Sun-run device turns dirty water into hydrogen fuel & drinking water
Researchers have developed a new solar-powered desalination system that produces high amounts of drinkable water and uses a technique inspired by the ocean to avoid the problem of salt clogging. Scaled up, the system could provide enough drinking water to fulfil the daily needs of a small family.
https://newatlas.com/science/solar-desal-system-produces-drinkable-water-quickly-without-salt-clogging/
At disaster sites, it's not uncommon for both the water supply and electrical grid to be out of commission. That's where a new system may someday come in, as it utilizes just a small amount of electricity – which could be stored in a battery – to desalinate seawater for drinking.
https://newatlas.com/technology/low-power-desalination-system/
Researchers have created a superabsorbent hydrogel that can pull moisture from the air in greater quantities than previously reported materials, even in desert conditions. The new material opens the door to creating an effective, sustainable method of addressing the important issue of water scarcity. Water is key to human survival, energy, food production, and healthy ecosystems. At the same time, climate change has added to the burden of maintaining global water and energy supplies due to shifting environmental conditions. According to Unicef, almost two-thirds of the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.
https://newatlas.com/materials/salt-loaded-hydrogel-pulls-water-from-air-in-desert-conditions/
In a highly unexpected approach to renewable energy, researchers in Korea have developed a low-cost, easily-manufactured advanced membrane that actually generates electricity as it turns wastewater, seawater or groundwater into drinking water.
A team from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Myongji University, both located in Seoul, has published a new paper describing an "electricity generation and purification membrane for water recycling."
https://newatlas.com/technology/kist-water-purification-electricity/
Although we've seen a number of systems that use sunlight to purify tainted water, their output is often quite limited. A new loofah-inspired hydrogel, however, uses sunlight to treat much more water in one go … enough to meet a person's daily needs.
Existing solar-still-type systems use sunlight to heat dirty water to the point that it starts evaporating. The resulting pollutant-free water vapor condenses on a surface within the still, then trickles down into a collection reservoir. It's a clever setup, but it only produces potable water as long as the sun is shining – even then, it's a slow process.
https://newatlas.com/materials/loofah-hydrogel-water-purification
New Holland Agriculture has announced a new tractor designed to run on fuel created on-site using cow manure. The T7 Methane Power LNG offers the same power and torque as a diesel tractor, but it's part of a system that can greatly reduce emissions.
The system, upon which New Holland has partnered with UK company Bennamann, works roughly like this: farmers collect as much cow poop as possible as a slurry, and instead of directly using it as fertilizer, they pump it into large tanks, or covered lagoons. Anaerobic organisms chow down on this lumpy thickshake, and produce a biogas that contains mainly methane.
https://newatlas.com/energy/cow-dung-tractor-biomethane/
UMich researchers have demonstrated an artificial photosynthesis device 10 times more efficient and one hundredth the size of previous devices of its kind. This green hydrogen production method also improves over time, and can split seawater.
https://newatlas.com/energy/umich-solar-hydrogen/
With an ability to turn friction into small amounts of electricity, triboelectric generators may one day be used in clothes that turn movement into power, in battery-free brain implants, and a host of other scenarios. Scientists working on cheap and easy versions of these tiny generators have landed upon a design that makes use of store-bought double-sided tape, and which they say can perform on par with more complex versions when it comes to producing electricity.
https://newatlas.com/energy/cheap-easy-electrical-generator-store-bought-tape/
This remarkable desalination device, made from 170,000 recycled plastic bottles, runs on mechanical power from waves as it floats in the ocean, and creates up to 13,000 gallons (53,000 liters) of fresh water a day – while discharging far less concentrated salty brine than other designs.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/oneka-wave-power-desalination/
As microplastics pollution and potable water scarcity both worsen, it's becoming increasingly important to find efficient ways of filtering and desalinating seawater. A new aerogel definitely holds some promise, and it's made from egg whites.
Princeton University's Prof. Craig Arnold first got the idea at a faculty meeting, when he was contemplating the bread in his sandwich. He thought that the bread's internal structure would work well if incorporated into a water-filtration aerogel, so he got his lab group to develop different bread recipes with added carbon.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/egg-whites-water-filter-aerogel/
In order to grow big and strong, plants require the red and blue light that are part of the visible "white" light produced by the sun. Scientists have now developed a plant-boosting film, that converts the sun's UV light into more red light.
https://newatlas.com/science/wcm-film-plant-growth-ultraviolet-red-light/
While wind energy systems can come in some pretty big forms, scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore have been working on a low-cost solution at the other end of the spectrum. The team has developed an inexpensive device sensitive enough to capture energy from a light breeze and turn it into electricity, generating enough to run a small commercial sensor.
