Filled to capacity, Atlantic Wharf’s Fort Point Room set the stage for the Foundation for a Green Future’s 4th Annual Massachusetts Water Forum honoring World Water Day. Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Matthew Beaton, and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Executive Director Fred Laskey, welcomed policymakers, community leaders and water advocates.

Representative Chris Walsh moderated a leading-edge panel discussion that responded to a presentation by Bob Zimmerman of Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA). Zimmerman launched an innovative plan that localizes water management, shifting it from large pipelines while utilizing wastewater and food waste to create energy. He suggests the need for area neighborhoods to prepare for changing precipitation events due to climate change that could triple heaviest rains from four inches per hour to 12 inches per hour.

In addition, youth leaders spent the morning building a city of the future and learning about green infrastructure under the direction of Green Schools, the Boston Society of Architects and CRWA. Among the panelists were City of Boston’s Chief of Energy, Environment and Open Space Austin Blackmon, Boston Water’s Director of Planning Charlie Jewell, Senator Jamie Eldridge and Representative Carolyn Dykema.

Wenonah Hauter, author of Frackopoly and executive director of Food & Water Watch, joined the forum from Washington, D.C. to give her keynote talk, Water and Energy. She taught attendees about the recklessness of fracking and the resulting concerns for our health. Hauter shared that not only does fracking make water dangerous to drink and breathe, but in California food growers are using this highly toxic and radioactive fracked water to water crops for the food we eat.

For more information, visit FoundationForAGreenFuture.org.