Growing Crops in the Desert with Seawater | Freethink

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 พ.ย. 2018
  • Water is in short supply in much of the world - but what if we use seawater? It's been a dream for many years, but now technology is making it possible. This new seawater greenhouse uses a clever cardboard design to distill fresh water from salt water cheaply and efficiently. It's helping grow crops in Somaliland, and could help stop the water crisis in Africa and other parts of the world that are susceptible to drought. The founder of Seawater Greenhouse, Charlie Paton, explains how unlike traditional greenhouses - which are hothouses - this one is a "cool house" that is ideal for growing temperate crops in deserts or other hot, arid regions.
    What do you think? Will this succeed at turning desert into farmland? What other projects have caught your eye? Let us know in the comments and subscribe for new videos every week.
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ความคิดเห็น • 900

  • @samjones6258
    @samjones6258 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I love to see technology and innovation being used to help mankind....especially poor people.....rather than for weapons and destruction!

  • @burnyizland
    @burnyizland 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I came on here thinking you were going to show us a magical new way to water crops with saltwater and you STILL didn't disappoint. This is incredible!

  • @ahmedopone4080
    @ahmedopone4080 3 ปีที่แล้ว +401

    As a Somali i am greatly interested in these technologies that deal with food production in whats considered unsuitable environments. I research a lot, specially the use of sea water. I can't say how happy I am to see such a project in Somaliland.
    Hore u socda walaalayaal oo guuleysta manshallah!!

    • @freethink
      @freethink  3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      So glad you found our video! Thanks for commenting and best of luck - we hope you are able to do a lot with this technology!

    • @WadcaWymiaru
      @WadcaWymiaru 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@freethink
      watch this:
      th-cam.com/video/mGurqqGTMW4/w-d-xo.html - Begin With Biochar
      th-cam.com/video/vUAEa4ORAkY/w-d-xo.html - terra preta (11:00- mined)

    • @ahmedopone4080
      @ahmedopone4080 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@WadcaWymiaru Thanks mate. I'll check this out now!

    • @ahmedopone4080
      @ahmedopone4080 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @Sam Bone Thanks Sam. Vertical farming combined with this could be amazing!

    • @WadcaWymiaru
      @WadcaWymiaru 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@ahmedopone4080
      There is more:
      th-cam.com/video/p0YNFn9Dloc/w-d-xo.html - biochar power (beans and two farmers)
      th-cam.com/video/XQxthabe_OU/w-d-xo.html - 2fold (old image from USA past)
      th-cam.com/video/5Czs3kI8Rk4/w-d-xo.html - bamboo biochar (hill+mycorrhiza)

  • @bardigan1
    @bardigan1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +165

    This is exactly the kind of human ingenuity that's allowed us to expand to all corners of the globe. Fantastic!

    • @henrypang67
      @henrypang67 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      But if China helps them in achieving this then the Western world will be screaming bloody murder

    • @msgsquirter
      @msgsquirter 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Where are the corners of the globe located?

    • @quantumtechcrypto7080
      @quantumtechcrypto7080 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      its huge swamp cooler

    • @mjscorn7943
      @mjscorn7943 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@henrypang67 ???

    • @timhofstetter5654
      @timhofstetter5654 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Thereby destroying as much of it as possible.

  • @roberth.schweitzer2829
    @roberth.schweitzer2829 3 ปีที่แล้ว +241

    What happens to the card board walls after they salt up? How often do they need to be replaced? How does this affect the cost? How do you dispose of the salty card board material in a closed cycle way?

    • @muzairanwar
      @muzairanwar 3 ปีที่แล้ว +57

      Exactly my question. They made it sound so simple but the cardboard would salt up so quick!
      Secondly, I remember loving in saudi and using desert coolers to cool our houses. They work great in dry hot climates but in humid coastal areas where the salt water would be most available, those coolers didn't work at all.
      It would make more sense if they use the sun to distill sea water to irrigate crops.

    • @zennvirus7980
      @zennvirus7980 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      @@muzairanwar Plus, heating water produces steam, which can also be used to power turbines, which means more energy output.

    • @johndliu2284
      @johndliu2284 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      One idea is to use the salted cardboard filters as building material, a type of drywall. I haven't seen it in extensive use but I have seen prototypes.

    • @MohdAbuNaiyan
      @MohdAbuNaiyan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Mote information on technology is required. They require a cardboard. Regards

    • @3deeguy
      @3deeguy 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@zennvirus7980 I would like to see steam turbines in America for off-grid electricity.

  • @adengbuhaybukidinAustralia
    @adengbuhaybukidinAustralia 3 ปีที่แล้ว +99

    Port Augusta in South Australia uses seawater in a green house to grow tomatoes in the desert.

    • @TsarOfRuss
      @TsarOfRuss 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      i just read online today that some crops just need the salt level not to reach seawater level, like... you can mix sea water with fresh water 50/50 and some crops will grow perfectly fine.. it depends on the plant's tolerance to salt

    • @3deeguy
      @3deeguy 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I'm not sure Australia should be seen as an example of sustainability. Australia also has major problems with rats and locusts.

    • @patriciafisher1170
      @patriciafisher1170 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@3deeguy are you Australian. Regenerative farming is being used here by more and more farmers which heals the land

    • @3deeguy
      @3deeguy 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@patriciafisher1170 _"are you Australian."_
      I have to assume you're not requiring Australian citizenship to have a valid view. Australian news is reported globally and some of the reports I've seen originate from Australia.
      Are there any Australian sources I should avoid?

