Emma Lorenzo: We really like music, sports, and nature,
but we are here to talk about our true passion
that is the environment and the preservation of the planet.
Sofia Justo: Not long ago, we read a FAO report that said
that the planet hit hydric stress levels.
Emma, do you know what hydric stress is?
EL: Yes, the planet suffers from hydric stress
when we consume more water than the amounts we have available.
That's why aquifers're being overexploited to the total drying up of springs.
Water consumption levels rise but its quantity and quality lowers.
Look, I'll give you a piece of information.
In Spain only, and for the last 25 years
the water demand has increased wiht a 60% which is a lot.
I have a question for you.
What percentage of all water available on the planet do you think is drinkable?
Audience: 6, 20.
Sofia, do you know?
SJ: 5%? EL: no.
SJ: 10%? EL: Wrong again.
SJ: Well, what is it then?
EL: Only 3% of the water on the planet is drinkable
and out of that percentage, 80% is for agriculture.
Look, in this picture we can see an example
of unsustainable agriculture since water is being wasted.
In this image we can see an example of sustainable agriculture
since water is being used at its top capacity.
Water, as we all know,
the water available now on the planet is not renewable.
There is all we have and we cannot replace it.
SJ: In highschool, during our last courses we've done some research field work
always related to the environment.
For example, how to turn a bad weed into magic weed.
We have prepared nettle fertilizer in order to produce purine
which works as insecticide, pesticide, and fertilizer.
The process of fermentation takes about 30 days,
and you should take into account the time factor
in order to obtain an optimal result
and thus reduce the soil pollution induced by the chemicals.
EL: Look, in this chart we can see the stages of the nettle fermentation.
During the first days, the nettle develops a pesticide property.
After aproximately 15 days we get the maximum nitrogen concentration
therefore, the nettle purine can be used as fertilizer.
And after 30 days the biggest nitrogen fixing bacterias concentration's achieved.
And the soil gains many nutrients.
In this image we can see 2 bedding plants:
one called purine because we water it with nettle purine.
and the other one is control, it means that we dont put it anything.
The seed watered with purine germinates a lot faster than the other.
SJ: In this example we can see the same plant after two months:
the purine plant looks healthier and more natural than the control plant.
After doing these works we've been awarded with a visit to the CSIC
where we met doctor Parra,
a scientist who gave us our first zeolite sample
and told us: "Let see what you can figure out of this mineral."
EL: We have brought this mineral here today in case you want to see it.
While researching about this mineral, we saw it had a high absortion capacity.
When we tried to get more, we noticed
it was really expensive and difficult to acquire.
We continued our research and found another mineral,
very much alike called sepiolite.
This mineral is a lot cheaper and easier to acquire; you can find it in cat sand.
So, we thought: Can we use the sepiolita
to improve water consumption in agriculture?
SJ: We started working.
We prepared different substrates
each one with different sepiolite and humus proportions,
and poured the same quantity of water
to see if the one with the most sepiolite in it and less humus
was capable of retaining most water and humidity.
The optimal substrate is 80% sepiolite, 20% humus.
In this case, we can see that the third case from the left
is the one with sepiolite,
and it has absorbed most water in relation to the others.
EL: Afterwards, we did some tests to find out if the sepiolite
was capable of retaining nutrients and chemicals.
To do this we use a cola drink.
In one bottle we can see that there is only sepiolite
and in the other one, humus.
We pour 200 milimeters of coke in each one of them,
and saw that sepiolite was capable of retaining these chemicals.
while humus wasn't, it expeled them all.
Therefore, using our tests we set ourselves 4 goals:
save water, avoid the pollution of the water sources,
and the poisoning of animals due to agrochemicals;
stronger plants and prevent famines that kill millions of children every year.
SJ: During all this time,
we have had some doubts and we wanted to quit,
but there was always a reason to keep on going.
I'll give you a piece of information.
By the time we turn 40, global population will have grown
to the level of consuming 60% more water than we consume today.
If today we are spending more water that there is available,
What would happen then?
Will water be the cause of future wars?
EL: Through our work, we want to contribute a bit and minimize this impact,
the greater challenge being to produce more food with the least amount of water.
One of the women who inspired us the most was Wangari Maathai,
Nobel peace prize in 2004.
She said: "Until you don't dig a hole, plant a tree, water it, and it survives,
you haven't done a thing, you are just talking."
SJ: "Little people in little places, doing little things, can change the world."
EL: As you all know, in Galicia, where we come from,
there are many forest fires every year.
That's why, this year we are extending our research to see if sepiolite
is capable of regenerating these soils and prevent the run-offs;
Another scientist of the CSIC says:
"Burned soils do not have the capability of absorbing water."
We believe sepiolite may help to solve this problem.
SJ: We have visited the burned hills
and delimited 3 areas of 4x4 meters each.
In the first plot we cover the soil with hay,
which is what is being used nowadays to protect the soil against run-offs.
In the second one, we cover the soil with sepiolite
and in the third one we left it as a control plot.
We are going to wait a few months to see if we can control the run-offs
and then, we are going to start the reforestation process.
It's clear to us that the lack of water and deforestation
produce famine worldwide.
EL: It's our dream that no child ever goes hungry,
because, there are people with great dreams
and there are others who are awake and make them real.
SJ: We would like to wake up one day and see all our dreams come true.
EL & SJ: Thank you very much, and please don't waste water.
(Applause)