https://newatlas.com/energy/cheap-wind-harvester-electricity-gentle-breeze/
While greenhouses produce wastewater that may contain pollutants, microalgae-growing operations require a source of water – which is scarce in many regions. A new project aims to address both problems, by growing water-purifying algae in readily available greenhouse runoff.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/realm-microalgae-greenhouse-runoff/
Water scarcity is a major problem for much of the world's population, but with the right equipment drinking water can be wrung out of thin air. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have now demonstrated a low-cost gel film that can pull many liters of water per day out of even very dry air.
https://newatlas.com/materials/drinking-water-harvester-air-gel-film
Engineers at the University of Tokyo have developed a new type of desalination membrane that they claim is faster, and requires less pressure and energy than existing tech. The new membrane is made up of a series of nanoscale tubes lined with a Teflon-inspired material that repels salts while allowing water to flow through with little friction.
https://newatlas.com/materials/teflon-inspired-tube-desalination-membrane-water-purification/
Although there are already portable systems that create drinking water by desalinating and purifying seawater, they typically utilize filters that have to be replaced. A new MIT setup, however, just requires a small amount of electricity to get the job done.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/filterless-portable-seawater-drinkable/
There are many parts of the world in which fresh water may be plentiful, but it's also full of harmful microbes. An experimental new filter is able to purify such water for drinking, and it's powered solely by sunlight.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/sun-powered-water-filter/
In remote desert locations, at least two things are likely to be lacking: an electrical grid, and a source of water for agriculture. An experimental new system addresses both problems, by combining photovoltaic panels with an absorbent hydrogel.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/wec2p-water-electricity-desert/
A shortage of drinking water is a key problem in many parts of the world, and it's a cruel irony that huge amounts are floating around in the air, inaccessible. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have now developed a salty hydrogel that can pull plenty of fresh drinking water out of air in relatively low humidity.
https://newatlas.com/technology/drinking-water-harvester-air-salty-hydrogel/
Desalination is being explored as a way to solve the shortages of drinking water that plague much of the world, but it has a few issues to iron out. A new design for a solar-powered desalination device prevents the build-up of salt, making for an efficient and affordable system. Just four dollars' worth of materials should be enough for a device that can provide a family's daily drinking water.
https://newatlas.com/materials/desalination-family-drinking-water/
Access to clean water is a major unmet need in many parts of the world. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new hydrogel tablet that could help, with a prototype able to disinfect a liter of river water in one hour.
https://newatlas.com/materials/hydrogel-tablet-water-purifier/
When ingested, nutrient-rich spirulina blue-green algae is claimed to offer antioxidant, immune-boosting and cholesterol-lowering effects—among other things. And while it's typically consumed in powdered form, the Bloom system lets you grow the stuff in your own kitchen.
https://newatlas.com/around-the-home/bloom-spirulina-growing-system/
There are many parts of the world which lack infrastructure, but that get a lot of sunlight ... which makes buildings uncomfortably hot. A new system could help, as it uses a combination of sunlight and salt water—but no electricity—to produce a cooling effect.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/sunlight-salt-water-electricity-free-cooling-system/
water purification device
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/james-dyson-award-2021-finalists/
Sadly agriculture isn't the most efficient process, requiring huge amounts of land and resources, and as the human population grows, our food supply will be put under increasing stress. But a new study has shown that farming protein from microbes could be a more sustainable and efficient system.
https://newatlas.com/science/microbe-protein-food-security/
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/solar-still-rotating-cylinder/
Engineers at ETH Zurich have designed a new device that can wring drinking water out of the air. The system works day and night, and doesn't require any additional energy input, making it suited for use in remote or developing areas.
https://newatlas.com/science/passive-drinking-water-harvester/
Solar stills can be a very useful way to produce drinking water from dirty or salty water, but there's plenty of room for improvements in efficiency. Now, engineers at Virginia Tech have developed a "synthetic tree" inspired by mangroves, that mimics the natural process of transporting water up through roots and stems into leaves.
https://newatlas.com/science/synthetic-tree-water-purifier-solar-still/
https://newatlas.com/materials/kaust-lithium-phosphate-llto-hydrogen-desalination/
https://newatlas.com/environment/simple-catalyst-remove-perchlorate-water/
It's a cruel irony that Earth's surface is covered in water, but that the vast majority of it is undrinkable. If we could find a way to remove the salt, compounds and microbes that make so much of it unsafe for consumption, we might be able to chip away at some pretty fundamental human health concerns.
https://newatlas.com/environment/solar-desalination-unit-titanium-diaper/
In many parts of the world there may not be much precipitation, but there is a fair amount of water vapor in the air—particularly at night. An experimental new device draws in that vapor, then uses it to irrigate edible plants.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/smartfarm-plants-hydrogel-water/
Access to clean water is one of the world's most pressing problems, but a team of University at Buffalo researchers has come up with a new take on an old technology that uses sunlight to purify water. Led by associate professor of electrical engineering Qiaoqiang Gan, the team has created a device that uses black, carbon-dipped paper to produce fresh water with what is claimed to be near-perfect efficiency.
