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Virginia Tech expert helped expose Flint water crisis
am very Hokie Proud of Dr. Edwards and his team in uncovering this catastrophe; also learned that he spent $150,000 beyond his grant money (even mortgaging his home to do so) to make sure this came to light.
Dr. Edwards is the embodiment of Ut Prosim many of us Hokies wish to achieve...
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That's incredible. Serious commitment to his work and helping people.
Also, this is really cool...
And this right here is part of why the ACC is working out so well for us. We're quickly turning into a world class respected research institution, something of which probably wouldn't have been possible without the research partnerships we have with our conference peers.
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-public/lead-free-faucets-are-an...
Hah, funny that you bring this up. UNC had a similar problem when they opened a new building on campus a few years back. They were getting high levels of lead in the water, so the administration consulted the engineering department at UNC. To quote the article:
So, UNC's engineering department basically said "Uh, go ask VT." I find that humorous.
Ut Prosim to the fullest
That entire situation sickens me. I know corruption is alive and well, but how can these politicians be so careless as to throw people's well beings to the side? (Sidenote: NOT TRYING TO START A POLITICAL ARGUMENT)
Well done Dr. Edwards. You've made Hokie Nation proud
We could easily get into a non left/right discussion on this topic, but in a tiny nutshell it is because the general raison d'etre of politicians and the state is not to work for the people's interests, but for their own.
It has nothing to do with conspiracy or ideology, and everything to do with human nature, which with very rare exception always places the descending order of priority as self : family : tribe (ethnic or ideological) : humanity.
While self & family are a very close first and second, the dropoff to the rest of the priorities can be exponential.
I'll agree with you to an extent but I wouldn't call this human nature. It's true that most humans put themselves and family above all else but I don't think that most humans would risk lives in an entire city for political or financial gain. This is all about political greed and power and negligence.
Man can live and satisfy his wants only by ceaseless labor; by the ceaseless application of his faculties to natural resources. This process is the origin of property.
But it is also true that a man may live and satisfy his wants by seizing and consuming the products of the labor of others. This process is the origin of plunder.
Now since man is naturally inclined to avoid pain—and since labor is pain in itself—it follows that men will resort to plunder whenever plunder is easier than work. History shows this quite clearly. And under these conditions, neither religion nor morality can stop it.
When, then, does plunder stop? It stops when it becomes more painful and more dangerous than labor.
It is evident, then, that the proper purpose of law is to use the power of its collective force to stop this fatal tendency to plunder instead of to work. All the measures of the law should protect property and punish plunder.
But, generally, the law is made by one man or one class of men. And since law cannot operate without the sanction and support of a dominating force, this force must be entrusted to those who make the laws. (p. 10)
This fact, combined with the fatal tendency that exists in the heart of man to satisfy his wants with the least possible effort, explains the almost universal perversion of the law. Thus it is easy to understand how, law, instead of checking injustice, becomes the invincible weapon of injustice. It is easy to understand why the law is used by the legislator to destroy in varying degrees among the rest of the people, their personal independence by slavery, their liberty by oppression, and their property by plunder. This is done for the benefit of the person who makes the law, and in proportion to the power that he holds.
Men naturally rebel against the injustice of which they are victims. Thus, when plunder is organized by law for the profit of those who make the law, all the plundered classes try somehow to enter—by peaceful or revolutionary means—into making the laws. According to their degree of enlightenment, these plundered classes may propose one of two entirely different purposes when they attempt to attain political power: Either they may wish to stop lawful plunder, or they may wish to share in it. Woe to the nation when this latter purpose prevails. (p. 11)
"The Law" by Frederick Bastiat
Same professor who found the problem's with DC water.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/22/AR201005...
Was hoping someone would mention this. Dr. Edwards fought a long and difficult battle against the city (DC) to prove that his work and findings were legitimate when they attempted to discredit him. He brought a TON of publicity to our program which, in turn, helped to put the Environmental and Water Resources graduate department on the map. I never took any classes underneath him or worked with him but I had a handful of friends who did and he's certainly someone that HokieNation should be proud of.
michigan atty general just announced independent investigation into the incident. seriously doubt that happens without Dr. Edwards and his team's hard work. ut prosim indeed
Too bad whoever investigates independently will be less qualified than the Tech team that already did all of the work...
They interviewed him on CNN and the caption read "Virginia Tech University". I'll give high school recruits a break, but it was frustrating to see that on CNN. Being in the same city as Georgia Tech, you'd think they'd know better.
So you're saying they did it on purpose to slight us
Inexcusable, considering 'Virginia Tech University' is explicitly forbidden by our Brand Guide. I give recruits a pass because they don't know any better, but CNN has Quality Control standards in place to ensure they get that right. Lazy editors deserve to be called out.
Yeah, right? Calling us a "University"? How dare they.
Or... and I know this might sound crazy, if you're going to refer to us, call us by our name, and not something else.
We have a brand guide for a reason. Unacceptable for the media to be ignorant of it.
Or, call me what you want...just call me?
maybe?
All kidding aside, I will admit that this is one that doesn't bother me. As for our being able to dictate what we are being called, I think we've won that battle, if not the war. Few media outlets have used the University thing, and you yourself forgive the recruits. I don't think Va Tech University will become the next thing, usually media will go through pains to shorten anything they can, I once even heard V-Tech, but it's just my opinion.
It's not just the media. I remember seeing some papers and/or articles that faculty members have published, and it's listed in the scholarly journal as "Virginia Tech University". That's what bothers me more.
lol at thinking CNN knows better about anything
Wait, the same CNN that used a toy plane to demonstrate what happens when a plane is flying and then crashes?
Well, whaddya expect, it's CNN.
The most disappointing thing was when he presented his findings and was dismissed as if he had artificially increased the amount of lead in the water. I like to think scientists have integrity.
This is a problem that needs to be fixed. Congrats to the VT professor who helped identify and prove it.
Now, if only we can get the government (at all levels) to work together, to start fixing it, and to stop pointing fingers in an attempt to make political gains...
Virginia Tech: Inventing and saving the future.
Congratulations to Dr. Edwards and his team (there are other faculty, postdocs, and students who are getting a lot less pub) on this very important work and bringing this terrible situation to light. This is what happens when science is properly conducted, in an affront to the comforting narrative that those in
control of the situationpower would have you believe. Sometimes the truth hurts. And sometimes those people incontrolpower massively screw up and have to be held accountable.The truth ultimately surfaces.
I am again proud to call myself a professional scientist, trained by the excellent faculty at Virginia Tech.
Great work by Dr. Edwards! He's been an expert in the field for a long time. His work saved lives in DC and now Flint. He's just now getting recognition for it .
There is a talk on Thursday night from Dr. Edwards. I am seriously debating going.
There will be a live stream on the VT homepage for anyone interested.
http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2016/01/012616-engineering-flinttalk.html
Dr. Sands tweeted this earlier.
I am beyond proud of a Virginia Tech professor uncovering this atrocity. I'm horrified the atrocity took place at all.
I was just about to come here to post the link to the WaPo article. Nice pull on the tweet from Sandsman!
That picture gives me all the good feels.
I bet VT applications from Michigan go up in the future.
Definitely another great reason to be a proud Virginia Tech Civil and Environmental Engineer!
https://www.gofundme.com/flintstudyvt
They set up a go fund me page to try to defray the costs
FYI,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/01/26/meet-the...
This may be behind a wall, so open in incognito window if you've already surpassed your 'five free articles this month' on WaPo.