Episode 59: Science and Civic Engagement
“The truth is people still trust scientists...when you go into a room filled with lobbyists reading off of their cell phones prepared bullet points with no understanding of the larger issues...your voice matters and it carries a lot of weight. ”
A conversation with Dr. Juliet Christian-Smith (Union of Concerned Scientists) about the role of scientists in politics and policy with a focus on Western water policy. Released November 1, 2024.
guests on the show
Dr. Juliet Christian-Smith
Juliet Christian-Smith is the Western States Regional Director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She leads the program’s efforts to create effective policies addressing climate change in California and the Western United States.
Dr. Christian-Smith is an expert in water, climate, and sustainability issues and has a longstanding career focusing on these issues. Prior to her current role at UCS she was a senior program officer at the Water Foundation. In addition to developing and implementing grantmaking programs for the foundation, Juliet was part of teams that secured the new federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, California’s first-in-the-nation Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, and LA’s Safe, Clean Water Program, the largest public financing program for stormwater capture in the nation. Previously, Dr. Christian-Smith worked on water and climate issues as a Senior Climate Scientist at UCS.
She received a Fulbright fellowship to study the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive in Portugal and was a Murray Darling Basin Futures Fellow in Australia. She earned a PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree from Smith College.