https://newatlas.com/solar-still-perfect-efficiency/54492/
Ironically, many of the places that most require water purification have the least-developed infrastructure. That's where a new filtration device comes in, as it's activated by the sun—and it's said to perform better than other solar-powered purification systems.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/water-purification-filter-sun/
Although Ceriporia lacerata fungus causes tree wood to rot, it also has a good side. According to a new study, adding the fungus to agricultural soil allows tomatoes to be grown using much less fertilizer.
https://newatlas.com/science/tree-fungus-less-fertilizer-tomatoes/
cientists at Brown University have demonstrated a promising new water purification technology that takes advantage of the tiny gaps in stacked sheets of graphene to filter out contaminants with great efficiency. The technology overcomes one of the key problems in this area of research, with the team behind it hopeful it can prove useful in a range of settings.
https://newatlas.com/materials/wrinkled-graphene-shortcut-water-purification/
While reverse osmosis is a relatively energy-efficient form of seawater desalination, it is nonetheless made less efficient by a problem known as biofouling. A new membrane coating, however, could address biofouling like never before.
https://newatlas.com/environment/polyelectrolyte-desalination-coating/
Building with mud may bring to mind a simple shelter, but Anandaloy, by German architect Anna Heringer, shows that doesn't necessarily have to be the case. The project showcases the possibilities of building with mud and bamboo, and provides an impressive new therapy center and manufacturing workshop in rural Bangladesh. It has been declared the winner of the Obel Award 2020.
https://newatlas.com/architecture/anandaloy-anna-heringer/
A good number of people take Spirulina as a dietary supplement, but researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science have found a way to coat the blue-green algae in semiconductor compounds, put the tiny spirals to work removing contaminants from water, and then make biofuels from their remains.
https://newatlas.com/science/empa-spirulina-blue-green-algae-decontamination-biofuels/
While 3D printing technology does allow for the quicker and cheaper construction of buildings, such structures are typically made of concrete, which isn't very eco-friendly. Soon, though, it may be possible to print buildings out of local soil.
https://newatlas.com/computers/western-digital-my-passport-portable-ssd/
Access to clean, safe drinking water is a necessity that.s worryingly not being met in many parts of the world. A new study has used a material called a metal-organic framework (MOF) to filter pollutants out of seawater, generating large amounts of fresh water per day while using much less energy than other methods.
https://newatlas.com/environment/metal-organic-framework-desalination-seawater/
Providing clean drinking water in regions where the resource is scarce is a huge challenge, and one that we're seeing plenty of inventive solutions to. A research team from the US Army and the University of Rochester is throwing a new possibility into the mix, showing off a "superwicking" aluminum panel that uses solar power to purify water with great efficiency.
https://newatlas.com/materials/water-purification-us-army-aluminum-panel/
Back in October 2016, the XPrize foundation turned its attention to the issue of water security, pointing to the growing strain placed on water resources by rapid population growth and climate change. Its US$1.75 million Water Abundance Prize aims to inspire ideas that can draw water from the atmosphere, and it has just announced its five finalists.
https://newatlas.com/xprize-water-abundance-five-finalists/53903/
Evaporation is one of the most enduring methods of purifying water to make it drinkable. Now researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have developed a novel device made of wood that can do just that, by employing bacteria to help build key nanostructures.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/solar-power-wood-bacteria-purify-water/
Having graced our pages with inventive coolers, stoves, utensils and ovens, GoSun is back with another clever device for eco-conscious campers. The newly launched GoSun Flow is a neat and portable water purification system that draws on solar power to clean water for washing and drinking, with the ability to squeeze into a compact carry case when it's time to get on the move.
https://newatlas.com/outdoors/gosun-flow-solar-water-purifier/
Beyond Survival: A Safe Space for Rohingya Women and Girls provides a much-needed community center for refugees in Bangladesh. The building was designed by architect Rizvi Hassan and is made from inexpensive locally-sourced materials like bamboo and straw.
https://newatlas.com/architecture/beyond-survival-bamboo-community-center/
Having graced our pages with inventive coolers, stoves, utensils and ovens, GoSun is back with another clever device for eco-conscious campers. The newly launched GoSun Flow is a neat and portable water purification system that draws on solar power to clean water for washing and drinking, with the ability to squeeze into a compact carry case when it.s time to get on the move.
https://newatlas.com/outdoors/gosun-flow-solar-water-purifier/
By converting liquid salt water—or tainted water—into steam, it's possible to obtain pure, clean drinking water. Doing so could soon be cheaper and easier than ever, thanks to a newly developed material.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/hydrogel-steam-water-purification/
it's one of life.s most frustrating ironies that Earth.s surface is over 70 percent water, but most of that is undrinkable. Desalination is an important technology that may help unlock more drinking water, and now two independent teams have developed new types of solar-powered desalination systems using very different mechanisms.
