Comments on: The Global Freshwater Crisis http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:14:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Jonas http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14354 Jonas Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:01:02 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14354 On the other hand, engineers just found a way to squeeze trillions of liters of drinking water out of gypsum. Very abundant in the world's deserts, especially the Sahara. Check it out: June 12, 2008: <a href="http://biopact.com/2008/06/greening-desert-by-squeezing-water-out.html" rel="nofollow">Greening the desert by squeezing water out of gypsum</a>. Part of a special issue on "macro engineering" projects, published in the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues. On the other hand, engineers just found a way to squeeze trillions of liters of drinking water out of gypsum. Very abundant in the world’s deserts, especially the Sahara.

Check it out:

June 12, 2008: Greening the desert by squeezing water out of gypsum.

Part of a special issue on “macro engineering” projects, published in the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues.

]]> By: Finnjor http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14380 Finnjor Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:44:53 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14380 There is no water shortage so far as we have the Greenland and Antarctic ice masses. And no energy problem. The potential energy of these ice masses is enough for all our demand for a thousand years. There is no water shortage so far as we have the Greenland and Antarctic ice masses. And no energy problem. The potential energy of these ice masses is enough for all our demand for a thousand years.

]]> By: Uosdwis http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14382 Uosdwis Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:26:44 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14382 At what point do we make the connection: "hey, they have a HELL of a lot of extra water in Iowa/Indiana/Illinois/Wisconsin etc, RIGHT NOW. Could we capture as much of it as possible and distribute to the West?" Course, it would need to be filtered heavily, but it is FRESH, not saltwater. At what point do we make the connection: “hey, they have a HELL of a lot of extra water in Iowa/Indiana/Illinois/Wisconsin etc, RIGHT NOW. Could we capture as much of it as possible and distribute to the West?” Course, it would need to be filtered heavily, but it is FRESH, not saltwater.

]]> By: Russ http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14388 Russ Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:29:58 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14388 Joe, I read somewhere that this spring the IPCC was going to release a report on drought, but so far their website doesn't say anything about it, and I haven't heard anything else about it. Do you know anything about this? Joe,
I read somewhere that this spring the IPCC was going to release a report on drought, but so far their website doesn’t say anything about it, and I haven’t heard anything else about it. Do you know anything about this?

]]> By: Greg N http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14389 Greg N Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:36:14 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14389 Have you read "When the Rivers Run Dry" by Fred Pearce? A fascinating tour of the world, describing the hows and whys of the water crisis - and the consequences for the people he met. Have you read “When the Rivers Run Dry” by Fred Pearce?

A fascinating tour of the world, describing the hows and whys of the water crisis - and the consequences for the people he met.

]]> By: Earl Killian http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14414 Earl Killian Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:05:38 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14414 We could use water so much more efficiently than we do today. We use drinking water to flush our toilets; what could be more wasteful? We could use water so much more efficiently than we do today. We use drinking water to flush our toilets; what could be more wasteful?

]]> By: David B. Benson http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14421 David B. Benson Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:15:32 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14421 Earl Killian --- Using bottled water? champaigne? :-) Earl Killian — Using bottled water? champaigne? :-)

]]> By: Earl Killian http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14425 Earl Killian Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:12:42 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14425 David Benson, it reminds me when we had an earlier drought in California, and our Japanese guests asked about what we drank. We answered "beer", and they asked "doesn't that take water too?" and we answered, "we drink Japanese beer." :-) But seriously, I prefer the solution found in <a href="http://www.earthship.net/" rel="nofollow">Earthships</a>: collect rainwater in a cistern and filter it, use that for drinking, cooking, and showering. The wastewater from these activities is then filtered through the indoor greenhouse growing beds, and the nearly pure result is used for flushing toilets. That water is then filtered through the outdoor planting beds. Thus the water is used four times. Earthships will be quite valuable after the collapse. David Benson, it reminds me when we had an earlier drought in California, and our Japanese guests asked about what we drank. We answered “beer”, and they asked “doesn’t that take water too?” and we answered, “we drink Japanese beer.” :-)

But seriously, I prefer the solution found in Earthships: collect rainwater in a cistern and filter it, use that for drinking, cooking, and showering. The wastewater from these activities is then filtered through the indoor greenhouse growing beds, and the nearly pure result is used for flushing toilets. That water is then filtered through the outdoor planting beds. Thus the water is used four times.

Earthships will be quite valuable after the collapse.

]]> By: David B. Benson http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14450 David B. Benson Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:33:39 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/12/the-global-freshwater-crisis/#comment-14450 Earl Killian --- Collecting rainwater is a very good idea. Without the filtering you haven't set up yet, you could still use it for flushing. Earl Killian — Collecting rainwater is a very good idea. Without the filtering you haven’t set up yet, you could still use it for flushing.

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