0:00:00.722,0:00:04.212
We need to build[br]a weather service for water.

0:00:04.236,0:00:07.610
Yet, until we collectively[br]demand accountability,

0:00:07.634,0:00:10.470
the incentives to fund it will not exist.

0:00:11.805,0:00:16.744
The first time I spoke at a conference[br]was here at TED, eight years ago.

0:00:16.768,0:00:19.056
Fresh out of grad school,[br]little did I know

0:00:19.080,0:00:20.934
that in those few minutes onstage,

0:00:20.958,0:00:23.492
I was framing the questions[br]I was going to be asked

0:00:23.516,0:00:24.791
for the next decade.

0:00:25.599,0:00:28.111
And, like too many 20-somethings,

0:00:28.135,0:00:30.611
I expected to solve[br]the world's problems --

0:00:30.635,0:00:33.387
more specifically,[br]the world's water problems --

0:00:33.411,0:00:35.118
with my technology.

0:00:36.044,0:00:37.458
I had a lot to learn.

0:00:38.630,0:00:40.114
It was seductive,

0:00:40.138,0:00:44.470
believing that our biggest[br]water quality problems persist

0:00:44.494,0:00:46.947
because they're so hard to identify.

0:00:47.532,0:00:49.199
And I presumed

0:00:49.223,0:00:54.303
that we just needed simpler, faster[br]and more affordable sensors.

0:00:55.071,0:00:56.375
I was wrong.

0:00:57.512,0:01:01.635
While it's true that[br]managing tomorrow's water risk

0:01:01.659,0:01:05.729
is going to require better data[br]and more technology,

0:01:05.753,0:01:10.294
today we're barely using[br]the little water data that we have.

0:01:10.814,0:01:15.501
Our biggest water problems persist[br]because of what we don't do

0:01:15.525,0:01:18.502
and the problems we fail to acknowledge.

0:01:19.151,0:01:20.764
There's actually little question

0:01:20.788,0:01:25.635
about what today's water data[br]is telling us to do as a species:

0:01:25.659,0:01:27.443
we need to conserve more,

0:01:27.467,0:01:29.154
and we need to pollute less.

0:01:30.364,0:01:34.688
But today's data is not going to help us[br]forecast the emerging risks

0:01:34.712,0:01:36.924
facing businesses and markets.

0:01:36.948,0:01:40.015
It's rapidly becoming useless for that.

0:01:40.039,0:01:41.997
It used to carry more value,

0:01:42.021,0:01:46.016
but it's never actually told us[br]with any real accuracy

0:01:46.040,0:01:47.582
how much water we have

0:01:47.606,0:01:48.796
or what's in it.

0:01:49.899,0:01:54.282
Let's consider the past decade[br]of water usage statistics

0:01:54.306,0:01:56.532
from each of the G20 nations.

0:01:56.556,0:01:59.109
Now, what these numbers do not tell you

0:01:59.133,0:02:04.197
is that none of these countries[br]directly measures how much water they use.

0:02:04.221,0:02:05.505
These are all estimates,

0:02:05.529,0:02:08.152
and they're based on outdated models

0:02:08.176,0:02:11.010
that don't consider the climate crisis,

0:02:11.034,0:02:14.468
nor do they consider its impact on water.

0:02:16.037,0:02:20.079
In 2015, Chennai,[br]India's sixth-largest city,

0:02:20.103,0:02:23.485
was hit with the worst floods[br]it had seen in a century.

0:02:25.100,0:02:28.362
Today, its water reservoirs[br]are nearly dry.

0:02:28.862,0:02:31.864
It took three years to get here,

0:02:31.888,0:02:34.207
three years of subaverage rainfall.

0:02:34.231,0:02:38.941
Now, that's faster than most nations[br]tabulate their national water data,

0:02:38.965,0:02:40.488
including the US.

0:02:41.200,0:02:43.808
And although there were forecasts

0:02:43.832,0:02:48.064
that predicted severe shortages[br]of water in Chennai,

0:02:48.088,0:02:51.596
none of them could actually help us[br]pinpoint exactly when or where

0:02:51.620,0:02:53.118
this was going to happen.

0:02:53.536,0:02:56.577
This is a new type of water problem,

0:02:56.601,0:03:01.915
because the rate at which[br]every aspect of our water cycle changes

0:03:01.939,0:03:03.368
is accelerating.

0:03:03.392,0:03:06.717
As a recent UN warning[br]this month revealed,

0:03:06.741,0:03:12.006
we are now facing one new[br]climate emergency every single week.

0:03:14.089,0:03:17.320
There are greater uncertainties[br]ahead for water quality.

