Pictured: The Eliodomestico, a simple invention for purifying waterSolar Still Makes Water Purification Easy, Works Like an Upside-down Coffee Maker
by, Alex Davies, treehugger.com, written on 10/26/11
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/10/eliodomestico-solar-house-still.php?campaign=th_rss
Summary of Article:
Availability and purity of water is an important issue all around the world. In third-world countries, finding clean water for drinking is a daily struggle. According to the article, half of humanity will be threatened by water shortage by 2030. Fortunately, people like Gabriele Diamanti are coming up with creative solutions. Diamanti invented a portable, inexpensive water purifier that doesn't require electricity. It's called the Eliodomestico and it works by using a special top that attracts maximum sunlight all day, purifying up to 5 liters of water a day. Gabriele also put his invention under a Creative Commons license allowing anyone to create and share one freely and legally.
Opinion/Reflection:
I think this purifier is an incredible invention. It seems to have no downsides; it's cheap, portable, effective, and available for anybody. I can relate to this article because of what we have been learning in class about water availability. While there is much water in the water, only a tiny portion is freshwater, and only a tiny portion of that is drinkable. Water availability in Africa and other poor areas of the world is a big issue, and I think this invention can do a lot to help.
Questions:
1. How can this invention be distributed in mass to Third World Countries?
2. What else can be done to help the water availability crisis?
3. What are some downsides to this invention?
4. Why isn't water availability a more discussed issue?
I think it's great that people who understand how important water is and take action like this to help preserve it. I feel like since getting water isn't a struggle at all for most of us in HH we do not worry about conserving it. Like the article says "half of humanity will be threatened by water shortage in 2030." Realizing this can help others to get in on figuring out other ways to help preserve water. In my house we try not to waste water at all. Every opened water bottle that's not fully finished we find use for it.
ReplyDeleteI think water availability isnt a more discussed issue because not a lot of people realize that water shortage isn't a big issue because they are able to obtain it at any time. Taking a trip into a Third World Country will help people realize the importance of conserving water.
Living in a place where water is not scarce and it is available almost wherever we need, sometimes we forget that isnt the case in most places. This invention is a great way for people who are given less than what they need to collect enough water for thme and their families. Water is necessary to life, and this could help many people. This article, Water Crisis, further explains statistics on how harmful the lack of water can be. Places with a huge lack of water about 3,900 children die every day from water borne diseases (WHO 2004). Something needs to change or things will only get worse and it will greatly effect our environment. This invention is a great start to a big change.
ReplyDeleteWater Crisis Article: http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/index.php?id=25In
I don't think there is a way to bring this to 3rd world countries in and distribute in mass. I don't believe there would be anyone willing to pay for the resources it takes to make this. However, if someone could come up with a fund raising project to raise enough money to make a lot of filters then they could probably fly to a 3rd world country and distribute them.
ReplyDeleteWater availibility is not commonly discussed because unless if you have a lack of water then it is not on your mind frequently. How many people actually thought about water at all unless if it's for science class or because you're thirsty and couldn't get anything to drink? The US only talks about lacking water when one of the states is in a drought. Even then it is not talked about throughout the country, only certain parts.
In response to Dan's question, I think there is more ways that we can help with the water availibitlity crisis. Our nation, is one of the most developed nations on this plant. Our ideas are substantial. And I feel that if we share our ideas with places like South Africa and The Middle East, that maybe things can turn around for them and we can convince them that our ideas are not to change their culture or the way they do things, but to ease things and to help them out with water.
ReplyDeleteQuestions :
1) How come if we know our water supply is going to deplete by 2030 and effect us humans, why don't we make any effort to preserve it?
2)Has the United States tried to use this invention and maybe make changes to it to help those in other countries that aren't as developed as us?
3)How much of an effort do we make to help the third world countries out? Do we make visits to them and give them our ideas or does our nation just completely ignore the fact that they don't have water and is oblivious to it?
4)How long has Diamanti had his invention? Has he made any changes to make it better since he first made it?