About the Film:

Water and energy are the two fundamental components of a society, and they are interconnected. Thirst for Power, shot on location across France, California, and Texas, explores the history of civilization's quest to procure abundant water and energy — from ancient Roman aqueducts in Europe to modern America’s vast hydroelectric infrastructure. The film explores our dependence on water for energy as well as vulnerabilities in our current systems. Changing the way we think about water and energy can secure the long-term sustainability of both precious resources.

The documentary is adapted from Dr. Michael E. Webber’s bookThirst for Power: Energy, Water, and Human Survival.Combining anecdotes and personal stories with insights into the latest science of energy and water, both the book and the documentary identify a hopeful path toward wise long-range water-energy decisions and a more reliable and abundant future for humanity.

Host:

Marilu Hastings, The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation
Marilu Hastings is vice president, sustainability programs for the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation in Austin. Marilu leads the foundation’s strategic grantmaking programs that focus on sustainability issues, including Clean Energy, Shale Sustainability, Water, Land Conservation and Sustainability Education. During her 30-year career, she has specialized in the interaction of science, public policy, and philanthropic investment.
Marilu is a member of the Energy Institute Advisory Board of the University of Texas at Austin; a member of the Advisory Board of the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin; a member of the Science Advisory Board of the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago; and a trustee of the Regional Endowment for Sustainability Science. Marilu is a Fellow of the Houston Advanced Research Center. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability, as well as a member of the Academy’s Roundtable on Unconventional Oil & Gas.

Panel Moderator:

Evan Smithis the CEO and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news organization called “one of the nonprofit news sector’s runaway success stories.” The Tribune's deep coverage of Texas politics and public policy can be found at its website,texastribune.org, in newspapers and on TV and radio stations across the state, and in the print and online editions of the Washington Post. Since its launch in 2009, the Tribune has won international acclaim and numerous honors, including a Peabody Award, thirteen national Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association and three general excellence awards from the Online News Association. Previously Evan spent nearly 18 years at Texas Monthly, including eight years as Editor and a year as President and Editor-in-Chief.

Panel:

Michael Webber, Author, Thirst for Power (book)
Dr. Michael Webber is an internationally recognized thought leader, widely cited author, and dynamic speaker with a passion for making energy accessible for broad audiences. As Acting Director of the Energy Institute, Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources, Author, and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, he trains the next generation of energy leaders at the University of Texas at Austin and beyond through research and education at the convergence of engineering, policy, and commercialization. His first book, Thirst for Power: Energy, Water and Human Survival, which addresses the connection between earth’s most valuable resources and offers a hopeful approach toward a sustainable future, is receiving wide praise. His upcoming book Power Trip: the Story of Energy will be published May 7, 2019 with a 6-part companion television series in production. He was selected as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and as a member of the 4th class of the Presidential Leadership Scholars, which is a leadership training program organized by Presidents George W. Bush and William J. Clinton. Webber has authored more than 400 publications, holds 5 patents, and serves on the advisory board for Scientific American.

Mat Hames, Director, Thirst for Power (documentary)
Mat Hames is an Emmy winning director, writer and producer, known for his two PBSIndependent LensdocumentariesWhat Was Ours(2017) andWhen I Rise(2010) and for his documentary series for Rooster Teeth,RTDocs. His films have screened at SXSW, HotDocs, and on SundanceTV.When I Rise(2010) was nominated for an IDA Award in the category of Best Music Documentary. Hames co-directedFighting Goliathnarrated and produced by Robert Redford which aired nationally on SundanceTV and PBS. His directorial debut wasLast Best Hope, a film about the Belgian Resistance and escape lines during WWII, for which he was knighted by Belgian King Albert II. He is a co-founder of Austin, Texas based non-fiction production company Alpheus Media.

Amy Hardberger, Professor of Law, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX
Hardberger became Associate Dean for the School of Law in 2016. Hardberger, a registered professional geoscientist, served as an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) prior to joining the faculty at St. Mary’s School of Law. There, she was national co-leader for the National Petroleum Council Environmental and Regulatory Section Study, led the partnership with cities and interfaced with Texas state agencies on municipal water conservation policies, and was the lead on the organization’s efforts to stop authorization of TXU Energy’s proposed coal plants. She also created and authored a blog on Texas water policy.

Sharelynn Moore, Senior Vice President, Networked Solutions, Itron
Sharelynn Moore has more than 20 years of experience in the energy and technology sectors. In July 2017, she was named senior vice president of networked solutions. In this role, she is responsible for Itron’s networking platforms and smart cities strategy, globally. Previously, Moore served as vice president of global marketing and public affairs. She has also served in a variety of product- and marketing-related roles during her more than 15 years at Itron. In previous assignments, Moore focused on the strategy, management and marketing of Itron's Automated Meter Reading (AMR) solutions, network technologies and enterprise meter data management software. Prior to joining Itron, Moore held marketing and product management roles at Avista Corporation and Micron. She holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Idaho and an MBA with an emphasis in IT from Gonzaga University.

Music:

Peyton Davis is a country music singer from Austin , TX. She grew up in Fort Myers, FL and also has ties to Nashville, TN. Her debut album is "Country Road."