why don't humans use icebergs are a source of fresh water?

Question

what practical problems would arise in moving icebergs from the polar regions to other parts of the world?

Answer 1

Its not practical to use icebergs as fresh water as you would need to take that ice and melt it and then distribute it. With that said it is used in iceberg vodka as its the purest form of fresh water.

Hope that helps

Answer 2

first of all, people would need to get a really substantial amount of ice, or a really big iceberg, to make this idea worthwhile. I'm talking somewhere around 100 thousand tonnes. finding an iceberg of this scale is not quite a problem.

then, the issue of transporting it to whatever place needs water arises. how are you gonna take an iceberg somewhere?

some have suggested wrapping it in tarp, or some other water-proof covering and towing it to its destination. this is not feasible. it is nearly impossible to effectively cover a non-geometrical object, especially if 90% of it is underwater.

also, consider the fact that it is ice. ice melts when the temperature goes up. it is nigh on impossible to tow an iceberg away from the polar areas without it melting.

thirdly, the iceberg may break into many pieces, another problem when it comes to towing and high temperatures. this can cause quite a problem, i am sure you see why.

also, consider the effect on our planet's ecology if icebergs are to be towed away from the polar ice caps. the north pole is mainly a giant floating iceberg. whilst the south pole is not entirely an iceberg(meaning it has land mass), taking ice away from it would greatly effect the penguin, polar bear, walrus and seal populations.

all in all, it is a bad idea.

Answer 3

the Arabs have been doing that for years
and already in the middle ages people were using ice from ice bergs to preserve fish in England and the USA

the ice is very compact and takes a long time to melt

i have had whiskey in london on the rocks from the north pole and the ice takes ages to melt in the glass
in the old days people buriied the ice or had special buildings for it .

the idea of using as a fresh water supply is not new
they tow an ice berg with a tow boat all the way to Arabia ,and there is still a lot of water when they get there .but they can only tow very small bergs and need very big tow boats ,so it is not very practical or economic-,90% of the iceberg is under water
so depth becomes very important ,especially when you get close to land

75% of the worlds sweet water was locked in ice ,but we have already lost a lot of that because of an increase in temperature

Much ice from the Glaziers ,greenland ,North pole and Antarctica is already melted into the sea lost as sweet water for ever

Answer 4

I have heard of serious proposals to do that, but it has never actually been tried. I think the main problem was the ice melting too fast as they towed the icebergs through warm water.

Answer 5

The water in the ice isn't clean and moving icebergs can cause flooding.

Answer 6

lol...It's too far to drive all the way to the arctic circle and hire a Captain of a sturdy boat to go out there and corral icebergs!! It's dangerous, the ship could sink, and it is not worth it when there is water almost everywhere on the planet, almost, if you know where to look. Ground water, lakes, creeks, rivers, and so on.

Answer 7

It costs too much money. You'd need a big ship, and a way to attach a tow cable securely. Then you'd need to get the ice into a place to melt and clean it. Rich nations have cheaper ways to get water. Poor nations couldn't afford to do it.

Too much money is often the answer to "Why don't they..."

Answer 8

They are incredibly massiive, so it would take a very powerful boat to tow them and they could easily ground as you brought them towards land where they would be used.