Is it possible to desalinate the excess ocean water and reverse desertifiaction?

Question

By excess, I mean from the melting ice caps and greenland. Wouldn't it make sense to pump it to areas with severe drought.

Answer 1

desalination is very energy intensive, so it's not really viable witout a clean energy source - we need nuclear fusion or something else dead clever.
To be more serious, with hot locations, where evaporation is higher than absorption, watering the ground causes salt pans to form, as the salt is drawn to the surface, so probably not - how about peppering the deserts with farms of Solar panels and heat-concentrating reflectors, then generate Hydrogen by electrolysing some of the desalinated water and ship it to Industrialised areas.

Answer 2

If the polar ice caps melt there won't be any deserts to water (they'll be under water) But desalination is possible and can be done its just expensive and energy intensive!(It is being done in some parts of the world for city water supplies)

Answer 3

Its a long way to pump anything, maybe 7 thousand miles I think. They do try to tow the iceburgs sometimes. Even with the melting its worth it sometimes.

Also, solar stills would work wheever there is lots of sunshine. A simple one is just a container covered with a piece of glass at an angle. The fresh water evaporates and condenses on the glass.

Answer 4

You would think, but it is very expensive to take the salt out of water and it is also very expensive to move water form one location to another.
People really need to start working on desalnation techniques because we are using just about all of our fresh water sources right now.

Answer 5

Good question. Yes you could. BUT..( theres always a but) it takes too much energy to do it. If there was a cheap source of energy it would be cost effective to do what youre talking about. Until then, it is not worth it...money wise.

Answer 6

Good idea... however that process might be too expensive. I wonder if there is a way to turn sea water into fresh water...

Answer 7

Think about the habitats and ecological niches that would be destroyed in the process. It may wreak more havoc then we realize, even if our intentions are good.