Episode 8- David and Laura Hertz on Nature-Based Systems Thinking & the Democratisation of Water

David and Laura Hertz — On Nature-Based Systems Thinking, on Resilient Communities through Design, on Their Award-Winning Atmospheric Water Sequestration Invention WEDEW, on the Democratization of Natural Resources, and on the Resilience Fund.

Nature-Based Systems Thinking

David and Laura Hertz — On Nature-Based Systems Thinking, on Resilient Communities through Design, on Their Award-Winning Atmospheric Water Sequestration Invention WEDEW, on the Democratization of Natural Resources, and on the Resilience Fund.

 ‘We live in a world of transitions between the fossil fuel and free world. There’s no time to be apathetic and it’s incredibly exciting to live in a time where investment being placed in incredible technologies that could help reverse the consequences we created. A world where we can see a distributed system and natural resources democratized. — David Hertz
 
About David and Laura Hertz

David has been working at the edge of sustainability and the forefront of regenerative architecture for over 35 years. As a systems thinker, he engages a variety of fields through design and believes in expanding the conceptual limits of architecture.

Throughout his career, David has connected the art of building with responsible stewardship of the Earth. A LEED accredited professional, he serves on the board of Heal The Bay and is a member of the City of Santa Monica’s Task Force on the Environment. David taught sustainable design and mentored students at his alma mater, SCI-Arc, as well as Art Center College of Design and USC, and currently serves on the Academic Advisory Committee for UCLA’s Extension Program.

Laura is a storyteller, an environmentalist, a humanitarian, and a concerned citizen with the goal to educate and inspire to leave this planet a better place. A native Californian, Laura grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She spent most of her childhood on the coast sailing. As a daughter of a commercial airline pilot and a wildly creative mother, Laura’s lifelong passion for photography is the product of her traveling adventures around the world, discovering the visual beauty and intrigue of foreign lands, cultures, and customs. She worked as a Photojournalist for many publications and later as an Advertising and Lifestyle Photographer. In 2015, Laura and her husband David Hertz, co-founded Skysource, a social impact enterprise focused on creating deployable atmospheric water solutions that address all aspects of global water issues. She also serves on the board of The Bay Foundation, 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental group that restores and enhances The Santa Monica Bay through actions and partnerships that improve water quality, conserve and rehabilitate natural resources, and protect the Bay’s benefits and values..

A lifelong passion for surfing has made David and Laura active in issues of water quality and access. ‘18% of Californian budget is pumping water across long distances – this is huge. Desalination plants and water movement are not the cleanest solutions. 0.22% of fresh water is contained in water vapor and we forget that there is 6 times more water vapor at any given time than there is in rivers and lakes. This happens to sit at the highest point of the water shed, and once extracted then cooled, water becomes extremely accessible and free.’ says David Hertz.

Together, David and Laura founded Skysource to democratize water, and their efforts culminated in winning the Water Abundance XPRIZE. Since then, they have focused on making communities more resilient through design. After the Woolsey Fire devastated their community, David has become committed to helping friends and neighbors rebuild their homes and lives.

David is also the co-founder of Resilience Fund for Advancing Climate Technologies, focusing on water, food, energy, and carbon transformation technology solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change.



SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

-          SkySource
-          The Resilience Fund For Advancing Climate Technologies (resilience-fund.org)
-          Xanabu
-          XPrize for Water Abundance
-          Precipitating Change
-          Home - The Bay Foundation (santamonicabay.org)
-          Laura Doss Photo (facebook.com)
-          Home - The Teen Project
-          David Hertz Architects FAIA & The Studio of Environmental Architecture (davidhertzfaia.com)
-          David Hertz Architects (@davidhertz_studioea) • Instagram photos and videos
-          XPRIZE Winner Creates Water from Thin Air - YouTube