1 00:00:00,333 --> 00:00:01,933 [Scott] Next on "Energy Switch," 2 00:00:01,933 --> 00:00:05,300 water requires energy and energy requires water. 3 00:00:05,300 --> 00:00:07,266 We'll talk about how they intersect. 4 00:00:07,266 --> 00:00:09,700 - It turns out that actually the electric power sector 5 00:00:09,700 --> 00:00:13,833 in this country is the largest user of water 6 00:00:13,833 --> 00:00:15,266 ahead of agriculture. 7 00:00:15,266 --> 00:00:16,600 But that's changing. 8 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:18,833 From 1950 and onwards, 9 00:00:18,833 --> 00:00:21,366 there has been a constant drop 10 00:00:21,366 --> 00:00:24,666 of water use per unit of electricity generated. 11 00:00:24,666 --> 00:00:27,366 - One thing I think it's important to mention, 12 00:00:27,366 --> 00:00:30,000 quality degradation is actually quite real. 13 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,066 Power sector might not actually 14 00:00:32,066 --> 00:00:34,600 have a lot of consumptive use, 15 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,700 but it certainly participates significantly 16 00:00:37,700 --> 00:00:40,100 in degrading water quality. 17 00:00:40,100 --> 00:00:42,366 [Scott] Coming up on "Energy Switch," 18 00:00:42,366 --> 00:00:44,300 the energy water nexus. 19 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:48,166 [Announcer] Funding for "Energy Switch" 20 00:00:48,166 --> 00:00:51,433 was provided in part by 21 00:00:51,433 --> 00:00:54,033 The University of Texas at Austin, 22 00:00:54,033 --> 00:00:56,433 leading research in energy and the environment 23 00:00:56,433 --> 00:00:58,300 for a better tomorrow. 24 00:00:58,300 --> 00:01:01,033 What starts here changes the world. 25 00:01:02,100 --> 00:01:04,100 And by EarthX, 26 00:01:04,100 --> 00:01:05,666 an international nonprofit 27 00:01:05,666 --> 00:01:08,366 working towards a more sustainable future. 28 00:01:08,366 --> 00:01:10,933 See more at earthx.org. 29 00:01:12,866 --> 00:01:14,066 - I'm Scott Tinker 30 00:01:14,066 --> 00:01:15,533 and I'm an energy scientist. 31 00:01:16,333 --> 00:01:17,733 I work in the field, 32 00:01:17,733 --> 00:01:18,900 lead research, 33 00:01:18,900 --> 00:01:20,400 speak around the world, 34 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:21,700 write articles 35 00:01:21,700 --> 00:01:24,033 and make films about energy. 36 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,200 This show brings together leading experts 37 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,233 on vital topics in energy and climate. 38 00:01:30,233 --> 00:01:32,100 They may have different perspectives, 39 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:35,166 but my goal is to learn and illuminate 40 00:01:35,166 --> 00:01:38,600 and bring diverging views together towards solutions. 41 00:01:39,266 --> 00:01:41,500 Welcome to the "Energy Switch." 42 00:01:42,833 --> 00:01:45,600 To produce, purify, transport, 43 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,700 and recycle water for municipal use, 44 00:01:48,700 --> 00:01:50,400 for electricity generation 45 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:51,766 and for agriculture 46 00:01:51,766 --> 00:01:54,233 takes massive amounts of energy. 47 00:01:54,233 --> 00:01:57,266 And to cool power plants, produce oil and gas, 48 00:01:57,266 --> 00:01:59,666 and mine fuel and materials requires 49 00:01:59,666 --> 00:02:01,833 an enormous amount of water. 50 00:02:01,833 --> 00:02:04,433 We'll look at the intersection of energy and water 51 00:02:04,433 --> 00:02:07,833 and how we could use less of one to make more of the other 52 00:02:07,833 --> 00:02:12,100 with my expert guests Dr. Afreen Siddiqi, 53 00:02:12,100 --> 00:02:13,633 from the Science, Technology, 54 00:02:13,633 --> 00:02:17,000 and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. 55 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,933 She's also a research scientist at MIT, 56 00:02:19,933 --> 00:02:22,266 focusing on technology, policy, 57 00:02:22,266 --> 00:02:24,333 and international development. 58 00:02:24,333 --> 00:02:27,433 Joining her is Dr. Newsha Ajami, 59 00:02:27,433 --> 00:02:29,633 a Chief Strategic Officer for Research 60 00:02:29,633 --> 00:02:31,800 at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab 61 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,100 and Director of Urban Water Policy at Stanford University, 62 00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:38,433 focusing on sustainable water resource management. 63 00:02:38,433 --> 00:02:40,500 On this episode of "Energy Switch," 64 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:44,100 we'll look at the critical energy water nexus. 65 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:46,066 - So let's talk about how energy 66 00:02:46,066 --> 00:02:48,933 really allows us to provide water. 67 00:02:48,933 --> 00:02:51,433 Start right in with municipal water systems. 68 00:02:51,433 --> 00:02:53,966 - Well, we use energy and municipal water systems 69 00:02:53,966 --> 00:02:55,233 every step of the way. 70 00:02:55,233 --> 00:02:58,166 We use energy to pump water from original sources, 71 00:02:58,166 --> 00:03:00,433 which might be from a river or a lake. 72 00:03:00,433 --> 00:03:02,700 Then we use energy to pump it across 73 00:03:02,700 --> 00:03:04,866 sometimes long distances to bring it 74 00:03:04,866 --> 00:03:06,566 to a water treatment plant. 75 00:03:06,566 --> 00:03:09,000 Then we consume energy to treat that water 76 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,200 within that treatment plant to make it fit 77 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,500 for drinking and for human use. 78 00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:15,666 Then we use more energy to distribute it 79 00:03:15,666 --> 00:03:18,900 to our homes and buildings within a city. 80 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:21,566 And then, once the water's in our homes, 81 00:03:21,566 --> 00:03:24,000 we use energy to actually use it. 82 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,500 And then once we're done, 83 00:03:25,500 --> 00:03:28,833 we actually use energy to sort of collect it 84 00:03:28,833 --> 00:03:32,066 and take it to sewage plants, treat it again, 85 00:03:32,066 --> 00:03:34,800 and make it so that we can safely 86 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:36,466 dispose it into the environment. 