Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink.
May 3, 2008
As we water our lawns and take our beloved long hot showers in Silicon Valley it is easy to lose track of how precious water is to our very survival. The World Health Organization tells us that at any moment over half of the world’s 6 Billion people have a disease associated with inadequate drinking water and sanitation. Close to 5 million people die each year from the same
While there are major efforts under way to provide desalination plants http://www.water-technology.net/projects/israel/ , create water sharing agreements between nations, the need is too immediate for many individuals who simply can’t wait for technology. They need pure water now.
Enter water filters like the LifeStraw, an inexpensive point of use device that can be used with little or no instruction, provide clean drinking water for up to a year, and are now being donated to villages around the world.
Another option, for those who can afford it, is the Slingshot. It’s designed by the inventive mind of Dean Kamen (inventor of the Segway). The Slingshot uses a Sterling engine, which can run on pretty much anything that burns (dry manure, coal, propane) and distills 1,000 liters a day of pure water out of any water source, no matter how polluted. As you can see from this video, it’s small, and could easily be transported to where it is needed.
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I’d use the lifestraw camping too. They should start a campaign like OLPC, buy one for a child and one to use yourself.