Since launching the nanoWater initiative we have been flooded (if youll excuse the pun) with enquiries and messages of support from all corners of the globe. From the arid South Western United States to Australia, and from the permanently soggy Dutch polders to South East Asia, water is a major issue. In some cases there is not enough to meet demand, as developers in South East Spain found when the new government switched from a water diversion project to desalination plants, charging resorts 10 times more that residential consumers. In other cases, the problems are more related to contamination of groundwater, whether causing diarrhoea related illnesses or heavy metal poisoning.
The Amsterdam conference is just a starting point, something for the international community to focus on. It is no coincidence that will be held during Aquatech, Europes biggest water industry trade show as there is a common goal here. All the technologies needed to supply safe, clean water already exist; the goal is to make them affordable! Nanotechnology is already affecting the economics of a wide range of industries, from automobiles to microelectronics, and the question we have to answer is, can we do the same for water?
If we can, then the huge investment in nanotechnology has the potential to produce a positive result for the entire population of this planet, open up new markets and create economies of scale for water industry companies, and give the general public a concrete example of just how important technology is to their daily lives. We have been recently criticised by some in the MNT community for not taking diamondoid flying nanobots seriously, but to be honest, we believe that addressing this type of issue is a far better use of our, and everyone elses time.
This is real nanoscience, addressing real world problems that will generate real revenues and real social benefits. Join us!