87 00:03:36,466 --> 00:03:40,566 So every step of the water segment or the water chain, 88 00:03:40,566 --> 00:03:42,666 so to speak, we're consuming energy. 89 00:03:42,666 --> 00:03:46,300 - There's a lot of the energy itself that's used electricity 90 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:48,300 for most of these things. 91 00:03:48,300 --> 00:03:49,333 - In most cases, yes. 92 00:03:49,333 --> 00:03:50,166 Absolutely. 93 00:03:50,166 --> 00:03:53,500 In some cases, there is use of diesel, 94 00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:54,866 particularly when we start talking 95 00:03:54,866 --> 00:03:56,366 about agricultural applications. 96 00:03:56,366 --> 00:03:58,133 You'll see some countries are using that. 97 00:03:58,133 --> 00:03:59,833 - How do we use water in households 98 00:03:59,833 --> 00:04:01,966 and how do we use energy to do that in households? 99 00:04:01,966 --> 00:04:02,866 - Sure. 100 00:04:02,866 --> 00:04:03,833 In our house, 101 00:04:03,833 --> 00:04:05,266 we use water for a lot of different things 102 00:04:05,266 --> 00:04:06,166 that we do, right? 103 00:04:06,166 --> 00:04:08,300 Think about dishwashers, washing machines, 104 00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:09,866 water that comes out of your taps, 105 00:04:09,866 --> 00:04:12,133 flushing toilets, showering. 106 00:04:12,133 --> 00:04:14,233 Depending on what we are using water for 107 00:04:14,233 --> 00:04:16,800 and if it's need to be heated or not, 108 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:18,700 maybe have different kind of energy footprints. 109 00:04:18,700 --> 00:04:21,300 For example, if you need to have a hot, 110 00:04:21,300 --> 00:04:25,066 use the hot water to run your dishwasher or washing machine, 111 00:04:25,066 --> 00:04:28,466 obviously a lot of people use natural gas. 112 00:04:28,466 --> 00:04:32,366 However, everything else is using electricity just 113 00:04:32,366 --> 00:04:34,133 in order to move water around. 114 00:04:34,133 --> 00:04:35,366 And actually, 115 00:04:35,366 --> 00:04:38,400 what we saw in about like 30 years ago when we started sort 116 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,233 of paying attention to energy efficiency, 117 00:04:41,233 --> 00:04:43,566 the first thing we started doing was trying to 118 00:04:43,566 --> 00:04:46,566 make appliances more water efficient 119 00:04:46,566 --> 00:04:48,600 in order to use less energy. 120 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:50,900 - Yeah, energy's such a precious resource. 121 00:04:50,900 --> 00:04:51,733 So is water. 122 00:04:51,733 --> 00:04:52,633 That's a win-win. 123 00:04:52,633 --> 00:04:54,366 - That that was definitely a win-win. 124 00:04:54,366 --> 00:04:55,200 Absolutely. 125 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:56,233 Absolutely. 126 00:04:56,233 --> 00:04:58,100 - And if I can add to that, I mean, 127 00:04:58,100 --> 00:05:02,666 if you look at household use of energy by category, 128 00:05:02,666 --> 00:05:04,700 after space heating, 129 00:05:04,700 --> 00:05:06,700 the biggest category is water heating, 130 00:05:06,700 --> 00:05:09,300 which constitutes anywhere from 131 00:05:09,300 --> 00:05:14,600 19 to 32% of the energy use within a home. 132 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:15,500 - Right. 133 00:05:15,500 --> 00:05:17,133 - And it's a significant amount of energy. 134 00:05:17,133 --> 00:05:20,200 - You know, when we built this modern water system 135 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:21,666 that we have right now, 136 00:05:21,666 --> 00:05:24,100 I call it the 20th century water model, 137 00:05:24,100 --> 00:05:27,000 we use a lot of energy and resources to clean up water. 138 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:28,800 Whatever water that comes outta your tap is 139 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,666 a drinkable quality water, right? 140 00:05:30,666 --> 00:05:34,133 And we use it a lot of that water for purposes 141 00:05:34,133 --> 00:05:37,166 that does not require drinkable water quality, right? 142 00:05:37,166 --> 00:05:40,166 You water your outdoor spaces with drinkable water quality, 143 00:05:40,166 --> 00:05:42,466 you flush it down your toilet. 144 00:05:42,466 --> 00:05:45,833 And that is a very inefficient way of doing things. 145 00:05:45,833 --> 00:05:49,300 The same thing goes with leaks and aging infrastructure 146 00:05:49,300 --> 00:05:51,766 that lose water along the way. 147 00:05:51,766 --> 00:05:55,500 You're using a lot of energy and resources to 148 00:05:55,500 --> 00:05:57,000 bring that water to high quality 149 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:58,466 and then you lose it along the way. 150 00:05:58,466 --> 00:06:03,033 So I think the system that we have built, 151 00:06:03,033 --> 00:06:05,600 it's quite inefficient in many different ways. 152 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,566 Not just because we are bringing water from long distances, 153 00:06:08,566 --> 00:06:10,100 but the way we distribute water 154 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:11,833 in the homes are also quite inefficient. 155 00:06:11,833 --> 00:06:12,866 - That's interesting, Newsha. 156 00:06:12,866 --> 00:06:15,700 I mean, I hadn't really even thought about that. 157 00:06:15,700 --> 00:06:19,700 So we could have a drinkable water connection 158 00:06:19,700 --> 00:06:20,833 [Newsha] Yes. 159 00:06:20,833 --> 00:06:22,433 - And then maybe a little grayer water for other uses. 160 00:06:22,433 --> 00:06:23,400 It wouldn't matter at all. 161 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:24,333 [Newsha] Absolutely. 162 00:06:24,333 --> 00:06:26,866 - So treating waste water before it goes 163 00:06:26,866 --> 00:06:30,200 into the environment is very energy intensive. 164 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,700 What happens there from my house to somewhere? 