The Waterly
"The Waterly" is a weekly all-things-water newsletter we share with our community covering the latest innovations and investment deal flow in the water sector and recent news on climate change and water-related crises.
Researchers made hydrogen fuel from aluminum and water. Switzerland has got a brand new 'water battery'. The world's most powerful tidal turbine secured £8 million. Americans are still getting contaminated by Pearl Harbor water poisoning. Great Salt Lake is in trouble after reaching its lowest level for the second year in a row. US water probably contains more PFAS than the EPA thinks. Sheryl Chamberlain is this week's highlighted WELL member.
Your weekly Bonus - A team of international researchers discovered 1.2-billion-year-old groundwater 'Pandora's Box' 1.8 miles below the Earth's surface.
This week's water fact:
The oldest ice ever found on Earth was 2.7-million-year-old
Tech & Innovation
MIT Researchers Make Hydrogen Fuel From Aluminum and Water
Electric engines that can power transoceanic flights are still a distant reality and therefore, alternate fuels like hydrogen also need to be developed. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have now found a simple way to generate hydrogen fuel anywhere, using aluminum and water.
Switzerland’s 20 million kWh ‘water battery’ is now operational
It is the equivalent of 400,000 electric car batteries.
300-Meter Nuclear Megayacht Project Aims to Save the Earth
The Earth 300 is an ambitious scientific project aimed at raising awareness about climate change all while doubling up as a luxury research vessel funded in part by billionaire guests, according to a report by the BBC's Science Focus.
Corporate & Deals
BUILDING AN INDUSTRIAL WATER ROCKET SHIP: PRAKASH GOVINDAN ON BUYING SYNAUTA
Founded by seasoned desalination expert Mike Dixon, a sale was always on the cards for the ambitious Aussie leader. After all, he had solid experience in the team that scaled Californian membrane company NanoH2O, eventually sold to South Korean company, LG.
The world’s most powerful tidal turbine just got a major funding boost
Scottish engineering firm Orbital Marine Power secured £8 million ($9.64 million) in funding to “finance the ongoing operation” of its O2 tidal turbine.
NOAA opens $2.96B in funding opportunities
“This funding provides NOAA and its partners with a historic opportunity to invest in the climate smart infrastructure of the future,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “Together, we’ll help ensure our coasts are climate-ready, our fisheries and protected resources are resilient, and our climate and data products reflect the needs of decision makers.”
Water & the Environment
Pearl Harbor water poisoning: US military families say they continue to fall ill
Many affected military families and civilians at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam say they are continuing to fall ill and that the navy has not provided accurate information on the possible toxins in their tap water and their bodies.
Great Salt Lake is 'in trouble' as level falls to lowest on record for second year in a row
The Great Salt Lake in Utah has dropped to its lowest level on record for the second time in less than a year as a climate change-fueled megadrought tightens its grip in the West.
Climate protesters glue themselves to National Gallery artwork
Supporters of Just Stop Oil have once again glued themselves to a significant artwork in a major UK gallery, a day after invading the track at Silverstone and disrupting the British Grand Prix.
These 5 Charts Show What You Can Do Right Now to Fight Climate Change
In less than three decades, we need to reverse more than a century of rising emissions and bring annual emissions down to near zero, while balancing out all remaining unavoidable emissions by actively removing carbon from the atmosphere.
PFAS & Chemicals
Revealed: US water likely contains more ‘forever chemicals’ than EPA tests show
Guardian analysis of water samples taken in nine US locations shows test agency uses is likely missing significant levels of PFAS pollutants.
Indictments Over Flint Drinking Water Contamination Dropped, Charges Wiped For Top Officials
Charges against state officials who were responsible for the safety and health of Michigan consumers during the Flint drinking water crisis have now been dismissed because they were issued by a single judge acting as grand juror.
A fearless and enthusiastic agent of change, Ms. Chamberlain conceives and executes global game-changing business growth strategies with insightful vision and a focus on collaboratively executing win-win results. Sheryl’s singular blend of genuine humility, energetic affability, and intense professional drive are hallmarks of her leadership style and the impetus behind high-impact business results and award-winning products and solutions.
Sheryl is General Manager at Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity leader. Previously, she has been Vice President, Strategic Alliances with Medidata Solutions, Inc., Chief of Staff for the Linux Foundation, and Partner at Capgemini in their Group Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships global organization. As a volunteer, Sheryl has been actively involved with the Hult Prize Foundation Council, where she was instrumental in growing the reach and impact of the Hult Prize.
Thank you Sheryl for sharing your leadership, passion, and expertise with WIA and the WELL community.
Water & Earth
A new groundwater discovery is a 1.2-billion-year-old 'Pandora's Box'
A team of international researchers discovered 1.2-billion-year-old groundwater 1.8 miles (2.9 km) below the Earth's surface in a uranium and gold mine in Moab Khotsong, South Africa, a press statement reveals.
