How can nanotechnology help solve the world’s water problems?
The lack of availability of clean water to many of the world’s population currently leads to suffering and premature death for millions of people, and as population pressures increase, climate change starts to bite, and food supplies become tighter (perhaps exacerbated by an ill-considered move to biofuels) these problems will only intensify. It’s possible that nanotechnology may be able to contribute to solving these problems (see this earlier post, for example). A couple of weeks ago, Nature magazine ran a special issue on water, which included a very helpful review article: Science and technology for water purification in the coming decades. This article (which seems to be available without subscription) is all the more helpful for not focusing specifically on nanotechnology, instead making it clear where nanotechnology could fit into other existing technologies to create affordable and workable solutions. One sometimes hears the criticism that there’s no point worrying about the pr
Related Questions
- I can see how Simpol would help to solve some of the worlds pressing economic and environmental problems, but what effect would it have on the arms trade and the threat of wars?
- We are using a municipal water source and still have problems with algae. Wouldn’t the chlorine used in the water help reduce this problem?
- Should I add anything else to the water to help the stingray while I am improving her world (i.e. stress coat, etc.)?