165 00:06:33,700 --> 00:06:35,200 - If you see globally, 166 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:39,000 you'd be lucky to be in a city where the water, 167 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,400 once we've used it, 168 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,533 gets safely collected and then safely disposed. 169 00:06:43,533 --> 00:06:46,533 Unfortunately, in many countries and in many cities 170 00:06:46,533 --> 00:06:48,533 around the world, actually, that doesn't happen. 171 00:06:48,533 --> 00:06:50,766 So simply the wastewater literally, you know, 172 00:06:50,766 --> 00:06:52,066 will get dumped into rivers, 173 00:06:52,066 --> 00:06:53,900 it'll be dumped into the ocean and so forth. 174 00:06:53,900 --> 00:06:56,000 So there's no treatment whatsoever, 175 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,733 which creates environmental issues, public health issues. 176 00:06:58,733 --> 00:06:59,700 - How common is that? 177 00:06:59,700 --> 00:07:01,800 Is it half the people in the world? 178 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,466 - Most developing countries will have 179 00:07:04,466 --> 00:07:05,900 very little infrastructure. 180 00:07:05,900 --> 00:07:08,166 I know the last time I checked for, you know, 181 00:07:08,166 --> 00:07:11,800 in a report in the mid 2000s for Pakistan, 182 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,933 they were just a handful of these water treatment plants. 183 00:07:14,933 --> 00:07:16,500 And this is a country of, you know, 184 00:07:16,500 --> 00:07:18,933 today to over 200 million people. 185 00:07:18,933 --> 00:07:20,900 So that's one part of the story. 186 00:07:20,900 --> 00:07:23,933 If you are in a city where water is, let's say, 187 00:07:23,933 --> 00:07:25,833 much more handled carefully, 188 00:07:25,833 --> 00:07:28,400 then that wastewater treatment plant will put it 189 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,266 through various stages of processing. 190 00:07:31,266 --> 00:07:33,433 Average consumption of energy 191 00:07:33,433 --> 00:07:36,466 for wastewater treatment is lower than 192 00:07:36,466 --> 00:07:38,400 let's say things such as desalination, 193 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:39,933 or if we're talking about, you know, 194 00:07:39,933 --> 00:07:42,300 groundwater pumping from deep wells. 195 00:07:42,300 --> 00:07:43,933 That can be much more expensive. 196 00:07:43,933 --> 00:07:46,433 And that's why the argument for recycling 197 00:07:46,433 --> 00:07:49,133 and reusing it becomes stronger from an energy perspective. 198 00:07:49,133 --> 00:07:50,266 - From an energy penalty. 199 00:07:50,266 --> 00:07:52,466 Talk about desal a little bit. 200 00:07:52,466 --> 00:07:55,100 Who's doing that and what is it? 201 00:07:55,100 --> 00:07:56,400 - Yeah, so desal, 202 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,933 you basically push water through a membrane, 203 00:07:58,933 --> 00:08:04,333 semipermeable membrane to separate water molecules 204 00:08:04,333 --> 00:08:06,566 from every impurity that's in the water. 205 00:08:06,566 --> 00:08:08,733 And it can be used for different purposes. 206 00:08:08,733 --> 00:08:09,966 Often, when we say desal, 207 00:08:09,966 --> 00:08:12,466 everybody think about sea water desalination. 208 00:08:12,466 --> 00:08:13,733 But again, 209 00:08:13,733 --> 00:08:18,200 we use the desalination process for treating brackish water, 210 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,866 which is like deep groundwater that is salty, 211 00:08:20,866 --> 00:08:23,366 or actually can be used for the reuse process. 212 00:08:23,366 --> 00:08:27,033 The same technology can be used to take the wastewater 213 00:08:27,033 --> 00:08:29,166 and get drinkable water out of it. 214 00:08:29,166 --> 00:08:31,966 But for smaller countries such as 215 00:08:31,966 --> 00:08:36,033 some of the countries in the Persian Gulf, for example, 216 00:08:36,033 --> 00:08:38,833 or Australia that have a smaller population, 217 00:08:38,833 --> 00:08:41,966 you might be able to generate a bigger portion 218 00:08:41,966 --> 00:08:44,633 of your water supply from desalination. 219 00:08:44,633 --> 00:08:47,333 - How about feeding everybody on the planet? 220 00:08:47,333 --> 00:08:48,733 We have eight billion now. 221 00:08:48,733 --> 00:08:49,833 We're growing. 222 00:08:49,833 --> 00:08:52,700 A lot of dense agriculture, a lot of water needs. 223 00:08:52,700 --> 00:08:55,833 How's energy used for irrigation and things like that? 224 00:08:55,833 --> 00:08:57,800 - Well, again, you know, it depends. 225 00:08:57,800 --> 00:08:59,000 The irrigation that happens 226 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,900 in regions where they're using pumped water 227 00:09:02,900 --> 00:09:04,866 and they're taking it either from the ground 228 00:09:04,866 --> 00:09:08,366 or from long distance pipelines 229 00:09:08,366 --> 00:09:10,266 can get pretty energy intensive. 230 00:09:10,266 --> 00:09:15,133 In India, in Mexico, in Pakistan, in China, 231 00:09:15,133 --> 00:09:17,533 countries that have large populations, 232 00:09:17,533 --> 00:09:20,066 big rural agricultural economies, 233 00:09:20,066 --> 00:09:22,433 the energy used for irrigation for agriculture 234 00:09:22,433 --> 00:09:24,200 can actually be pretty significant, 235 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:28,733 ranging from, you know, 10, 20, 30, 40% of the energy used 236 00:09:28,733 --> 00:09:30,466 in that particular part of the province. 237 00:09:30,466 --> 00:09:31,533 - That's big numbers. 238 00:09:31,533 --> 00:09:33,733 - And one other part of this part of agriculture 239 00:09:33,733 --> 00:09:36,466 that I think requires a lot of attention is the 240 00:09:36,466 --> 00:09:38,400 waste side of it. 241 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,466 So not everything that we produce is consumed. 242 00:09:42,466 --> 00:09:45,733 Some of it is wasted at the farm and some of it is wasted 243 00:09:45,733 --> 00:09:48,700 in locations that they get delivered to 244 00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:51,700 and some of it actually becomes food waste. 245 00:09:51,700 --> 00:09:53,433 So trying to harness this- 246 00:09:53,433 --> 00:09:54,633 - You're talking about the water is wasted. 