Pullman City Council Meeting

Brynn Bogen
J305 Meeting Paper
1.27.10
The Pullman City Council met on Tuesday to discuss a revolutionary technology called “clean tech.” Resident expert and the head of technology commercialization at Washington State University Keith Jones was invited to share his innovative new findings and plans for the future.

Clean technology is "a rapidly emerging investment area defined as products, services, and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources while dramatically reducing the use of natural resources, emissions, and wastes.” Keith Jones went on to give some practical examples of how clean technology will benefit us as consumers.

At the Washington State University research lab they are in the process of developing a natural, safe, and organic ingredient that is meant to replace the herbicide that is sprayed on potatoes. This new ingredient will make the pesticides that come on normal potatoes and that linger in the air nonexistent.

By eliminating these pesticides, it will make the air less polluted, better for our lungs, and better for our overall health.

Sierra Foutch, a junior at Washington State University who was at the meeting, said that she is “concerned with the current use of pesticides because we aren’t sure about the long term effects of using pesticides, such as the possibility of cancer and other diseases.”

When Jones proposed the idea of developing a safe and natural ingredient to replace the pesticides and herbicides used, she said that she was “very intrigued and excited by the possibility of being able to use organic substances that are less harmful for the environment, the farmers, and the people who eat their products.”

Also, he talked about a new technology that, in theory, would be able to turn seawater into clean drinking water. If this were made possible it would further our limited resources and extend our water supply.

Keith Jones said that “We can generate clean drinking water from seawater if we had the resources. There is a danger that this resource could be exhausted.” The technology for this and things like it would be local yet valued by large companies in India and China, thus generating revenue.

It’s no secret. Washington State is in desperate need of money as is the rest of the United States. With this new technology, revenue would be generated for Washington State University, Washington State as a whole, and the rest of the United States. Also, people from all over the world would benefit from the ability to turn seawater to clean drinking water.

John Sherman, the Pullman City Supervisor, said that he thought the presentation and the research was “impressive and cutting edge” and encouraged him to keep on in his endeavors. He also thanked him for “his leadership on the subject and for engineering all the research to make incredible things like extending the water supply possible with the right amount of financial support.”