Reflections on the Great Lakes Awareness Event
Recently, I spoke at the Great Lakes Awareness Event hosted by Patagonia Chicago.
The workshop and ensuing panel discussion was incredibly helpful to the people in the audience. Based on conversations I had with audience members, the point they found most interesting was the amount of pollution caused by the sewer water overflow that is created every time it rains. Most people are unaware that our stormwater systems are combined with our sewer systems and untreated sewer water is dumped into our local water ways when it rains.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes received a $10,000 grant from Patagonia for restoration efforts.
Panel members include:
• Mary Lammert Khoury, aquatic ecologist and conservation planner, Great Lakes Project, The Nature Conservancy;
• Tom Barrett, a nationally recognized speaker and authority on sustainable solutions and owner of Green Water Infrastructure;
Tom Barrett presenting stormwater issues to a standing room audience at the Great Lakes Awareness Event at Patagonia Chicago
• Jessica Dexter, staff attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Midwest’s leading public interest environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization
Refreshments were provided by Goose Island with live music by Laura Glyda.
I am look forward to my next speaking engagement with the USGBC-IL on June 16th on Water Efficient Landscapes at the Ball Horticultural Center in West Chicago. Here is a link to the Event: http://admin.usgbc-illinois.org/widget/calendar?eventId=266507&EventViewMode=EventDetails