https://newatlas.com/science/solar-powered-desalination-projects-disaster/
In a move that could help feed the world's ever-growing population, researchers at MIT have developed a silk covering that allows seeds to grow in high-salinity soils. In addition to providing protection from salty soils, the silk coatings are treated with bacteria that naturally produce a nitrogen fertilizer, enhancing the potential of the seeds to germinate and grow.
https://newatlas.com/environment/silk-bacteria-coating-seeds-suitable-high-salinity-soil/
The idea of converting organic household waste into energy for cooking is certainly an appealing one, but getting a biogas system up and running in your own backyard can be quite an undertaking. Israeli company HomeBiogas is out to make this a more realistic proposition for eco-conscious households, and has just introduced a third-generation model it says produces 30 percent more clean fuel than its previous system, along with fertilizer to give your plant life a boost.
https://newatlas.com/energy/homebiogas-third-generation-30-percent-cooking-fuel/
As vital as clean water is for human life, unfortunately it.s not always easy for people to get enough. Adding insult to injury, the stuff is basically always floating around us in the air, unreachable. Now, researchers from the University of California Berkeley have developed a device that can wring drinkable amounts of water out of even the driest air.
https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/water-harvester-drinking-water-dry-desert-air/
Much of the world's soil is already too salty for agriculture, while existing cropland is becoming ever-saltier with repeated irrigation/evaporation cycles. There could be hope, though, as scientists have developed a method of growing plants in what would otherwise be "unusable" soil.
https://newatlas.com/science/plants-bacteria-salt-resistance/
Water desalination technologies play a vital role in converting saltwater into freshwater in parts of the world where access to the latter is lacking, but there is plenty of room for improvement. One opportunity for this lies in the materials used for water filtration systems, with scientists putting forward a wood-based alternative to the plastic-based membranes currently in use, with early experiments indicating a heightened performance to boot.
https://newatlas.com/princeton-wooden-water-filter/60886/
Killing up to 200,000 people annually, schistosomiasis is one of the most deadly parasitic diseases in the world, second only to malaria. Soon, however, prawn aquaculture could be used to control the snails that spread it—and to provide revenue for people in developing nations.
https://newatlas.com/prawn-aquaculture-snails-schistosomiasis/60721/
Current approaches to water desalination are tremendously expensive and energy-intensive, so the search is very much on for new technologies that can get the job done more efficiently. Scientists in Melbourne have put forward one rather promising solution, developing a new kind of system that heats up and purifies water using only the power of the Sun.
https://newatlas.com/solar-steam-generator-water-desalination/60726/
In many arid coastal regions, a great quantity of valuable fresh water is lost into the atmosphere every day, as it evaporates from the surface of the ocean. This situation prompted scientists to create a new hydrogel that's highly effective at capturing moisture from the sea air, and then releasing it as fresh water.
https://newatlas.com/hydrogel-fresh-water-ocean/60519/
A Stanford University team led by associate professor of chemical engineering Elizabeth Sattely is developing genetically engineered plants that can better absorb iron from the soil. By making it easier to ingest the trace mineral, it may be possible to open up the roughly one-third of the world's arable land that is unsuitable for growing staples like maize and soybeans.
https://newatlas.com/genetic-engineering-plants-bacteria-iron/60481/
"Hypersaline brine" is industrial waste-water with salt levels that exceed even that of seawater. It's a big, expensive, destructive problem which a team of engineers at Columbia University in New York City hope to solve with their solvent-based method of desalination.
https://newatlas.com/desalination-hypersaline-brine-solvent-method/59572/
Two years ago, XPrize extended its list of pioneering technology competitions with a new contest aimed at the problem of global water security. After revealing the five finalists earlier in the year, the foundation has today announced the grand prize winner, which outshone almost 100 competitors with its superior ability to harvest fresh water from thin air.
https://newatlas.com/xprize-water-abundance-winner/56860/
Although there are trillions of liters of water floating around in the air, it's not easily accessible for those who need it. Now engineers at UC Berkeley have developed a device powered only by the Sun that can pluck practical quantities of drinkable water out of thin air, and they've successfully field-tested it in the Arizona desert.
https://newatlas.com/water-harvester-air-field-test/55014/
Access to clean water is one of the world's most pressing problems, but a team of University at Buffalo researchers has come up with a new take on an old technology that uses sunlight to purify water. Led by associate professor of electrical engineering Qiaoqiang Gan, the team has created a device that uses black, carbon-dipped paper to produce fresh water with what is claimed to be near-perfect efficiency.
https://newatlas.com/solar-still-perfect-efficiency/54492/
In some parts of the world, one of the main ways of obtaining drinking water involves using the heat of the sun to boil salty or tainted water. That process, known as "solar steam generation," may soon be made simpler and less expensive—using burnt wood.
