globalbriefs
News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.
Bug Muscle Biomimicry Presents a Solution for Drought
With global temperatures continuing to rise and droughts expected to become more severe, Australian Edward Linacre has designed a beetle-inspired device called Airdrop that is capable of extract- ing water from even the driest desert air. His invention recently won the prestigious global James Dyson award. “Biomimicry is a powerful weapon in an engineer’s armory,” comments Dyson. Linacre, a graduate of Swinburne University of Technology, in Melbourne, wanted to solve the drought problem afflicting parts of his country. The lack of rain has brought dry, damaged soil, dead crops and mounting debt for farmers. Rather than using complex, energy- intensive methods such as desalination
or tapping into underground water sources, Airdrop’s source of water, the air, can be used anywhere in the world. The device delivers water to the roots of crops in dry areas by pushing air through a network of underground pipes and cooling it to the degree at which moisture condenses; then the water is pumped to the roots. Linacre was inspired by the Namib beetle, which survives in areas that receive just half an inch of rain per year by consuming the dew it collects on the hydrophilic skin of its back.
Find more info at
Tinyurl.com/6ts34y5.
Whale Watching One Small Step for Man,
One Giant Leap for Whales
Greenpeace Executive Direc- tor Philip Radford reports that the discredited practice of vote buying at the International Whaling Com- mission (IWC) has been ended. “Countries like Japan can no longer bribe poorer countries to support their pro-whaling stance. This means that whale conservation finally has a fighting chance.”
The U.S. delegation supported a measure intended to increase transparency in membership fees after hearing from millions of whale lovers. Initiated by the United King- dom and backed by a number of countries, the proposal passed via a rare consensus among the 89 partici- pating countries.
It is believed that payment of membership dues in cash allowed wealthy countries to purchase the votes of other nations. Dues for the com- mission must now be paid via bank transfer from government accounts.
24 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com
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