‘Air shower’ set to cut water use by 30 percent

Scientists have developed a simple ‘air shower’ device which, when fitted into existing showerheads, fills the water droplets with a tiny bubble of air. The result is the shower feels just as wet and just as strong as before, but now uses much less water.

The researchers, from CSIRO Manufacturing Materials Technology in Melbourne, say the device increases the volume of the shower stream while reducing the amount of water used by about 30 per cent.

Given the average Australian household uses about 200,000 litres of water a year, and showers account for nearly a third of this, the ‘air shower’ could help the average household save about 15,000-20,000 litres a year. If you extend this across the population, that is an annual saving of more than 45,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
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In BRIEF: sex selection; deep freeze

Sex selection 1: undercover reporters from the Sunday Times newspaper have found that a prominent IVF specialist in London is sending patients to Cyprus so that they can choose the sex of their baby, at a cost of up to £12,000. Sex selection for “family balancing” is illegal in Britain — and it turns out that it is illegal in Cyprus as well. Cypriot authorities are investigating whether criminal charges should be laid. The Sunday Times also revealed that Rainsbury’s partner in Cyprus, the well-known Dr Panos Zavos, was also offering sex selection — but he was prepared to undercut him by £3,000. ~ Sunday Times, Nov 5

Sex selection 2: Britain’s best-known IVF expert, Professor Lord Robert Winston, has backed sex selection for “family balancing”. “I think there are a lot of shibboleths to which we have paid lip service, but when you analyse them they certainly don’t threaten the moral fabric of our society,” he told the Sunday Herald. “And one of them is sex selection. I think if sex selection was freely available in Britain it would change the balance of society hardly at all, if at all.” ~ Sunday Herald, Nov 5

Rescued from deep freeze: A Spanish woman has given birth to a baby from a donated embryo which had been frozen for 13 years in a Barcelona IVF clinic. The news is expected to give fresh impetus to researchers who claim that thousands of embryos are being destroyed every year because Britain lacks an embryo adoption program. ~ London Times, Nov 4
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Are Children Suffering from “Nature Deficit Disorder”?

Clearly, the more time children spend indoors with technology like video games and television, the less time they’re spending outside, getting in touch with nature. Now, studies are suggesting that children are beginning to suffer from “nature deficit disorder,” leading to hyperactivity, obesity and attention deficit. These studies point to this as a growing health threat… yet recommend that kids spend more time outdoors to foster their creativity and challenge their intellect.

Source: World Future Society
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