The basic idea behind solar steam generation is that untreated water gets drawn up through a surface-located material that's heated by sunlight, to the point that the water boils. The resulting steam rises, condenses and is collected in the form of purified water, while the salt and/or contaminants are left behind.
https://newatlas.com/burnt-wood-solar-steam/52224/
A Finnish research project has created a batch of single-cell protein using just electricity, water, carbon dioxide and microbes, in a small portable lab. While we're hesitant to call it "food" in its current state, the stuff is edible and nutritious enough to be used for cooking or livestock feed, and the team hopes that the system can eventually be used to grow food in areas where it's needed the most.
http://newatlas.com/protein-food-from-electricity/50557/
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has made his name by using cardboard and wood to craft low-cost disaster housing, and he will need to be at his enterprising and creative best as he tackles his next big project. The 2014 Pritzker prize winner has signed on to design thousands of new shelters in a major refugee settlement in Kenya, where he will have to make do with harsh conditions and limited resources.
http://newatlas.com/shigeru-ban-refugee-settlement-kenya/50587/
The majority of the planet's surface may be water, but unfortunately a heaping pile of salt makes most of that undrinkable. Desalination makes saltwater more palatable and potable, but being a bit of an energy guzzler means it isn't the most practical solution in off-grid situations. A new system makes use of nanoparticles to harness the power of the sun and distill water more efficiently, without needing electricity.
http://newatlas.com/scalable-solar-powered-desalination-system/50121/
Most of us take our indoor plumbing for granted, but about 40 percent of people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation. Many of those people live in cramped slums, where human waste ends up in rivers or the street, where it can contaminate drinking water and the food supply and cause disease.
A company called Sanergy is helping to solve that problem in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya with a cost-effective solution that is not just providing hygienic sanitation, but also creating badly needed jobs and taking the waste out of the community.
http://www.lemelson.org/resources/success-stories/Sanergy
According to the latest report by the World Health Organization, nearly two billion people lack access to clean drinking water. To address this problem, researchers from UC Berkeley and MIT have created a solar-powered device that can be used in places like the desert to harvest water from a relatively untapped resource: air, which contains an estimated 13,000 trillion liters of water.
http://newatlas.com/solar-harvester-berkeley-mit/49008/
Researchers from the University of Alexandria have developed a cheaper, simpler and potentially cleaner way to turn seawater into drinking water than conventional methods. This could have a huge impact on rural areas of the Middle East and North Africa, where access to clean water is a pressing issue if social stability and economic development is to improve.
http://newatlas.com/new-desalination-method-egypt/39941/
Although the Zika virus may be in the headlines a lot lately, malaria is still a much more common mosquito-borne illness. That's why in many parts of the world, insecticides are used to kill the disease-carrying mozzies. Unfortunately, however, the insects can develop a tolerance for the chemicals, plus there are environmental factors to consider. Now, solar-powered traps are showing great promise, in a pilot project that took place in Kenya.
http://newatlas.com/solarmal-solar-mosquito-trap/44845/
Engineers at the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) have developed graphene-based biofoam sheets that can be laid on dirty or salty dams and ponds to produce clean drinking water, using the power of the sun. This new technique could be a cheap and simple way to help provide fresh water in countries where large areas of water are contaminated with suspended particles of dirt and other floating matter.
http://www.gizmag.com/graphene-oxide-water-purification-wustl/44586/
For sufferers of pneumonia, access to concentrated oxygen can be the difference between life and death, but in some parts of the world such supplies aren't always so readily available. Researchers have developed a solar-powered oxygen concentrator and put it to use in hospitals in Uganda, where it is already supplying those desperately in need with round-the-clock care.
Oxygen therapy is a relatively commonplace treatment throughout the developed world, used to address low blood oxygen levels arising from conditions like asthma, heart failure and severe pneumonia, where inflamed lungs prevent the oxygen entering the blood stream. Devices called oxygen concentrators have made treatment possible in the home, but they require electricity to function, so aren't particularly conducive to regions with regular power outages.
http://www.gizmag.com/solar-power-oxygen-concentrator/44114/
When most people think of bacteria and urine together, chances are good they think of a not-so-pleasant infection. For researchers at the University of Bath however, unifying these two thoughts led to the development of a battery that could harness "pee power" to bring energy to parts of the world that might not otherwise have access to it.
