Our Green Streets Blog

Edward Linacre's Airdeop

Thanks to the inventive spirit of young Australian inventor Edward Linacre, there may one day be no such thing as a water shortage.

He recently won the £10,000 international James Dyson Award for a “low-tech” device – the Airdrop – that can draw water from the air, besting the work of 500 other inventors.

Linacre, a graduate of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, wanted to solve the drought problem afflicting farmers in parts of Australia suffering from drought conditions. His solution, Airdrop, can harvest 11.5 milliliters of water for every cubic meter of air in the driest deserts such as the Negev in Israel, which has an average relative air humidity of 64 percent. A small-scale prototype Linacre installed at his parents’ house created about a liter of water a day. Linacre will use his prize money for further testing on increasing the yield.

As reported in The Sidney Morning Herald, instead of using complex, energy-intensive methods such as desalination, Airdrop’s source of water is abundant – the air – and so it can be used anywhere in the world.

Linacre’s Airdrop can deliver water to the roots of crops in dry areas by pushing air through a network of underground pipes, cooling it down to the point where water condenses. The water can then be pumped to the roots of plants using drip irrigation methods.

This video interview  posted by gizmag helps explain the invention and the sound reasoning behind it.

Linacre said he was inspired by the Namib beetle, which survives in landscapes that get just half an inch of rain per year by consuming the dew it collects on the hydrophilic skin of its back. Similarly, the desert rhubarb can harvest 16 times the amount of water than other plants in its region by using deep water channeling cavities in its leaves.

“Biomimicry is a powerful weapon in an engineer’s armory,” said James Dyson, whose charity sponsors the award. “We chose Edward’s project because it was a very good and original solution to what has become a real problem.”

He said the device was a low-tech solution that could be installed and maintained by the farmers themselves. It powers itself using solar panels.

In addition to Linacre’s cash prize, a further £10,000 has been awarded to Swinburne University. Linacre said without the university’s help he would never have got his idea off the ground.

The James Dyson Award is run by the James Dyson Foundation and each year students of product design, industrial design or design engineering from around the world are invited to enter.

Photo: Arsineh Houspian, The Sidney Morning Herald

This guest post from Lauren Bailey provides readers with a thoughtful perspective on the green or ecological impacts for children growing up with some of these animated movies.

While it may be easy for you, a parent, to change your old ways and convert your lifestyle to save the planet, living “green” may be bit of a complicated idea for your young child to grasp —it’s hard for them to truly understand the impact humans have on environment at such a young age. While you can try explaining it to them, it may resonate like a boring teacher’s lesson: in other words, one ear and out the other. But an easy (and fun) way to introduce your child to the importance of conserving the earth’s natural resources is via animated movies. There are tons of available that concentrate on eco-themes. To learn my top 5 favorites, continue reading below.

5. Finding Nemo (2003): Featuring the voices of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres

One of Pixar’s more popular films, this movie follows a clown fish’s journey to recover his lost son (Nemo) who is abducted by a fisherman and turned into a pet fish. While trapped in his tank, Nemo discovers that “all drains lead to the ocean”—this is a good thing as it makes way for a plan of escape, but it also suggests that all trash and rancid materials can be submerged into the ocean as well.

4. Yogi Bear (2010): Featuring the voices of Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake

This combo of live-action and computer-animation might not do the classic cartoon justice in terms of being as witty as the original, but it can serve as a greater purpose for younger audiences unfamiliar with the characters—it teaches them the importance of preserving wildlife and endangered species. As a way to compensate loss funds due to mismanagement, the mayor of the town tries to sell Jellystone Park to loggers in order to reap some big cash. The “pic-a-nic” basket-stealing Yogi and his loyal sidekick Boo Boo are then prompted to find a way to save their home.

3. Over the Hedge (2006): Featuring the voices of Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, William Shatner, and Avril Lavigne

While this light-hearted film is made to make your children laugh, there is a serious underlying eco-message that is brought to light throughout the movie—human wastefulness. The movie follows a group of wild animals who embark on a dangerous trip from the woods across the street and over the hedge to forage for needed food, which according to a mischievous raccoon, is something humans take for granted.

2. Wall-E (2008): Featuring the voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, and Jeff Garlin

This futuristic computer-animated film gives children fair warning of what could happen if we are not eco-conscious, no longer recycle, and deplete all of Earth’s resources—it can ultimately become unlivable. Wall-E is a small robot who picks up trash and other waste humans have left behind in order to diffuse his boredom and give him purpose. One day he stumbles upon a lady-robot friend and a key ingredient that may just be able to restore planet Earth to normalcy. This family-adventure film is a great segway to implement recycling programs within your own home.  To see the film’s short trailer, click here.

1. FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992): Featuring voices of Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Christian Slater, and Samantha Mathis

It may be the most dated animated movie of the bunch, but FernGully is still one of the most effective movies when it comes to explaining the ramifications of deforestation and the destructive nature of pollutants—after all, the main villain is a clump of oil named Hexxus who not only sings of toxic love, but grows larger, more powerful, and more evil the more smog he absorbs.  It’s Crysta’s responsibility (a magical Australian rainforest fairy) to help ward off human loggers who are helping Hexxus thrive. Take this opportunity to discuss the effects that pollutants and emissions have in the air and why using different forms of transportation and energy can help save the Earth.

Runner Ups: The Lorax, A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventure, 9, Once Upon a Forest, and Happy Feet.

Which movies did we miss?

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.