This title is a bit of an over-exaggeration. As the article says, "Systems to make use of this airborne potable water already exist in at least 17 nations." The title implies that it's relatively new technology.<p>For some historical background, an early fog harvesting project started in Chile in 1987, and the success from that kicked off projects in other countries. (Based on a cursory search I just did.)<p>The linked-to article then clarifies the importance of this new work: "But the new research shows that their efficiency in a mild fog condition can be improved by at least fivefold, making them far more feasible and practical than existing versions."
If used on a large scale, I wonder how this would affect the environment around the collection sites. As is now, the fog goes somewhere and I'm sure some organisms rely on it getting to where it's going.<p>If the water is collected with enough efficiency, there could be significant unforeseen consequences.