http://www.gizmag.com/urine-battery/42866/
A cheap, easy to maintain, "green" toilet that uses no water and turns human waste into electricity and clean water will be trialed in 2016, possibly in Ghana. Dubbed the "Nano Membrane Toilet" by its creators from Cranfield University, UK, this new approach to managing waste could help some of the world's 2.3 billion people who have no access to safe, hygienic toilets
http://www.gizmag.com/waterless-nano-membrane-toilet/41108/
In remote areas of Africa, there aren't always schools nearby, let alone ones equipped for teaching digital literacy. An alternative is to take digital education to such remote locations. The DigiTruck is a fully equipped solar-powered mobile digital classroom that can do just that.
http://www.gizmag.com/digitruck-solar-powered-shipping-container-digital-classroom/40724/
As access to clean water continues to be an issue throughout the developing world, there's an increased demand for easier ways to turn contaminated and salty water into something you can drink. Researchers at MIT may have found a solution using a method they are calling shock electrodialysis. It uses electric shock waves to separate contaminated or salty water into two separate streams, with a natural barrier between each one.
http://www.gizmag.com/shock-electrodialysis-desalination/40384/
Despite having one of the world.s largest rivers running the length of its country, Egypt lacks the fresh water needed to supply its growing population. To quench an annual 7 billion cubic meter (247 billion cubic foot) shortfall, the country has looked to desalination, which is energy-intensive and expensive. Now, researchers from Alexandria University have developed a technique for desalinating and cleaning water that uses less than half the energy of current desalination methods, making it potentially cheap enough as a viable fresh water source.
http://www.gizmag.com/desalination-using-half-the-power/40149/
An Israeli-Palestinian NGO is using solar and wind energy to transform the lives of a marginalized community of Palestinian famers and shepherds.
According to the NGO, Comet-ME, the arid, windswept south Hebron hills region of the West Bank has been home to dozens of small Palestinian family groups and villages for centuries. Located in Area C of the occupied Palestinian territories, all live under the threat of demolitions and forced displacement, with no electricity or water, and no infrastructure allowed.
http://www.gizmag.com/comet-me-no-solar-wind-palestine/39988/
Researchers from the University of Alexandria have developed a cheaper, simpler and potentially cleaner way to turn seawater into drinking water than conventional methods. This could have a huge impact on rural areas of the Middle East and North Africa, where access to clean water is a pressing issue if social stability and economic development is to improve.
http://www.gizmag.com/new-desalination-method-egypt/39941/
In a bid to help bring greater access to clean drinking water to the developing world, WaterStillar has created a solar-distillation system designed to produce clean drinking water from almost any source. Conceived as a cheap, efficient, modular system that can be scaled up to produce thousands of liters per day, Water Works is installed with no upfront costs and requires minimal maintenance or training to operate.
http://www.gizmag.com/waterstillar-works-solar-powered-clean-drinking-water/39689/
There aren't many companies that can say they developed an outdoor water purification device specifically for use by the US military—and took six years to be sure they got it right. MSR can make that claim and more with its new Guardian Water Purifier.
Filter systems have generally been constrained by their ability to eliminate only bacteria and Cryptosporidium (a microscopic, diarrhea-causing parasite), but not viruses. Purification systems get rid of viruses, but take longer to do so. What makes the MSR Guardian different is that it acts as both filter and purifier and is claimed to eliminate all biological threats you might find in even the dirtiest of water.
http://www.gizmag.com/msr-guardian-water-purifier/39578/
WASP (World's Advanced Saving Project) is set to unveil Big Delta, reportedly the world's largest delta 3D printer, later this week. This 12-meter (40 ft) tall behemoth was brought to life with the purpose of building nearly zero-cost housing through the use of local materials and as little energy as possible, offering quick and inexpensive relief to disaster areas and addressing the future housing needs of a rapidly growing world population.
http://www.gizmag.com/wasp-big-delta-3d-printer-clay-housing/39414/
Metal and concrete corrugated roofs are a ubiquitous feature on homes and shelters worldwide due to their low-cost, but they're really not very good at their job. Both are poor insulators, notoriously prone to leaks and can contain dangerous substances like asbestos ... plus they're not easy to sleep under during a monsoonal downpour. Indian startup ReMaterials reckons it has a better solution with its sustainable, modular roofing system called ModRoof.
http://www.gizmag.com/rematerials-roof/39239/
While many of us may enjoy grilling food over an open fire, the fact is that cooking fires are a major source of health problems for millions of people in developing nations, who use them on a daily basis. The main problem is the smoke, which causes respiratory problems—not to mention air pollution. In an effort to address the problem, research group RTI International has developed a cook stove that burns cleaner—and that powers gadgets.
http://www.gizmag.com/rti-international-thermoelectric-cook-stove/38986/
For people in developing nations or rural locations, getting clean water may soon be as simple as opening a book—and ripping a page out. That's the idea behind The Drinkable Book, developed by Carnegie Mellon University postdoc Theresa Dankovich. Each of its pages is made from a thick sheet of paper impregnated with silver and copper nanoparticles, that kill 99.9 percent of microbes in tainted water that's filtered through it.
