Benjamin Preston, Author at State of the Planet - Page 2 of 3

Benjamin Preston

Benjamin Preston was a communications intern for the Columbia Water Center. A graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he also serves as an editorial intern at OnEarth Magazine. Before coming to New York, he covered water resource issues as a staff reporter, first for the Santa Barbara Independent and then Noozhawk.com -- both are Santa Barbara, Calif.-based local news publications. He has also had work published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Miller-McCune Magazine, the Brooklyn Eagle, and the now-defunct Terrain Magazine, among others.

Recent Posts

Clean Water for Fiji

Corporate giant Fiji Water makes millions of dollars every year selling bottled water, but only 47 percent of Fiji Islanders have access to clean drinking water. That may change.

by |June 24, 2011

Cape May, New Jersey’s Battle Against Nature

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers battles an encroaching ocean, but how long will their funding hold out?

by |June 20, 2011

Toxic Waters in the Gilded State

To those who have never been, the Golden State is known for luxurious palm tree-lined avenues, sun-drenched beaches, and picturesque mountains. But not all parts of California were created equal. The state’s San Joaquin Valley hosts a scene entirely different from the images of Malibu beaches depicted in travel brochures. It is the non-glittering core… read more

by |June 16, 2011

Squeezing the Last Drops out of Sicily

If you were to drive south from Palermo, Sicily toward Monreale, you would be ringed in by green mountains, the sparkling white of ancient and modern buildings and the azure Mediterranean Sea receding behind you. Continuing south through the island’s mountainous interior, you would pass verdant agricultural fields on your way past Corleone, the namesake… read more

by |May 23, 2011

Attack of the Warzone Water Bottles

Using bottled water in war zones uses oil and pollutes the environment. But Defense officials are looking to move toward sustainability.

by |May 16, 2011

Post bin Laden, Working Toward Afghanistan’s Water Security

Osama bin Laden is history, but decades of war and civil strife pose challenges to Afghanistan’s water infrastructure.

by |May 11, 2011

Clean Water vs. Cheap Energy: Can We Have Both?

The social fabric of a water quality debate: Anti-fracking protesters converge on Albany… again. A battle of wills between advocates of clean water and cheap energy ensues.

by |May 9, 2011

Reusing Dirty Water

Columbia Water Center guest lecturer Raymond Farinato talks about increasing water supply by reusing wastewater in industrial applications.

by |May 3, 2011

British Royals’ Green Wedding

The Royal wedding used up a lot of resources, but Will and Kate did their best to keep it green.

by |April 29, 2011

Paulie, Jimmy and Vinny on NYC’s Water Future

New York City’s trio of water and sewer czars, explain the reasons behind rising rates.

by |April 27, 2011