Former Research Engineer Says the Clean Water Act Isn’t Just Science

Wild Virginia Old Dominion Eco Buzz

Clean water is a necessity of life, and while it is a physical resource, it also has a significant human aspect. Access to clean water is essential for the health and well-being of individuals and communities, and lack of access can lead to a range of problems, including illness, poverty, and social inequality.

Grethe Lindemann, a Virginia native from coastal Hampton Roads, joins the podcast to discuss her experience with the Clean Water Advocates Program. Sailing and the watery wonders of the Chesapeake Bay played a major role throughout Grethe’s early years. Skippering a sailboat at age 14 alone under the stars in the Atlantic Ocean away from all civilization, yet surrounded by welcoming dolphins and more, changed her forever. With her first career as an award-winning NASA research engineer later morphing to both for-profit and non-profit entrepreneur in challenged locales including Appalachia – the land of most of her forbears – her focus on sustainable development and environmental justice and protection took hold.