http://www.gizmag.com/drinkable-book-water-purifying-pages/38961/
At present, diagnosing malaria can be a difficult process involving powerful microscopes and careful scanning of blood samples for tiny parasites in a technique discovered in 1880. But a more accessible method may be in the works. A team of Australian scientists has discovered that certain chemicals are present and can be detected in the breath of sufferers, raising the possibility of a cheap breath test to diagnose the deadly disease.
http://www.gizmag.com/malaria-breath-test-csiro/37142/
Here's some highly conceptual food for thought from XTU Architects. The Paris-based firm has drawn up a concept for creating sustainable shelters using that one material that the inhospitable Sahara desert has in abundance ... sand.
http://www.gizmag.com/self-building-walled-city-xtu-architects/36960/
As water shortage is a serious issue in many parts of the world, a means of efficiently harnessing safe drinking water from thin air without the need of expensive infrastructure could be a real lifesaver. Italy's Architecture and Vision is developing an off-grid bamboo tower called Warka Water that promises just that: the firm says it could collect an annual average of up to 100 liters (26.4 US gallons) of water per day.
http://www.gizmag.com/warka-water-from-air/35721/
In hot, dry areas of the world, collecting enough rainwater to grow crops can be difficult. Another potential source of water for collection, however, can be dew. Roots Up has designed a greenhouse to collect dew in Gondar, Ethiopia, as part of a scheme to help local farmers with low-tech solutions.
http://www.gizmag.com/roots-up-dew-collecting-greenhouse/36761/
Each year, hundreds of millions of people in developing countries are affected by parasitic diseases. One of the most common is malaria, which kills more than a million people annually, mostly children under five years of age. Scientists are using satellite data combined with local health information uploaded into geographical information systems (GIS) to help developing countries better manage limited resources and target interventions in the fight against malaria and other deadly parasitic diseases.
http://www.gizmag.com/satellites-gis-target-deadly-parasites/36198/
Many of us take for granted that, should we have an accident, the emergency services will be able to help. In some places that's not possible though. CriticaLink, being trialed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, seeks to provide volunteer emergency assistance when it might not be otherwise possible.
CriticaLink was conceived by Jennifer Farrell, who had been a volunteer emergency medical technician whilst at university. Farrell explains to Gizmag that, during a visit to South Africa training people in first aid, she realized that ambulances weren't going into slums and people were dying of treatable injuries as a result.
http://www.gizmag.com/criticalink/36214/
As water shortage is a serious issue in many parts of the world, a means of efficiently harnessing safe drinking water from thin air without the need of expensive infrastructure could be a real lifesaver. Italy's Architecture and Vision is developing an off-grid bamboo tower called Warka Water that promises just that: the firm says it could collect an annual average of up to 100 liters (26.4 US gallons) of water per day.
http://www.gizmag.com/warka-water-from-air/35721/
For farmers in developing countries without refrigerators, a great deal of produce - and therefore profit - can be lost through spoilage. A new device seeks to tackle this problem by increasing the short-term storage time for fruit and veg. The Wakati stores produce in a sterilized microclimate.
The Wakati designers recognize that often there is no regular access to electricity in developing countries. Like the Buffalo Grid phone charger and the ROSI water filtration system, therefore, it uses a solar power system for its operation.
In addition to a 3 W solar panel, the device comprises a top-loading tent-like structure, in which up to 150 kg (330 lb) of produce can be stored, and a solar-powered ventilator. The ventilator gradually evaporates a weekly supply of 200 ml (6.7 fl oz) of water creating a humid environment within the tent.
http://www.gizmag.com/wakati-food-storage/35389/
Although we have entered 2012 approximately 1.5 billion people around the globe remain without access to a stable or safe source of light. Commonly in some of the world's poorest regions, kerosene lanterns are the standard form of night time lighting, which leads to the possibility of fires, explosions, asphyxiation and toxic fumes. Cheap, accessible solar lighting presents an obvious solution to this problem and the latest tilt at making this a reality is WakaWaka - a solar LED lamp concept that can fit snuggly onto a soda bottle.
http://www.gizmag.com/wakawaka-solar-led-lamp/20978/
More than one billion people—one sixth of the world's population—are without access to safe water supply. At any given moment, about half of the world's poor are suffering from waterborne diseases, of which over 6,000—mainly children—die each day by consuming unsafe drinking water. The world's most prolific killer though is diarrhoeal disease from bacteria like typhoid, cholera, e. coli, salmonella and many others. Safe water interventions have vast potential to transform the lives of millions, especially in crucial areas such as poverty eradication, environmental upgradation, quality of life, child development and gender equality. LifeStraw was developed as a practical response to the billions of people who are still without access to these basic human rights.
