THE WORLD’S WATER RESOURCES TAKE GLOBAL STAGE AS AUSTRALIAN AND U.S. WATER OFFICIALS CONVENE IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA FOR THE 10TH INTELLIGENT USE OF WATER® SUMMIT
International Panel of Environmental and Water Management Experts To Examine
Outdoor Water Use and the Sustainability of Earth’s Water Supply
AZUSA, CA (FEBRUARY 17, 2009) – Rain Bird, the leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services, announced today the location and panel of experts for its tenth Intelligent Use of Water Summit. Scheduled for March 19, 2009, The Intelligent Use of Water Summit X will be held in Melbourne, Australia, and will feature an impressive cross section of Australian and U.S. environmental and water conservation experts, and influencers on water-related issues.
In partnership with Smart Approved WaterMark, Australia’s not-for-profit water-efficient product labeling program for products that help reduce outdoor water waste, panelists at the Melbourne thought-leadership event are:
Mary Ann Dickinson – Exec. Director, Alliance for Water Efficiency (Chicago, IL)
Geoff Gardiner – General Manager Service Sustainability, City West Water (Melbourne)
Benjamin Grumbles – (former) Asst. Administrator for Water, US Environmental Protection Agency (Washington, DC)
Stuart White – Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology (Sydney)
Greg Stewart – General Manager, Total Eden; Chair of Irrigation Australia WA Region
Jeremy Cape, President of CapeAbility Consultants Pty Ltd, a leading Australian irrigation consulting and research firm, will moderate the environmentally focused symposium and lead a panel discussion focused on providing insight and perspective to various global water conservation policies and legislation, programs, initiatives and trends.
Immediately following the 2-hour morning discussion panel, Dr. Bryson Bates, Chief Research Scientists with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization’s (CSIRO) Division of Marine and Atmospheric Research will address the summit during lunch.
As the Director of CSIRO’s Climate Program from 2004 to 2006, Bryson served as Lead Author for the Second, Third and Fourth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He received a certificate of recognition for his contribution to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awarded jointly to IPCC and Al Gore.
Following lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a series of afternoon breakout sessions led by key members of Australian landscape industry associations, research institutes and water utilities. The scheduled sessions are:
Water-Efficient Landscape Design: Led by Chris Bennett (Irrigation Australia) and Mark Frisby (Australian Institute of Landscape Architects)
Alternative Water Sources For Irrigation: Led by Dr Anne-Maree Boland (RM Consulting Group) and Jeremy Cape (CapeAbility Consultants)
The Relationship Between Water And Climate Change: Led by Dr. Bryson Bates (CSIRO)
“Australia faces some of the worst drought conditions of any inhabited continent on the globe, and reduced water availability presents a significant challenge for homeowners and landscape professionals as they strive to preserve landscapes while maximizing every drop of water,” said Rain Bird Corporate Marketing Director Dave Johnson. “Australia serves as a reminder to the world that water is the resource that most affects human life. Keeping the planet’s water resources viable into the foreseeable future requires advanced water conservation and better water efficiency through education and innovation.”
Established in 2004 as a forum to further define the relationship between water conservation and landscape water use, The Intelligent Use of Water Summit series is an insightful examination of the current state of Earth’s most precious resource in the face of environmental uncertainty. Previous summit locations included Pasadena, Calif., Tucson, Ariz., Tempe, Ariz., Madrid, Spain, and Aix-en-Provence, France.
In addition to The Intelligent Use of Water Summits, Rain Bird devotes significant resources to its Intelligent Use of Water public education campaigns, which include: The Intelligent Use of Water Award; a series of white papers; public service announcements; membership on the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the steering committee advising the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its WaterSense product labeling program; The Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition; partnerships with nonprofit organizations; development and support of elementary and middle school curriculums; and participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade®, an annual worldwide stage to communicate the need for water conservation.
The Intelligent Use of Water Summit will be held at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne and is open to the public at no charge. Visit www.rainbird.com for more details.
ABOUT RAIN BIRD CORPORATION
Based in Azusa, Calif., Rain Bird Corporation is the leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. Since its beginnings in 1933, Rain Bird has offered the industry's broadest range of irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments and homes in more than 130 countries around the world. Rain Bird has been awarded more than 130 patents, including the first in 1935 for the impact sprinkler. Rain Bird and The Intelligent Use of Water is about using water wisely. Its commitment extends beyond products to education, training and services for the industry and the community. Rain Bird maintains state-of-the-art manufacturing assembly facilities in the United States, France, Sweden and Mexico http://www.rainbird.com.
