No glaciers, no water?

[Still Waters]

The world's largest rivers begin in glaciated mountain regions. However, climate change may cause many glaciers to disappear. Will water become scarce?

There are around 200,000 glaciers worldwide. They play a central role in the water cycle, particularly in the middle and low latitudes, by offsetting runoff fluctuations. Rivers are lifelines on which billions of people depend worldwide, either directly or indirectly.

https://phys.org/news/2018-02-glaciers.html?

[Black Monk]

33 minutes ago, Still Waters said:

However, climate change may cause many glaciers to disappear. 

Rubbish.

[Black Monk]

34 minutes ago, Still Waters said:

Will water become scarce?

Nope. Three-quarters of Earth's surface is water.

[Essan]

Just now, Black Monk said:

Rubbish.

... is also a big problem.  

However, contrary, to what some believe, the giant glacier-weevil is not the cause of diminishing glaciers.  it's rising temperatures and precipitation pattern changes (collectively, these are known as climate change)  

[Essan]

2 minutes ago, Black Monk said:

Nope. Three-quarters of Earth's surface is water.

Although, as the Yanks found in 1773, most of it is useless for making tea with  


Seriously, in some parts of the world where water supplies rely on glacier-fed rivers it may well become a problem.  For the likes of Europe and America it's won't.  So what do we care? 

[Black Monk]

25 minutes ago, Essan said:

Although, as the Yanks found in 1773, most of it is useless for making tea with  


Seriously, in some parts of the world where water supplies rely on glacier-fed rivers it may well become a problem.  For the likes of Europe and America it's won't.  So what do we care? 

Glaciers aren't melting. And there is no global warming.

[Essan]

Just now, Black Monk said:

Glaciers aren't melting. And there is no global warming.

They are and there is. 

Regardless of the cause and whether you want to accept it.
 

[Black Monk]

Just now, Essan said:

They are and there is. 
 

Well I don't believe that.

[Essan]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-rocky-mountains-largest-glaciers-are-melting-with-little-fanfare/

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/glaciers-melting-earth-crust-shape-change-climate-change-global-warming-nasa-solitary-wave-rink-a7762756.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/04/melting-glaciers-swiss-alps-could-reveal-hundreds-mummified-corpses

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/26/world/americas/peru-climate-change.html

http://mentalfloss.com/article/503309/8-amazing-things-uncovered-melting-glaciers-and-ice

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/01/climate-change-melting-pre-viking-artifacts-out-of-norways-glaciers/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retreat_of_glaciers_since_1850

 

All of it totally made up of course because glaciers aren't melting .......

[GlitterRose]

Will water become scarce? 

Yes.

[Black Monk]

21 hours ago, Essan said:

h

 

All of it totally made up of course because glaciers aren't melting .......

Correct.

[Black Monk]

14 hours ago, ChaosRose said:

Will water become scarce? 

Yes.

Almost three quarters of Earth's surface is covered in water (I find it comical when some people forget about the vast swathes of seas and oceans that are found between the continents).

There are around 326 million trillion gallons of water on Earth - a number which always stays the same. It never changes. Earth never loses water.

If you were to take all of Earth's water and formed it into a sphere, that sphere would be about 860 miles in diameter.

The answer to the question "Will water become scarce?" is a resounding, and simple, "No."

Edited February 11, 2018 by Black Monk

[khol]

There are middle eastern countries who rely completely on desalination plants .As the technology continues to improve I can only see this trend continuing.Desalinators are common on ships and used in remote areas where FW is not available.

Its obvious glaciers are retreating. We can only speculate on the long term consequences of this

Here is an example of a small compact desalinator many use here on our Gulf  Islands where FW can be limited

 

[GlitterRose]

6 minutes ago, khol said:

There are middle eastern countries who rely completely on desalination plants .As the technology continues to improve I can only see this trend continuing.Desalinators are common on ships and used in remote areas where FW is not available.

Its obvious glaciers are retreating. We can only speculate on the long term consequences of this

Here is an example of a small compact desalinator many use here on our Gulf  Islands where FW can be limited

 

Maybe the tech has changed, but I was reading that the desalination plants we have here are cost-prohibitive coastal eyesores that don't produce nearly enough water for all of us. It's also environmentally destructive because they dump the briny muck back into the ocean. 

Edited February 11, 2018 by ChaosRose

[khol]

Just now, ChaosRose said:

Maybe the tech has changed, but I was reading that the desalination plants we have here are cost-prohibitive coastal eyesores that don't produce nearly enough water for all of us. 

Yes for sure. Its why I mentioned "as technology improves" . Having said that Saudi Arabia produces 117million cubic feet of FW daily

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-who-rely-on-desalination.html

[GlitterRose]

I'll be cautiously hopeful, because as of yet, they sure aren't solving California's problem.

[Still Waters]

Quote

Despite covering about 70% of the Earth's surface, water, especially drinking water, is not as plentiful as one might think. Only 3% of it is fresh.

Over one billion people lack access to water and another 2.7 billion find it scarce for at least one month of the year. A 2014 survey of the world's 500 largest cities estimates that one in four are in a situation of "water stress"

According to UN-endorsed projections, global demand for fresh water will exceed supply by 40% in 2030, thanks to a combination of climate change, human action and population growth.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-42982959

 

[Black Monk]

58 minutes ago, khol said:

 

Its obvious glaciers are retreating. 

It isn't.

[glorybebe]

47 minutes ago, Black Monk said:

It isn't.

I live in a province that had numerous small and large glaciers.  The big ones have shrunk in size and many small ones have disappeared all together.  They are melting.  Just saying they aren't doesn't make it so.

[Piney]

3 hours ago, Black Monk said:

It isn't.

Really?

You don't go to the Western U.S. or Western Canada much do you?

[Piney]

4 hours ago, ChaosRose said:

Maybe the tech has changed, but I was reading that the desalination plants we have here are cost-prohibitive coastal eyesores that don't produce nearly enough water for all of us. It's also environmentally destructive because they dump the briny muck back into the ocean. 

I make a simple little device called a "solar still" for drinking water when in no-water or salt water areas.

[Mr.United_Nations]

so why are some glaciers are increasing and not melting? 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Mr.United_Nations

[Essan]

6 hours ago, Black Monk said:

Almost three quarters of Earth's surface is covered in water (I find it comical when some people forget about the vast swathes of seas and oceans that are found between the continents).

There are around 326 million trillion gallons of water on Earth - a number which always stays the same. It never changes. Earth never loses water.

If you were to take all of Earth's water and formed it into a sphere, that sphere would be about 860 miles in diameter.

The answer to the question "Will water become scarce?" is a resounding, and simple, "No."

Not sure if you are being deliberately obtuse or genuinely didnt understand the story?  

Meanwhile,  glaciers are melting due to climate change.  

In other news .....

The 11 cities most likely to run out of drinking water - like Cape Town

[Essan]

49 minutes ago, Mr.United_Nations said:

so why are some glaciers are increasing and not melting? 

For the same reason some places see more rain and others less rain.

Indeed, the reason the media were persuaded to drop the term global warming is because some people took it too literally and couldn't* understand how it could be cold if the whole planet was getting warming.

Some places will see increased glacial growth due to increased precipitation.   Most places (where glaciers exist) are currently experiencing glacial retreat due to reduced precipitation and/or higher temps.

Climate 101


* well, that's what they said.  Some of us doubt they were really that stupid, but hey, there is no shame in not being as intelligent as most other people

[Essan]

btw the problem with desalination plants is that they use a lot of energy

They also only work when you live next to the sea ......