So, this is my first Envoke, and I thought I'd give it a try ^_^
One of the major issues with technology and africa, is that they do have technologies like mobile phones, but not basic infrastructure in certain areas like pipes and electricity. They still use simple machines that have long been forsaken by the western world.
The issue I would like to look at is water. Many people do not have a clean source of drinking water, and if one is avaliable, it is many kilometers away. So, how can we address this issue?
I first started to think about a pump system, that ran off renewable energies. Having, for example, a pump that connects to a clean source of water, could distribute it over large areas, which is how the western countries do it. Solar pannels and wind turnbines could be connected to an electronic generator, which could power a series of pumps at set intervals. Active carbon filters cam also be added at each interval to clean the water as it moves through the pipes.
The main problem with this is that it is costly. Pipes alone are expensive, even when made out of plastics. So my alternative to this system would involve studying the properties of water, and looking at the natural world for a solution. Evolution has created many ways of moving water and nutrients to where it is needed. One possible answer is a source to sink method, where water can move from an area of high concentration to low, while using the properties of water to move it there somewhat passively. The first issue would be getting water into the source. A preassure difference in the pipes could cause water to be uptaken, but the preassure would constantly need increasing, because it would be equalised on the other side.
Biology is clearly outside of my scope of knowledge, but if phloem can be analysed and applied to this situation, a viable option might immerge.
Another idea is to pump water into the land from the sea. This is costly as well, and works simularly to how dams do. Dams block water from flowing out, thus capturing it on one side, and starving the other. Instead, pumping water into the mainland will bring water. The water isn't pure, and contains salts that can destroy the earth and damage the water table. Again, nature has a solution for this. By finding local mangrove species, or importing some (after careful ecological analysis) we could pump water into the main land, and have the natural filters of the mangroves filter the water as it moves. Mangroves are rich ecological systems, and creating this would eventually create a stream of fresh water. This could then move the water to the people on a larger scale. This plan is very long term, but is somewhat plausable.
You need to be a member of Urgent Evoke to add comments!
Join Urgent Evoke