247 00:09:54,633 --> 00:09:55,933 - Water and energy. 248 00:09:55,933 --> 00:09:57,033 [Scott] And therefore, the energy. 249 00:09:57,033 --> 00:09:58,366 - Therefore, the energy. 250 00:09:58,366 --> 00:10:02,733 - How do we lower the energy intensity of those things? 251 00:10:02,733 --> 00:10:05,733 - Let's talk about actually water use as a general term. 252 00:10:05,733 --> 00:10:09,400 We use a lot of water in our homes for different purposes. 253 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,200 I mean, US is about 60 gallon per person per day, 254 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,600 but in California, it's about 100 gallon per person per day. 255 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,866 That's a lot water we use and that's a lot of energy. 256 00:10:19,866 --> 00:10:24,900 And trying to reduce that can actually significantly impact 257 00:10:24,900 --> 00:10:26,233 both our water footprint 258 00:10:26,233 --> 00:10:27,966 and energy footprint at the same time. 259 00:10:27,966 --> 00:10:29,900 [Scott] 100 gallons per person per day. 260 00:10:29,900 --> 00:10:30,766 - Yes. 261 00:10:30,766 --> 00:10:32,466 - That's not just the water in my home, 262 00:10:32,466 --> 00:10:33,800 that's accounting for all the water 263 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,133 I use as a person in agriculture and everything? 264 00:10:37,133 --> 00:10:38,433 - No, no, no, no, no. 265 00:10:38,433 --> 00:10:40,966 This is actually the water that you use in your home. 266 00:10:40,966 --> 00:10:42,600 Sixty gallon per person per day. 267 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,233 - So my 40 gallon hot water tank. 268 00:10:45,233 --> 00:10:46,066 - Yes. 269 00:10:46,066 --> 00:10:48,100 And also the showers that you take. 270 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:50,133 [Scott] Each of us uses that whole thing. 271 00:10:50,133 --> 00:10:51,100 - Yes. - Every day. 272 00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:52,066 - Yes. - Wonderful. 273 00:10:52,066 --> 00:10:53,733 - And also, remember, this is the average. 274 00:10:53,733 --> 00:10:56,766 So it means that there are people who use 200 gallon 275 00:10:56,766 --> 00:10:58,766 per person per day and there are homes that they use, 276 00:10:58,766 --> 00:11:00,533 for example, in San Francisco, 277 00:11:00,533 --> 00:11:03,200 we use about 40 gallon per person per day. 278 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:04,833 So it's denser city, 279 00:11:04,833 --> 00:11:06,866 much less outdoor water use, 280 00:11:06,866 --> 00:11:09,600 and we use a lot less water versus like when 281 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:13,533 you have sprawling suburbs that you have to move water 282 00:11:13,533 --> 00:11:15,700 from far distances, bring it here, 283 00:11:15,700 --> 00:11:17,266 and then push it through the system 284 00:11:17,266 --> 00:11:18,633 to make it to the, you know, 285 00:11:18,633 --> 00:11:21,366 all the way to wherever you need to deliver the water 286 00:11:21,366 --> 00:11:23,966 and then collect that waste water and bring it back. 287 00:11:23,966 --> 00:11:25,066 - I think, you know, 288 00:11:25,066 --> 00:11:28,866 it really requires top-down as well as, you know, 289 00:11:28,866 --> 00:11:29,933 bottom-up approaches. 290 00:11:29,933 --> 00:11:32,100 So top-down I would say that, 291 00:11:32,100 --> 00:11:34,800 when we're thinking about new urban developments, right? 292 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,433 How can we design our cities or new, you know, 293 00:11:37,433 --> 00:11:39,133 develop new areas so that we're 294 00:11:39,133 --> 00:11:40,933 very consciously making decisions 295 00:11:40,933 --> 00:11:44,666 about layout and, you know, the overall architecture 296 00:11:44,666 --> 00:11:48,700 so that it is better in terms of energy use, water use, 297 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:49,966 can make a big difference 298 00:11:49,966 --> 00:11:52,100 because a lot of things have grown organically and therefore 299 00:11:52,100 --> 00:11:54,266 the decisions that were made were sort of made, 300 00:11:54,266 --> 00:11:55,533 you know, over time. 301 00:11:55,533 --> 00:11:58,000 And now if we could start with the clean sheet design, 302 00:11:58,000 --> 00:11:59,800 so to speak, for a new development, 303 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:01,333 we might do things very differently. 304 00:12:01,333 --> 00:12:02,600 - Hopefully we're smarter now. 305 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:04,266 - Actually, we have done specific research 306 00:12:04,266 --> 00:12:06,333 on this and we have found actually 307 00:12:06,333 --> 00:12:09,566 that new development is much more efficient water-wise, 308 00:12:09,566 --> 00:12:12,333 energy-wise compared to old development. 309 00:12:12,333 --> 00:12:15,500 And the saddest part of this whole situation 310 00:12:15,500 --> 00:12:18,233 is we are still building cities, 311 00:12:18,233 --> 00:12:21,900 communities, the same way we did 50 years ago. 312 00:12:21,900 --> 00:12:23,866 And I think water sector is certainly 313 00:12:23,866 --> 00:12:25,933 behind energy sector in all this. 314 00:12:25,933 --> 00:12:29,533 And we can do a lot better with smart metering, 315 00:12:29,533 --> 00:12:32,700 with having better information technology to 316 00:12:32,700 --> 00:12:34,333 take this information and turn it 317 00:12:34,333 --> 00:12:37,866 into knowledge that can be communicated to people. 318 00:12:37,866 --> 00:12:40,500 Then they can make more conscious decisions. 319 00:12:40,500 --> 00:12:43,166 - We talked about energy providing water, 320 00:12:43,166 --> 00:12:45,033 water helps provide our energy. 321 00:12:45,033 --> 00:12:46,200 Let's talk about that. 322 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,933 How much do we use for cooling thermal power plants? 323 00:12:49,933 --> 00:12:52,333 Natural gas, coal, nuclear. 324 00:12:52,333 --> 00:12:55,433 How much is used in these cooling and is it destructive? 