    • @patriciafisher1170
      @patriciafisher1170 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@3deeguy you are very touchy I was asking if you were Australian to find out where you live.

  • @tomkelly8827
    @tomkelly8827 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I live in Canada so we have a lot of water here but I understand how big of an issue water is in much of the world. This seems like such a great plan, I am so glad to hear about this new ability to turn more of our deserts back into fertile, productive land again!

  • @dayibhamza2670
    @dayibhamza2670 5 ปีที่แล้ว +133

    Good job welcome to our country republic of somaliland thanks for helping to our people

    • @kaanyavuz6777
      @kaanyavuz6777 5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Do you mean Somali? No one accepts Somaliland as a independent country as far as I see on web.

    • @zakibayd4776
      @zakibayd4776 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@kaanyavuz6777 millions of people accept somaliland around the world, jealousy aint getting you no where so search the web properly, we accept ourselves first and foremost

    • @usejasiri
      @usejasiri 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@kaanyavuz6777 some do accept, like my country Kenya does

    • @zzrgio
      @zzrgio 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@kaanyavuz6777 who cares? UN doesn't accept Palestine but it is still there...

    • @againsttyranny2149
      @againsttyranny2149 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Somaliland means “ the land of Somalia” There are 5 main tribal residents in that region which was under the coloialisation of Britain, most of the Somali tribes fought against Britain forces and took their freedom. Somaliland United with their brothers in the south somaliland who got their freedom from Italy and formed Repulic of Somalia. Somalia went through a civil war fueled by foreign powers who wanted to suck vast economic resources that Somalia has. Isak tribe, which is one of the five the tribes in Somaliland is being used to claim that they represent the whole population of the somaliland by subjugating other tribes, and therefore fulfill Imperialistic agenda. The so-called Somaliland authority (SNM) sold ports, and many other Somali resources to the same foreign powers that installed them. The part of somaliland these junta control are suffering from all kinds abuse. They can’t speak freely and they are subjugated to obey the harsh Jeegaan rule.

  • @rebeccaji5917
    @rebeccaji5917 5 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    Glad to see Charlie here :). I am so glad to supply the evaporating pad and solar power system to this project, your team are honorable, made a great effort in it, overcome many difficulties, good luck to your team!

    • @asheru9254
      @asheru9254 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Humanity says thank you ✊🏾 🇰🇪

  • @samuelpezzetta7084
    @samuelpezzetta7084 5 ปีที่แล้ว +119

    Awesome invention! I am an environmental scientist myself and I would love to see how financially sustainable this project is. It looks very promising to me.

    • @zavatone
      @zavatone 5 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      To realize this, walk into a warehouse that is cooled by evaporate cooling in the summer. At some point, the air gets so hot that it just ends up evaporating so much water that the air becomes humid. While that sucks for us, the air becomes humid and that's moisture in the air for plants.

    • @damiann4734
      @damiann4734 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Have you heard of Sundrop, Port Augusta, South Australia?

    • @aldomarioravinamayorga6804
      @aldomarioravinamayorga6804 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Please, can you tell me, what are they going to do with the salt remained.?

    • @taliamusk433
      @taliamusk433 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@aldomarioravinamayorga6804 The brine that is left is made into salt and sold for a profit.

    • @bradowen8862
      @bradowen8862 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      as easy as it sounds but it's not. it has a lot of maintenance. the cardboard needs to be replaced every time, hardened salt will eventually block the air passage

  • @AliRavencoreAdam
    @AliRavencoreAdam 2 ปีที่แล้ว +226

    so basically they are using a swamp cooler to grow crops. Genius imo.

    • @nachtkind46
      @nachtkind46 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      essentially, yes. pretty awesome, right?

    • @azrmp67
      @azrmp67 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      A swamp cooler that can handle saltwater. Not as easy a task as using freshwater.

    • @FreakyAngelus
      @FreakyAngelus 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Not genius at all... poorly copied of things already in existence.
      - Sundrop Farms in Australia got operational with a 20 ha. seawater cooled semi-closed greenhouse... with indeed the same pads as used here (the horticultural industry calls them pads and not corrugated cardboard walls, LMFAO on that one).
      - Pad&Fan greenhouses have been in existence for decades... Nothing new on that part.
      - Using seawater is just not recommend as... they do salt up and that does create issues, regardless of what they said in their article.
      So, nothing new.

    • @johnadams8371
      @johnadams8371 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@FreakyAngelus who pays you?

    • @pauloneill9880
      @pauloneill9880 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@johnadams8371 imperialist military industrial complex connected stooge I wonder. You can't starve men women and children of the poorest country in the world SOMALIA if they're self sufficient in food n fresh water.

  • @special4076
    @special4076 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Been using the gravity fed water closed loop system and fan cooling in greenhouses for cooling and humidity control since the 1970's that I know of. These cool houses were old then. Probably built in the 1940's. Used to cool plants before flowering to get them to have larger buds and then move them to hot houses to force the bloom all at once for sale. The plants would gradually bloom without this process. The full blooms at once obtained a better market value. The system I worked with used 4' x 4' vertical filters like green scrubber pads with larger openings. They were easily cleaned and reused.

