Other Properties of Water

Although water covers two-thirds (2/3) of the planet, only a small fraction of it is available to us as fresh water. Throughout human history, accessing fresh, clean water for drinking and irrigation has been one of our greatest challenges. As societies grow and place greater demands on natural resources, humankind is forced to look for additional sources of what we need. Increasingly, people turn to desalination as a convenient means by which to extract fresh, pure water from seawater. Many people agree that desalination serves a vital role in supporting human life and development, especially near coastal communities; however, others argue that people should look toward conservation and protecting existing sources of fresh water before we start taking water from the sea.

With which side of the desalinization debate do you agree? Post your answer to the discussions area and be sure to include examples that support your opinion. Return to the topic several times over the next few days to read your coursemates' posts. Reply to at least two of them, being sure to ask questions, and encourage further conversation. Make sure to include any statistics, images, or real-life events that support your answer.

Before you begin, access the Desalination Discussion Rubric to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.