Why thirsty US states should look to Israel

+ strike funds; Barbie and Ariel choose a life with death US Edition - Today's top story: What Arizona and other drought-ridden states can learn from Israel's pioneering water strategy [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 September 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [To find meaning at work, make it more than about you]( - [Elon Musk, X and antisemitic tropes]( - [Get to know the latest coronavirus variant]( Lead story Arizona is booming, especially its metropolitan counties, which have some of the fastest-growing economies in the nation. But a regional water shortage is already curbing development in some Phoenix suburbs, and it could undercut the state’s expansion. State officials are considering building a massive desalination plant on the Sea of Cortez in Mexico and piping water from there to Arizona’s thirsty cities. But water experts Gabriel Eckstein, Sharon B. Megdal and Clive Lipchin aren’t convinced that this expensive option will secure Arizona’s water future. Instead, they write, [the state should take a page from Israel](, which has figured out how to prosper in a desert setting by obtaining water from many sources and using it wisely. [ [Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with interesting perspectives from experts around the world](. ] Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Cities Editor Suburban development in Maricopa County, Arizona, with lakes, lush golf courses and water-guzzling lawns. Wild Horizon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images [What Arizona and other drought-ridden states can learn from Israel’s pioneering water strategy]( Gabriel Eckstein, Texas A&M University; Clive Lipchin, Tel Aviv University; Sharon B. Megdal, University of Arizona Arizona is considering a multibillion-dollar desalination project to address its urgent water needs. Three water experts call for a go-slow approach and point to Israel as a role model. Economy + Business - [What are strike funds? A labor-management relations expert explains]( Raymond Gibney Jr., Penn State When unions amass large sums of money to parcel out to workers, it can give them more leverage in negotiations with employers. Arts + Culture - [Why ‘Barbie’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’ made 2023 the dead girl summer]( Katie Kapurch, Texas State University People might go to the movies to escape reality. Yet Barbie and Ariel choose to live in the world their audiences inhabit − and, in doing so, decide to die. Education - [5 ways that college campuses benefit from diversity, equity and inclusion programs]( Erica Jacqueline Licht, Harvard Kennedy School Diversity programs benefit schools and students in multiple ways, research shows. Science + Technology - [Seismologists can’t predict an impending earthquake, but longer-term forecasts and brief warnings after one starts are possible]( Harold Tobin, University of Washington The idea that scientists could warn a region that a big quake was coming at a certain time – with enough advance notice for large-scale preparation and evacuation – remains a dream, not a reality. Health + Medicine - [How evasive and transmissible is the newest omicron offshoot, BA.2.86, that causes COVID-19? 4 questions answered]( Suresh V. Kuchipudi, University of Pittsburgh Researchers still don’t know how well BA.2.86 will evade immunity or whether it will cause more severe disease than its predecessors. Ethics + Religion - [Looking for your ‘calling’? What people get wrong when chasing meaningful work]( Garrett Potts, University of South Florida The idea of a ‘calling’ has stretched far beyond its religious roots. But the way US society talks about meaningful work isn’t always helpful. Politics + Society - [Antisemitism on Elon Musk’s X is surging and dredging up many ancient, defamatory themes of blaming Jews]( Pamela S. Nadell, American University Antisemitism on X recycles ancient tropes falsely blaming Jewish people for a wide range of social and political ills, and for their own victimization. International - [US response to Gabon and Niger coups suggests need for a new West Africa policy in Washington]( Julius A. Amin, University of Dayton No US president has set foot on sub-Saharan Africa since 2015 – and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. - [Silicon Valley investors want to create a new city – is ‘California Forever’ a utopian dream or just smart business?]( Iain White, University of Waikato A controversial new city project in northern California has echoes of past utopian plans – but idealism and commercial reality have always been uneasy partners. 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