325 00:12:55,433 --> 00:12:57,733 - It turns out that actually the electric power sector 326 00:12:57,733 --> 00:13:02,000 in this country is the largest user of water 327 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:03,400 ahead of agriculture. 328 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,333 So if you look at data from, you know, USGS, 329 00:13:06,333 --> 00:13:08,833 41% of water withdrawals, 330 00:13:08,833 --> 00:13:11,333 total water withdrawals overall 331 00:13:11,333 --> 00:13:13,166 were by the electric power sector. 332 00:13:13,166 --> 00:13:14,166 [Scott] To cool it. 333 00:13:14,166 --> 00:13:15,433 - For cooling purposes. 334 00:13:15,433 --> 00:13:17,633 Now, there is a catch though. 335 00:13:17,633 --> 00:13:19,766 Water can be withdrawn from a source, 336 00:13:19,766 --> 00:13:21,633 run through these power plants for cooling, 337 00:13:21,633 --> 00:13:24,000 and then it is put back into the same source 338 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:25,166 from which it was taken 339 00:13:25,166 --> 00:13:27,000 although at a elevated temperature. 340 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:28,333 But that's changing. 341 00:13:28,333 --> 00:13:30,233 From 1950 and onwards, 342 00:13:30,233 --> 00:13:34,733 there has been a constant drop of water use per unit 343 00:13:34,733 --> 00:13:36,066 of electricity generated. 344 00:13:36,066 --> 00:13:40,266 It was about 75 gallons per kilowatt hour, 345 00:13:40,266 --> 00:13:42,133 and by 2017, 346 00:13:42,133 --> 00:13:45,333 it stood at 30 gallons per kilowatt hours. 347 00:13:45,333 --> 00:13:46,300 [Scott] Wow. 348 00:13:46,300 --> 00:13:48,600 - So there has been a tremendous decline 349 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,800 in so-called water intensity for electric power 350 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:52,733 production in the country. 351 00:13:52,733 --> 00:13:53,733 - That's good news. 352 00:13:53,733 --> 00:13:55,633 - I mean one thing I think is important to 353 00:13:55,633 --> 00:14:00,266 mention is the quality degradation 354 00:14:00,266 --> 00:14:01,533 is actually quite real. 355 00:14:01,533 --> 00:14:05,066 For example, heat can cause ecosystem loss 356 00:14:05,066 --> 00:14:07,800 or impact freshwater ecosystem. 357 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:11,733 So power sector might not actually have a lot 358 00:14:11,733 --> 00:14:13,500 of consumptive use, 359 00:14:13,500 --> 00:14:16,700 but is certainly participates significantly 360 00:14:16,700 --> 00:14:18,566 in degrading water quality. 361 00:14:18,566 --> 00:14:20,566 - 'Cause you're putting hot water out into an ecosystem. 362 00:14:20,566 --> 00:14:21,466 - Yes. 363 00:14:21,466 --> 00:14:23,166 - And it has to cool off. 364 00:14:23,166 --> 00:14:24,366 - Exactly. 365 00:14:24,366 --> 00:14:28,400 And, you know, the ecosystem that depends on that water, 366 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,066 they basically expect certain temperatures. 367 00:14:32,066 --> 00:14:35,400 So, increase in temperature can be quite significant. 368 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,366 Another piece of it is actually, for example, 369 00:14:37,366 --> 00:14:38,400 in California now, 370 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:42,200 we have started transitioning from using water, 371 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,533 any kind of water for cooling. 372 00:14:44,533 --> 00:14:48,500 So we are actually now doing dry cooling. 373 00:14:48,500 --> 00:14:49,566 [Scott] Air? 374 00:14:49,566 --> 00:14:52,466 - They call it dry cooling or air cooling. 375 00:14:52,466 --> 00:14:53,733 - Is that more energy intensive? 376 00:14:53,733 --> 00:14:55,166 - That is more energy intensive, 377 00:14:55,166 --> 00:14:56,666 but it's much less water intensive. 378 00:14:56,666 --> 00:14:58,166 But if you are in the western US 379 00:14:58,166 --> 00:15:00,233 and you don't have a lot of water supplies, 380 00:15:00,233 --> 00:15:01,966 you should not be using that. 381 00:15:01,966 --> 00:15:03,300 You have to make that choice. 382 00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:04,466 We also have to remember 383 00:15:04,466 --> 00:15:06,433 power is not just only electricity. 384 00:15:06,433 --> 00:15:09,866 It's also oil and gas production, biofuel. 385 00:15:09,866 --> 00:15:12,033 There are so many other parts of this, right? 386 00:15:12,033 --> 00:15:14,633 And actually the consumption use of water 387 00:15:14,633 --> 00:15:18,600 in those industries are quite higher than electric. 388 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,366 - Let's get to those. 389 00:15:20,366 --> 00:15:22,433 Let's talk about hydroelectric. 390 00:15:22,433 --> 00:15:23,800 How much is lost there? 391 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:24,966 Just big dams. 392 00:15:24,966 --> 00:15:28,900 - So a lot of that is through evaporation, but you know, 393 00:15:28,900 --> 00:15:31,733 we have to remember dams are built for multiple purposes. 394 00:15:31,733 --> 00:15:33,133 It's not just hydroelectric. 395 00:15:33,133 --> 00:15:35,600 A lot of them do actually provide water supplies 396 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,800 and also do flood protection. 397 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:42,633 Dams potentially can have multiple benefits. 398 00:15:42,633 --> 00:15:46,300 One thing I would say on the hydropower side is 399 00:15:46,300 --> 00:15:49,866 they are being impacted by the change in climate patterns 400 00:15:49,866 --> 00:15:51,466 that we are experiencing 401 00:15:51,466 --> 00:15:53,400 and reduction in snow pack 402 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,400 and the flows and all that. 403 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,533 So, for example, Oroville Dam in California, 404 00:15:58,533 --> 00:16:01,133 it actually, for the first time last year, 405 00:16:01,133 --> 00:16:03,133 had to shut down its electrical production 406 00:16:03,133 --> 00:16:06,266 because of low water levels. 407 00:16:06,266 --> 00:16:07,133 [Scott] Droughts. 408 00:16:07,133 --> 00:16:08,300 - Yeah, because of the droughts. 409 00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:11,533 And you know, this dam has been around since 1968 410 00:16:11,533 --> 00:16:13,266 and that has never happened. 