How to achieve “green” desalination
In one of the most remarkable turnarounds ever achieved in the face of a natural resource crisis, Israel has overcome a looming fresh water shortage in less than a decade. The country now has such a large water surplus that it can sell significant amounts to its parched neighboring countries. The reversal was made possible by the construction of the world’s largest desalination plants, which convert seawater from the Mediterranean into potable water for both domestic use and agriculture. But while that new glut of water can provide a valuable example for nations and regions around the world that are facing water shortages, it also has an environmental price: Desalination plants are intensive users of energy, the production of which typically requires burning fossil fuels in large power plants. To address that issue and work toward a roadmap for future research and demonstrations, some of the world’s leading specialists in the technology,...