Presenters:

John Grove, Principal Biologist, Whole Water Systems, Buena Vista, Colorado

Morgan Brown, President, Whole Water Systems, Ketchum, Idaho

Wendy Pabich, Consultant, Whole Water Systems

Guest Presenters include:

Sym Van der Ryn, Visionary, Author, Educator, & Pioneer in Ecological Design

Hunter Lovins, President, Natural Capitalism Inc.

Dr. Robert Siegrist, Professor & Director of Environmental Science & Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines

Water's essential. Water's limited. Water's wasted. Water we do now? It's 2016, and a new President – the first from a historically suppressed minority group (biologists) – has just been elected on a platform of environmental resource reform. Water issues threaten both the fragile U.S. economic recovery (brought about by the retiring administration) and the health and well being of the planet. In this time of crisis, the new President's handlers decide to confront their harshest critics head on by submitting to a hostile appearance on the number one news network four years running: Comedy Central. The President – based on over two decades of pioneering experience with constructed wetlands and natural “waste”water treatment/reuse systems – defends his administration's aggressive water conservation and reuse (WCR) reforms against withering satirical critique fed by conventional engineering wisdom and the powerful inertia lobby. 

Since polls show that most people get the majority of their information from satirical journalism sources (e.g. Daily Show, Colbert Report, SNL, Fox News), our interactive session will address the serious problems/solutions of water use/reuse within those familiar guidelines. Join our troupe as we take a critical – and humorous – look at the serious subject of water use, abuse and reuse in the developed environment. Particular focus and project examples will include decentralized wastewater systems, the nexus of water & energy, and natural water treatment utilizing biomimicry and constructed wetlands.

Presenter Bios

John Grove

John Grove is the Principal Biologist of Whole Water Systems, LLC. John is an environmental biologist and entrepreneur with over 19 years experience pioneering constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. He is the patent holder of two wetland design adaptations which maximize treatment and resource recovery. Known for his effective and passionate presentations, John has lectured at both engineering and environmental symposia, including C.U. Boulder, C.S.U Fort Collins, the Colorado School of Mines, the Sun Valley Sustainability Conference and the Idaho Green Expo.

Morgan Brown 

Morgan is President of Whole Water Systems, LLC. Morgan is an electrical engineer, LEED AP and NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer. He garnered a variety of high tech management experience in Europe, Seattle and Silicon Valley prior to launching two Idaho-based sustainable resource firms. Morgan was a principal founder and organizer of the Sun Valley Sustainability Conference. His particular interest is working with progressive developers delivering superior products with sustainable water and energy solutions.

Wendy J. Pabich

Wendy J. Pabich is an environmental scientist, educator and adventurer obsessed with all things water.  In her roles as collaborative consultant with Whole Water Systems as well as founder and president of Water Futures, Inc.,  Wendy pursues her passion for innovative solutions to one of the planet’s most pressing questions – the quest for sustainable water.  She has taught for MIT and the Sierra Institute and holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and an M.S. in Urban Studies and Planning from MIT, an M.S. in Geology from Duke University and a B.A. in Geography from Dartmouth College.  She has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed science journals and speaks frequently to diverse audiences on water-related topics.  

Special Guest Appearances by:

• Sim Van der Ryn (live on stage)
• Hunter Lovins (video interview specific for this seminar)
• Dr. Robert Siegrist (video interview specific for this seminar)

Sim Van der Ryn is a visionary, author, educator, public leader, and internationally distinguished pioneer in ecological design. For more than 40 years, Sim has been at the forefront of integrating ecological principles into the built environment, creating multi-scale solutions driven by nature's intelligence.

Hunter Lovins is the president and founder of Natural Capitalism, Inc. A renowned author and champion of sustainable development for over 30 years, she has managed international non-profits, taught at major universities, advised citizens’ groups, governments and corporations, created several corporations. 

Dr. Robert Siegrist is an internationally recognized expert in onsite water reclamation using natural systems and appropriate technology. He is Professor and Director of Environmental Science and Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.