Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com

Links:

• Listen to more NOVA Now: pbs.org/wgbh/nova/podcast

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Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media