  • @itsalwayscloseenought1217
    @itsalwayscloseenought1217 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    We really appreciate for helping us. Thank you 🙏

  • @jerrypowell2359
    @jerrypowell2359 3 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    This is dated 2018... what is the status now? How about an update video? Great idea!

    • @chevychase3103
      @chevychase3103 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Are they still Pirates?

    • @TheSovietBear97
      @TheSovietBear97 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Port Augusta in South Australia have a large tomato farm that is watered by ocean water. Check it out.

    • @Jim_Snape
      @Jim_Snape 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It was attacked and seized after a feud JK-

    • @gregederer6945
      @gregederer6945 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      There's this. Not dated, weirdly. But, the article references the pandemic in passing. So, it must be fairly recent.
      www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/how-our-food-can-fix-the-planet.html

  • @bruce-le-smith
    @bruce-le-smith 19 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I love the simplicity of this idea, thanks! Reminds me of staying at the farm house of a friend's family in northern Uttar Pradesh, they had a great air-conditioner made out of neem twigs with a fan and some drip irrigation - It provided such nice air! I can see how that would benefit plants too.

  • @ABC-yt1nq
    @ABC-yt1nq 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Fascinating!

  • @GoddessRubyJade
    @GoddessRubyJade 5 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Honestly love this, I truly hope this can change the world!

    • @bingosunnoon9341
      @bingosunnoon9341 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It will change the world all right but not for the better.

  • @combativeThinker
    @combativeThinker 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    This is Nobel Prize material, right here. I hope this system is widely adopted and used.

    • @generalharness8266
      @generalharness8266 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Its not because its not worth it.
      1, ongoing costs = carboard replacement, water pumps maintenance (salt water degrades metals faster then fresh).
      2, set up costs one off so not really worth mentioning, but plastics for cover, cost of equipment.
      3, skilled farmers, its a country that does not have a lot of farmers experienced with the crops it could grow, I imagine training incentives would be needed.
      4, lack of control, the system is almost enterally dependent on the outside.
      5, does not reduce the cost of growing crops, only makes it possible to grow eg a lettuce grown overseas will cost 30 cents to grow it will still cost that 30 cents plus this set up on top of that. I would argue it would cost more then that due to lack of resources for farming.
      I view it like oil extraction, there are processes that are really expensive but because they are not economical viable they are not off the ground.
      Real world its got to make someone money to be worth doing, this does not do that so investment is not going to happen.

    • @richardlinares6314
      @richardlinares6314 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@generalharness8266
      1, 2, 5 : Wah?! Things cost money? Mind blown!
      Clearly just as with conventional greenhouses there will be calculations for what kinds of crops are most appropriate to be grown. Smaller high yeild crops for the area/water usage.
      3: If you're going to pretend 1000s of these farms will appear instantaneously, can you also pretend the farmers will be trained instantaneously? SMH
      4: Sounds like every other farm in existence.
      It probably isn't the panacea some hope for(nothing is), but a good potential option. Not sure what your alternative is, starvation? Depending on the overfished ocean?(ie. starvation) Waiting for benevolent countries to save them in perpetuity?(ie. starvation)

  • @ilrassoemil9854
    @ilrassoemil9854 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    That is brilliant!

  • @groblerful
    @groblerful 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What a great Idea. In Holland Duch farmers in Freezland have developed crops which can be irrigated with dilute salt water 50/50. Some can even be irrigted with salt water alone apparently. All done by years of natural selection for salt tolerance.Good crops of potatoes are now being grown on land in Pakistan formally too salty to support normal plants.

  • @andrewvoya5234
    @andrewvoya5234 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Oh my goodness !!!
    Something positive and so useful for masses of people on the planet, why isn’t this talked about to the same level as the doom and gloom we get every day ?

    • @berndarndt9924
      @berndarndt9924 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      It doesn´t get as many clicks/views.

    • @timmoore6055
      @timmoore6055 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      why isn’t this talked about to the same level as the doom and gloom we get every day ?
      Gloom and doom (aka blood ad guts) has been the leading news of the last several millennia, since people associated in large communities. Most media now is profit oriented, whether that is print news or on the internet. Information is out there, but the "news" doesn't seen information pushing viewing. Gloom and doom does.

    • @Mic_Glow
      @Mic_Glow 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Possibly because the "cool house" benefit isn't 10-100x less water (for the whole system, not just the crop- cooling paper walls also use water and probably can't run on saltwater) as they claim, and it doesn't make desalination economically viable. Or it's being tested.
      Still, the 10-100x claim seems too good to be true.

  • @gnarlytreeman
    @gnarlytreeman 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Nice way of doing things. It would work really well if the salt didn't contaminate the soil from using a big cheap swampcooler.
    It might be better to recycle glass and aluminum into passive desalination panels, and reform plastics into drip irrigation pipe. It takes a lot more land, but in desert areas thats ok.
    Also, I suggest doing permaculture swales, with drip irrigation for trees, and only using plants with light green leaf coloration to reduce temperature in the local climate. Things like date palms, pistachios, even pecans, almonds, and edible cactai, and hardy soil fixing cover crops like barley.
    Barley straw would be a great starter chop and drop, to add soil carbon and water preservation.
    Eventually a fast growing chop and drop plant like moringa, or sorgum-sudan grass, or lemongrass, or perhaps a local desert plant, or something like mesquite, would need to be used to feed the soil. Even cassava could be used for a chop and drop soil protection.
    The best idea though is barley. Harvest the tops, then use a roller to flatten it down, and resow for the next season with a roller seeder. After a few season there will be a dense vegetation mat with plenty of nutrient for tree varieties. Continue replanting barley as the trees grow, and when the trees are big, plant something else that's fire safe, like beans, or peanuts, or continue with barley.
    Vegetation attracts and holds water, if the right plants are used.
    Just don't let any animals graze after harvest for a few years. 5 or 10 or so, and when and if you do, practice migration pattern grazing.

