Conference Presentation, Fireside Chat, Interview, Keynote
Lighting the Globe: Manoj Bhargava in Conversation with Sheryl WuDunn
Milken InstituteManoj Bhargava, Sheryl WuDunn, Eric Schmidt, John McCutchan, Raymond Santos, Jennifer Doyle, Sharon Chandran
- Predicts imminent water shortages in specific regions of China, India, and Africa, with a plan to install the first water cleaning unit in California within the first few months of the coming year and achieve certification results showing sludge treated to be 40% better than drinking water requirements.
- Aims to produce and scale water devices that are 30% to 40% less electricity-intensive than reverse osmosis systems, capable of operating within minutes, harnessing wasted daytime grid energy, and removing contaminants like arsenic, with initial monthly production of a few hundred units scaling to a plant capacity of 5,000 units daily in locations such as India and Singapore.
- Projects the "Free Electric" bicycle program will electrify one to two billion people, enabling activities like sewing, carpentry, and evening commerce through a hybrid technology that provides 24 hours of electricity after one hour of pedaling, with a business model relying on dealer margins for accessories rather than the base unit.
- Forecasts the "Renew" medical patch will monitor heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, hydration, respiration, and oxygen to detect sepsis four hours before organ failure, identify cancer eight years in advance, and track sports-related risks, using lithium-ion batteries to replace lead-acid versions within the next few months while addressing the long-term recycling of batteries.
- Establishes a timeline for mass deployment where the water device enters production in late June or early July, expands supply to Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia after establishing operations in India, and addresses potential maintenance challenges by positioning the technology as simpler to fix than solar panels or wind turbines, which the speaker deems unsuitable for remote village deployment.
- Outlines risks associated with inaction, specifically warning that failing to implement prevention strategies in healthcare will lead to increased hospitalization, and notes that the speaker anticipates an intense workload where a project may "drive them crazy" to ensure execution rather than just discussion.
- Details future operational plans including the distribution of technology to enable internet access for schools, support for farming with reduced water and no urea, and the potential for communities to own rather than rent electricity systems, while acknowledging that battery recycling in impoverished areas will become a permanent necessity in five to six years.
- Confirms that the organization intends to remain a small team of 35 to 40 people, build facilities in the US and potentially India, and train parties on factory lines, while welcoming competition as long as it is executed well, to solve fundamental human needs for water and energy across the "unlucky half of the world."