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Dr. Ashok Gadgil – UV Waterworks
This is the first in a series of profiles about people who are making a change in the world of water conservation and sanitation, and why not start with someone who has fostered big change throughout the world, Dr. Ashok Gadgil. Dr. Gadgil started his education with theoretical physics, getting a M.Sc. from IIT, Kanpur in India where he was born. He soon found that he wanted to learn a science that he could use to have a positive impact on the world, and therefore turned to applied physics, gaining a B.Sc. from Bombay University, as well as a Ph.D from theUniversity ofCalifornia,Berkeley. After graduating he began working at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researching solar energy applications, energy efficiency, and indoor air pollution. Having grown up inIndia he soon returned there to see what help he could lend to their problems, staying there until 1988.
Fracking is the process of hydraulically injecting a mixture of fluids into naturally forming veins or dikes in rock in order to release petroleum, natural gas, or coal seam gas. The mixture injected is typically a slurry of water, proppants (including silica sand, resin-coated sand, and man-made ceramics), and chemical additives. Additionally, gels, foams, and compressed gases, including nitrogen, carbon dioxide and air can be injected. Further, sometimes sand containing naturally radioactive materials are used to measure the fracture trace. There are also other chemicals that are used at times during the process in order to reduce the viscosity of the fluid so that the gas can flow to the surface more freely. Needless to say, they pump a lot of chemicals into the ground. Once all of these chemicals are injected into the ground and the petroleum, gas, etc is collected the well is flushed with water (sometimes mixed with even more chemicals).
There are a number of issues with the practice of fracking. One is that 1-8 million gallons of water are used to frack a well, and a well can be fracked several times. Some of that water is recovered (sometimes), but whatever water (and chemicals) are not recovered stay in the ground and can work its way into the groundwater. Is that a bad thing? Yes, but organizations like the EPA have had a lot of difficulty proving this because of pressure from the government and industry which has led to negative findings being removed from reports.
Great episode from Vanguard on the world toilet crisis. It takes you to several countries where they still practice open defecation and explores why this still goes on, the consequences of it, and what is happening to end this practice. Meet several forward thinking people working to change this unsanitary practice.
WARNING: if you have a weak stomach be careful. The video doesn’t just talk about open defecation, it shows it.
Click here: World Toilet Crisis
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Let’s start with a couple of statistics:
Why does the west use so much water in our everyday life? The most simple explanation is that we’re wasteful. We can’t imagine our water ever running out so why conserve it? One reason is because so many people in the world live without it. So what can you do in your everyday life to save water? Take a look below.
HydrateLife 