    • @celibate0
      @celibate0 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Great ideas. Thanks, man. You just wrote a paper on the subject. Can I incorporate that into my work?

    • @gnarlytreeman
      @gnarlytreeman 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ya, sure, the best ideas are borrowed or stolen.

  • @jadeyes1
    @jadeyes1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I've been working on something similar using solar desalination to produce salt while providing water to my plants. Good to see this. I started from the perspective of resources at hand and potential salable commodities. The value of the recovered salt offsets the water production . Before going solar it cost me 72 cents a kilo for the salt and this included the waste by product of 15 liters of free water

  • @ryanmcewen415
    @ryanmcewen415 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    It's the KISS principle.
    Keep it stupid simple.
    This is a very basic air cooler that has existed in one form or another for a long time.
    The fact that it lowers temperature and increases humidity is perfect for desert growing..
    Love this idea

  • @Knee-Lew
    @Knee-Lew 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I didn't even think about usint seawater to humidify the crops... But this guy showed us the way to combine evaporator and seawater to cool down the crops, and they might even change the climate somewhere in the future!

    • @victorrain
      @victorrain 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      And sea salt can be taken from the evaporators as well!

    • @hans-joachimbierwirth4727
      @hans-joachimbierwirth4727 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@victorrain "can"... what for do you think your brain is? Using that thing as intended doesn't hurt!

  • @mor8266
    @mor8266 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This solution has been available for many years, I wonder why it is now that it is gaining traction. This is true for the US and other country with large deserts.

  • @Elwin3918
    @Elwin3918 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I thought of this some time ago. And seen it made feasible is amazing . We could finally find a way to terraform deserts , like the Chinese projects.👍🏾🙏🏾

  • @christopherhernandez3398
    @christopherhernandez3398 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great job. We need more of these things.

  • @tongsingwu5558
    @tongsingwu5558 5 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    Is their any written papers about how they’re getting water

    • @freethink
      @freethink  5 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      Here's some more info: www.globalwaterforum.org/2012/05/28/seawater-greenhouse-a-new-approach-to-restorative-agriculture/
      www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011916417302400?via%3Dihub
      Hope it answers your questions!

    • @tongsingwu5558
      @tongsingwu5558 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Thanks

  • @SD-tj5dh
    @SD-tj5dh 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Is the water that's stored potable, or able to be made potable? I could imagine a solar powered OSEC unit being used to convert brine to sodium hypochlorite which can be used to treat any excess water for potable use.
    You could also install other solar thermal applications alongside to increase yield of water when conditions allow.

    • @freethink
      @freethink  5 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Hi David! Good thoughts and thanks for asking. The folks at Seawater Greenhouse actually elaborated on this a bit in some of the other comments. To quote from their responses to Rachel Bell:
      "Evaporating seawater to create fresh water vapour in our greenhouses cools and humidifies the air, reducing irrigation requirement around 10 times. We produce around 2-4 cubic meters of fresh water per day to service our farm in Somaliland..."
      "We use the brine to produce marketable, culinary grade sea salt. So no water is pumped back to the ocean!"
      Hope this is informative and thanks so much for watching!

  • @Aoraki09Cottage
    @Aoraki09Cottage 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Love the idea!
    Use of solar powered pumps to pump the seawater inland would green the project further.
    The. Seawater could be distilled via the desert heat to produce fresh water for irrigation and salt to sell.
    Brilliant!

  • @20sarbast
    @20sarbast ปีที่แล้ว

    thank you God for these people creating these kind of technologies which can solve the problems of many.God bless you all

  • @souvenirpinrang4
    @souvenirpinrang4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    In the Sahara Desert there are no clouds because no air vapor turns into clouds but I found a strange appearance in the middle of the Sahara Desert in the Niger region there is a small collection of clouds passing in the middle of the Sahara Desert of the Niger region and then watched closely there is a dense forest under the clouds Located in the estuary of Mount Air Mountaint which often gets annual light rain and the water is sponsored in a puddle in the valley until it turns into a forest.
    The Sahara Desert is making an artificial forest in a border valley (ridge) as wide as 20 km long and repairing rocky hills in the middle of the Sahara Desert. When it rains on the mainland, it is an ancient river upstream, the air will automatically return to the ancient river which dried up thousands of years ago, shifting the earth's axis

  • @AaronNel
    @AaronNel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    You should put links to the person and project in this video so others can follow up on this.
    even if it is just credits at the end of the video or something.
    Please

  • @CaptainManic2010
    @CaptainManic2010 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    game changing innovation...using cardboard, seawater...and a desert...
    dude...I want to be like you when I grow up...
    This is straight out of a macgyver episode...all you needed was toothpaste, an elastic band...some gum...and he saved the world.

