I think I saw this on Catalyst or some such show.
As far as I know Whisson hasn't actually built one yet, he's just designed one, although the principle of "water from air" is sound and already being used in other water generation technologies. I think the fact that he hasn't even built a working prototype and tested how much water can be harvested under what conditions etc. and estimate how much it will actually cost for cost/litre produced comparisons against current proven technologies probably speaks volumes for the venture capitalists.

Quite often, if you aren't prepared to spend much of your own money on your own idea, a venture capitalist probably wouldn't spend much on it either. On just a design? But what would an old leftie like Adams know about that? He's probably trying to drum up some "buzz" so his old mate Whisson doesn't have to spend any of his own money to develop the thing, if it works properly.

Without actually knowing much about the proposed device, my only hesitation would be the amount of energy needed, for the amount of water produced.

The amount of water available from a given amount of air is not huge, so the energy needed to move the air to the processing end would be massive, hence output for input would be.. discouraging at first glance.

DIGRESSION.
Steven Meyer.. welcome to olo, I've not seen any post of your b4. but now having looked at your total posts, I see all but one are on this single story. Your other one suggested
a) You have no interest in Aboriginal culture
b) To get attention they should become Muslims.
c) Islam has drugs and alchohol under control and it only allows sex in 'appropriate' circumstances.

Steve, I'm rather well known for 'anti islamic rants' as some describe them so rather than turn this thread into one, please have a look at the other one you contributed to for a response to that last point (c)
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5858#810
cheers.

ARJAY.. *bingo* about PA and his voice :) spot on mate. I think he is a good candidate for the next incarnation of Star Wars and the 'wise voice' of Yoda.

Extracting water from air is traditionally an energy intensive process and will only supply enough for drinking purposes.You would need many windmills and a lot of hot air to make it viable mass production process.Taking the salt out of seawater would be more viable.

Lake Ayre in South Australia is a vast area that is below sea level,why not do a study on tha potential of flooding that region with sea water and see if the local environment would benefit from a small inland sea.It could change the local environment for the better by increasing local precipitation.The amount of water evaporated into the local environment would be enormous in such a hot climate.Just a thought.

Evaporation does absolutely nothing for local rainfall, our major irrigation areas in Vic, NSW and SA are semi arid areas, there are vast areas that get soaked every 7-10 days and the summer rainfall has not increased one drop.
This is a myth about 150 years old at least could be thousands for all I know, all those ruins in SA are because of this rubbish, they thought agriculture would create rain it didn,t. I was raised on an irrigated farm and we went for about 5 months every summer without rain, in fact our average rainfall was less than 30cm.
If we need humidity of 30% and temperature of 20 plus degrees, this will rarely work in inland Auatralia, we only get humidity of 30% in the winter, when the temp is frequently below 20 and that is when it usually rains anyway.
It might work in the tropics.

no invention will solve the fundamental problem: total water, finite quantity. population, growing.

the only genuine solution to resource shortage is stable population and recycled resources. every other 'solution' is just dropping the problem, ever larger, on succeeding generations.

I received the following from Phillip Adams.

>>you silly little s h * t! you know NOTHING about Max or the issue - or the financing! OR the fact that my columns/b'casts on Max and his inventions (going back years incidentally) have provoked a massive response from major investors all over the world...so grow up or shut up>>

MY RESPONSE:

I am DELIGHTED that your columns have helped Max raise money.

This is a case where I would be OVERJOYED to be proved wrong.

If Max's invention works he'll be up there with Edward Jenner, Jonas Salk and Joseph Lister as one of humanity's great benefactors.