As the world heads toward a global water shortage there are numerous plans and architectural innovations which all concerning the saving and reuse of water on a large scale. The issue of global water scarcity has many people concerned about the ramifications of such a shortage on global economics and social life. Here in South Africa it has been said that desalination will augment our fresh water supply by up to 30% in the year 2030 and these plans are under way elsewhere in the world. Water Rhapsody products offer a relatively cost effective method of saving water today.
Sahara Forest Project Converts Desert into Oasis
by Jorge Chapa, 09/04/08
Recently a trio of entrepreneurs announced an incredible solution for the world’s resource problems: turn the Sahara desert into a source for food, water, and energy. The Sahara Forest Project (.PDF) is a solution that combines seemingly disparate technologies – Concentrated solar power and Seawater Greenhouses – and turns them into a mean, green super-massive biomachine. The elegant system could potentially produce enough energy for all of Africa and Europe while turning one of the world’s most inhospitable regions into a flourishing oasis.
The Sahara Forest Project is the brainchild of Charlie Paton, Michael Pawlyn and Bill Watts. The project aims to provide a source of renewable energy, food and water to desert regions around the world by taking a number of proven technologies and merging them into a system that works holistically to do its work. It’s an exciting synergy, as both Seawater greenhouses and concentrated solar power technologies are perfectly suited to work in hot, dry climates.
A Seawater Greenhouse converts sea water into fresh water using nothing more than the sun’s rays. It does this by running air through a structure whose walls are infused with cold sea water. As air enters it is immediately cooled, humidified, and then condensed into fresh water by sunlight.
Concentrated solar power is a technology that utilizes thousands of mirrors to focus sunlight upon a water boiler, heating it to over 1,000 degrees fahrenheit. This generates steam, which in turn drives a turbine to produce energy.
The Sahara Forest Project also has the ability to provide for agricultural growth and development in inhospitable arid regions. Fresh water produced by the Seawater Greenhouses can be used to grow a crops such jathropha, which can easily be turned into biofuel.
The development team expects that the Sahara Forest Project would span 20 hectares and cost about 80 million euros. It will be presented as part of the Future of Science’s Fourth World Conference, to be held between the 24th and 27th of September, which will be focusing on the theme of food and water for life.
With a grey water system for irrigation we are able to save you up to 30% on your water bill and to ensure that your garden stays green all year round, regardless of water restrictions. Couple this with a rainwater harvesting system and you are able to cut your water bill by up to 90%. Contact your dealer for more info and read on about the way top Architects and Engineers are moving towards water saving on a global scale. Why wait when we have locally produced and designed products available in Cape Town today?
1997 WWF Trust Award won by Water Rhapsody for the initiative shown by founder and inventor Jeremy Taylor in the creation of Water Saving systems that can save you up to 90% on your water bill.