http://www.gizmag.com/go/4418/
Whatever you call it—lavatory, privy, latrine, crapper, loo or dunny—most of us take the humble toilet for granted. But in many parts of the world the absence of sanitary waste disposal is not just inconvenient, it can cause deadly diseases such as hepatitis, dysentery, trachoma, typhoid and cholera. Enter Marc Deshusses, a Duke University environmental engineer who has envisioned an innovative yet simple waste disposal system designed specifically for Third World countries that can be constructed from everyday items. Now, as part of a broad ranging project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Deshusses has received $100,000 to perfect and test the system in the laboratory before producing a prototype to field-test in 18 months time.
http://www.gizmag.com/gates-foundation-composting-toilet-duke-university/20422
Desalination may one day prove the savior for regions of the world where clean drinking water is scarce, but current technology dictates that this process is often expensive and energy-intensive. The team behind the Desolenator has high hopes of delivering water security to those in need, with a mobile desalinator that runs purely on energy from the sun. At a time when the planet's population is set to grow substantially and rising global temperatures are adding further uncertainty to the supply of fresh water, considerable effort is going into advancing desalination technology and making it cheaper and more accessible.
http://www.gizmag.com/desolenator-clean-drinking-water-power-sun/35299/
In the latest green energy—or perhaps that should be brown energy—news, a team of engineers from Oregon State University (OSU) has developed new technology they claim significantly improves the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that can be used to produce electricity directly from wastewater. With the promise of producing 10 to 50 times the electricity, per volume, than comparable approaches, the researchers say the technology could see waste treatment plants not only powering themselves, but also feeding excess electricity back to the grid.
http://www.gizmag.com/wastewater-treatment-microbial-fuel-cell/23700/
Wetlands are estimated to account for around six percent of the earth's surface and a new Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell technology developed at Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands could see some of these areas become a viable source of renewable energy. More than that, the developers believe that their technology could be used to supply electricity to remote communities and in green roofs to supply electricity to households.
http://www.gizmag.com/plant-microbial-fuel-cell/25163/
Despite being the most widely used form of renewable energy worldwide, hydroelectricity is generally reserved for large-scale commercial installations built around massive dams. Japanese company Ibasei has shrunk things down and removed the need to build a dam with its Cappa compact hydropower generator—a system that's designed to be installed along a river or waterway.
http://www.gizmag.com/cappa-compact-hydropower-generator/25430/
Back in 2011, scientists reported the creation of the "world's first practical artificial leaf" that mimics the ability of real leaves to produce energy from sunlight and water. Touted as a potentially inexpensive source of electricity for those in developing countries and remote areas, the leaf's creators have now given it a capability that would be especially beneficial in such environments—the ability to self heal and therefore produce energy from dirty water.
http://www.gizmag.com/artificial-leaf-self-healing/27004/
The University of Delft has a program devoted to kite-based generation systems, with 20 years of research and development under their belt since Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutch astronaut established it. Now, members of the team are exploring practical niches where the compromises of kite-based power might pay off. One has just completed a trip through Kenya, Tanzania and Senegal discussing opportunities for rural African kite generation with governmental agencies, universities and companies in the renewables space.
http://www.gizmag.com/deft-kite-power-africa/28230/
In 15 years as a percussionist with British electronica band Faithless, Sudha Kheterpal has exerted her fair share of energy. She has now teamed up with designers and engineers to develop Spark, a shaker that produces kinetic energy to bring power to the developing world.
http://www.gizmag.com/spark-shaker-kinetic-energy-developing-world/32826/
Young Melbourne-based inventor Edward Linacre has won the 2011 James Dyson Award, making it the second year in a row where the prestigious prize has gone to an Aussie. Linacre stole this year's competition with his Airdrop irrigation concept that collects water from thin air. The Swinburne University of Technology design graduate was driven to transform an ancient cooling technique into a new sub-surface irrigation system, following the enduring Australian drought that saw high levels of farmer suicide along Australia's Murray- Darling Basin.
http://www.gizmag.com/airdrop-wins-james-dyson-award/20471/
Climate-KIC, a European-union climate innovation initiative, recently selected a jury of entrepreneurs, financiers and business people to award funding to what they felt were Europe's best clean-tech innovations of 2014. Taking first place was Dutch startup aQysta, a Delft University of Technology spin-off company that manufactures what's known as the Barsha irrigation pump. It can reportedly boost crop yields in developing nations by up to five times, yet requires no fuel or electricity to operate.
http://www.gizmag.com/aqysta-barsha-pump/34588/
Italian design office Studiomobile has teamed up with the University of Florence's Professor Stefano Mancuso, who is the director of the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology, to produce a prototype floating greenhouse in a bid to improve food security in areas with little arable land. The Jellyfish Barge operates off-grid and produces its own clean water via an onboard system of solar distillation.
http://www.gizmag.com/jellyfish-barge-studiomobile/34815/
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