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<\/a><\/p><\/span><\/p> Accelerating Innovation for a Sustainable Future.<\/strong><\/p> We’ve been working on this project for some time — an innovative collaborative process to “launch” ideas, or disruptive green technologies, that address some of this planet’s growing pains.<\/p> All props to NASA’s Robbie Schingler<\/a>, who envisioned a barcamp-type atmosphere to discuss sustainability challenges. We’d been looking for ways to tell our Space Station<\/a> green story, and this concept fit the bill. We pulled together a team of creative folks, all bringing together different strengths, to birth theLAUNCH:Water incubator<\/a> we’ll debut next week.<\/p> We wanted a <\/strong>TED-style<\/strong><\/a> event but with teeth, where we can chomp into issues and mash-up new approaches and solutions.<\/strong><\/p> We created LAUNCH<\/a> as a global initiative to identify and support the innovative work that is poised to contribute to a sustainable future. We want this process to accelerate solutions to meet urgent challenges facing our society. That’s the goal: to make a difference, leave this world better tomorrow than it is today.<\/em><\/p> We chose water<\/a> as a logical starting point because it’s an issue we deal with on Space Station<\/a> every day in orbit. Not only is water <\/a>a critical commodity for our orbiting pioneers, but for so many living on our home planet.<\/p> Scarcity within a hostile environment is something we Earthlings and space travelers share.<\/strong><\/p> So what is LAUNCH:Water<\/a>? We are working with our founding partners, USAID<\/a>,State Department<\/a>, and NIKE, to allow 10 water-related emerging technologyinnovators<\/a> the opportunity to present their ideas to a small group of thought-leaders<\/a>from varied disciplines for a two and a half day conversation about possibilities. We break into small impact rotations to discuss content-focused issues\/opportunities that affect each innovator individually. We have a team working with the innovators to develop how we shape these impact sessions for maximum benefit. Our hope is to use these structured conversations to leap-frog these ten innovators<\/a> further down the path toward success in solving water issues facing our planet.<\/p> Why NASA? Because we’re problem-solvers — against all odds.<\/strong><\/p> We solve problems. That’s what we do. I like to call it our brand reduction sauce– after all the ingredients are thrown into the pot and cooked and the essence is left behind. So why not convene a group of expert problem-solvers in various disciplines to address issues we face both on Earth and in the heavens above? LAUNCH is a gathering of problem-solvers to solve one MAJOR problem:<\/p> how to sustain life ON and OFF Earth.<\/strong><\/p> We’ll live-stream<\/a> the innovators’ presentations on Tuesday March 16th and Wednesday March 17th, so you can be part of this glorious experiment with us. We have a LAUNCHorg twitter<\/a> account that we’ll keep updated, as well.<\/p> I’m looking forward to meeting all the innovators in person next week. I’m particularly excited about one of the innovations that bubbled up in the process: Manna Energy<\/a>, run in his spare time by astronaut Ron Garan<\/a> or @astro_ron<\/a> on Twitter. You can go to their website or @MannaEnerg<\/a>y twitter feed to learn how they’re deploying water filtration devices in more than 400 schools in Rwanda<\/a>, along with biogas generators and high efficiency cookstoves at 300 locations. Gives me goosebumps.<\/p> We’ll have so much to share as we move toward our inaugural event next week. We plan to serve “recycled water” just like our astronauts drink on Station, BTW. I guess we can’t serve it in paper cups or plastic bottles — neither are friends of the environment. Yet, if we serve in glass cups, we’ll have to wash them with water and detergent — not nice to the our planet either. Our most sustainable option will be to squirt “reformed urine” directly into the mouths of our guests. Now that will be a sight to see, won’t it? Good thing we’re live-streaming the event. Stay tuned for frequent updates from the field.<\/p> Crosspost on BethBeck’s Blog<\/a> and GovLoop<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’m SO excited to share details about NASA’s newest, coolest, never-been-done-before sustainability initiative, LAUNCH:Water.Accelerating Innovation for a Sustainable Future.We’ve been working on this project for some time — an innovative collaborative process to “launch” ideas, or disruptive green technologies, that … Continue reading ![\"Launch:Water](\"http:\/\/euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-o-matic\/cache\/e0d52_launchwater_logo1.jpg\"){kind=logo}
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