Build a fog net

What you'll need

• Conserve and save money handout, print one class set
• Build a fog net slideshow
• 'Fog Nets' video from Facts5Minutes on YouTube
• Computer and projector to share video and slideshow
  
  

Experiment supplies

• Tape
• Scale
• Measuring cup
• Funnel
• For each pair of students:
  • Wire coat hanger
  • Section of nylon stockings 40-45 cm long
  • Beaker or jar (500 mL or larger) filled with sand, soil, or gravel
  • Clear misting spray bottle

Introduction

1. Review how drought impacts communities and ecosystems, can lower hydroelectricity production and increase storm damage. We recommend doing the activities that are part of this unit: “Reporting on drought in B.C.” and “Drought, electricity, and storm safety in B.C.”
   
   
2. Begin with a discussion on who should get priority to water. Write or draw on the board three items: a fish, a glass of water and a lightbulb. Explain that the fish represents the environment like trees, plants, animals, the glass of water represents human needs for water and the lightbulb represents electricity generation. Ask students who they think should get priority access to water in times of drought. Ask students to share their ideas and/or ask students to vote on who gets the priority to water.
   
   
3. Share that BC Hydro has water use plans (WUP) for most hydroelectric facilities. The overall goal is to find a better balance between competing uses of water, such as domestic water supply, fish and wildlife, recreation, heritage, flood control and electrical power needs which are environmentally, socially and economically acceptable to British Columbians. Each WUP must address fish and aquatic protection, flood control, beneficial use of water, and heritage and cultural values.
   
   

Conserve and save money

1. Water conservation becomes critical in times of drought, but for people and businesses, implementing water conservation practices all year round has environmental, economic and social benefits. In many municipalities, businesses pay for water, so water conservation means lower costs. Since most of our electricity in B.C. is generated using water there is also a strong link between saving electricity and saving water and in business this means lower costs too. Businesses may also use their conservation practices in advertisement of social and environmental responsibility. Water conservation means more water available for ecosystems, as well as for generating electricity.
   
   
2.  Divide students into six groups and explain that each group will be given a business type to analyze how water and electricity is used and how they can conserve.  
   
   
3. Start by getting students to share one idea for how water or electricity is used in each of the businesses: hotel, farm (agriculture and livestock), hospital, laundromat, supermarket, clothing manufacturer. An option is to have students do a visualization and imagine themselves in one of the businesses as they generate ideas. For example, students can close their eyes and picture the last time they walked through a supermarket. What did they see? How was energy and water being used?
   
   
4. Next give each group one of the Conserve and Save Money handout pages with the different business types. Have the groups discuss how water and electricity is being used in the business and consider different conservation opportunities, then write one tip in the water and one in the electricity column. Set a timer for 4 minutes (adjust based on student needs).
   
   
5. When the timer goes off, each group passes their paper to the group to the right and receives a new business type from the group to their left. Groups now decide on one conservation tip for this new business that is different from the one listed from the previous group. Reset the timer. Repeat until each group has had the chance to see consider all six businesses. More time may need to be added to additional rounds as the conservation ideas get more difficult. An option is to allow students to use devices to research the business types.
   
   
6. Have each group present the ideas on the last business they discussed. See teaching notes for general examples and business specific examples that students might come up with.
   
   

Build a fog net 

1. Once all ideas have been captured ask students if they have heard of fog nets as an option to collect water in areas of drought. While rare in Canada currently, fog nets have been used in dry climates around the world.
    
2. Show this video about fog nets and how they work: Fog Nets from Facts5Minutes on YouTube
   
   
3. Tell students they will now work in pairs to make their own version of a fog net. Pull up the Build a Fog Net slideshow slideshow.
   
   
4. At slide 2, have students gather their supplies: wire coat hanger, tape, nylon stocking, small beaker or jar filled with sand, soil, gravel or rocks. Then bend the wire coat hanger into a diamond shape and straighten the hook. Weigh the filled beaker in grams.
    
5. At slide 3, pull the nylons over the wire diamond and secure with tape top and bottom. This is your fog net. Now secure the fog net in the beaker so it does not tip over and is vertical.
   
   
6. At slide 4, have students make a prediction: when you spray water on your fog net what percentage of the water sprayed do you think will be collected?
   
   
7. At slide 5, using the measuring cup and funnel take the bottle and fill it with 120 mL of water and using the mist setting spray it at the net. The water will collect on the surface of the net and travel down into the jar. Continue spraying till about half the water has gone (approximately 60 mL).
   
   
8. At slide 6, weigh the beaker with soil again in grams. Calculate how much water was collected in grams. How many mL of water was collected? Remind students that 1 gram of water is equal to 1 mL of water.  What percentage of the water sprayed did you collect in your net?
   
   
9. At slide 7, wrap up by having a class discussion about the experiment, results, materials that could work and feasibility of fog nets in B.C.