  • @nicmantayib8688
    @nicmantayib8688 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    this great development it will help many parts of the world to do more in food shortages , and thank you very for the invention and your interest to support my country Somaliland with this kind of technology, we welcome you and will help you what ever support we can do for this kind of projects .

    • @pharax1012
      @pharax1012 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Nicman Tayib, somaliland it's not a country Is the northwest region of Somalia 🇸🇴 and don't be pathetic and waiting for handouts.

  • @funny-video-YouTube-channel
    @funny-video-YouTube-channel 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    *Wonderful invention.* We need this to feed the world.
    We can be more happy as a culture, if have enough food and water for at least basic life.

  • @thecoder7188
    @thecoder7188 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thanks for helping our brothers from Somaliland somalia

  • @lsporter88
    @lsporter88 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Ingenious. Great video.

  • @ohfuku
    @ohfuku 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank god this is still on youtube & why are more governments not talking about this?

  • @jmccOutdoors
    @jmccOutdoors 2 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    To all the negative salty people here ( pun intended ). The salt would build up yes. The next step would be to convert that into sellable salt I would think. 2nd this is the entire point of research and development. Research means to use the salt productively and perhaps use those funds to pay for cost and maintenance. Develop better cardboard to have less frequent need to replace.

    • @EternallyGod
      @EternallyGod 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dont think, your thinking hasnt got you anywhere. Either you know or you dont know. Wishing something is true or real isnt the same as it being true or real. If you believe in it, then fund it and become a billionaire. Thing is people like you just talk, then talk some more and talk more....stick your money where your mouth is for once....just once.

  • @MyInfotainmentFix
    @MyInfotainmentFix 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Interesting idea. How do they dispose left over saline water?

    • @freethink
      @freethink  5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Good question!
      "Nutrients harvested from the brine are pumped back into the irrigation system to fertilize the crops, and the rest of the salt is made into gourmet salt crystals that Seawater Greenhouse Ltd. sells."
      -blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/02/18/seawater-greenhouses-produce-tomatoes-in-the-desert/

  • @bandara3838
    @bandara3838 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Special thanks for uploading

  • @tammychristinerager
    @tammychristinerager 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Good idea! I LOVE it.

    • @freethink
      @freethink  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you! Cheers!

  • @edouardomaindargent7685
    @edouardomaindargent7685 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    For once, and really once, I think technology has a real interest in agriculture and food sovereignty. This kind of technology should be used to recreate water self-sufficient micro-zones as oasis. The greenhouse would be a tool to build a cultivated ecosystem ALSO outside of the plastics. With desert adapted trees who can create micro-climate, making a cooler atmosphere above their boughs, build healthy soil with organic matte rproduced, and making agriculture possible over time.

  • @fourthright
    @fourthright 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Where can i learn more about this. Anywhere we can contact to buy or lease those things.

    • @freethink
      @freethink  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The website for the project is www.seawatergreenhouse.com

  • @SimonAmazingClarke
    @SimonAmazingClarke 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow, that is awesome out of the box thinking.

  • @Spooferish
    @Spooferish 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Love this concept. I wish I could work like this.

  • @hifive1515
    @hifive1515 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    At last a positive video ✌

    • @bradowen8862
      @bradowen8862 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      as easy as it sounds but it's not. it has a lot of maintenance. the cardboard needs to be replaced every time, hardened salt will eventually block the air passage

    • @hifive1515
      @hifive1515 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bradowen8862 I didn't say it was easy😳

    • @rexdrabble4988
      @rexdrabble4988 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bradowen8862 Rinse with the air that passed through by condensing it on the outlet

    • @bradowen8862
      @bradowen8862 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@rexdrabble4988 no

  • @foxxtail06
    @foxxtail06 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    How long does that cardboard last?

    • @freethink
      @freethink  5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Great question!
      From the Science and Development Manager of the Sahara Forest Project, another one Seawater Greenhouse is helping build:
      "The cardboard evaporative pads will need to be changed out eventually, but not often. In the early Seawater Greenhouse built in Oman, the original pads were still working after more than two years. When they do require replacement, the retired pads will be re-used - potentially as building materials."
      More info: blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/02/18/seawater-greenhouses-produce-tomatoes-in-the-desert/

    • @SeawaterGreenhouse
      @SeawaterGreenhouse 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Hello! The pads last up to 7 years or more. Calcium build up on the cardboard actually helps to increase the lifespan of the material by giving it structure and rigidity.

  • @zameenapni9327
    @zameenapni9327 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very good idea, it can work for Australia too

  • @thegiggler2
    @thegiggler2 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is pretty revolutionary.

  • @fionna5342
    @fionna5342 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    We're not doomed, but the transition into the next world will be difficult for those who resist. Just gotta get back to nature and work smarter, not harder

    • @heureka4772
      @heureka4772 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Modern civilization / society is sick: Collective Neurosis / Disease of Society. Healing is possible.

  • @trido3815
    @trido3815 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Edible seaweed grows in sea water. Can we use that gene to grow crops?

    • @brettb9194
      @brettb9194 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      if you extract much vapor the salinity would quickly rise - but seaweed by its nature is designed to keep salt out, interesting to know where the limits are (one economic two function)

  • @larrybryant4827
    @larrybryant4827 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent !

