In the 19th Century, Floridians were determined to rid the land of water, never imagining how sorely we would someday miss 9 million acres of wetlands drained statewide. In the 20th Century, we viewed our aquifers underground as endless, handing out water permits to anyone who asked for one, never imagining a time when our once-abundant groundwater resources would no longer be sustainable for future supply.

What assumptions are we making today that will seem equally far-fetched 50 or 100 years from now? Cynthia Barnett says one false assumption is that we must have more and more and more water to grow and prosper as a state.

In the 21st Century, Florida has a chance to forge a sustainable water path. Will we do it?

Ms. Barnett is senior writer at Florida Trend magazine, where she covers investigative, environmental, public policy and business stories. Her first book, Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S, won the Gold medal for best nonfiction in the Florida Book Awards. The St. Petersburg Times compared Mirage to Silent Spring and River of Grass as a "groundbreaking call to action."

She is currently at work on her second book, Blue is the New Green: An American water ethic. She’ll give us a sneak peek at this special presentation February 12th.