Picture: A woman in Africa is poring water into the solar filter.

http://www.treehugger.com/solar-technology/eliodomestico-solar-house-still.html?campaign=th_rss

Summary: Half of humanity is going to be effected by the water crisis that is spreading to different countries. Their water is not cleaned properly and many people are getting diseases. But, designer, Gabriele Diamanti, has found an inexpensive and easy way to change the issue. The filter doesn't use electricity, it is solar so always dependable and filters 5 liters per day. This great filter is called eilodomestico, it is an easy way to filter your water. First, you just pour the water into the spout and walk away and finish what you need to. Then, over the course of the day, it will filter using the solar power. "The heat turns the water into steam, which travels down through a nozzle and condenses against the lid of the bowl at the bottom of the still." At the end of the day, all of the water is purified. The bowl can easily be carried on one's head to bring it home.

Opinion/Reflection: I think it is really cool that someone is trying to help the problem in Africa where there is not much clean water to drink for many people. This idea seems like it would work really well, according to the article. It ties really well to our unit because we watched the Jay-Z diaries and we read about the arsenic issue in India. Hopefully this contraption will work for the people and spread around to help all of the other countries in need.

Questions:

1. Do you think this will work? Why?

2. If you were living in Africa, would you want to use it?

3. How do you think that they thought of this?

Arsenic can be Removed with Plastic Bottles and Nutrition Supplements?!

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/removing-arsenic-from-water-withplastic-bottles-and-nutrition-supplements.html?campaign=th_rss

Picture: This picture shows a plastic water bottle sitting in a body of water. This represents the water bottle that can remove the arsenic.








Summary: When people think of water bottles, they think of a serious problem. Well, scientists are saying that plastic water bottles can get rid of some arsenic in the water and make it clean water. The American Chemical Society reports that more that 100 million people are exposed to very high levels of arsenic in their drinking water. With this simple technology, we can fix that. Areas such as India, Bangladesh, and other southeast Asian countries are at an encounter with arseninc in their drinking water. The scientists have a method when it comes to taking arsenic out of the water. First they coat pieces of the plastic water bottles with cystiene- an amino acid found in dietary supplements and foods. Then stur the plastic in the contaminated water. This works like a magnet. All the arsenic in the water sticks to the plastic and you just pull out the plastic and the water is safe to drink.

Opinion/Reflection: I think this a great way to recycle all our used water bottles. So many people just litter or throw out water bottles. You could donate these and save some less fourtunate people. Whoever found out this method should get a lot of credit and fame. Arsenic is a very dangerous substance and can harm the human body as learned in class. I can connect to this because we learned about the Indian people who have high levels of arsenic in their water and I saw the man with the messed up feet and hands.

Questions:
1) How do you think this was method was discovered?
2) Do you think this is going to save a lot of people? Why or why not?
3)Why do you think these certain people/countries have aresenic in their water supply?