0:03:17.344,0:03:21.141
It's rare in most countries[br]for most water bodies to be tested

0:03:21.165,0:03:24.016
for more than a handful[br]of contaminants in a year.

0:03:24.040,0:03:27.201
Instead of testing, we use[br]what's called the "dilution model"

0:03:27.225,0:03:28.987
to manage pollution.

0:03:29.011,0:03:32.679
Now, imagine I took[br]an Olympic-sized swimming pool,

0:03:32.703,0:03:36.036
I filled it with fresh water[br]and I added one drop of mercury.

0:03:36.060,0:03:38.882
That would dilute down[br]to one part per billion mercury,

0:03:38.906,0:03:41.479
which is well within what[br]the World Health Organization

0:03:41.503,0:03:43.037
considers safe.

0:03:43.061,0:03:47.279
But if there was any unforeseen drop[br]in how much water was available --

0:03:47.303,0:03:52.220
less groundwater, less stream flow,[br]less water in the pool --

0:03:52.244,0:03:54.201
less dilution would take place,

0:03:54.225,0:03:56.428
and things would get more toxic.

0:03:57.049,0:04:00.414
So this is how most countries[br]are managing pollution.

0:04:00.438,0:04:03.757
They use this model to tell them[br]how much pollution is safe.

0:04:04.146,0:04:06.271
And it has clear weaknesses,

0:04:06.295,0:04:08.937
but it worked well enough[br]when we had abundant water

0:04:08.961,0:04:11.318
and consistent weather patterns.

0:04:11.751,0:04:15.787
Now that we don't, we're going to need[br]to invest and develop

0:04:15.811,0:04:18.137
new data-collection strategies.

0:04:18.161,0:04:22.236
But before we do that, we have to start[br]acting on the data we already have.

0:04:22.944,0:04:25.066
This is a jet fuel fire.

0:04:25.090,0:04:26.926
As many of you may be aware,

0:04:26.950,0:04:30.283
jet fuel emissions play[br]an enormous role in climate change.

0:04:30.307,0:04:33.941
What you might not be aware of[br]is that the US Department of Defense

0:04:33.965,0:04:36.748
is the world's largest[br]consumer of jet fuel.

0:04:36.772,0:04:38.502
And when they consume jet fuel,

0:04:38.526,0:04:42.552
they mandate the use[br]of the firefighting foam pictured here,

0:04:42.576,0:04:45.803
which contains a class[br]of chemicals called PFAS.

0:04:45.827,0:04:49.634
Nobody uses more of this foam[br]than the US Department of Defense,

0:04:49.658,0:04:54.102
and every time it's used, PFAS[br]finds its way into our water systems.

0:04:54.582,0:04:59.487
Globally, militaries have been using[br]this foam since the 1970s.

0:04:59.511,0:05:03.057
We know PFAS causes cancer, birth defects,

0:05:03.081,0:05:05.928
and it's now so pervasive[br]in the environment

0:05:05.952,0:05:10.238
that we seem to find it in nearly[br]every living thing we test,

0:05:10.262,0:05:11.724
including us.

0:05:13.073,0:05:17.235
But so far, the US Department of Defense[br]has not been held accountable

0:05:17.259,0:05:19.021
for PFAS contamination,

0:05:19.045,0:05:20.945
nor has it been held liable.

0:05:20.969,0:05:24.932
And although there's an effort underway[br]to phase out these firefighting foams,

0:05:24.956,0:05:28.469
they're not embracing safer,[br]effective alternatives.

0:05:28.493,0:05:31.330
They're actually using[br]other PFAS molecules,

0:05:31.354,0:05:36.565
which may, for all we know,[br]carry worse health consequences.

0:05:37.969,0:05:44.520
So today, government accountability[br]is eroding to the point of elimination,

0:05:44.544,0:05:49.343
and the risk of liability[br]from water pollution is vanishing.

0:05:50.029,0:05:54.370
What types of incentives does this create[br]for investing in our water future?

0:05:55.190,0:06:00.916
Over the past decade, the average[br]early stage global investment

0:06:00.940,0:06:03.367
in early stage water technology companies

0:06:03.391,0:06:06.173
has totaled less than[br]30 million dollars every year.

0:06:06.919,0:06:13.257
That's 0.12 percent of global[br]venture capital for early stage companies.

0:06:15.035,0:06:19.605
And public spending is not going up[br]nearly fast enough.

0:06:19.629,0:06:23.693
And a closer look at it reveals[br]that water is not a priority.

0:06:24.371,0:06:29.779
In 2014, the US federal government[br]was spending 11 dollars per citizen

0:06:29.803,0:06:31.693
on water infrastructure,

0:06:31.717,0:06:35.871
versus 251 dollars on IT infrastructure.

