Could New Water Desalination System Transform Regions?

Technology and research are two best friends that go on long strolls together to solve the world’s problems. Researchers have discovered a method of desalinating water without the use of a cumbersome filtration system. Dr. Richard Crooks from the University of Texas and Dr. Ulrich Tallarek at the University of Marburg developed an idea of using electricity in small channels to remove salt. 

Inside of the little chip are two channels with an electrode connected to it. With three volts of electricity it turns the chloride ions into neutral chlorine which further enhances the electric field. In turn the ions move down one channel and the fresh water moves down the other. The laws of physics requires a neutral electromagnetic field which forces ions into a smaller channel separating it from the main water supply. The end product is water that can be used for growing or drinking.

According to the United Nations about a third of the population lives in areas that are already water short. This is expected to grow to double in about 10 years. As the world suffers from issues such as declining forest/jungle, water supplies, and habitat it is ideas such as this which further helps foster a renewable environment. Food without an adequate supply of water cannot meet the needs of people. 

Around 12 years ago I wrote about a new technology for filtering ocean water and producing electricity. Countries like Saudi Arabia have implemented those technologies. The new system will be cheaper to build, run, and manage than previous systems. It requires only a little electricity and doesn’t require any major filtration systems. This means that capital investments and additional improvements in the system may someday transform the planet as we know it. 

The doctors have built a start-up company called Okeanos Technologies based upon the technology listed in the publication in the Journal Angewandte Chemie. The start-up has research partnerships with a number of universities to develop the technology for commercial uses. As it has lots of possibilities and already has interest from both governmental and private stakeholders its buzz is not yet finished.

Journal Article

Okeanos Technology Company Page

University of Texas

Going Green in the Restaurant Industry

Green business practices are a growing trend not only in the food industry but other places as well. As the world population rises, food becomes just a touch more scarce, and global warming grips the concerns of citizens some corporations have responded to the pressure by developing more sustainable practices. New practices have hit the market in order to reduce the carbon footprint and support local producers. Research helps show why managers decide to implement or not implement such programs into their business models in alignment with customer interests.

Approximately 84% of Americans show a willingness to switch their brands based upon the desire to support positive societal causes (Bhattacharya & Sen, 2004). This willingness of customers to vote with their dollars creates additional support for the development of sustainable products. With the ability to obtain profits businesses will more likely support green agendas because they have both a social and financial benefit of doing so. 

Customers weren’t only willing to switch to products that were more sustainable but also were willing to put their money where their mouth is (Joyner & Payne, 2002). The amount of premium customers wasn’t mentioned. The willingness of customers to pay extra is a benefit for businesses that would like to recoup on associated costs. 

With the added benefits and market appeal of local and green products one must wonder why more businesses are not signing up. Some of the reasons may be associated with knowledge and overall costs. In highly competitive industries such changes often come slow with a few changes here and there to test the waters. Other business interests often take precedence. 

Data collected from 167 members of a state restaurant association utilized a 44-item questionnaire from three dimensions of the Green Practices framework to assess the psychological attributes of manager’s willingness to charge for green practices. The study was conducted by Guane Choi (2006) to determine manager’s willingness to accept green programs. Demographics of the polled members were 45% were 49-59 years of age, 30 % were 30 to 44 years of age, and 85% of respondents had more than 10 years of experience.

Findings:

-Managers were not willing to pass costs off to customers by raising price.

-Managers were willing to accept Green Programs based upon personal preferences.

-There is some level of fear that customers would not be willing to pay for green programs.

-Managers belief that offering meat alternatives, low-fat entrees, using local food, pro-environmental and recycling activities, donations to charity, communicating with consumers, and increased concern for stakeholders do not justify higher prices. 

Business Analysis: 

The food industry is a highly competitive environment. Food price is often a major concern for restaurant managers at lower end food options. Managers may engage in green programs based upon their personal preferences or the preferences of their customers. They are not willing to raise the price of their products which limits the type of programs they were willing to engage in. Therefore, improvements in green programs are often based in competitively prices alternatives versus raising costs and lowering profit margins.

Guane Choi, P. (2006). Green practices II: measuring restaurant manager’s psychological attributes and their willingness to change for green practices. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 9 (4). 

Bhattacharya, B. and Sen, S. (2004). Doing Better at Doing Good: When, Why and How Consumers Respond to Corporate Social Initiatives. California Management Review, 47(1), 9.

Joyner, B. and Payne, D. (2002). Evolution and Implementation: A Study of Values, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 41, 297-311.