Green technology pumps water from the air at CES

Technologies aimed at combating climate change and even pumping fresh water out of thin air drew crowds as the annual CES gadget extravaganza showed off its green side.

As calls to combat climate change grow, technology companies are finding ways to help, according to organizers of the Consumer Electronics Show, which ends Friday in Las Vegas.

Genesis Systems was at the show with a first-of-its-kind WaterCube, the size of a central air conditioning unit, which pumps water from the air so efficiently that it can supply all the water needed for a home .

“Our first mission is to sustainably solve the world’s water shortage,” said David Stuckenberg, founder of Genesis with his wife Shannon.

“Once you plug it into your house…you can cut yourself off from city water.”

In places where wells and aquifers have dried up, WaterCube can extract water from the air using its unique process, he explained.

The decision to become a “water entrepreneur” came after hearing farmers complain about wells drying up and after serving in the U.S. military in the Middle East as countries sought new sources of precious water , according to Stuckenberg.

“One of the challenges we face in making humanity sustainable is the things we need to live,” he told AFP.

“After air, water is the most important thing.”

Billions of tons of untapped water are in the air, and one of the effects of global warming is an increase in water vapor in the atmosphere, Stuckenberg said.

Water in the air is quickly replenished, creating “an infinite source of water” that WaterCube exploits on a large scale, he explained.

“We are democratizing the water supply,” Stuckenberg said.

His Florida-based company is also looking to integrate carbon capture features into the WaterCube, since one step in that process already includes drying the air stream, he said.

Mussel Sea Monitors

Small companies like MolluScan in France were at CES with their own innovative approaches to environmental protection.

MolluScan connects mussels or clams to sensors to detect pollution in waterways or oceans, sharing results with businesses or regulatory authorities, saving the time and cost of sampling l ‘water.

“You push industries to improve the environment,” Ludovic Quinault, co-founder of MolluScan, told AFP.

The mollusk-based pollution detectors, known as molluSCAN-eye, have been deployed to the North Pole, Tahiti and elsewhere, according to Quinault.

Companies at CES also touted increased use of products made from recycled or sustainable materials and energy-saving features, as well as more efficient batteries and solar power generation systems.

French automotive supplier Forvia explained how it uses hemp, wood, pineapple and other organic materials in its designs.

Meanwhile, British company Matter, whose sponsors include Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, has launched filtration technology to capture the harmful flood of tiny plastic fibers typically released into washing machine wastewater.

Ambient Photonics, whose early investors included Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, demonstrated a solar cell capable of charging from indoor lighting, eliminating the need for batteries in devices.

“Connected electronic devices require continuous power, which too often comes from disposable or rechargeable batteries,” said Bates Marshall, managing director of Photonics.

South Korean conglomerate SK Group dedicated its exhibition to playfully showing how environmentally friendly technologies could bring about a happier future.

Visitors could ride a train capable of being powered by hydrogen or take a “magic carpet ride” in a clean energy vehicle guided by artificial intelligence.

The idea is for the influential telecommunications, microchip and energy company to encourage other industry players to join its carbon neutrality mission, according to Ah Cho at the SK booth.

© 2024 AFP