With climate change accelerating, H2O is more precious than ever. This mobile generator produces fresh drinking water via an often overlooked source: air. Users dump discarded plant and animal materials, such as wood chips or nutshells, into the machine, which WEDEW heats up, releasing water vapor into the air in the process. Then the generator condenses the vapor into drinkable water. The whole system, which also includes a battery storage pod and a refrigeration module, fits into a single 40-ft. transport container. In 2020, WEDEW and the World Food Programme formed a partnership to bring the generator to a refugee camp in Uganda, in addition to communities in Tanzania. —Paulina Cachero
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Her Fight for Abortion Access in Michigan
- Inside the War on Fake Consumer Reviews
- Column: Europe's Refugee Crisis Is Going to Get Worse
- How Lawmakers Are Trying to Protect Abortion Data Privacy
- The Surprising Thing That Could Help Ease Inflation
- Finding the American Dream in Canada
- The Safest Sunscreens to Buy—and Which Ingredients to Avoid
- Fact-Checking 8 Claims About Crypto’s Climate Impact
- How Grief Upsets Your Gut Health
- Who Could Replace Boris Johnson As U.K. Prime Minister?
