[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.87,0:00:02.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Growing up in northern Wisconsin,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:02.84,0:00:06.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I've naturally developed a connection\Nto the Mississippi River.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.17,0:00:08.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I was little,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.36,0:00:12.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,my sister and I would have contests\Nto see who could spell
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.54,0:00:16.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i" the fastest.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.12,0:00:18.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I was in elementary school,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.70,0:00:23.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I got to learn about the early explorers\Nand their expeditions,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.27,0:00:27.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Marquette and Joliet, and how they used\Nthe Great Lakes and the Mississippi River
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.10,0:00:30.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and its tributaries\Nto discover the Midwest,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.20,0:00:33.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to map a trade route\Nto the Gulf of Mexico.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.47,0:00:35.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In graduate school,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.93,0:00:38.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was fortunate to have\Nthe Mississippi River
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.42,0:00:40.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,outside my research laboratory window
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.85,0:00:42.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the University of Minnesota.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.68,0:00:47.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,During that five-year period,\NI got to know the Mississippi River.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.42,0:00:49.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I got to know its temperamental nature
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.77,0:00:52.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and where it would flood\Nits banks at one moment,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.88,0:00:55.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then shortly thereafter,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.21,0:00:57.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you would see its dry shorelines.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.22,0:01:00.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Today, as a physical organic chemist,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.00,0:01:03.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm committed to use my training
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.06,0:01:06.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to help protect rivers,\Nlike the Mississippi,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.27,0:01:09.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from excessive salt\Nthat can come from human activity.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.37,0:01:11.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because, you know,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.57,0:01:15.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,salt is something that can contaminate\Nfreshwater rivers.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.42,0:01:22.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And freshwater rivers,\Nthey have only salt levels of .05 percent.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.68,0:01:25.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And at this level, it's safe to drink.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.30,0:01:30.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the majority of the water\Non our planet is housed in our oceans,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.30,0:01:34.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and ocean water has a salinity level\Nof more than three percent.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.35,0:01:37.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if you drank that,\Nyou'd be sick very quick.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.43,0:01:43.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, if we are to compare\Nthe relative volume of ocean water
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.08,0:01:46.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to that of the river water\Nthat's on our planet,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.39,0:01:49.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and let's say we are able\Nto put the ocean water
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.36,0:01:52.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into an Olympic-size swimming pool,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.16,0:01:56.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then our planet's river water\Nwould fit in a one-gallon jug.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.10,0:02:00.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you can see it's a precious resource.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.03,0:02:02.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But do we treat it\Nlike a precious resource?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.89,0:02:05.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or rather, do we treat it\Nlike that old rug
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.18,0:02:08.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that you put in your front doorway\Nand wipe your feet off on it?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.24,0:02:13.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Treating rivers like that old rug\Nhas severe consequences.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.43,0:02:14.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's take a look.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.02,0:02:19.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's see what just one teaspoon\Nof salt can do.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.53,0:02:21.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If we add one teaspoon of salt
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.82,0:02:25.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to this Olympic-size\Nswimming pool of ocean water,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.28,0:02:27.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the ocean water stays ocean water.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.08,0:02:30.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But if we add that same\None teaspoon of salt
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.34,0:02:33.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to this one-gallon jug\Nof fresh river water,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.36,0:02:36.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,suddenly, it becomes too salty to drink.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.15,0:02:38.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the point here is,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.40,0:02:44.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because rivers, the volume is so small\Ncompared to the oceans,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.08,0:02:46.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it is especially vulnerable\Nto human activity,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.73,0:02:49.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we need to take care to protect them.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.12,0:02:52.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So recently, I surveyed the literature
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.51,0:02:55.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to look at the river health\Naround the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.61,0:02:58.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I fully expected to see\Nailing river health
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.86,0:03:03.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in regions of water scarcity\Nand heavy industrial development.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.76,0:03:06.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I saw that\Nin northern China and in India.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.74,0:03:12.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I was surprised\Nwhen I read a 2018 article
