General Discussion

Omaha Steve

(99,658 posts) Sun Apr 13, 2014, 06:59 PM Apr 2014

This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air (3rd world)

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-tower-pulls-drinking-water-out-of-thin-air-180950399/?no-ist

Designer Arturo Vittori says his invention can provide remote villages with more than 25 gallons of clean drinking water per day

By Tuan C. Nguyen
smithsonianmag.com
April 8, 2014

In some parts of Ethiopia, finding potable water is a six-hour journey.

People in the region spend 40 billion hours a year trying to find and collect water, says a group called the Water Project. And even when they find it, the water is often not safe, collected from ponds or lakes teeming with infectious bacteria, contaminated with animal waste or other harmful substances.

The water scarcity issue—which affects nearly 1 billion people in Africa alone—has drawn the attention of big-name philanthropists like actor and Water.org co-founder Matt Damon and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who, through their respective nonprofits, have poured millions of dollars into research and solutions, coming up with things like a system that converts toilet water to drinking water and a "Re-invent the Toilet Challenge," among others.

Critics, however, have their doubts about integrating such complex technologies in remote villages that don't even have access to a local repairman. Costs and maintenance could render many of these ideas impractical.

FULL story at link.

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21 replies

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Highlight:

This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air (3rd world) (Original Post) Omaha Steve Apr 2014 OP

We'll need some droids to work on these. DirkGently Apr 2014 #1

I LOLed. progressoid Apr 2014 #4

What I really need is a droid who understands the binary language of moisture vaporators. Dr Hobbitstein Apr 2014 #6

I am fluent in over six million forms of communication. DirkGently Apr 2014 #21

We might need those here in the desert southwest soon Warpy Apr 2014 #2

Not just for areas in drought... toddwv Apr 2014 #10

Solar still... PoliticAverse Apr 2014 #3

Take notes, smile. oldandhappy Apr 2014 #5

Depending on reliability, Jenoch Apr 2014 #7

I used a small solar still when I lived in Baja. oldandhappy Apr 2014 #14

I have a book Jenoch Apr 2014 #17

Redwoods live off of the fog, that's why they grow where they do. eppur_se_muova Apr 2014 #8

I never realized this. Thanks. oldandhappy Apr 2014 #13

NOBODY realized it, until fairly recently. :) eppur_se_muova Apr 2014 #15

Thank You For Sharing cantbeserious Apr 2014 #9

Here is a billboard that collects "humidity" and condenses it into drinking water: Arugula Latte Apr 2014 #11

The moisture farmers on Tatooine are unimpressed. ;) Javaman Apr 2014 #12

Ah, but the Freemen on Dune may want to compare notes. randome Apr 2014 #16

I'm humbled. Javaman Apr 2014 #20

The phrase "3rd world" is a bit passe KamaAina Apr 2014 #18

The need for people to repair any kind of technology is a problem. Years ago I went to school with jwirr Apr 2014 #19

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)

1. We'll need some droids to work on these.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 07:02 PM

Apr 2014

progressoid

(49,991 posts)

4. I LOLed.

Reply to DirkGently (Reply #1)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 07:47 PM

Apr 2014

And then I typed the word "LOLed" .

Dr Hobbitstein

(6,568 posts)

6. What I really need is a droid who understands the binary language of moisture vaporators.

Reply to DirkGently (Reply #1)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 09:27 PM

Apr 2014

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)

21. I am fluent in over six million forms of communication.

Reply to Dr Hobbitstein (Reply #6)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 09:35 PM

Apr 2014

Warpy

(111,270 posts)

2. We might need those here in the desert southwest soon

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 07:02 PM

Apr 2014

This year has been brutally dry so far and shows no sign of getting any wetter.

toddwv

(2,830 posts)

10. Not just for areas in drought...

Reply to Warpy (Reply #2)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 01:13 AM

Apr 2014

With all the shit they are dumping in rivers and other sources used for water supplies, even water heavy states like here in WV may need devices like this...

