Activities
Dr. James White to Keynote at Next Generation Water Summit
Dr. James White, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder will address the Next Generation Water Summit on June 12th in Santa Fe, NM. Dr. White’s keynote address, “Climate Change – The Tipping Point and the Economic Impact”, will begin at 8:15am in the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.
Dr. White started the INSTAAR Stable Isotope Lab in 1989. In recent years, his ice core research has helped to show that large climate changes tend to occur in the natural system as abrupt and rapid shifts in mode probably driven by internal adjustments in the Earth climate system, rather than slow and gradual adjustments to changing external conditions, such as the amount of energy received from the sun. He has been described as a generous mentor, gifted teacher and a serious man of science who leavens his lectures with humor, promotes discussion and listens as well as enlightens.
Climate change is going to impact our water supply, both the demand side and the supply side of the equation. “A changing climate presents a host of problems for us as we seek to create a sustainable society for the future. We need to not only know what lies ahead, but how fast that new reality will come at us, and continually ask ourselves if we are adequately prepared to face the challenges”, stated Dr. White.
Other keynote speakers include: Paula Kehoe, Director of Water Resources, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) will give the address on June 13th and U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), a long-time advocate for New Mexico’s acequias and traditional lands, will give the keynote address on June 14th.
Over the 3 days of the Summit, 50+ sessions will be held. A few of these include: “Forest Restoration—How to Pay for It” by Dr. Jonathan Overpeck, Dean of the School of Sustainability, University of Michigan; “WaterSense 2.0 and Water Rating Systems” by Jonah Schein of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); “Permitting Sustainability” by Art Ludwig, founder of Oasis Designs; “Colorado River Basin States Water Efficiency Scorecard” by Mary Ann Dickinson of the Alliance of Water Efficiency; “Latest in Irrigation Technology” by Brent Mecham of the Irrigation Association; and “Irrigation Water Budgets: A Comparative Review” by Dr. Rolston St. Hilaire, department head, New Mexico State University.
Additionally, there will be 7 water certification courses held pre- and post-Summit and 4 technical workshops during the Summit. To see the full lineup of speakers, workshops and to register visit: www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.
Hosts of the Next Generation Water Summit will be the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce; Green Builder® Coalition; City of Santa Fe; the Alliance for Water Efficiency, KUELWater, and the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association. Major sponsors include the Turner Foundation and Phyn. Santa Fe Community College is the official education sponsor, and Green Builder® Media is the national media partner.
About the Next Generation Water Summit
The Next Generation Water Summit brings together the building and development community, water reuse professionals and water policymakers in a collaborative setting to share best practices and learn about innovative water conservation and water reuse techniques that can be used to comply with water conservation restrictions spreading across the southwest.
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