  • @gameragedad8953
    @gameragedad8953 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Out of all the words I could think of to describe this man, excited was about last on my list. He looks like he just woke up and came out of his casket to say hello.

  • @dumky
    @dumky 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    What happens to the cardboard wall once it is saturated with salt?

    • @freethink
      @freethink  5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Great question!
      From the Science and Development Manager of the Sahara Forest Project, another one Seawater Greenhouse is helping build:
      "The cardboard evaporative pads will need to be changed out eventually, but not often. In the early Seawater Greenhouse built in Oman, the original pads were still working after more than two years. When they do require replacement, the retired pads will be re-used - potentially as building materials."
      More info: blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/02/18/seawater-greenhouses-produce-tomatoes-in-the-desert/

    • @dumky
      @dumky 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@freethink Thanks

    • @SeawaterGreenhouse
      @SeawaterGreenhouse 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Hi Julien. Concentrated brine is collected and harvested to produce sea salt that is sold to market. Some calcium can build up on the cardboard, which helps give the wall strength and lengthen the life of the material. Every once in a while the calcium must be dissolved.

  • @soundstuff253
    @soundstuff253 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Im wondering how much water theyre actually having to use in the place(s) that theyve implented this. Is there data for that? Guess ill have to investigate

    • @freethink
      @freethink  5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Good question: there's some information here: blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/02/18/seawater-greenhouses-produce-tomatoes-in-the-desert/
      "The Sahara Forest Project will use water from the Red Sea in seawater greenhouses to produce fresh water for the crops and grow algae in open ponds for fuel and food. The project will also grow halophytes, plants tolerant of salty conditions, that have potential to be an energy crop. Because each 10,000 square meters of seawater greenhouse evaporates 50 tons of water daily, the greenhouse will help restore vegetation on the surrounding arid land through ventilating the “lost” humidity to create a cooler and more humid micro-climate downwind of the greenhouse. The “lost” humidity will also increase the chance for precipitation in the area. The algae, crops and other plants will sequester carbon dioxide from the air. Extra fresh water produced by the seawater greenhouse will be heated by a concentrated solar power plant (CSP), generating steam that will turn a turbine to produce electricity. The CSP’s excess heat will be used to desalinate seawater for drinking water. A single Sahara Forest Project facility with 50 MW of concentrated solar power and 50 hectares of seawater greenhouses would produce 34,000 tons of produce, employ over 800 people, export 155 GWh of electricity and sequester more than 1,500 tons of CO2 each year. If the demonstration project is successful, Aqaba will provide 200 hectares for a larger scale facility."

    • @zavatone
      @zavatone 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      But you pump out the water with higher salt content back to the ocean.

    • @soundstuff253
      @soundstuff253 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@freethink Thanks for the info!

    • @SeawaterGreenhouse
      @SeawaterGreenhouse 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Hi Rachel! Evaporating seawater to create fresh water vapour in our greenhouses cools and humidifies the air, reducing irrigation requirement around 10 times. We produce around 2-4 cubic meters of fresh water per day to service our farm in Somaliland

    • @SeawaterGreenhouse
      @SeawaterGreenhouse 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Hi @@zavatone. We use the brine to produce marketable, culinary grade sea salt. So no water is pumped back to the ocean!

  • @GabGotti3
    @GabGotti3 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Even tho Africa is the birth of civilization, their location and weather has held them back throughout humanity. Rough deal.

    • @LaxiusOne
      @LaxiusOne 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yeah. Civilization may be birthed in Africa, but it developed and florished in more suitable parts of the world.

  • @geraldkatz2000
    @geraldkatz2000 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent way to cool and add moisture needed for temperate plants to survive in hot dry climates. Shade houses are used in our area with wall of evaporative media, wall of fans on other end. More complex but more amazing Sahara Forest project is enclosed with fan wall opposite evaporation with CONDENSER pipes to extract distilled water from saturated air leaving greenhouse. Cool moist exhaust air from greenhouse allows many other plants grown outside to do far better than in hot dry ambient air.

  • @darrenstettner5381
    @darrenstettner5381 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Seems like they’d still have any issue with salt buildup and erosion of the cardboard walls.

    • @imthinking25
      @imthinking25 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Per an article in The Engineer (www.theengineer.co.uk/greenhouse-uses-seawater-to-grow-crops-in-arid-places/), the cardboard is designed so that “Salt and other minerals collect in the base of the wall where they can be harvested and sold.” So the answer appears to be that the cardboard doesn’t need to be replaced.

  • @gteea
    @gteea 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    If the sea water was blown into a chamber with clear plastic, the sun's heat would cause evaporation this desalination would occur. A cheap was of desalination.

    • @norbertfleck812
      @norbertfleck812 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Your idea needs far more space than the system in the video.
      Their trick is to produce extremely humid air inside the greenhouse, so the plants need only very little fresh water.

  • @herzogsbuick
    @herzogsbuick 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    luscious and temperate -- just like me!

  • @Seminolerick
    @Seminolerick 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Interesting, yet leaves a lot of questions… some:
    - is the same salt water constantly recirculated ?
    - spent water goes where ?
    - how long until the evaporator wall gets clogged and needs replacing ?
    Etc.

