| Global warming brings many water problems. One | | | | or Max Water From Air device will make it possible |
| way around them is to use desalination. Another is to | | | | to get adequate water anywhere at any time, |
| obtain water from air! Several products are in | | | | drought or no drought." |
| development or are on the market already. You | | | | The water you see collecting on the ground under |
| watch - this trend will become a tsunami. | | | | your car's airconditioner is an example of the same |
| Global warming causes water shortages through | | | | condensation process that Whisson uses. |
| droughts and disappearing glaciers. It also causes | | | | The Whisson windmill is essentially a wind turbine |
| polluted water sources when there are floods, such | | | | which is connected to a refrigeration compressor. A |
| as in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New | | | | refrigerant cools the blades of the wind turbine, after |
| Orleans. | | | | which it is returned to a compressor. The "free" |
| Indeed several reports on the impacts of global | | | | energy from wind drives the cooled blades of the |
| warming suggest the possibility of wars between | | | | turbine and water is then condensed from the |
| nations over water. | | | | ambient air. This water is then collected. |
| So there is a great and growing need to alleviate | | | | This remarkable invention is under development with |
| water shortages and for clean drinking water. There | | | | the University of Western Australia. |
| are several approaches to harvesting humidity in the | | | | Similar to Whisson's Windmill water from air principle |
| air around us. Of course the first thing to do is to | | | | the Air Water Pty Ltd's Air Water Machines also |
| minimise the effects of global warming through going | | | | harvest water from air by using a condensation |
| to the causes. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, | | | | method. Its units are on the market now, with |
| and to "reduce, re-use and recycle" are primary | | | | capacities ranging from 28 litres (7 gallons) per day to |
| strategies. | | | | 5000 litres per day (1321 gallons). |
| Next, there are various technologies that can help. | | | | Water absorption by salt |
| These include | | | | This approach harvests water from air by forcing air |
| *Desalination through distillation | | | | through a liquid lithium chloride salt solution. This |
| *Condensation | | | | compound attracts water from the air, after which it |
| *Water absorption by salt | | | | is extracted and filtered through table salt which acts |
| Desalination is now widely used but water from air | | | | as a natural disinfectant. The final step is to filter this |
| technology is the next trend. | | | | water through a carbon filter, adding taste. |
| Condensation | | | | These units can make up to 1200 gallons of drinking |
| Dr Max Whisson has been called the Water And | | | | water per day and have been purchased by the US |
| Wind Wizard of Oz. He has patented the "Whisson | | | | FESA for emergency relief purposes. |
| Windmill", or "Water Harvester", as he prefers to call | | | | Water from air - The Holy Grail? |
| it. It harvests water from air. | | | | So you see there are some pretty interesting |
| How? | | | | developments under way that promise clean water. |
| Well, Dr Whisson was inspired by a little African | | | | But are these alone the answer to a sustainable |
| beetle which collects the early morning's condensed | | | | future? |
| water from its own body. From that observation he | | | | We cannot use technology to refreeze disappearing |
| developed his windmill that produces water from air. | | | | glaciers or the ice caps, refill rivers, remake their |
| As Dr Whisson has put it: "The amount of water | | | | entire ecology or stop rising oceans due to global |
| available in the air is for all forseeable practical | | | | warming. |
| purposes unlimited. The bottom 1 kilometre (in the | | | | More than technology is needed for that - useful as it |
| atmosphere) alone contains about | | | | is. A truly sustainable future will involve love of our |
| 1.000,000,000,000,000 litres of water and that is | | | | home, the Earth, and for each other. Simple as that. |
| turned over every few hours. The "Whisson Windmill" | | | | |