World Water Woes

[Avatar]

I was reading on both the New Scientist and National Geographic of the water problems we face in the future. With the world population as it is we can cope with water shortages despite severe shortages. However if the population doubles in decades time what do we do?
Day by day, irreplacable underground water supplies are used. Over 70% of the fresh water we extract is used in farming.
Cities that used to flourish next to large rivers now face shortages and sand storms. Yet floods are rampant in other areas of the world.
Over 90% of the deaths in 3rd world countries are from water bourne illnesses.
Yet oil rich countries have 20 times the amount of water they need despite being in middle of barren lands. De-saltinization plants that even developed countries can't dream of affording are common in countries like Dubai.
What is everyone's view on the shortage of water in the future?

[Dundee Slaytern]

Too much fresh water. All in the wrong places.

And I do not mean people when I say places. Just to clarify.

Maybe we could recapture some of that fresh water from the melting polar ice caps? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I personally believe that the population will not double in a 10 year period. Im not sure if it has done that in the last 1000 years (doubled in a decade that is). If it does, at some point we will trigger the process of natural selection and some of us will die off, after which there will be a stabilization.

[Sir Goulum]

Magik...do you know how much, even a small amount, of water weighs??? It would take MANY trips to the Ice Caps just to get enough water for a city never mind entire countries. I think the only solution will be de-salting plants. 90% or something like that of the water in the world is in the ocean...theres just too much darn salt!

[flibulzbuth]

AIDS will get us rid of the overpopulation if we don't do anything to counter it.
De-salting plants is a possibility, but current technologies are very expensive and energy hungry.

Reforestation is a good way to retain fresh water, it reduces the risks of flooding and allow a decent, constant flow from the rivers instead. The chinese government understood this and now see that forest are better standing than logged for cash.

[Sir Goulum]

Originally posted by flibulzbuth: De-salting plants is a possibility, but current technologies are very expensive and energy hungry.

But what if we built tidal power plants (I forget the name but they use the oceans tides to create electricity) to power the plants?

[Dundee Slaytern]

We can also do what some countries do, drag icebergs. Mind you, some icebergs are the size of entire countries.

[Sir Goulum]

Originally posted by Dundee Slaytern: We can also do what some countries do, drag icebergs. Mind you, some icebergs are the size of entire countries.

But, the problem with that, is when you take it to the countries that need it most, Africa and in the desert, it is soo hot down there the Icebergs would just melt!
EDIT: Oh, sure! Have the BronzoDude look at my cute lil avatar!!!!!!

[ 09-10-2002, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: Sir Goulum ]

[Dundee Slaytern]

Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea... carpet-bombing Africa with ice... hmmmm... ...

Ponders an iceberg the size of Denmark in the Sahara Desert.

[Hayashi]

Did you know that out of all the water in our oceans, rivers, ice caps, etc, only about 1% is fit to be used for drinking? And that the oceans hold 95% of the world's water supply?

Avatar
I read that article in National Gepgraphic. Sure paints a bleak picture, doesn't it?
Yet I believe there are solutions, technology-based as well as in the wosdom of ancient practices, whereby the problem could be ameliorated.

Another thing - I heard over the BBC that Indonesia, at its present pace of logging (illegal or legal) will lose its forests in a decade.