SoylentNews

Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

SoylentNews has covered fog harvesting before [soylentnews.org]. This article [treehugger.com] had a video with an interesting 'before' and 'after' segment that really shows the difference it can make.

Using 'Atrapanieblas'—large nets erected on the hillside—farmers like Maria Teresa Avalos Cucho take advantage of the daily fog to capture condensation, harvesting between 200 and 400 liters a day from each panel—which is then stored in tanks, and gravity-fed to the crops below.

It's efficient. It's resilient. And it's a hell of a lot more economical than paying truck drivers to bring water each day. According to the fabulous Permaculture Magazine [permaculture.co.uk], where I found this particular gem of a video, harvesting fog also has particular potential in coastal areas where the alternative is energy-hungry desalination. As we've noted before, fog harvesting also has been utilized in urban areas to bring fresh water to the slums [treehugger.com].

Could California use the same technique to alleviate drought, at least in coastal areas that are famously foggy like the Bay Area?

Original Submission