Water: Beneath the Surface and Around the Globe
Friday, June 4 – 1- 5pm
1pm Arthur von Wiesenberger, Watermaster
Opening remarks
2021 to be announced. 2020 below for an idea of the importance of what the seminar is like.
Open discussion, Q & A
Arthur von Wiesenberger
Moderator and Water Master The International Water Tasting & Competition
Noted water expert and consultant
Well known for Nipper’s, his highly successful champagne and caviar club in California, von Wiesenberger added water tastings to his wine tasting business in the late 1970s. He is a past president of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association, the American Institute of Wine and Food and the Society of Wine Educators. His books include Champagne & Caviar, A Pocket Guide to Bottled Water and The Taste of Water. The original Water Master of the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, von Wiesenberger has served in all but three festivals through the 29 years. Among his consulting clients are Anheiser-Busch and Perrier.
See why Arthur von Wiesenberger was chosen for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by WaterExpo Guangzhou 2020 & Guangzhou Informa Yi Fan Exhibitions Co., Ltd., China.
FEATURED SPEAKERS for 2020
TOPIC: Natural Groundwater Chemistry and Healing Cults in Ancient Greece: What we stand to learn from the past about healthy living, environmental stewardship, and water resource protection today.
This presentation will present three seasons of fieldwork focused on deciphering the geochemistry of some of the most famous healing and oracular sanctuaries in Western History: Delphi, Kos, Epidaurus, Ptoon, Oropos, and Corinth. Over several summers, Dr. Flood has collected and analyzed the aqueous geochemistry from these water-centric places of healing and prophetic ritual. His research is revealing that past societies has a profound sensitivity to the subtle differences in earth chemistry and the medicinal uses of the invisible elements they contain. This presentation begins by highlighting the chemistry of healing waters in the ancient world, then discusses modern manifestations of the healing water tradition in Greece, North America, and the future of hydrotherapy in the unfolding Anthropocene.
Jonathan Flood, is an assistant professor in Geography at Frostburg State University, where he teaches hydrology, environmental analysis, along with soil and water engineering. Jonathan earned his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. His research on the relationship between past societies and their hydrologic resources has implored him to travel through the jungles of Central America to ancient temple springs in Greece, Italy, and Anatolia. His research investigates how societies–past & present–influence and manage elements of the hydrosphere, and goes further to reveal how hydrology and water quality influences humanity.
TOPIC: Freedom Industries Spill and Work with Advocates for a Safe Water System
Cathy Kunkel–is an energy policy expert and public advocate. She has testified before the West Virginia Public Service Commission on behalf of consumer and environmental organizations. Her research has been cited by the Washington Post, NBC News, the Associated Press, The Hill, SNL Financial, The Intercept, and by members of Congress.
Cathy co-founded Advocates for a Safe Water System in the aftermath of the January 2014 Freedom Industries chemical spill. Under Cathy’s leadership, the organization developed a grassroots plan for the improvements needed for the water system and won concrete changes through advocacy at the Public Service Commission.”
Topic: The Healing Waters of Berkeley Springs
A brief discourse on the geology and properties of the historic Berkeley Springs which George Washington famously called: “ye famed warm springs.”
Jeanne Mozier, is one of the founders of the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting and still serves as Executive Producer and Vice President and marketing director of Travel Berkeley Springs. She is an award-winning writer with ten published books and numerous articles. A social entrepreneur, Mozier is President of the Museum of the Berkeley Springs and developer of several of its exhibits. She, and her husband Jack Soronen, recently sold their legendary Star Theatre, retiring after 42 years of operation. Mozier is currently co-producer of the Morgan County Bicentennial celebration. She is responsible each year for the bottle display at the water tasting.
Topic: Trees Are Water Movers And Protectors: We call them wood but they are half water.
Frank F. Rodgers, Executive Director, joined Cacapon Institute in January 2006 and has been Executive Director since 2012. He has experience in implementation of Chesapeake Bay Program recommended watershed conservation best management practices with expertise in urban forest and riparian forest buffers. He coordinates community outreach, and academic and informal environmental educational programming for youth and adults. Since 2000 he has facilitated local, state, and federal partnerships including the nationally recognized Watershed 263 project, an urban watershed restoration project in southwest Baltimore. Frank began his work in environmental restoration with the Parks & People Foundation in Baltimore in 1993. Frank is a leader in the Chesapeake Program Forestry and Education work groups, the NAAEE Mid-Atlantic Affiliates Network, WV Environmental Education Association, the WV Chesapeake Bay Tributary Team, WV Urban & Community Forestry Council, and Potomac Watershed Partnership. He has a BA in Social and Behavior Science from California State University Long Beach, is a University of Maryland Certified GIS Technician, International Society of Arborists Certified Arborist, a former Marine, and Eagle Scout.
Topic: Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are Being Discovered in Drinking Water Across the United States
Water Systems again find themselves at the center of an emotional public health debate. It’s worth noting that this cycle of uncertainty, public concern, and demand for action has Congress Scrambling for Answers from the EPA, CDC and the Department of Defense.
Studies indicate that PFOA and PFOS can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemicals have caused tumors in animal studies. The most consistent findings from human epidemiology studies are increased cholesterol levels among exposed populations, with more limited findings related to infant birth weights, effects on the immune system, cancer (for PFOA), and thyroid hormone disruption (for PFOS).
Scott Shipe, Has 42 years of experience managing water & wastewater utilities having worked at four utilities. During his career he has served on many Water Industry national boards and currently serves as the Government Affairs Chair of the Chesapeake Section of the American Water Works Association. Scott’s top accomplishment is being an advocate for the both the water and wastewater industries and has participated for the past eighteen years at the National Water Policy Week and Fly-In on Capitol Hill. That has included over five hundred meetings with key Congressional Senate & House members on many issues including Watershed Protection, MTBE, the Chemical Security Act, WIFIA and Lead in our Nations Drinking Water. Scott received the George Warren Fuller Fellowship Award in 2013 from AWWA for distinguished service to the water supply field in commemoration of the sound engineering skill and was named the Berkley Springs International Water Tasting Lifetime Achievement Award Winner in 2017. Scott is also the founder of Water Advocacy on YouTube that is top water video resource transparency information site in the World with over 350 subjects from A-Z Source Water to the Drinking Water Topics.
Henry “Bob” Hidell–is the Founder, Chairman & Managing Director of Hidell International providing consulting services to the beverage, drinking water, food and nutrition industries since 1972. His professional expertise spans the spectrum of business, technical, and educational services with specific expertise in the formulation of business strategies, mergers and acquisitions, and turnkey development of beverage bottling facilities. He is a recognized expert in international economic and business development, and is the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient.
2020 Winners