A history of the idea of transporting large icebergs to arid regions to provide a fresh water source is presented and the problem is considered in four main parts: Locating a suitable supply of icebergs; Calculating the power requirements necessary to transport the icebergs to a location where fresh water is needed; Calculating the amount of ice that will be melted in transit; and, Estimating the overall economic feasibility of the venture. This paper is a preliminary look at each of these aspects of the problem.

A deeply intelligent and engrossing narrative that will transform our relationship with water and how we view climate change. The global water crisis is upon us. 1 in 3 people do not have access to safe drinking water; nearly 1 million people die each year as a result. Even in places with adequate freshwater, pollution and poor infrastructure have left residents without basic water security. Luckily, there is a solution to this crisis where we least expect it. Icebergs—frozen mountains of freshwater—are more than a symbol of climate change. In his spellbinding Chasing Icebergs, Matthew Birkhold argues the glistening leviathans of the ocean may very well hold the key to saving the planet. Harvesting icebergs for drinking water is not a new idea. But for the first time in human history, doing so on a massive global scale is both increasingly feasible and necessary for our survival. Chasing Icebergs delivers a kaleidoscopic history of humans’ relationship with icebergs, and offers an urgent assessment of the technological, cultural, and legal obstacles we must overcome to harness this freshwater resource. Birkhold takes readers around the globe, introducing them to a colorful cast of characters with wildly different ideas about how (and if) humans should use icebergs. Sturdy bureaucrats committed to avoiding another Titanic square off against “iceberg cowboys” who wrangle the frozen beasts for profit. Entrepreneurs selling luxury iceberg water for an eye-popping price clash with fearless humanitarians trying to tow icebergs across the globe to eradicate water shortages. Along the way, we meet some of the world’s most renowned scientists to determine how industrial-scale iceberg harvesting could affect the oceans and the poles. And we see firsthand the looming conflict between Indigenous peoples like the Greenlandic Inuit with claims to icebergs and the private corporations that stand to reap massive profits. As Birkhold shepherds readers from Connecticut to South Africa, from Newfoundland to Norway, to Greenland and beyond, he unfurls a visionary argument for cooperation over conflict. It’s not too late for icebergs to save humanity. But we must act fast to form a coalition of scientists, visionaries, engineers, lawyers and diplomats to ensure that the “Cold Rush” doesn’t become a free-for-all.

The classic guide to water and wastewater engineering returns Water and wastewater engineering is a crucial branch of civil engineering, dealing with water resources and with the challenges posed by water and wastewater. Generations of engineers have developed techniques for purifying, desalinating, and transforming water and wastewater, techniques which have only grown more critical as climate change and global population growth create new challenges and opportunities. There has never been a more urgent need for a comprehensive guide to the management of water and its various engineering subdisciplines. Water and Wastewater Engineering: Hydraulics, Hydrology and Management, 4th edition offers key fundamentals in a practical context to engineers and engineering students. Updated to address growing urbanization and industrialization, with corresponding stress on water and wastewater systems, this vital textbook has been fully revised to reflect the latest research and case studies. This volume focuses primarily with hydrology and hydraulics, along with chapters treating groundwater and surface water sources. Readers of Hydraulics, Hydrology, and Management will also find: • Coverage of water supply, water sources, water distribution, and more • Detailed treatment of both sanitary sewer and urban stormwater drainage • In-depth analysis of infrastructure issues with respect to water resources, pumping, and handling This textbook is ideal for advanced students in civil, environmental, and chemical engineering departments, as well as for early career engineers, plant managers, and urban and regional planners.