With water shortage becoming a very real and scary problem I believe that we must look for innovative solutions such as desalination. These articles highlight a form of desalination that uses a floating barge rather than large stationary plants that can pollute the area with greenhouse gas emissions. Desalination research is primarily funded by private sector companies creating a high risk environment for new technology. One area that seems to be emerging in the desalination industry is floating barge systems. The systems are rapidly deployable and can be tailored to area specific needs. The McCabe Wave Pump is also being remodeled by Murtech engineering, a company I was able to work with over the summer. This system hopes to pump water through the desalination membranes and back to shore using wave energy. The rate that desalination is advancing even with the lack of government support is astonishing; with subsidies and other governmental promotions for the technology I believe that this technology can combat current and future water scarcity.
--Mike McCormick
