Michael Pritchard's water filter turns filthy water drinkable | Video on TED.com

Thomas Henry Culhane 

I will argue that there are three basic off-the-shelf technologies we need to bring to developing countries that can fit in a small backpack 1) the foldable solar panel (for charging communications and information tecnology electronics and providing electricity for lights), the biogas conversion kit for running engin...es and generators on your own methane and the Life Saver water filter for providing pure freshwater. The rest of our needs can be met using locally found materials. Here Michael Pritchard explains the radical thinking behind the water filter. Throw your bottled water away!

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Michael Pritchard's water filter turns filthy water drinkable | Video on TED.com

www.ted.com

TED Talks Too much of the world lacks access to clean drinking water. Engineer Michael Pritchard did something about it -- inventing the portable Lifesaver filter, which can make the most revolting water drinkable in seconds. An amazing demo from TEDGlobal 2009.

Tuesday at 9:33pm ·· Share

Peter Foxon Miller likes this.

Peter Foxon Miller

Wow TH. This seems so simple. Hard to believe that this won't be the way people get clean water within short order. Collect locally, process locally, use locally.

Yesterday at 12:17am · 

Thomas Henry Culhane

What kills me, Pete, is that a myth is going around that "water will be the next oil", as if it is a finite resource that we will have to fight over. It is such a load of bunk. Steve Cass and I and my brother and Circus Guy performed a song about this misconception years ago in Kuwait (see http://melodic-mnemonics.blogspot.com/2009/01/maey-oh-... See Morehttp://melodic-mnemonics.blogspot.com/2009/01/maey-oh-maey-water-oh-water.html) which I recently shared in Palestine. We have got to let the world know that there is NO reason to go to war over water ever -- we must get the simple water purification technologies out there and show people how to manufacture them themselves, and fast. There is also this absurd notion going around that purifying water takes a lot of energy and that we somehow need nuclear reactors to make it feasible. Another lie. As you can see from Pritchard's filter, hand pumping is quite sufficient thank you very much! Work with me on this Peter -- we've got to nip this problem in the bud!

Yesterday at 1:20am