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"This aircraft can take off within 125 meters because a portion of the engine thrust is deflected downwards, " said Dr. Iannelli.
CNN: 'Flying taxi' of the future revealed
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With scarce native freshwater supplies, Iannelli says the oil-rich nation spends hundreds of million of dollars a year purifying coastal seawater.
CNN: Counting the carbon cost of bringing water to the desert
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But the cost to the climate, says Iannelli, is certainly not.
CNN: Counting the carbon cost of bringing water to the desert
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In aeronautical jargon, a jetpod is a "VQSTOL" (very quiet, short take off and landing) aircraft, explained Dr. Joe Iannelli, Associate Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at London's City University.
CNN: 'Flying taxi' of the future revealed
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Instead, Iannelli believes that the most practical solution is for the desalination process to become more energy efficient, in conjunction with an effort by the Emiratis themselves to curb their "lavish" water consumption habits.
CNN: Counting the carbon cost of bringing water to the desert
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While large-scale desalination is not uncommon in those parts of the world where natural water resources are scarce -- such as Texas and Australia -- the UAE is by some margin, according to Iannelli, the industry's most active player.
CNN: Counting the carbon cost of bringing water to the desert
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To put that figure in context, Iannelli says that the energy required to pump freshwater from underground (which, he says, is the most common source of drinking water in the West) typically produces just over 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per million gallons.
CNN: Counting the carbon cost of bringing water to the desert
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But on this point Iannelli is not convinced: "At the moment, solar panels are not fit for purpose in the UAE ... the dust and the sand in the atmosphere prevent (sun) rays from hitting the panels efficiently ... and the high temperatures also reduce performance, " he says.
CNN: Counting the carbon cost of bringing water to the desert