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Science reporter Audrey Quinn talks with engineers from Columbia University and Ghana about their new bioprocessing plant.
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
Science reporter Audrey Quinn talks with engineers from Columbia University and Ghana about their new bioprocessing plant.
Broadcast History
Aired on NHPR's on September 15th, 2011. An earlier version aired on Deutsche Welle Radio July 28th, 2011.
Transcript
Lead:
A sewage revolution breaks ground in Ghana this summer. In the capitol city of Accra, sanitation engineers aim to turn human waste into a new profit source. They’ll convert waste into biofuel. Independent producer Audrey Quinn brings us this report.
Script:
Vox 1
Kartik Chandran's an environmental engineer at Columbia University.
He's leading me through his lab space
KC sewage going in (0:14)
(pumping noise in background)
KC:So basically if you look at this reactor system you have sewage coming in, you have clean water going out and then you have the bacteria which are turned into energy as well.
AQ: Does it still smell?
KC:You can take a peek it doesn't smell at all.
(sniff)
AQ: No smell.
Vox 2
Chandran's work in his New York City lab may seem innocuous.
But half way across the world he's leading an upheaval.
He wants to drastically change the way Sub-Saharan Africa look...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:A sewage revolution breaks ground in Ghana this summer. In the capitol city of Accra, sanitation engineers aim to turn fecal sludge into a new profit source. They’ll convert waste into biofuel. Science producer Audrey Quinn brings us this report.
OUTRO:
