AGENDA

NCAR 61 Conference
Water: Recourse for a Resource
Hosted by Georgia Tech Savannah
Marriott Riverfront Hotel
Savannah, GA
October 22-24, 2008


Download PDF updated 9/26/2008


Wednesday, October 22

3:00-5:00pm: Early Registration

5:00-7:00pm:  Welcome Reception

 

Thursday, October 23

7:00-8:00am: Registration and Breakfast

8:00-8:15am: Welcome, Introductions & Conference Overview


Session #1:  The Cycles of Water - Conflicts and Synergies in an Interconnected World
(Session Chair: Ross Harding, Herty Advanced Materials Development Center)

The many cycles of water are at the same time interdependent, and often at odds. Shifting patterns of climate and pollution, production and consumption, short and long term impacts make water a resource, a major driver of quality of life and a matter of increasing national security. The key note speaker will discuss the connections between energy, the topic of last year’s NCAR conference, to water. The panelists will discuss critical water cycles with a moderated discussion on the interconnection and impacts of water in an increasingly constrained and interconnected world.

8:15-9:00 am: Keynote Lecture - The Cycles of Water


9:00-9:30am: Refreshment Break


9:30-11:45pm: The Cycles of Water Panel Presentations and Discussion

 

Luncheon – The Preservation of Water
(Session Chair: Howard Morrison, Lebanon Ventures)

12:00-1:30pm: Conference & Community Luncheon – The Preservation of Water


Session #2:  The Business of Water - Challenges and Solutions
(Session Chair: Stephen Hooten, Citi Smith Barney)

Fresh water is a scarce natural resource, and the future demand for fresh water is expected to exceed the current available supply. Businesses around the world are providing real solutions to today's most vexing water challenges. These businesses are actively involved in all phases of water, from infrastructure to testing, with the goal of sustaining the supply of fresh water for drinking and human health, agriculture and food production, manufacturing and industrial processes, watershed and ecosystem health, recreation, and many other critical areas that support our global citizenry. The key note speaker will give a global overview of the current "water worries" and list areas that businesses are providing innovation and results. The panelists will discuss leading edge technologies and processes that business is using to answer the challenges of today and in the days ahead.

1:45-2:30pm: Keynote Lecture - The Business of Water


2:30-3:00pm: Refreshment Break


3:00-5:15pm: The Business of Water Panel Presentations and Discussion

 

Friday, October 24

7:00-8:00am: Registration and Breakfast

Session #3:  The Future of Water - Time for CPR (Conservation, Policy and Research)
(Session Chair: David Frost, Georgia Institute of Technology)

The water challenge facing the world is not an isolated issue to be considered. There are a complex set of interacting challenges that are impacted by multiple factors including population growth, global warming and changing energy demands. Similarly, the solution to these challenges requires thoughtful consideration of a complex and interwoven set of factors. Each of these challenges can be described as being simple to appreciate but difficult to implement. For example, the benefit of conservation on one hand is easy to quantify but difficult to implement. Similarly, new policies that change the status quo are equally difficult to put in place, even if they are simple to propose. Finally, new research based solutions are often readily proposed at the lab scale but scaling them up to commercial benefit can be far more complex. The speakers and panelists will seek to show that these three factors need to occur in parallel, not sequentially. Policy does not lead conservation or research - neither does research lead policy. Solutions that ultimately lead to success are those where experts in policy, conservation and research work closely together with their focus firmly on one factor - water is fundamental to the future of earth.

8:00-8:45am: Keynote Lecture - The Future of Water

 

8:45-9:15am: Refreshment Break


9:15-11:45am: The Future of Water Panel Presentations and Discussion

11:45-12:00pm: Conference Summary Comments


Luncheon – The Importance of Water
(Chair: George Sedberry, National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration)

12:00-2:00pm: Conference & Community Luncheon – Eric Walker Lecture

 

2:30-5:30pm: Optional Post-Conference Tours