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Emily Cikanek
Water, if managed sustainably, can drive economic growth in the Chicago region. Goose Island, a prominent local brewery, generates $1.86 in sales from every gallon of water it uses (at current rates, water is $0.002 per gallon).
The Chicago region's water resources are abundant compared to those of many of our domestic and foreign counterparts. Managed wisely, that water offers substantial advantages for water-intensive economic growth. Northeastern Illinois' water is not infinite however, and given increasing demand for groundwater and federal limits on diversion of Lake Michigan water, consumption must be matched with stewardship. For large users, from breweries to data centers, power plants to hospitals, short-term investment in water-efficient practices and technology can result in long-term bottom line savings, while conserving water for future use, new businesses, and the environment.
Join the Metropolitan Planning Council and Openlands on June 7, 2011, for Growing Blue: Water, Economic Growth, and Corporate Stewardship to explore the private sector's role in utilizing and sustaining our shared water resources. At this roundtable, Veolia Water will release Growing Blue, a data-driven resource for communities and businesses looking to take charge of their water futures. A panel of experts will then share case studies of real investments that have saved water, energy and money, and provide insight on how those models can be replicated elsewhere, including within the Chicago Sustainable Industries initiative.
Keynote:
Laurent Auguste, President and CEO, Veolia Water North America
Panelists:
John Hall, President, Goose Island Beer Company
Benet Haller, Director of Urban Design and Planning, City of Chicago Dept. of Housing and Economic Development
Robert Miller, Founder and President, Earthwise Environmental Inc.
Lunch will be provided. You may request a vegetarian meal when you register. Cost is $15 for current MPC donors and Openlands members, $30 for all others.
Thanks to Veolia Water for sponsoring this event.
If you would like to learn more on how water resource impacts can be measured, valued, and incorporated into decision-making, consider attending the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s June 9, 2011, next Water 2050 forum, “Sustaining the Triple Bottom Line: The Full Value of Water Resources.”