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.17,0:03:16.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where there's 232 river-sampling sites
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.76,0:03:19.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sampled across the United States.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.34,0:03:21.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And of those sites,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.02,0:03:24.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,37 percent had increasing salinity levels.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.20,0:03:26.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What was more surprising
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.95,0:03:29.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that the ones\Nwith the highest increases
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.81,0:03:32.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,were found on the east part\Nof the United States,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.74,0:03:34.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and not the arid southwest.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.48,0:03:38.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The authors of this paper postulate
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.12,0:03:42.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that this could be due\Nto using salt to deice roads.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.75,0:03:46.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Potentially, another source of this salt
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.37,0:03:49.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could come from salty\Nindustrial wastewaters.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.08,0:03:55.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So as you see, human activities\Ncan convert our freshwater rivers
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.41,0:03:57.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into water that's more like our oceans.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.93,0:04:01.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we need to act and do something\Nbefore it's too late.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.23,0:04:04.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I have a proposal.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.94,0:04:09.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can take a three-step\Nriver-defense mechanism,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.28,0:04:14.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and if industrial-water users\Npractice this defense mechanism,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.36,0:04:18.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we can put our rivers\Nin a much safer position.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.90,0:04:21.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This involves, number one,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.33,0:04:23.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,extracting less water from our rivers
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.85,0:04:27.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by implementing water recycle\Nand reuse operations.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:28.40,0:04:29.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Number two,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.58,0:04:33.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we need to take the salt\Nout of these salty industrial wastewaters
Dialogue: 0,0:04:33.62,0:04:37.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and recover it and reuse it\Nfor other purposes.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.70,0:04:41.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And number three,\Nwe need to convert salt consumers,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:41.78,0:04:44.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who currently source our salt from mines
Dialogue: 0,0:04:44.86,0:04:49.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into salt consumers that source our salt\Nfrom recycled salt sources.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:49.94,0:04:53.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This three-part defense mechanism\Nis already in play.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:53.44,0:04:56.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is what northern China\Nand India are implementing
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.40,0:04:58.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to help to rehabilitate the rivers.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.12,0:05:00.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the proposal here
Dialogue: 0,0:05:00.67,0:05:04.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is to use this defense mechanism\Nto protect our rivers,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.90,0:05:07.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so we don't need to rehabilitate them.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:08.16,0:05:11.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the good news is,\Nwe have technology that can do this.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.62,0:05:13.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's with membranes.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.53,0:05:16.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Membranes that can separate\Nsalt and water.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.59,0:05:20.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Membranes have been around\Nfor a number of years,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.75,0:05:25.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they're based on polymeric materials\Nthat separate based on size,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:25.74,0:05:28.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or they can separate based on charge.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.37,0:05:31.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The membranes that are used\Nto separate salt and water
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.92,0:05:34.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,typically separate based on charge.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:34.97,0:05:37.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And these membranes\Nare negatively charged,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:37.59,0:05:40.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and help to repel the negatively\Ncharged chloride ions
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.46,0:05:42.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that are in that dissolved salt.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.97,0:05:48.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, as I said, these membranes\Nhave been around for a number of years,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:48.45,0:05:55.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and currently, they are purifying\N25 million gallons of water every minute.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:55.46,0:05:57.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even more than that, actually.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.77,0:05:59.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But they can do more.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.25,0:06:04.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These membranes are based\Nunder the principle of reverse osmosis.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.42,0:06:10.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now osmosis is this natural process\Nthat happens in our bodies --
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.45,0:06:12.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know, how our cells work.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:12.29,0:06:15.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And osmosis is where you have two chambers
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.74,0:06:19.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that separate two levels\Nof salt concentration.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.34,0:06:21.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One with low salt concentration
Dialogue: 0,0:06:21.43,0:06:23.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and one with high salt concentration.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.53,0:06:27.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And separating the two chambers\Nis the semipermeable membrane.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.87,0:06:30.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And under the natural osmosis process,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:30.33,0:06:34.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what happens is the water naturally\Ntransports across that membrane