411 00:16:13,266 --> 00:16:15,700 - So depending on your timeframe, it's not renewable. 412 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:16,966 - It's not. 413 00:16:16,966 --> 00:16:20,800 - I mean, it's no emissions, but you gotta have water. 414 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:22,266 - I mean, there are emissions. 415 00:16:22,266 --> 00:16:24,166 You know, the water in the reservoir can generate 416 00:16:24,166 --> 00:16:26,766 a significant amount of methane 417 00:16:26,766 --> 00:16:29,933 because of the, you know, plant degradation 418 00:16:29,933 --> 00:16:32,033 and everything that happens in the water. 419 00:16:32,033 --> 00:16:35,333 So they definitely do emit greenhouse gases. 420 00:16:35,333 --> 00:16:37,500 But you know, again, nothing is perfect. 421 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:39,500 Everything that we do has some form 422 00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:42,000 of a negative impact. 423 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,166 So we have to actually be better and smarter 424 00:16:44,166 --> 00:16:47,633 about how we do things and, you know, 425 00:16:47,633 --> 00:16:49,033 hydropower is one of them. 426 00:16:49,033 --> 00:16:50,300 - Let's talk about oil and gas, 427 00:16:50,300 --> 00:16:52,100 which is depending on where you are, 428 00:16:52,100 --> 00:16:55,333 50-60% of our energy still, oil and gas. 429 00:16:55,333 --> 00:16:57,300 - I mean, the amount of water that 430 00:16:57,300 --> 00:17:00,800 gets used also depends on, 431 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:02,866 you know, how you're extracting it, right? 432 00:17:02,866 --> 00:17:05,666 So, you know, if you look at sort of the traditional ways 433 00:17:05,666 --> 00:17:09,066 in which oil wells are operating, there was water use, 434 00:17:09,066 --> 00:17:11,733 but not to the level to which now we are seeing 435 00:17:11,733 --> 00:17:13,600 when it comes to hydraulic fracturing. 436 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:14,933 From the numbers that I've seen, 437 00:17:14,933 --> 00:17:18,233 that can be anywhere from 1.5 to 16, you know, 438 00:17:18,233 --> 00:17:22,533 million gallons of water being used for a single well. 439 00:17:22,533 --> 00:17:24,700 And you can sort of even see from this range, 440 00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:26,833 there's a whole order of magnitude difference. 441 00:17:26,833 --> 00:17:29,300 So it really varies on, you know, what type of operations 442 00:17:29,300 --> 00:17:31,933 and what the well is and so forth that we're talking about. 443 00:17:31,933 --> 00:17:33,366 But it is a big user now. 444 00:17:33,366 --> 00:17:35,833 - Now you produce water, 445 00:17:35,833 --> 00:17:39,166 flow back water and formation water. 446 00:17:39,166 --> 00:17:42,866 Is some of that able to be used again in productive ways? 447 00:17:42,866 --> 00:17:44,866 - I mean, we are not using it as much right now, 448 00:17:44,866 --> 00:17:47,366 but there is potential to use 449 00:17:47,366 --> 00:17:49,833 some of these desalination technologies, for example, 450 00:17:49,833 --> 00:17:52,766 to clean up that water and use it for agriculture. 451 00:17:52,766 --> 00:17:55,666 Now the question becomes how to make it, you know, 452 00:17:55,666 --> 00:17:58,533 affordable for an agricultural production to use it 453 00:17:58,533 --> 00:18:01,766 and be able to deliver the same cost crops 454 00:18:01,766 --> 00:18:04,733 or the same cost of products to the market. 455 00:18:04,733 --> 00:18:05,566 - Right. 456 00:18:05,566 --> 00:18:07,100 Let's talk about mining and water. 457 00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:09,233 - Yeah, well, you know, so certainly, 458 00:18:09,233 --> 00:18:10,933 water is used for mining. 459 00:18:10,933 --> 00:18:14,066 Majority water is brackish water that gets used 460 00:18:14,066 --> 00:18:15,133 in this country. 461 00:18:15,133 --> 00:18:17,766 So if we're talking about use of fresh water 462 00:18:17,766 --> 00:18:19,666 to mine coal that, 463 00:18:19,666 --> 00:18:21,333 at least from the literature that I've seen, 464 00:18:21,333 --> 00:18:24,733 is not a major sort of issue. 465 00:18:24,733 --> 00:18:26,166 That said, you know, 466 00:18:26,166 --> 00:18:27,966 there are other things that are on the horizon. 467 00:18:27,966 --> 00:18:31,433 There's a lot of discussion and awareness being generated 468 00:18:31,433 --> 00:18:34,100 about the water impacts for lithium mining, right? 469 00:18:34,100 --> 00:18:36,433 So since we're talking about renewables, 470 00:18:36,433 --> 00:18:38,300 mining for these kinds of metals, 471 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:40,666 which historically has been at a lower level, 472 00:18:40,666 --> 00:18:42,766 what would that imply for water? 473 00:18:42,766 --> 00:18:44,966 Lithium mining can be very intrusive and very 474 00:18:44,966 --> 00:18:48,333 sort of important when it comes to the water connection. 475 00:18:48,333 --> 00:18:49,666 - I mean, we have tens of billions 476 00:18:49,666 --> 00:18:52,933 of batteries in the world today for our gadgets. 477 00:18:52,933 --> 00:18:54,433 But, we're gonna go to trillions 478 00:18:54,433 --> 00:18:55,766 when we start putting 'em in cars. 479 00:18:55,766 --> 00:18:56,900 - Absolutely, absolutely. 480 00:18:56,900 --> 00:18:58,900 And right now, a lot of us, 481 00:18:58,900 --> 00:19:01,900 when we think about, you know, renewable energy, 482 00:19:01,900 --> 00:19:03,300 we are all super excited, 483 00:19:03,300 --> 00:19:05,033 but we are not thinking about this 484 00:19:05,033 --> 00:19:08,166 as what kind of environmental footprint are we 485 00:19:08,166 --> 00:19:11,533 you know, having in creating this bright future? 486 00:19:11,533 --> 00:19:14,033 I think we should remember we have Clean Water Act 487 00:19:14,033 --> 00:19:17,300 that protects a lot of activities that can cause 488 00:19:17,300 --> 00:19:19,666 harm to the environment or our water systems. 489 00:19:19,666 --> 00:19:22,566 However, this means that some of these activities 490 00:19:22,566 --> 00:19:24,733 have been shift to other countries 491 00:19:24,733 --> 00:19:27,533 that have weaker environmental regulations. 