1. Session II: The Nexus Between Water, Food, and Energy A Systems Perspective Rapporteur: Lauren H. Logan PhD Candidate in Civil Engineering Energy-Water-Environment Sustainability Program iSEE Congress | Urbana, IL | Sept 14-16, 2015

2. Lauren H. Logan, PhD Candidate iSEE Congress | Sept 2015 slide 2 Mark David Ashlynn StillwellJames Shortle

3. Lauren H. Logan, PhD Candidate iSEE Congress | Sept 2015 slide 3 Agriculture and power production have impacts on our national water supply’s quantity and quality. Localized use of water for agriculture leads to major downstream impacts from N & P –Gulf hypoxia –Chesapeake Bay nutrient loading Thermoelectric power plants are the largest withdrawers of fresh water in the United States –Agriculture is largest consumer Water use in the home is poorly understood –Water treatment is energy intensive

4. Lauren H. Logan, PhD Candidate iSEE Congress | Sept 2015 slide 4 We are damaging our environment in even more ways than basic overuse of finite fresh water. Nutrient loading is a driver of ecosystem change –Ecosystem scarcity Chain of events: corn grown in IL  beef produced and consumed  manure applied to fields  nutrient runoff Effluent from power plants thermally pollutes water ways –Identifiable risks to aquatic ecosystems

5. Lauren H. Logan, PhD Candidate iSEE Congress | Sept 2015 slide 5 How we handle nutrient loading will matter for future food crops. N & P: reducing the inputs vs. treating the outputs within aquatic systems Balancing in-field practices vs. edge of field practices vs. land use change –Tradeoffs exist in cost, effectiveness, and adoption by farmer Pay to reduce pollution vs. polluter pays Shift away from voluntary compliance policies

6. Lauren H. Logan, PhD Candidate iSEE Congress | Sept 2015 slide 6 Ultimately it comes down to understanding the challenges, and presenting reasonable solutions. Nutrient use efficiency requires the right: source, rate, time, and place –Relating efficiency to yield Targeted solutions instead of “anything anywhere” approach Implementation of less thirsty power plant cooling technologies Accurate monitoring and measurement of water use in the home

7. Lauren H. Logan, PhD Candidate iSEE Congress | Sept 2015 slide 7 Contact information Lauren H. Logan PhD Candidate Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign llogan2@illinois.edu http://stillwell.cee.illinois.edu/people/lauren-logan/