    • @jgdooley2003
      @jgdooley2003 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I recall reading about water irrigation schemes in Australia using artesian wells and pumped ground water to irrigate crops. The water had mineral salts in it which eventually accumulated in the soils due to evaporation and ruined the soils eventually. A similar sustainability problem could exist in this scheme. Regarding the present security situation in Somalia, how do you prevent warlords and their gangs from destroying these greenhouses?

    • @elmerkilred159
      @elmerkilred159 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jgdooley2003 You're so positive. Did you vote for Trump, perchance?

    • @jgdooley2003
      @jgdooley2003 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@elmerkilred159 I could not have voted for the Don as I do not live in and I am not a citizen of the USA, although I have second cousins in the scrap metal trade in New Jersey and neighbours family members in DC. Nice country and nice people, of all shades of political opinion. Positivity is fine but you need to look at why this was not done in the recent past and what are the ongoing technical problems. I woud try talking to the Australians to make sure this scheme does not hit a similar pitfall.

  • @madaxe79
    @madaxe79 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    There's so much of the story missing that it wreaks of scam...

    • @simoncoker3180
      @simoncoker3180 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It's no scam, I saw a very small scale trail of this method in Cyprus in the 1990s - it works brilliantly. Then they weren't usinv solar power for the pumps, just an old 2 stroke deisel(which were still widely used then to pump water from boreholes). There it was set up close to the beach and make use of the predictable onshore winds.

  • @brocksamson3282
    @brocksamson3282 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    the evaporators will become clogged with the remaining salt, after the water evaporates.

    • @thegentilehunter
      @thegentilehunter 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      salt is water soluble, so it would remix with the water, after enough time if the salt is able to built up to silly levels it can be scraped off and sold or used.

    • @stickmanbrains
      @stickmanbrains 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@thegentilehunter Salt isn't water soluble when the water is already saturated with salt

    • @thegentilehunter
      @thegentilehunter 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@stickmanbrains it's a good thing sea water isn't completely saturated with salt.

  • @mackie4323
    @mackie4323 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love it.

  • @MrArnoud75
    @MrArnoud75 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Good job, very innovative and a good way to feed the people in difficult area's. What kind of pumps are you using for the seawater?

  • @JM-oo3rb
    @JM-oo3rb 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Imagine the possibilities if aid agencies funded these kinds of projects instead of just handing out food! They may eventually become redundant.

  • @ambertracks
    @ambertracks 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    GOV'T WONT DO THIS because then that would allow people to have independence , freedom and not be oppressed , and if they did allow it / fund it , they would soon regulate it so badly with rules n laws n taxes n fines that the costs would sky rocket from that , or they would want to control it like the internet or sway those that controlled it in order to further attempt to control it's subjects like they do with the media and now facebook , youtube n twitter with censorship , , if gov't really cared about people they would not have suppressed free wireless electricity invented 100 years ago by tesla , they would make cigarettes and alcohol and abortion illegal because of all the sickness and death associated with it , they would not overdose people with drugs because of kick backs from big pharma , education and healthcare would be free and God n Pray n 10 commandments would be EVERYWHERE IN THE PUBLIC EYE , , ,WAKE UP FOLKS, IF YOU EXPECT THE GOV'T TO HELP , , , REALLY HELP , DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH, , ,give your life to Jesus Christ and don't worry about this infected world of corruption and greed. www.adventist.org

    • @Alittlebitinteresting
      @Alittlebitinteresting 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Lol nice but maybe take the trolling to a different video. Most people here won't get that you're joking
      please I pray to god that you're being a troll

  • @jayuppercase3398
    @jayuppercase3398 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    When you consider the canaria islands, big holiday destination for Europeans, get the majority of their water from desalination it shows that desalination plants can produce enormous amounts of water. A huge desalination plant near the sea and a few hundred miles of pipe and you can create lakes inland in desert regions which in turn, once filled, can be used to green the area

    • @christophvonwaldhuf
      @christophvonwaldhuf ปีที่แล้ว

      have you ever heard of a electricity bill?
      desalination as of now uses enormous amount of electricity made by fossile fuel

  • @jimmcgettigan4826
    @jimmcgettigan4826 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Food for thought and hope.

  • @gregortidholm
    @gregortidholm 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Nice work 💪👏

  • @brambo5181
    @brambo5181 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Ingenious.

  • @heribertogarcia3670
    @heribertogarcia3670 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Amazing

  • @forevergoddessqueen4404
    @forevergoddessqueen4404 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    He's a great guy.

  • @chefbillybaroo2056
    @chefbillybaroo2056 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant!!

  • @md.moinulislam9467
    @md.moinulislam9467 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    MASHAALLAH khub valo video...

  • @kabalkunz194
    @kabalkunz194 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hats off!

  • @flowrob6861
    @flowrob6861 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This idea will be NEEDED in California next year

  • @ritcheymt
    @ritcheymt 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I live less than 5 miles from the Great Salt Lake. One issue I imagine here is that running seawater continuously through a cardboard "swamp cooler filter" will clog that filter with salt in a relatively short period of time as the water evaporates from it, necessitating the replacement of the filter. Is that this corporation's business model -- to sell a lot of filters? Or is there some component in this system that will desalinize the water before running it through the filter? Because desalinization of water at the rate I'm imagining for a system this large may also tend to be pricey.

