Rain Bird Announces Intelligent Use of Water Video Podcast Series

Rain Bird Corp., a manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services, announced the release of its Intelligent Use of Water video podcast series examining public attitudes and behaviors surrounding global water conservation. Filmed during Rain Bird's Intelligent Use of Water Summit on Dec. 31, 2006, in Pasadena, Calif., each of the eight video podcasts feature remarks and presentations from a diverse panel of scholars, landscape designers, municipal directors and environmental organizations addressing the current state of water conservation and the strategies needed to conserve Earth's most precious natural resource.
   
Established in 2004 as a forum to further define the relationship between water conservation and landscape water use, Rain Bird's fifth Intelligent Use of Water Summit comes on the heels of a recent U.N. report predicting an eminent and devastating global water shortage by the year 2025. The Intelligent Use of Water Summit video podcast series addresses the need for municipalities, corporations and governments to help shape water usage habits through global and local water conservation strategies, programs and initiatives.
   
Rain Bird's free weekly Intelligent Use of Water video podcasts are
available for download on iTunes and at http://www.rainbird.com/iuow/resources/podcasts.htm. The series consists of eight video podcasts, distributed weekly to subscribers, and features the following presenters:
   
Denis Gourdeau, Water Management Coordinator, City of Calgary Parks, Alberta, Canada
  
 Denis discusses the technological advances that the City of Calgary has put into place to conserve water, and it has built up public support for their water conservation measures and initiatives. Denis holds a post diploma in forest resource technology and diploma in civil and structural engineering from British Columbia Institute of Technology and several IA certificates including irrigation designer, landscape irrigation auditor and golf irrigation auditor.
   
Jim Trog, Central Control Irrigation Manager at Four Peaks
   
Drawing on his experience as the Central Control Irrigation Manager at Four Peaks Landscape, Jim Trog presents his perspective of water conservation in the real world and discusses the challenges to water conservation in the first of two podcasts. In the second, he discusses technological advances available to contractors and consumers today that can help conserve water on a local scale.
   
Leslie Tait, Thames Water - UK
   
In this first of two Podcasts, Lesley explains the drought conditions Thames Water faced in London last summer. In the second part of Leslie's presentation, she details Thames Water's marketing campaign aimed at reducing the public consumption of water. Lesley has a bachelor of science in chemistry and environmental science from the University of Southampton and a master's degree in environmental management from Imperial College, London.
  
Michael Glassman, Co-Host of Discovery Home's Garden Police
   
An award-winning landscape designer and co-host of Discovery Home's landscape makeover program Garden Police, Michael Glassman provides ways that homeowners can save water by modifying their landscape design.
   
Robert Glennon, Professor of Law and Public Policy, Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona

In this first of two Podcasts featuring Robert's remarks, he sets up the problems we all face with the growing shortage of water. Robert is a professor of law and public policy in the Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona. Robert has authored many books, articles and other papers on water resources and lectures widely around the United States. In the second part of his presentation, Robert discussed ways in which governments and municipalities can reduce consumer demand for water and avert a global water crisis.
   
Dave Johnson, Director of Corporate Marketing, Rain Bird Corporation

Dave Johnson outlines the leadership role Rain Bird is taking raising awareness of the need for water conservation through the Intelligent Use of Water initiatives and programs.

To subscribe to the podcasts, visit http://www.rainbird.com/iuow/resources/podcasts.htm. If you would like to receive a printed summary of the presentations, please contact Landon Cowan at 310/556-4443 or via e-mail at lcowan@ppmgcorp.com.