@ jake

Sorry Jake but were talking two very different scenarios here champ...

You walked out of a desert based on collecting the water from your plastic tarp. But you werent trying to live and farm in that desert were you? If you said you crashed and then decided to live in the middle of the desert and start trying to farm a productive living and you survived with your tarp, then we may have a comparison. As you knew you were trying to escape the desert and were moving as fast as possible it doesnt really count. Im also willing to bet you were still diagnosed as being dehydrated by the authorites when you got back to civilisation.

The people that this is aimed at are those who are located in a desert and who are trying to make a living there, they have a source of water - measly and very dirty, and this is a fast and quick solution to remove a large number of the impurities they currently just have to deal with. This technique will work at any time of day and night, during sand storms, etc which a good ol' tarp cant do. So i say good on the researchers for getting this info out there AND doing it for free...

My only question on the topic is does this miracle tree (tm) produce enough seeds to allow for the next seasons plantings as well as the cleaning of water? Anyone know the answer?