Dialogue: 0,0:06:34.36,0:06:36.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the area of low salt concentration
Dialogue: 0,0:06:36.31,0:06:38.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the area of high salt concentration,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:38.80,0:06:41.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,until an equilibrium is met.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:42.44,0:06:46.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now reverse osmosis,\Nit's the reverse of this natural process.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:46.14,0:06:48.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in order to achieve this reversal,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:48.28,0:06:53.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what we do is we apply a pressure\Nto the high-concentration side
Dialogue: 0,0:06:53.16,0:06:56.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and in doing so, we drive the water\Nthe opposite direction.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.13,0:07:00.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so the high-concentration side\Nbecomes more salty,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:00.58,0:07:01.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,more concentrated,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:01.99,0:07:05.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the low-concentration side\Nbecomes your purified water.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.44,0:07:11.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So using reverse osmosis,\Nwe can take an industrial wastewater
Dialogue: 0,0:07:11.28,0:07:15.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and convert up to 95 percent of it\Ninto pure water,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:15.90,0:07:20.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,leaving only five percent\Nas this concentrated salty mixture.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:21.02,0:07:24.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, this five percent\Nconcentrated salty mixture
Dialogue: 0,0:07:24.36,0:07:25.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is not waste.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:25.88,0:07:28.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So scientists have also\Ndeveloped membranes
Dialogue: 0,0:07:28.60,0:07:32.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that are modified to allow\Nsome salts to pass through
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.97,0:07:34.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and not others.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.94,0:07:36.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Using these membranes,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:36.30,0:07:39.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which are commonly referred to\Nas nanofiltration membranes,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.42,0:07:42.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,now this five percent\Nconcentrated salty solution
Dialogue: 0,0:07:42.78,0:07:46.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can be converted\Ninto a purified salt solution.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:46.86,0:07:51.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, in total, using reverse osmosis\Nand nanofiltration membranes,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:51.96,0:07:54.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we can convert industrial wastewater
Dialogue: 0,0:07:54.46,0:07:58.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into a resource of both water and salt.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:58.63,0:08:00.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in doing so,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.27,0:08:04.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,achieve pillars one and two\Nof this river-defense mechanism.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:05.56,0:08:10.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, I've introduced this\Nto a number of industrial-water users,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.18,0:08:12.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the common response is,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:12.90,0:08:15.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Yeah, but who is going to use my salt?"
Dialogue: 0,0:08:16.01,0:08:19.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that's why pillar number three\Nis so important.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:19.04,0:08:22.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We need to transform folks\Nthat are using mine salt
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.84,0:08:25.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into consumers of recycled salt.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:26.08,0:08:28.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So who are these salt consumers?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:29.06,0:08:31.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, in 2018 in the United States,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.35,0:08:36.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I learned that 43 percent of the salt\Nconsumed in the US
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.27,0:08:39.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was used for road salt deicing purposes.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:40.29,0:08:43.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thirty-nine percent\Nwas used by the chemical industry.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:43.58,0:08:46.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So let's take a look\Nat these two applications.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:46.93,0:08:49.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, I was shocked.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:49.96,0:08:53.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the 2018-2019 winter season,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:53.14,0:08:56.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,one million tons of salt
Dialogue: 0,0:08:56.12,0:09:00.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was applied to the roads\Nin the state of Pennsylvania.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:01.32,0:09:03.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One million tons of salt is enough
Dialogue: 0,0:09:03.14,0:09:06.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to fill two-thirds\Nof an Empire State Building.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.03,0:09:10.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's one million tons of salt\Nmined from the earth,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:10.83,0:09:12.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,applied to our roads,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:12.55,0:09:16.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then it washes off\Ninto the environment and into our rivers.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:17.62,0:09:21.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the proposal here\Nis that we could at least
Dialogue: 0,0:09:21.05,0:09:24.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,source that salt from a salty\Nindustrial wastewater,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:24.69,0:09:27.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and prevent that\Nfrom going into our rivers,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:27.13,0:09:30.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and rather use that to apply to our roads.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:30.20,0:09:32.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So at least when the melt happens\Nin the springtime
Dialogue: 0,0:09:32.98,0:09:35.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you have this high-salinity runoff,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:35.75,0:09:38.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the rivers are at least\Nin a better position
Dialogue: 0,0:09:38.03,0:09:40.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to defend themselves against that.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:42.05,0:09:43.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, as a chemist,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:43.46,0:09:47.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the opportunity though\Nthat I'm more psyched about
