Name: Flint: A Timeline
Uploaded: undefined
Duration: undefined

Nova

Follow the emergency in Flint from the switch in water supply to today’s health crisis.

Flint: A Timeline

NOVA Science Trust Logo

<div class="rich-text">Follow the emergency in Flint from the switch in water supply to today’s health crisis.
</div>

Follow the emergency in Flint from the switch in water supply to today’s health crisis.


<div class="rich-text">Follow the emergency in Flint from the switch in water supply to today’s health crisis.
</div>

Body & Brain

<div class="rich-text"><h3>
 Flint: A Timeline
</h3>



 Remember the lead crisis in Flint, Michigan? It’s 2017 and many people are still living on bottled water.


 To understand how this happened, we need to back up to the 20th century.


 Lead pipes are laid to bring water to people’s homes.


 Eventually, water is sourced from Lake Huron.


 It’s safe to drink because they add a chemical that helps form a protective scale on the interior of the pipes. The scale keeps the pipe from corroding dangerous chemicals, like lead, into the water.


 In 2011, Flint city managers see an opportunity to save money by building a new pipeline to Lake Huron. But, building that pipeline will take years.


 So in the meantime, Flint switches its water source to the Flint River.


 But they don't add corrosion control to the water, which would keep that protective scale intact on the inside of the pipes.


 It’s not long before General Motors stops using Flint water because the water is corroding their parts.


 Residents notice problems too.


 The protective scale is flaking off. Corroding pipes turn the water brown and contaminate it with lead.


 Residents complain of rashes and hair loss, but the local government, state government and the EPA all fail to take action.


 The crisis continues to unfold, and in August of 2015, concerned Flint residents including LeeAnne Walters, a citizen scientist, partner with Marc Edwards, a researcher at Virginia Tech, to launch an investigation.


 Together with Marc’s students, they collect samples from over 250 homes.


 After multiple scientific studies, the lead crisis is no longer deniable and the city decides to switch back to water from Lake Huron.


 But damage to the pipes and to the people of Flint has already been done and the population’s faith in the government is lost.


 In December of 2015, a state of emergency is declared.


 One month later, the National Guard is deployed to provide bottled water to the residents.


 Aid has totaled to over $300 million dollars.


 Now, new pipes are being laid across Flint.


 Authorities predict the project will end by 2020, but Flint may never be the same.

</div>

Canada

United States

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

American Samoa

Guam

U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

US, US Territories, Canada

US & Territories

NOVA investigates the story of cannabis from the criminalization that has disproportionately harmed communities of color to the latest medical understanding of the plant. What risks does cannabis pose to the developing brain? How much do we know about its potential medical benefits? As cannabis becomes socially accepted, scientists are exploring its long-term health consequences. (Premiered September 29, 2021)Check out a previously recorded panel discussion and audience Q&amp;A featuring experts and producers from "The Cannabis Question" <a href="https://youtu.be/nSTT5RZ_hxA">here</a>.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

The Cannabis Question

A 2006 composite image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Telescope shows the chaos of baby stars in the Orion nebula some 1,500 light-years away. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI

With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble era is gradually drawing to a close. Here are some highlights from the countless wonders Hubble has shown us during its 31 years in space.

10 spectacular Hubble Space Telescope images

A statue of Zheng He at the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Java, Indonesia. Image Credit: Budianto Santosa, Shutterstock

In the 1400s, Zheng He sailed thousands of miles around Asia and Africa in ships the size of soccer fields, spreading Chinese innovations like compasses and gunpowder in the process.

Transcript

Credits

Support Provided By