APPLETON, WIS. — Water has been called “the oil of the 21st century,” an increasingly valuable core commodity in a global marketplace. Although water covers more than 70 percent of the earth, only three percent of that water is fresh and only one percent of that is available for consumption.
Lawrence University’s annual Spoerl environmental studies lecture series will examine various facets of water and its management, the conflicts that arise between economic development and water availability, and methods for resolving those clashes of interest in 2009’s four-part series. All talks in the series are free and open to the public.
Jeb Barzen director of field ecology at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, opens the series Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 4:30 p.m. in Science Hall 102 with the address “How Can Lessons from China and Wisconsin Help Us Improve Conservation on Private Land.”
During his 21 years with the ICF, Barzen has overseen the development and implementation of restoration plans on the organization’s 200-acre site and been engaged in numerous wetland restoration projects throughout southeast Asia. Last October, his efforts were recognized with John T. Curtis Award for Career Excellence in Ecological Restoration from The Friends of the Arboretum in Madison.
Other talks scheduled in this year’s series include:
• Jan. 20 — “Great Lakes Water Compact: Now What?,” Peter Annin, associate director, Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, Missoula, Mont., 7:30 p.m., Wriston Art Center Auditorium.
• Feb. 3 — “Water is for Fighting: Water Conflicts and Crises in China and the U.S,” Jennifer Turner, director of the China Environmental Forum, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C., 7:30 p.m., Science Hall 102.
• Feb. 11 — “What China is Doing Right Environmentally,” Phil McKenna ’99, freelance environmental writer, Science Hall 102.
The environmental lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.