    • @foamer443
      @foamer443 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      They replied above the cardboard lasts 7 years.

    • @jimbaranski4687
      @jimbaranski4687 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      The cardboard I not a FILTER! It’s merely a medium to distribute the water to a large surface area for it to evaporate into the air.
      Actually, this would work for desalination as well. Most of the work of desalination is getting the water to evaporate. You can then cool the wet air to condense the pure water out of the air. This method uses a large surface area to do this and the ambient temperature, instead of a lot of heat to boil the water.
      The question remains what happens to the salt and wet air? Is the salt collected? Does the wet air stay in the ‘cool house, or does it get exhausted. If you did this of a large scale, could you humidify a desert? What would that accomplish?

  • @davidtangitau3771
    @davidtangitau3771 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is what we need to spend money on. Not countless useless social programs that tend to drain resources while allowing them to be abused. Science can literally lead humanity to no longer take so much from our planet while giving back nothing

  • @isaacnegev4582
    @isaacnegev4582 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fantastic... sign me in !!!!

  • @bernardo9202
    @bernardo9202 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    salute to these man and his team

  • @julieklysz487
    @julieklysz487 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    That very good. But can you buy one for home gardening in arid places in Australia?

  • @tzone1986
    @tzone1986 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant!

  • @mwmingram
    @mwmingram 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant.

  • @amundalfredsen3479
    @amundalfredsen3479 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It looks a lot like The Sahara Forest Project! Great concept👏🏻

  • @faisalfarooqkhan6751
    @faisalfarooqkhan6751 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great idea! It is amazing to see how simple the technology is and could be adopted anywhere in the world. Is the one in Somaliland still functioning? Are there more of these built? Where?

    • @jgdooley2003
      @jgdooley2003 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      It has to be simple and use local materials and techniques and labour as much as possible. There was a Danish inventor who emphasised the use of local materials, for example prickly bushes instead of imported barbed wire in arid areas of Africa. Another idea was to make and use hand operated water pumps from locally sourced materials and recycled old tires rather than using expensive imported water pumps powered by electricity, which broke down often and could not be fixed easily or cheaply. I once worked with a South African technician who fixed everything and refurbished everything to a high enough standard to allow the reuse of equipment that would otherwise be dumped. He said that South African sanctions made all technical people very knowledgeable and changed the mind-set to repair and recycle long before it was fashionable to do so in the West. All too often repair people just change out complete assemblies rather than trying to get down to the smallest possible part needed. Time and labour costs do not allow in-depth troubleshooting and repair in many cases. This is not the case in many 3rd world countries where labour is inexpensive, knowledge can be high and parts are expensive.

    • @celibate0
      @celibate0 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@jgdooley2003 Big Corporations and fat cats won't allow that. If we start to follow your ideas then no more billionaires, my friend. They're not interested in solving problems. They're interested in making more money at the expense of other people. Think not of a technical solution. There are plenty already. Think of how to please the vicious money hungry and powerfully corrupt elites. They're the ones who running the world and deciding war and peace. They are the problem.

    • @jgdooley2003
      @jgdooley2003 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@celibate0 I knew a person who had a theory that everyone who makes a lot of money should be thoroughly investigated and the source of their non typical wealth should drive law reforms to make sure other people do not follow their example and make untypically large amounts of money at the expense of ordinary workers in ordinary jobs being unable to afford even basic levels of housing, health and food.
      Many countries now have rules governing political donations and advertising in a bid to stop large corporations and billionaires dominating political opinion and choice.
      Other countries dedicate a part of their tax authorities to policing the affairs of high net worth individuals.
      Getting the balance right between outrageously high standards of living for a tiny elite and allowing others to live is a tricky one to solve.Well beyond my pay-grade.

  • @cloud9853
    @cloud9853 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Las Vegas needs this technology asap

  • @dreuglover
    @dreuglover 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fantastic, California and Australia would find this useful .....

  • @robnewman6101
    @robnewman6101 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Wow.

  • @BPmmxFX
    @BPmmxFX 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant... not only that the water cools the air, but also humidifies it by evaporation, and this humidity is also being absorbed by the plants, needing less watering...

  • @mikelsanti4158
    @mikelsanti4158 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is one of a good idea for food production

  • @yahseek
    @yahseek 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I’m all in and I love this idea. I wonder if non-GMO seeds and/or even the seeds of indigenous wild herbs and edible plants (food) can be planted using this method?

  • @Friedfoodie
    @Friedfoodie 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is wonderful. Any more news on this?

    • @georgehill3087
      @georgehill3087 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The Chinese have crossbred rice into somewhat sea water tolerant. Not genetically modified btw. Still need to filter some of the salt out, but it was capable of producing rice at roughly 70% of the yield of their regular rice. Not sure about other crops.

  • @maakjar
    @maakjar 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is incredible

  • @ChrisWeaver10
    @ChrisWeaver10 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    It's a swamp cooler to cool and humidify the greenhouse. Still would need fresh water to water the plants. But, good idea.

    • @Iamwolf134
      @Iamwolf134 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      10 times less water at that.

    • @Iamwolf134
      @Iamwolf134 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Not to mention the fact that marketable, culinary grade sea salt can also be produced this way.

  • @lifeinloop
    @lifeinloop 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is amazing

  • @eldahalas7015
    @eldahalas7015 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great idea