SCARHOLE
Well-Known Member
This thing looks like it could realy help us growers who do it in the heat.
I may have to get some....
[video=youtube;HRF2bUBPA90]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRF2bUBPA90[/video]
November 18, 2010 06:09 ET
Groasis Waterboxx Sweeps Major Competition -- Declared Popular Science Invention of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - November 18, 2010) - Sweeping all 11 categories of Popular Science "Best of What's New-2010" and winning Innovation of the Year and Green Tech Grand Award, the Groasis Waterboxx left in its wake such business giants as Apple, Porsche, GE, Panasonic, Intel, Ford and 117 others.
How has a small Dutch company won against such prestigious global giants? The Waterboxx, the size of a motorcycle tire, has the ablility to solve deforestation and hunger while conserving our water resources. It produces and captures water from air through condensation without using energy. Water condenses on the uniquely designed top and is stored to hydrate the seed or sapling planted underneath through a candle-like wick protruding from the bottom of the box. This leaves the roots thirsty and forces a primary root to grow deep to the water table. Hand watering or irrigation is not needed. After one year or less, the box is easily removed and reused.
Dutch inventor Pieter Hoff states, "I am happy that this award will let the public know that it is not too late to reverse the problem predicted for the future."
For the first time in history, Popular Science chose an agriculture company to take home the top prize. The reason is simple. Mankind faces a growing population (6.5 billion now, 10 billion by 2050), a dwindling water supply, growing desertification, and global warming. The remarkable feature of the Waterboxx is that now plants can grow and restore clear cut, eroded, over grazed, mined, arid, burned or destroyed lands.
Hoff's dream is to reforest the 5 billion acres that have been deforested by mankind over the last 2,000 years. Hoff states: "The cutting of trees for lumber, animal grazing and mining, etc. has destroyed and eroded an area the size of Canada. If this area was small enough to cut, it is also small enough to replant."
Using the Waterboxx, Hoff aspires to plant desertified land with food-producing trees, bushes and vegetables. The production of food from an additional 5 billion acres of trees also helps solve the climate problem. Hoff continues: "The Tree solution is simple. If we unbind more CO2 atoms from the air by planting trees, then the climate problem is solved. Forests can breathe in enormous quantities of CO2 and give enormous quantities of oxygen in return. One acre of trees unbinds an average 2 tons of CO2 molecules into harmless C and O atoms. The C atoms are fixed in wood and the O atoms are put in the air. So if we plant 5 billion extra acres of trees producing food, then these trees unbind 10 billion extra tons of CO2. That's more than we pollute."
The Groasis Waterboxx has been planted in drought ridden Kenya, in fire ravaged mountains of France, in strip mining residue and depleted agricultural soils of Spain, and in the sands of Morocco's Sahara desert. In the United States, this past June, over 300 Waterboxxes were planted with chardonnay vines on three acres at Robert Mondavi Winery. The high and low deserts of Palm Springs have been planted using native species with the Bureau of Land Management and The Wildlands Conservancy. All plantings are successfully flourishing.
Website: www.groasis.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Groasiswaterboxx
Popular Science: http://www.popsci.com/bown/2010/product/aquapro-holland-groasis-waterboxx
Award winners: http://www.popsci.com/bown/2010/awards
I may have to get some....
[video=youtube;HRF2bUBPA90]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRF2bUBPA90[/video]
November 18, 2010 06:09 ET
Groasis Waterboxx Sweeps Major Competition -- Declared Popular Science Invention of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - November 18, 2010) - Sweeping all 11 categories of Popular Science "Best of What's New-2010" and winning Innovation of the Year and Green Tech Grand Award, the Groasis Waterboxx left in its wake such business giants as Apple, Porsche, GE, Panasonic, Intel, Ford and 117 others.
How has a small Dutch company won against such prestigious global giants? The Waterboxx, the size of a motorcycle tire, has the ablility to solve deforestation and hunger while conserving our water resources. It produces and captures water from air through condensation without using energy. Water condenses on the uniquely designed top and is stored to hydrate the seed or sapling planted underneath through a candle-like wick protruding from the bottom of the box. This leaves the roots thirsty and forces a primary root to grow deep to the water table. Hand watering or irrigation is not needed. After one year or less, the box is easily removed and reused.
Dutch inventor Pieter Hoff states, "I am happy that this award will let the public know that it is not too late to reverse the problem predicted for the future."
For the first time in history, Popular Science chose an agriculture company to take home the top prize. The reason is simple. Mankind faces a growing population (6.5 billion now, 10 billion by 2050), a dwindling water supply, growing desertification, and global warming. The remarkable feature of the Waterboxx is that now plants can grow and restore clear cut, eroded, over grazed, mined, arid, burned or destroyed lands.
Hoff's dream is to reforest the 5 billion acres that have been deforested by mankind over the last 2,000 years. Hoff states: "The cutting of trees for lumber, animal grazing and mining, etc. has destroyed and eroded an area the size of Canada. If this area was small enough to cut, it is also small enough to replant."
Using the Waterboxx, Hoff aspires to plant desertified land with food-producing trees, bushes and vegetables. The production of food from an additional 5 billion acres of trees also helps solve the climate problem. Hoff continues: "The Tree solution is simple. If we unbind more CO2 atoms from the air by planting trees, then the climate problem is solved. Forests can breathe in enormous quantities of CO2 and give enormous quantities of oxygen in return. One acre of trees unbinds an average 2 tons of CO2 molecules into harmless C and O atoms. The C atoms are fixed in wood and the O atoms are put in the air. So if we plant 5 billion extra acres of trees producing food, then these trees unbind 10 billion extra tons of CO2. That's more than we pollute."
The Groasis Waterboxx has been planted in drought ridden Kenya, in fire ravaged mountains of France, in strip mining residue and depleted agricultural soils of Spain, and in the sands of Morocco's Sahara desert. In the United States, this past June, over 300 Waterboxxes were planted with chardonnay vines on three acres at Robert Mondavi Winery. The high and low deserts of Palm Springs have been planted using native species with the Bureau of Land Management and The Wildlands Conservancy. All plantings are successfully flourishing.
Website: www.groasis.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Groasiswaterboxx
Popular Science: http://www.popsci.com/bown/2010/product/aquapro-holland-groasis-waterboxx
Award winners: http://www.popsci.com/bown/2010/awards