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

3. Solar still...

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 07:04 PM

Apr 2014

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_still

oldandhappy

(6,719 posts)

5. Take notes, smile.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 09:18 PM

Apr 2014

We are in severe drought in CA. Many farmers have been told to not plant or to severely cut back on planting. I know some orange farmers who have been systemically cutting down their trees.

Have seen places in Baja where people put up screens and capture water when the fog comes in.

Reality.

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)

7. Depending on reliability,

Reply to oldandhappy (Reply #5)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 09:38 PM

Apr 2014

a solar still could help in maming potable water available for human consumption, but it certainly would not be cost effective for agriculture uses.

oldandhappy

(6,719 posts)

14. I used a small solar still when I lived in Baja.

Reply to Jenoch (Reply #7)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 10:34 AM

Apr 2014

It was great. Water was delicious. And you are correct. It would be difficult for agriculture. Hmmmm

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)

17. I have a book

Reply to oldandhappy (Reply #14)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 12:10 PM

Apr 2014

about a guy who survived in a liferaft on the Atlantic for 176 days because he had a small, inflatible solar still.

eppur_se_muova

(36,266 posts)

8. Redwoods live off of the fog, that's why they grow where they do.

Reply to oldandhappy (Reply #5)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 10:36 PM

Apr 2014

Todd Dawson, PhD, and his team of researchers have conducted key studies into redwood tree rings, as part of his career to understand the fundamental ecology of coast redwoods and giant sequoias. His research has discovered that coast redwoods intercept enough fog with their massive crowns to provide 20-40% of the total precipitation inputs to the coast redwood forest. Additional studies have shown that redwoods soak up this water through their leaves as well as from the “fog drip” at their roots. In the last decade, Dawson completed six League co-founded studies exploring topics such as the redwoods’ ability to absorb carbon from the air.

http://rcci.savetheredwoods.org/initiative/team.shtml

There are insects in various desert climates throughout the world who get water by collecting fog condensate on their body hairs, often specially adapted for the purpose.

http://phys.org/news/2013-08-fog-harvesting-fresh-thin-air.html

oldandhappy

(6,719 posts)

13. I never realized this. Thanks.

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Reply #8)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 10:32 AM

Apr 2014

eppur_se_muova

(36,266 posts)

15. NOBODY realized it, until fairly recently. :)

Reply to oldandhappy (Reply #13)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 11:54 AM

Apr 2014

Ain't science wonderful ?

cantbeserious

(13,039 posts)

9. Thank You For Sharing

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Apr 13, 2014, 10:52 PM

Apr 2014

eom

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)

11. Here is a billboard that collects "humidity" and condenses it into drinking water:

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 01:56 AM

Apr 2014

http://www.reshareable.tv/never-thought-a-billboard-could-be-used-this-way.html

Javaman

(62,530 posts)

12. The moisture farmers on Tatooine are unimpressed. ;)

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 08:15 AM

Apr 2014

Very cool!

randome

(34,845 posts)

16. Ah, but the Freemen on Dune may want to compare notes.

Reply to Javaman (Reply #12)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 12:01 PM

Apr 2014

[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]

Javaman

(62,530 posts)

20. I'm humbled.

Reply to randome (Reply #16)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 02:42 PM

Apr 2014

good one.

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)

18. The phrase "3rd world" is a bit passe

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 12:15 PM

Apr 2014

the PC term is "the developing world", or more PC still, "the Global South".

jwirr

(39,215 posts)

19. The need for people to repair any kind of technology is a problem. Years ago I went to school with

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 12:22 PM

Apr 2014

several students from Nigeria. They told us about how Proctor Gambles built a soap factory in their community. They did teach one of the locals to do repairs but that person was never replaced and the factory closed down. Any solution has to be first simple in design so that it does not fall to pieces so often and then locals - more than one - need to be trained to repair it.

Other than that I love this idea.

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