Water Treatment and Energy
So feeding the demand is a constant challenge. Safe disposal of the highly polluting brine and waste that come from the treatment is also a perpetual problem.
And treating the water requires a lot of energy. That's one reason why we're among the world's highest energy consumers. It's also a major contributor to climate change.
95% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) we emit is caused by industrial processes such as water desalination.
Trapped in the atmosphere, CO2 and other gases prevent the earth from cooling. Slowly but surely, temperatures are rising. And as the polar ice caps melt, water levels are rising too.
How much? Estimates vary widely. The global sea level could rise by anything from 9 to 88 cm in the next 50 years. If it rises just 1 more metre, the coastal cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai will disappear under water.
And it would not need to rise by anything like that amount before disastrous consequences would ensue: for our infrastructure, our marine life and wildlife, our health, our political and economic stability, for our very lives.