492 00:19:27,533 --> 00:19:29,866 And then those communities are stripped 493 00:19:29,866 --> 00:19:31,833 of their water supply sources. 494 00:19:31,833 --> 00:19:33,333 But, you know, they're happy for awhile 495 00:19:33,333 --> 00:19:34,800 because they're making money, 496 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,300 but at the end in the long run, 497 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:38,333 these things are not sustainable, right? 498 00:19:38,333 --> 00:19:40,000 - So we've talked about thermal power plants 499 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:41,466 and hydroelectric systems, 500 00:19:41,466 --> 00:19:45,866 oil and gas mining, again, water required. 501 00:19:45,866 --> 00:19:47,366 - For every one of them. - For energy. 502 00:19:47,366 --> 00:19:48,566 - Yes. 503 00:19:48,566 --> 00:19:50,833 - You know, like, pick of your favorite technology or two 504 00:19:50,833 --> 00:19:52,966 that might help in any one of those things. 505 00:19:52,966 --> 00:19:55,700 How do we use less water in our energy production? 506 00:19:55,700 --> 00:19:57,700 - The ones that I'm very excited about, 507 00:19:57,700 --> 00:20:01,466 digitalizing the system and creating more awareness 508 00:20:01,466 --> 00:20:03,566 in the process as we are doing that. 509 00:20:03,566 --> 00:20:05,500 Tracking what is happening 510 00:20:05,500 --> 00:20:08,333 because when you measure, then you can manage. 511 00:20:08,333 --> 00:20:10,900 If you are not measuring, you can't manage it. 512 00:20:10,900 --> 00:20:12,400 - So if you look at, you know, 513 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:16,033 the use of water for electricity generation 514 00:20:16,033 --> 00:20:17,466 that we were just discussing, 515 00:20:17,466 --> 00:20:18,966 it has gone down partly 516 00:20:18,966 --> 00:20:21,233 because of the technological transition 517 00:20:21,233 --> 00:20:23,500 in how we are generating electricity. 518 00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:26,033 And we've retired a lot of nuclear plants. 519 00:20:26,033 --> 00:20:27,700 We retired a lot of coal plants. 520 00:20:27,700 --> 00:20:29,533 Those were the ones that were actually 521 00:20:29,533 --> 00:20:31,566 withdrawing the largest amount of water. 522 00:20:31,566 --> 00:20:32,866 Now we're basically ending up 523 00:20:32,866 --> 00:20:34,866 with newer plants that have actually 524 00:20:34,866 --> 00:20:36,633 better technologies for cooling, 525 00:20:36,633 --> 00:20:38,866 especially combined cycle gas and so forth. 526 00:20:38,866 --> 00:20:40,633 So the question is, can we continue? 527 00:20:40,633 --> 00:20:42,333 And that's where the renewables come in. 528 00:20:42,333 --> 00:20:43,900 So when we talk about solar, 529 00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:45,566 when we talk about wind, 530 00:20:45,566 --> 00:20:49,966 one of the advantages is that they don't rely on water. 531 00:20:49,966 --> 00:20:51,966 - Let's talk about spills a little bit. 532 00:20:51,966 --> 00:20:53,500 I'm not sure we've talked much about that. 533 00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:57,400 Oil related things, coal ash, mining. 534 00:20:57,400 --> 00:20:59,566 What are some of the impacts you've seen there with that? 535 00:20:59,566 --> 00:21:02,366 - Yeah, so that's a big issue and, you know, 536 00:21:02,366 --> 00:21:06,800 the US EPA estimates that are about a million gallons 537 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,700 of oil that are spilled into the oceans. 538 00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:12,700 There were some very famous ones that happened in history, 539 00:21:12,700 --> 00:21:13,933 which created a lot of press, 540 00:21:13,933 --> 00:21:16,966 but there are smaller ones that happened during, you know, 541 00:21:16,966 --> 00:21:19,933 oil and gas extraction and they can pollute, you know, 542 00:21:19,933 --> 00:21:21,933 sort of the local waterways. 543 00:21:21,933 --> 00:21:25,200 And then coming back to, you know, the question on coal ash, 544 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:26,600 that's one of the biggest categories 545 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:28,633 of waste produced from US industry. 546 00:21:28,633 --> 00:21:30,966 So it's significant, 547 00:21:30,966 --> 00:21:34,100 about over 100 million tons of coal ash gets generated. 548 00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:37,200 And if that gets into the waterways, which it has, 549 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,433 it can really seriously damage the water resources. 550 00:21:40,433 --> 00:21:42,866 - Sometimes we also have municipal waste 551 00:21:42,866 --> 00:21:47,100 that gets overflown and ends up in our water bodies. 552 00:21:47,100 --> 00:21:49,100 I think one thing that's important to remember is 553 00:21:49,100 --> 00:21:54,433 that every time we degrade water, if we wanna use it, 554 00:21:54,433 --> 00:21:58,866 we have to use electricity and energy and power to clean it. 555 00:21:58,866 --> 00:22:01,800 So preventing pollution can actually 556 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,766 help us save a lot of resources when it comes to that. 557 00:22:05,766 --> 00:22:08,366 - If you could write the future, 558 00:22:08,366 --> 00:22:12,033 policies, financing, technologies, 559 00:22:12,033 --> 00:22:15,266 what advances would you like to see made? 560 00:22:15,266 --> 00:22:17,133 - I mean, I would build cities in a different way. 561 00:22:17,133 --> 00:22:18,833 I think we have an opportunity to rethink 562 00:22:18,833 --> 00:22:22,133 and reimagine our cities and communities. 563 00:22:22,133 --> 00:22:23,833 And I think when it comes to water, 564 00:22:23,833 --> 00:22:29,133 I would start from the smallest unit, which is a home, 565 00:22:29,133 --> 00:22:35,433 and try to sort of create circular water system around it. 566 00:22:35,433 --> 00:22:37,666 So trying to recycle and reuse water 567 00:22:37,666 --> 00:22:39,600 as many times as we can in our homes, 568 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:41,766 and then try to do it at the building scale, 569 00:22:41,766 --> 00:22:43,633 and then try to do it at the city scale. 