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International water conference next month in Bozeman
August 29, 2011
A NASA astronaut and aquanaut, a Harvard University professor of nutrition and epidemiology and a noted actress fighting to improve sanitation in the slums of Kenya are among the speakers at the upcoming Sustaining the Blue Planet: Global Water Education Conference being held in Bozeman, Mont., next month. Convened by nonprofit water education organization the Project WET Foundation, Sustaining the Blue Planet will bring together educators, NGOs, corporations, government agencies and international organizations to increase the reach of effective water education that leads to sustainable action to solve pressing water problems.
NASA Educator Astronaut Richard R. Arnold, II will give the opening lecture on September 14th, providing his view of the "Blue Planet" from above the Earth and under the ocean. Harvard professor Dr. Frank Hu—in the news this month for a study on diet and Type II Diabetes—will lead a September 15th panel presenting new research about hydration and childhood obesity with the International Chair on Cardio-metabolic Risk (ICCR). On September 16th, Danish actress Connie Nielsen—best known for her role in the film Gladiator opposite Russell Crowe—will discuss her work on sustainable sanitation solutions with the Human Needs Project in the dense, informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya.
In all, close to 100 presentations will be on offer, exploring five strands: innovations in water education; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); technology and water education; water education in corporate sustainability; and priority water topics. Presenters come from more than 20 countries and represent international organizations like UNESCO and UN Habitat, multinational corporations including Intel, Microsoft, Google, Nestlé Waters and Abbott, government agencies such as USAID, NOAA and NASA, and primary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities both in the United States and abroad. The Project WET Foundation will also unveil its new Project WET Curriculum & Activity Guide, Generation 2.0 and accompanying teacher portal as well as its new web experience for children, DiscoverWater.org.
Evening receptions will recognize a new partnership between the National Park Service and the Project WET Foundation, the artistic achievement and educational philosophy of the impressive "One World, One Water" sculpture currently on view in Bozeman and the contributions of conference signature sponsors Nestlé Waters, UN Habitat and Abbo tt.
More information about Sustaining the Blue Planet: Global Water Education Conference, including a link to the full agenda, can be found at www.projectwet.org/blueplanet.
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