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Water, Water -- Everywhere?

Series: April 2010 - Isla Earth Radio Series
From: Pat Maxwell
Length: 00:01:30

Experts say that as population and water use rise, the world's fresh water supplies are shrinking. Then why don’t we desalinate more sea water and…you know, drink the ocean? Read the full description.

Isla_earth_inlay Experts say that as population and water use rise, the world's fresh water supplies are shrinking. Then why don’t we desalinate more sea water and…you know, drink the ocean? We can, for a price. One of the primary desalination methods of today is called reverse osmosis. The water is moved from one place to another, heated or cooled, pushed through membranes that separate water molecules from salt, and moved on again. However, this technology requires a hefty amount of energy. Enter a new way of doing things....

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Piece Description

Experts say that as population and water use rise, the world's fresh water supplies are shrinking. Then why don’t we desalinate more sea water and…you know, drink the ocean? We can, for a price. One of the primary desalination methods of today is called reverse osmosis. The water is moved from one place to another, heated or cooled, pushed through membranes that separate water molecules from salt, and moved on again. However, this technology requires a hefty amount of energy. Enter a new way of doing things....

Additional Credits

Isla Earth is produced by the Catalina Island Conservancy with support from its Fund for a Sustainable Planet.