The global crisis in the supply and quality of water for agriculture will be the focus of the next lecture in the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues, which will feature two executives from the world’s largest manufacturer of mechanized irrigation equipment.

Mogens C. Bay, the chairman and chief executive officer of Omaha-based Valmont Industries, and Valmont’s senior vice president E. Robert Meaney will present “Is a Global Water Crisis Avoidable?” when they deliver the free lecture Feb. 16 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The lecture is this season’s Lewis E. Harris Lecture on Public Policy.

The Glaxo SmithKline Corporation endowed the Harris Lecture on Public Policy to honor its former chairman, the late Lewis E. Harris, who also founded Lincoln’s Harris Laboratories (now Celerion), one of the world’s leading independent scientific testing and research laboratories. The purpose of the lecture is to examine major public policy issues and to provide an opportunity for interaction between students and the business and academic communities in Nebraska.

Bay and Meaney will frame the issues through a discussion of population growth, required food and fiber production and total water and land available. They will provide examples of how the crisis in fresh water is manifested in various locations and in issues such as food security, water and quality and soil health. They will discuss solutions ranging from scientific advances to governance and economic development.

“As leaders of the world’s foremost provider of mechanized irrigation systems, our speakers will share their views on global water issues and provide fascinating insights into the role advances in water delivery system technology will play in conserving water for agricultural use and, consequently, helping expand the food supply around the world,” said Ron Harris, the son of the lecture’s namesake.

To reserve free tickets, call the Lied Center at 402-472-4747 or 800-432-3231. Tickets may also be picked up in person or ordered by downloading a form at http://enthompson.unl.edu. All tickets are for general admission seating.

Thompson Forum lectures will be available live online at http://www.unl.edu, and on Lincoln Time Warner Cable Channel 21 or 5, UNL campus Channel 8 and UNL’s KRNU radio (90.3 FM). Live satellite broadcasts and follow-up discussion will be available in Kearney, Hastings, Columbus, McCook, North Platte, Omaha and Scottsbluff.

Sign language interpreters will be available at each lecture for the deaf and hard of hearing.

— By Jean Ortiz Jones, University Communications