Physalia

Physalia, an Amphibious Garden Cleaning European Waterways

Water, a Common Good for the Planet

Inspired by the global water issues

The Inspiration Video

The Global Water Crisis

Highlights

• Fresh water makes up 2.5% of the worlds entire water supply, of that less than 1% is easily accessible.
• High Stakes Tradeoffs;
• food
• energy
• human drinking water needs
• Waters Critical Role in Earths ecosystems
• Developing Innovative Solutions

A Developing Innovative Solution

Physalia - Its Own Inspiration

Photo by Matthew Smith

What’s a Physalia - Physalia physalis (Portuguese Man o’War)

Innovation

The future of Green Architecture A Floating Ecosystem 

Highlights

• 100% self sufficient in energy;
• Bionic structure is inspired from the pneumatophorous called also
  “Physalia physalis”;
• Greek physalis that means “water bubble”;
• Architecture with carbon zero emission is eco-designed from renewable energies to make it as a prototype with positive energy, that means producing more energy than it consumes;
• The silver-plated dress is covered by a TiO2 layer of anatase shape that by reacting to the ultraviolet rays enables to reduce the water pollution;
• In addition to being a self cleaning vessel, it enables to absorb and recycle by photo-catalytic effect, the chemical and carboned waste from the fluvial water rejected by the traditional boats and by industrialists 

“ ‘Physalia’  is thus an innovative scientific equipment dedicated to set investigation fields as much innovative too! It is a “clean” vessel, of new generation, a floating purification station, a tool of ecologic promotion with sulphur and carbon zero dedicated to sensitize the populations”

Vincent Callebaut

The Future of Water in 2050

Links

The Growing Blue Tool

Water in 2050

Implications of Growth

Economic Implications

Environmental Implications

Social Implications

Analysis

How are our current infrastructures for our water sources in place maintaining supply and do they do so adequately and are those infrastructures sustainable? As of now, the freshwater available throughout the world is less than 3%, of that, less than 1% is easily accessible. According to UN-Water, out of the 7 billion people on earth, only 780 million have access to clean water. So Physalia ability to generate more energy then it uses itself, while purifying waterways in Europe, could have the potential to vastly improve the waterways around the world, cleaning up the major rivers that need it the most. 

"Physalia" travels Europe’s rivers, purifying water, simultaneously generating more energy than it uses. With the silvery shell that absorbs ultravioloet energy enabling it to purify the waterways. But what if it did more? What if Physalia did more than just purify the water

www.unwater.org

Source: World Water Development Report 4. World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP),
March 2012. http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml

Impact

GLOBALLY
I think if this idea was expanded to reach areas beyond Europe, reaching parts of the world that lack access to clean water and purify their water resources, it could change the way the world thinks about water. Not only that, it could mean cleaner water in areas of the world that truly need it.

NATIONALLY
We have the resources. Nationally, we really need to find more effective ways at keeping our waters clean. What rivers would be it be the most beneficial if Physalia was implemented here? First river that comes to mind right now, would be the most recent environmental disaster in Colorado, the Animas River, after the EPA accidentally release 3 millions of toxic water that had been stored in the Gold King Mine. was released into the Animas river. After seeing the damage of the river, it's really apparent that even state side, we have a real issue with protecting our OWN water. The river has since been clearing up, but the lasting effects and damage are yet unknown. They are "planning to install a treatment plant that would indefinitely clean the water from the Gold King Mine"

LOCALLY
In Minnesota alone, industrial agriculture is creating access to clean water within our own state problematic and is becoming readily apparent in Minnesota counties, such as "Dakota, Washington, Central Sands region (which includes 14 counties), and Karst region". The families in these counties have limited access to well water due to elevated levels of nitrogen in the drinking water, that is caused from the neighboring farmlands that use fertilizers. 

However, 

"Industrial agriculture is not the only threat to our drinking water. Hydraulic fracturing, the method used to drill for natural gas, also known as "fracking," is becoming yet another major source of groundwater contamination." 

What is fracking and why is it controversial?

I wanna continue into that... but that's another assignment...

Down the line
5 years
If we are more proactive in our own communities, by reducing our own water pollution around the house, and in our own neighborhoods, we'd be contributing to healthier water right at home. Just by picking up solid waster from our animals, or using natural fertilizers, not over watering our lawns, and washing our cars at professional wash places, because they are "required to drop their wastewater into sewer systems, there it is treated before being discharged"  (How to Clean up our Water)

25 years
If we start cleaning the most polluted rivers around the globe, it would definitely be improving the way of life in the rural areas that are in the most need. Physalia could mean healthier, more cleaner water for areas that are in the most need.

Questions posed for the class

1. What areas of the world would be in the most need for something like, Physalia, that would benefit the most?
2. How are we, ourselves, attempting to be more proactive about our own water sources?
3. In what ways can we improve the overall infrastructure when it comes to healthier water in the long term?