Dialogue: 0,0:09:47.59,0:09:52.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the concept of introducing\Ncircular salt into the chemical industry.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:53.05,0:09:57.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the chlor-alkali industry is perfect.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:58.03,0:10:01.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Chlor-alkali industry\Nis the source of epoxies,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:01.52,0:10:04.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's the source of urethanes and solvents
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.40,0:10:08.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a lot of useful products\Nthat we use in our everyday lives.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.59,0:10:12.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it uses sodium chloride salt\Nas its key feed stack.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:13.93,0:10:16.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the idea here is,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.26,0:10:18.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,well, first of all,\Nlet's look at linear economy.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:18.67,0:10:22.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So in a linear economy,\Nthey're sourcing that salt from a mine,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:22.03,0:10:24.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it goes through this chlor-alkali process,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:24.11,0:10:26.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,made into a basic chemical,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:26.09,0:10:28.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which then can get converted\Ninto another new product,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:28.86,0:10:30.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or a more functional product.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:31.30,0:10:33.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But during that conversion process,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:34.01,0:10:37.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,oftentimes salt is regenerated\Nas the by-product,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:37.84,0:10:40.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it ends up\Nin the industrial wastewater.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:41.40,0:10:46.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, the idea is that we can\Nintroduce circularity,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:46.52,0:10:51.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we can recycle the water and salt\Nfrom those industrial wastewater streams,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:51.40,0:10:52.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the factories,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:52.84,0:10:56.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we can send it to the front end\Nof the chlor-alkali process.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:58.39,0:10:59.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Circular salt.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:59.94,0:11:02.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So how impactful is this?
Dialogue: 0,0:11:02.42,0:11:04.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, let's just take one example.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:04.87,0:11:08.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Fifty percent of the world's\Nproduction of propylene oxide
Dialogue: 0,0:11:08.38,0:11:10.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is made through the chlor-alkali process.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:11.38,0:11:16.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that's a total of about five million\Ntons of propylene oxide
Dialogue: 0,0:11:16.64,0:11:18.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on an annual basis, made globally.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:19.77,0:11:23.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that's five million tons of salt\Nmined from the earth
Dialogue: 0,0:11:23.95,0:11:27.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,converted through the chlor-alkali process\Ninto propylene oxide,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:27.86,0:11:29.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then during that process,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:29.58,0:11:33.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,five million tons of salt\Nthat ends up in wastewater streams.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:34.55,0:11:36.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So five million tons
Dialogue: 0,0:11:36.06,0:11:39.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is enough salt to fill\Nthree Empire State Buildings.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:39.79,0:11:41.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that's on an annual basis.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:42.16,0:11:47.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you can see how circular salt\Ncan provide a barrier
Dialogue: 0,0:11:47.72,0:11:51.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to our rivers from this excessive\Nsalty discharge.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:52.45,0:11:54.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you might wonder,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:54.06,0:11:58.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Well, gosh, these membranes\Nhave been around for a number of years,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:58.07,0:12:02.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so why aren't people implementing\Nwastewater reuse?
Dialogue: 0,0:12:02.74,0:12:04.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, the bottom line is,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:04.80,0:12:07.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it costs money to implement\Nwastewater reuse.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:08.11,0:12:09.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And second,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:09.72,0:12:12.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,water in these regions is undervalued.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:13.32,0:12:14.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Until it's too late.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:15.24,0:12:19.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know, if we don't plan\Nfor freshwater sustainability,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:19.81,0:12:22.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there are some severe consequences.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:22.19,0:12:25.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can just ask one of the world's\Nlargest chemical manufacturers
Dialogue: 0,0:12:25.36,0:12:29.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who last year took\Na 280-million dollar hit
Dialogue: 0,0:12:29.05,0:12:33.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,due to low river levels\Nof the Rhine River in Germany.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:33.100,0:12:37.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can ask the residents\Nof Cape Town, South Africa,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:37.88,0:12:42.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who experienced a year-over-year drought\Ndrying up their water reserves,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:42.10,0:12:45.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then being asked\Nnot to flush their toilets.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:46.29,0:12:48.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you can see,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:48.10,0:12:50.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we have solutions here, with membranes,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:50.34,0:12:54.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where we can provide pure water,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:54.79,0:12:57.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we can provide pure salt,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:57.03,0:12:59.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,using these membranes, both of these,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:59.20,0:13:02.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to help to protect our rivers\Nfor future generations.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:02.73,0:13:03.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:03.92,0:13:06.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)