Mark Twain is said to have quipped, “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting." And in Florida, the subject of water can bring out the strongest of opinions. The Water for Fighting podcast will discuss the past, present, and future of water in Florida with the people who make it happen. The host, Brett Cyphers spent over 20 years working throughout Florida government getting to know the people who’ve made water their life’s work and created this podcast to allow you, the listener, to get to know them as well. The object of this show is to get beyond the abbreviated soundbites and two-line quotes to provide a format that allows us to get to know the guest, not just serve an agenda. Guests are encouraged to talk about their experiences and opinions as they wish to express them. We hope you’ll enjoy the conversations.
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Mark Twain is said to have quipped, “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting." And in Florida, the subject of water can bring out the strongest of opinions. The Water for Fighting podcast will discuss the past, present, and future of water in Florida with the people who make it happen. The host, Brett Cyphers spent over 20 years working throughout Florida government getting to know the people who’ve made water their life’s work and created this podcast to allow you, the listener, to get to know them as well. The object of this show is to get beyond the abbreviated soundbites and two-line quotes to provide a format that allows us to get to know the guest, not just serve an agenda. Guests are encouraged to talk about their experiences and opinions as they wish to express them. We hope you’ll enjoy the conversations.
In this episode, Brett has a conversation with Mark Merkelbach, the CEO of Green Earth Operations and COO of Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group (SWIG). Mark has dedicated his career to water quality improvement all over the world including India, Mexico, Haiti, and China. He’s now using his creativity and experience to solve water quality problems right here in Florida.
They discuss growing up around the Jersey Shore; a love of the outdoors passed down from his father; a professional wanderlust that has taken him all over the globe; his need to solve environmental problems; the secret sauce that he and SWIG are using to impact water quality in Florida; and of course, they talk about the Merkelbach family’s rescued one-eyed and three-tooth Shitzu name Button.
To visit SWIG’s website and find out what Mark and his team are doing to make Florida (and the world) a better place, head here.
To see more information about SWIG’s Doctor’s Lake project as reported in the Florida Specifier, head here:
To read the Florida Specifier article that introduced the work of SWIG to Florida’s environmental scene, go here.
This episode is brought to by my friends at Resource Environmental Solutions (RES)
RES is the nation’s leader in ecological restoration, helping to restore Florida’s natural resources with water quality and stormwater solutions that offer communities guaranteed performance and outcomes. Check them out at www.res.us
This episode is also brought to you by my friends at Sea and Shoreline.
Sea and Shoreline is the Southeast’s leading innovator in protecting coastal communities from devastating storms and restoring ecosystems that once faced ecological collapse. Visit their website at www.Seaandshoreline.com.
Please be sure to check out the Florida Specifier Podcast hosted by Ryan Matthews and myself as part of a new venture where we’re striving to become Florida’s first source for environmental news, educational tools, and unique perspectives on our state’s natural environment and the events that shape it. To learn more about its flagship print publication and more, visit The Florida Specifier.
You can follow the show on LinkedIn and Instagram @flwaterpod, and you can reach me directly at FLwaterpod@gmail.com with your comments and suggestions for who and/or what you’d like to know more about.
Production of this podcast is by Lonely Fox Studios. Thanks to Karl Sorne for making the best of what he had to work with. And to David Barfield for the amazing graphics and technical assistance.
And finally, a very special thank you goes out to Bo Spring from the Bo Spring Band for giving permission to use his music for this podcast. The song is called Doing Work for Free, and you should check out the band live, or wherever great music is sold.
Water For Fighting
Mark Twain is said to have quipped, “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting." And in Florida, the subject of water can bring out the strongest of opinions. The Water for Fighting podcast will discuss the past, present, and future of water in Florida with the people who make it happen. The host, Brett Cyphers spent over 20 years working throughout Florida government getting to know the people who’ve made water their life’s work and created this podcast to allow you, the listener, to get to know them as well. The object of this show is to get beyond the abbreviated soundbites and two-line quotes to provide a format that allows us to get to know the guest, not just serve an agenda. Guests are encouraged to talk about their experiences and opinions as they wish to express them. We hope you’ll enjoy the conversations.