570 00:22:43,633 --> 00:22:46,433 These are opportunities that we have today 571 00:22:46,433 --> 00:22:49,100 and we can create future cities today. 572 00:22:49,100 --> 00:22:51,366 We are actually building future cities today. 573 00:22:51,366 --> 00:22:52,866 Whatever we built today is gonna last 574 00:22:52,866 --> 00:22:54,933 another 50, 60, 100 years. 575 00:22:54,933 --> 00:22:59,933 And I think stepping outside of US, 576 00:22:59,933 --> 00:23:02,566 I think in developing world, 577 00:23:02,566 --> 00:23:05,566 we actually have a brighter opportunity, 578 00:23:05,566 --> 00:23:08,433 easier way of rethinking and reimagining 579 00:23:08,433 --> 00:23:11,266 how we build future communities. 580 00:23:11,266 --> 00:23:12,933 According to the United Nations, 581 00:23:12,933 --> 00:23:14,833 about 70% of the population 582 00:23:14,833 --> 00:23:16,366 is gonna live in the urban areas. 583 00:23:16,366 --> 00:23:21,400 By 2050, 60% of those have not yet been built. 584 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,233 So we have an opportunity to build those 585 00:23:24,233 --> 00:23:26,766 very differently from the way we did it today. 586 00:23:26,766 --> 00:23:30,166 - And considering this energy water nexus 587 00:23:30,166 --> 00:23:31,200 that we've talked about, 588 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,866 energy needed for water, water needed for energy. 589 00:23:33,866 --> 00:23:37,333 What about everything that exists today though? 590 00:23:37,333 --> 00:23:40,533 Can we improve that too, as you think about your future? 591 00:23:40,533 --> 00:23:43,266 - You know, everything that exists today 592 00:23:43,266 --> 00:23:46,533 certainly is subject to a lot of new risks. 593 00:23:46,533 --> 00:23:48,733 In some cases, there are, you know, 594 00:23:48,733 --> 00:23:52,333 retrofits that are available that may not be as costly, 595 00:23:52,333 --> 00:23:53,866 can create a lot of energy savings. 596 00:23:53,866 --> 00:23:56,266 In fact, if you look at, you know, the cost of energy, 597 00:23:56,266 --> 00:23:58,233 the payback period might not be that long. 598 00:23:58,233 --> 00:24:00,733 So it may make a ton of sense actually to 599 00:24:00,733 --> 00:24:02,233 go ahead and do that. 600 00:24:02,233 --> 00:24:04,133 But I feel a fundamental need 601 00:24:04,133 --> 00:24:08,266 for valuing and accounting for water. 602 00:24:08,266 --> 00:24:11,900 And I think that can make a pretty big difference 603 00:24:11,900 --> 00:24:13,333 in how we make decisions, 604 00:24:13,333 --> 00:24:16,333 in how corporations make calculations, 605 00:24:16,333 --> 00:24:20,166 how households make their choices, 606 00:24:20,166 --> 00:24:23,233 how governments perhaps may pursue policies. 607 00:24:23,233 --> 00:24:25,633 Really accounting and valuing water. 608 00:24:25,633 --> 00:24:27,433 So if we have a sense of, you know, 609 00:24:27,433 --> 00:24:29,133 how our water resources are increasing 610 00:24:29,133 --> 00:24:30,833 or decreasing over time, 611 00:24:30,833 --> 00:24:33,333 our so-called inclusive wealth changing over time, 612 00:24:33,333 --> 00:24:34,833 we can be just better informed 613 00:24:34,833 --> 00:24:37,300 and better prepared to make policy decisions. 614 00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:41,333 - Really, really thoughtful dialogue and conversation. 615 00:24:41,333 --> 00:24:42,166 - Thanks for having us. 616 00:24:42,166 --> 00:24:43,900 That was great. - Appreciate all you 617 00:24:43,900 --> 00:24:45,633 shared with us. - Thank you so much. 618 00:24:46,966 --> 00:24:48,666 [Scott] Energy is consumed in every step 619 00:24:48,666 --> 00:24:51,066 of water production and use. 620 00:24:51,066 --> 00:24:52,500 Some of that is diesel, 621 00:24:52,500 --> 00:24:54,500 but mostly it's electricity. 622 00:24:54,500 --> 00:24:56,900 That means that places that don't have abundant, 623 00:24:56,900 --> 00:25:01,666 reliable electricity also don't have modern water services. 624 00:25:01,666 --> 00:25:03,800 Not only no purified drinking water, 625 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:06,033 wastewater often can't be treated 626 00:25:06,033 --> 00:25:08,200 and is released into the environment. 627 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,200 In places with abundant energy, 628 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,400 saltwater can be desalinated for human use. 629 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:17,366 Irrigation for agriculture can be very energy intensive. 630 00:25:17,366 --> 00:25:20,866 Cooling electric power plants uses slightly more water. 631 00:25:20,866 --> 00:25:23,066 There's very little evaporative loss, 632 00:25:23,066 --> 00:25:26,233 but some environmental degradation due to heat. 633 00:25:26,233 --> 00:25:29,233 Water is also used in hydropower, of course, 634 00:25:29,233 --> 00:25:31,166 and to produce oil and gas, 635 00:25:31,166 --> 00:25:33,900 particularly through hydraulic fracturing. 636 00:25:33,900 --> 00:25:37,333 Mining for energy minerals uses water, but overall, 637 00:25:37,333 --> 00:25:40,633 solar and wind use less water than other energies. 638 00:25:40,633 --> 00:25:41,566 In the future, 639 00:25:41,566 --> 00:25:44,066 we can better design new urban development 640 00:25:44,066 --> 00:25:46,500 to better manage our water use. 641 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:54,166 [dramatic music] 642 00:25:54,166 --> 00:26:03,300 ♪ ♪ 643 00:26:03,300 --> 00:26:11,433 ♪ ♪ 644 00:26:12,366 --> 00:26:13,766 [Announcer] Funding for "Energy Switch" 645 00:26:13,766 --> 00:26:16,933 was provided in part by 646 00:26:16,933 --> 00:26:19,366 The University of Texas at Austin, 647 00:26:19,366 --> 00:26:21,866 leading research in energy and the environment 648 00:26:21,866 --> 00:26:23,733 for a better tomorrow. 649 00:26:23,733 --> 00:26:27,133 What starts here changes the world. 650 00:26:27,433 --> 00:26:29,466 And by EarthX, 651 00:26:29,466 --> 00:26:31,033 an international nonprofit 652 00:26:31,033 --> 00:26:33,600 working towards a more sustainable future. 653 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,766 See more at earthx.org.