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
The Best Inventions of 2020
