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The Water of Life |
Challenges & Opportunities in the 21st Century |
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We are facing a profound crisis with our freshwater resources all over the world, including here in North America.
How have we reached this predicament? What can be done about it? Pollution, increasing population and industrial demands, destruction of the rain forests, climate change, drought, and over-pumping of ground water are all responsible for the deterioration of water quality and its increasing scarcity. But the underlying reason for the
water crisis is our lack of understanding and accord on all levels of government, from local zoning regulations to worldwide policies regarding the ownership and distribution of freshwater.
Omega Institute is dedicated to finding lasting solutions to this urgent problem.
This conference, featuring some of the leading environmental speakers and organizations in North America,
explores the worldwide crisis of freshwater scarcity and what we can all do to restore and protect this precious resource. It is open to all who are concerned about our freshwater resources, and is especially of interest to
policymakers, environmental activists, corporate executives, elected officials, students, and teachers.
A key component of this weekend’s program is the discussion of the challenges and opportunities Omega has experienced in our effort to build the Omega Center for Sustainable Living. The centerpiece of the OCSL is an Eco Machine™, an energy-efficient, self-sustaining wastewater treatment and educational center, designed by ecological engineer John Todd, one of the invited faculty members presenting at this conference. Learn from those involved in this project about the process of building an unusual wastewater treatment system as well as the efforts to meet the Living Building Challenge, the highest green building standards in the trade.
Faculty
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper, and president of Waterkeeper Alliance. He was recently named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” for his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River.
John Todd is one of the pioneers in the emerging field of ecological design and engineering. Developer of the Eco Machine™, Todd was named one of the 20th Century’s top 35 inventors by the Lemelson-MIT Program for Invention and Innovation. He was named a “Hero of the Earth” by Time magazine in 1999. toddecological.com
Maude Barlow is the national chairperson of the Council of Canadians, Canada’s largest public advocacy organization, and the founder of the Blue Planet Project, working internationally for public access to freshwater. She is the recipient of the 2005 Right Livelihood Award (known as the “Alternative Nobel”), is the author or coauthor of 16 books, and is working on a new book about the global fight for the right to water titled Blue Covenant.
Ned Sullivan is president of Scenic Hudson, a nonprofit that works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors.
Alex Matthiessen is president of Riverkeeper, a nonprofit whose mission is to protect the environmental, recreational, and commercial integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, and to safeguard New York City’s and Westchester County’s drinking water supply.
Wenonah Hauter is executive director of the consumer group Food & Water Watch, which challenges the corporate control and abuse of food and water resources. She was one of the first environmental leaders to identify water privatization as an emerging issue in the late 1990s and has been one of the main campaign strategists for keeping water services public. foodandwaterwatch.org
Now in its 18th year, E/The Environmental Magazine is a bimonthly clearinghouse of information, news, and resources for people concerned about the environment who want to know what they can do to make a difference. A 13-time Independent Press Awards winner and nominee, E/The Environmental Magazine reports on current and emerging issues on subjects such as air and water quality; forests and waterways; biotechnology; oceans and fisheries; climate change; human population growth impacts; recycling and re-use; endangered wildlife; toxic health threats; food safety; and energy issues. emagazine.com
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