Quench Warners 3

Desalination won't solve world's water woes, report says

Another high-tech environmental solution may be going out the window: a new report from the World Wildlife Fund says desalinating water could hurt more than it helps. Estimating that there are more than 10,000 desalination plants around the world, WWF says the energy-intensive practice of filtering salt out of seawater can harm marine life and generates large amounts of greenhouse-gas emissions that may actually threaten the planet's freshwater supplies through climate-change-induced drought and glacial melt. "The quite possibly mistaken lure of widespread water availability from desalination ... has the potential to drive a major misdirection of public attention, policy, and funds away from the pressing need to use all water wisely," the group says. Use water wisely? The world chortles in your general direction, WWF -- as evidenced by Australia's announcement that it will build one of the world's biggest desalination plants to help provide a "drought-proof" supply of drinking water for Melbourne.

source: Scotsman, Reuters, Laura MacInnis, 19 Jun 2007

source: BBC News, 19 Jun 2007

source: Reuters, 19 Jun 2007

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  1. naturescene Posted 6:09 am
    20 Jun 2007

    nonsenseMost leading scientists on this issue have already distanced themselves from the WWF report.  GHG emissions from desalination are minute.  The big issues are the damage done to ecosystems, but that continues to be addressed as the technology advances.

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  2. SpryCorpse Posted 9:25 am
    20 Jun 2007

    use water wisely?Here in Melbourne, where the desalination plant has been announced, there have been heavy restrictions on water use for a long time.  There are major concerns that these restrictions in themselves may be insufficient.  Billions of dollars are now to be invested in various measures (including the desalination project) to try to ensure a steady water to supply to the 3-4 million people living in Melbourne.

    Seems fair enough to me.

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  3. usandthem Posted 9:40 pm
    20 Jun 2007

    WaterThe simple fact and the only one that makes a difference,wether it be amounts of food,war,lack of energy,pollution,or any other of the woes of the world is.........OVERPOPULATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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