This October marks a couple of fascinating and educational events related to water. These would make excellent field trip alternatives for students in my PLS 391 or SUST 220 classes this fall, as well as interesting forums for anyone interested in the sustainability of Chicago’s water supply and the flooding issues impacting Illinois communities along the Mississippi River.
On Thursday, Oct. 13th, the Chicago Council for Science and Technology will present a luncheon panel discussion entitled “Chicago’s Water: Protecting Our Precious Resource.” From the program’s promo:
Invasive species have destroyed the balance of the Great Lakes ecosystem and threaten further environmental and economic hardship. The Chicago River is still a conduit for periodic releases of raw sewage and suffers from the scars of an unregulated industrial past. Climate change may create more severe storms, exacerbating flooding problems in the region. Hundreds of millions of gallons of water are withdrawn from Lake Michigan every day, used once, and discharged into the waterways. Water supplies are diminishing in the suburbs. Commissioner Debra Shore of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District will highlight the urgency and scale of these problems and the need for a grand vision of water management. Also, a panel of experts representing different point of views will discuss the potential roles played by government, industry, academia and private citizens to better manage and sustain our water resources.
Where/When: Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza, 350 West Mart Center Drive, Oct. 13th, 2011
Please click here for directions and parking information
11:30am Lunch
12:00pm Keynote Presentation
Registration: Members $15, Non-members $25, Students $10
Registration is Required
On Friday, Oct. 21st, the College of Du Page in Glen Ellyn, IL, will host the Mississippi River Basin Flood of 2011 Symposium from 9am to 2:30pm. The day’s program features expert speakers and multimedia presentations on past Mississippi River floods as well as detailed analysis of the 2011 flood event, with scheduled sessions on flood-producing weather patterns, flood monitoring technology, flood mitigation, and floodplain map development. For more detailed information on this free event, see the official flier (pdf) from the CoD Department of Earth Sciences.