0:06:36.478,0:06:39.795
So when we don't use the data we have,

0:06:39.819,0:06:42.458
we don't encourage investment[br]in new technologies,

0:06:42.482,0:06:44.642
we don't encourage more data collection

0:06:44.666,0:06:49.677
and we certainly don't encourage[br]investment in securing a water future.

0:06:50.820,0:06:52.446
So are we doomed?

0:06:53.477,0:06:55.188
Part of what I'm still learning

0:06:55.212,0:07:00.334
is how to balance the doom[br]and the urgency with things we can do,

0:07:00.358,0:07:03.184
because Greta Thunberg[br]and the Extinction Rebellion

0:07:03.208,0:07:05.364
don't want our hope --[br]they want us to act.

0:07:05.388,0:07:06.935
So what can we do?

0:07:07.872,0:07:12.782
It's hard to imagine life[br]without a weather service,

0:07:12.806,0:07:15.121
but before modern weather forecasting,

0:07:15.145,0:07:17.196
we had no commercial air travel,

0:07:17.220,0:07:21.088
it was common for ships to be lost at sea,

0:07:21.112,0:07:24.388
and a single storm could produce[br]a food shortage.

0:07:25.460,0:07:27.896
Once we had radio and telegraph networks,

0:07:27.920,0:07:31.228
all that was necessary[br]to solve these problems

0:07:31.252,0:07:33.443
was tracking the movement of storms.

0:07:34.705,0:07:39.089
And that laid the foundation[br]for a global data collection effort,

0:07:39.113,0:07:43.324
one that every household[br]and every business depends upon today.

0:07:43.987,0:07:47.724
And this was as much the result of[br]coordinated and consistent data collection

0:07:47.748,0:07:53.155
as it was the result of producing[br]a culture that saw greater value

0:07:53.179,0:07:58.026
in openly assessing and sharing everything[br]that it could find out and discover

0:07:58.050,0:08:00.001
about the risks we face.

0:08:01.108,0:08:05.041
A global weather service for water[br]would help us forecast water shortages.

0:08:05.770,0:08:11.359
It could help us implement rationing[br]well before reservoirs run dry.

0:08:11.942,0:08:15.197
It could help us detect[br]contamination before it spreads.

0:08:15.221,0:08:17.601
It could protect our supply chains,

0:08:17.625,0:08:19.479
secure our food supplies,

0:08:19.503,0:08:21.149
and, perhaps most importantly,

0:08:21.173,0:08:24.611
it would enable[br]the precise estimation of risk

0:08:24.635,0:08:27.376
necessary to insure against it.

0:08:28.062,0:08:31.259
We know we can do this because[br]we've already done it with weather.

0:08:31.283,0:08:33.580
But it's going to require resources.

0:08:34.683,0:08:37.489
We need to encourage[br]greater investment in water.

0:08:37.513,0:08:39.625
Investors, venture capitalists:

0:08:39.649,0:08:43.372
a portion of your funds and portfolios[br]should be dedicated to water.

0:08:43.715,0:08:45.259
Nothing is more valuable

0:08:45.283,0:08:49.054
and, after all, businesses are going[br]to need to understand water risks

0:08:49.078,0:08:52.462
in order to remain competitive[br]in the world we are entering.

0:08:53.220,0:08:55.455
Aside from venture capital,

0:08:55.479,0:08:58.758
there are also lots of promising[br]government programs

0:08:58.782,0:09:02.272
that encourage economic development[br]through tax incentives.

0:09:02.665,0:09:05.494
A new option in the US[br]that my company is using

0:09:05.518,0:09:07.107
is called "opportunity zones."

0:09:07.651,0:09:11.557
They offer favorable tax treatment[br]for investing capital gains

0:09:11.581,0:09:14.916
in designated distressed[br]and low-income areas.

0:09:14.940,0:09:16.737
Now, these are areas

0:09:16.761,0:09:19.375
that are also facing[br]staggering water risk,

0:09:19.399,0:09:22.952
so this creates crucial incentives[br]to work directly with the communities

0:09:22.976,0:09:24.756
who need help most.

0:09:24.780,0:09:29.107
And if you're not looking[br]to make this type of investment

0:09:29.131,0:09:30.660
but you own land in the US,

0:09:30.684,0:09:34.238
did you know that[br]you can leverage your land

0:09:34.262,0:09:37.177
to conserve water quality permanently

0:09:37.201,0:09:39.218
with a conservation easement?

0:09:39.242,0:09:42.851
You can assign the perpetual right[br]to a local land trust

0:09:42.875,0:09:44.488
to conserve your land

0:09:44.512,0:09:46.446
and set specific water quality goals.

