In Search of a Drought-Proof Source - The Ripple Effect: The Fate of Freshwater in the Twenty-First Century - page 296

just as it transformed itself into the world's largest semiconductor maker, Intel refash-
ioned itself into a leading environmental steward and built one of the most water-effi-
cient factories in the world.
I asked Tom Cooper if Intel could ever become “ water neutral , ” meaning that it
would recycle or offset all of its water use so it had zero net impact on the environment,
as Coca-Cola and others aspire to do. Cooper stared off into the distance, then changed
the subject. Clearly, the question bugged him. A few days later he e-mailed me: “To be
candid, we don't know yet. What we can be sure of is that the solution will boil down to:
collect and analyze lots of data, communicate internally and externally, have persisten-
ce, and use a lotof patience.”
Cooper doesn't believe Intel will revolutionize the way Americans use water
overnight. There is no systems theory of water, no silver bullet to solve every water prob-
lem. But the efficiencies built into Fab 32 indicate a “blue” path to follow in coming dec-
ades. As Cooper put it, “Lots of little, constant improvements eventually add up to big
improvements.” And in this drying century, every drop counts.