Enjoy this guest blog post from IF Water. I hope to see you at the IdeaFestival! Wayne
Are you willing to challenge the way you look at water?
Water. It’s one of the Earth’s most powerful and precious resources, yet many people in this country rarely think about how fortunate we are to have easy access to a seemingly limitless supply of water. If we are thirsty or need to wash our hands, we turn on the facet and it flows freely. How often do you think about where your water is coming from, or how much you are consuming? Have you ever had to worry about how you’re going to get safe drinking water for your family?
As Founder and CEO of WaterStep, a local non-profit that works to create water solutions and fund water projects all around the world, it is my job to bring awareness to the world water crisis and to rally people to help fight this severe problem. One of the ways we do that is by hosting the IF Water Conference, part of IdeaFestival®, which will be held on Tuesday, September 30th at The Kentucky International Convention Center.
This marks the 3rd year for this event, and the water activists and experts that will participate are going to lead us in some mind bending discussions that will forever change the way we look at water. New this year, students from around the world will be “attending” this event via live streaming, and they’ll even have the opportunity to tweet in questions to the panel of our water experts.
Fabien Cousteau is an oceanographic explorer, conservationist and documentary filmmaker. As the first grandson of Jacques Cousteau, Fabien spent his early years aboard his famous grandfather’s ships. Today, Fabien continues to fulfill his family’s legacy to protect and preserve the planet’s marine habitats. Fabien will share stories from his recent 31-day mission living under the sea, the longest time a human has spent underwater.
Rose George is a Journalist from England who will speak about sanitation issues worldwide. As the author of The Big Necessity, Rose George brings a global perspective to sanitation practices and behavior. Rose will speak about the cultural, bacteriological, and psychological landscape of sanitation throughout the world.
Pat Mulroy earned her fame as the general manager of the Las Vegas water district, where water usage has decreased over the last two decades, despite continued population growth. Pat Mulroy has led the Southern Nevada Water Authority through one of the worst droughts in the history of the Colorado River region. Pat will share more than 20 years of experience with water conservation in the United States.
After hearing each of these fascinating presentations, we’ll use creative thinking to explore solutions that could potentially result in saving lives.
As always, the IdeaFestival® invites you to Stay Curious™. At IF Water, we encourage you to take this invitation one step further, and actually become part of the solutions that will change the world. After all, what could possibly be more inspiring than saving someone’s life?
Follow along at #IFWater14.
Mark Hogg, Founder and CEO of WaterStep