0:09:46.470,0:09:48.180
And if you meet those goals,

0:09:48.204,0:09:52.562
you can be rewarded with[br]a substantial tax discount every year.

0:09:54.435,0:09:58.845
How many areas could[br]our global community protect

0:09:58.869,0:10:01.475
through these and other programs?

0:10:02.435,0:10:05.918
They're powerful because they offer[br]the access to real property

0:10:05.942,0:10:10.131
necessary to lay the foundation[br]for a global weather service for water.

0:10:11.020,0:10:16.755
But this can only work if we use[br]these programs as they are intended

0:10:16.779,0:10:20.066
and not as mere vehicles for tax evasion.

0:10:21.072,0:10:23.333
When the conservation easement[br]was established,

0:10:23.357,0:10:26.615
nobody could anticipate how ingrained[br]in environmental movements

0:10:26.639,0:10:28.917
corporate polluters would become.

0:10:28.941,0:10:33.652
And we've become accustomed to companies[br]talking about the climate crisis

0:10:33.676,0:10:36.048
while doing nothing about it.

0:10:37.738,0:10:42.379
This has undermined the legacy[br]and the impact of these programs,

0:10:42.403,0:10:45.085
but it also makes them[br]ripe for reclamation.

0:10:45.109,0:10:48.207
Why not use conservation easements[br]as they were intended,

0:10:48.231,0:10:52.581
to set and reach[br]ambitious conservation goals?

0:10:52.605,0:10:56.908
Why not create opportunities[br]in opportunity zones?

0:10:57.456,0:11:01.826
Because fundamentally,[br]water security requires accountability.

0:11:02.444,0:11:08.162
Accountability is not corporate polluters[br]sponsoring environmental groups

0:11:08.186,0:11:09.995
and museums.

0:11:10.019,0:11:12.059
Those are conflicts of interest.

0:11:12.083,0:11:17.204
(Applause)

0:11:18.126,0:11:20.205
Accountability is:

0:11:21.143,0:11:25.403
making the risk of liability too expensive

0:11:25.427,0:11:28.405
to continue polluting[br]and wasting our water.

0:11:28.429,0:11:32.209
We can't keep settling for words.[br]It's time to act.

0:11:32.233,0:11:35.701
And where better to start[br]than with our biggest polluters,

0:11:35.725,0:11:40.804
particularly the US Department[br]of Defense, which is taxpayer-funded.

0:11:40.828,0:11:44.501
Who and what are we protecting[br]when US soldiers, their families

0:11:44.525,0:11:48.012
and the people who live near[br]US military bases abroad

0:11:48.036,0:11:50.308
are all drinking toxic water?

0:11:50.876,0:11:55.323
Global security can no longer remain[br]at odds with protecting our planet

0:11:55.347,0:11:56.787
or our collective health.

0:11:56.811,0:11:58.958
Our survival depends on it.

0:11:59.404,0:12:00.554
Similarly,

0:12:01.178,0:12:05.054
agriculture in most countries[br]depends on taxpayer-funded subsidies

0:12:05.078,0:12:08.945
that are paid to farmers to secure[br]and stabilize food supplies.

0:12:10.039,0:12:14.417
These incentives are[br]a crucial leverage point for us,

0:12:14.441,0:12:18.971
because agriculture is responsible[br]for consuming 70 percent

0:12:18.995,0:12:21.353
of all the water we use every year.

0:12:22.061,0:12:24.713
Fertilizer and pesticide runoff

0:12:24.737,0:12:27.436
are the two biggest sources[br]of water pollution.

0:12:27.460,0:12:31.225
Let's restructure these subsidies[br]to demand better water efficiency

0:12:31.249,0:12:32.971
and less pollution.

0:12:32.995,0:12:38.105
(Applause)

0:12:38.740,0:12:40.199
Finally:

0:12:40.223,0:12:41.695
we can't expect progress

0:12:41.719,0:12:44.597
if we're unwilling to confront[br]the conflicts of interest

0:12:44.621,0:12:46.478
that suppress science,

0:12:46.502,0:12:48.450
that undermine innovation

0:12:48.474,0:12:50.932
and that discourage transparency.

0:12:50.956,0:12:52.756
It is in the public interest

0:12:52.780,0:12:56.728
to measure and to share everything[br]we can learn and discover

0:12:56.752,0:12:59.341
about the risks we face in water.

0:12:59.881,0:13:03.451
Reality does not exist[br]until it's measured.

0:13:03.475,0:13:07.274
It doesn't just take[br]technology to measure it.

0:13:07.298,0:13:09.177
It takes our collective will.

0:13:09.201,0:13:10.535
Thank you.

0:13:10.559,0:13:15.603
(Applause)