[Binghamton_native]

Any column on environmental issues such as this that relies on data from organizations such as Mother Jones and the World Wildlife Foundation should have its facts checked against "The Skeptical Environmentalist" by Bjorn Lomborg.

[m1911]

He spent all of chapter 13 on it, and yes, it doesn't look good. Desalination is important, but we may be running out of time.

[Mensch]

Any column on environmental issues such as this that relies on data from organizations such as Mother Jones and the World Wildlife Foundation should have its facts checked against "The Skeptical Environmentalist" by Bjorn Lomborg.

Ahem, no data by either organization was cited in this article.

[m1911]

The problem hinges on where the fresh water is available. According to his figures, accessible rainfall comes to 5700 litres per person per day, about four times the US per person usage. He breaks it down to three problems:
Unequal distribution, rising population, and shared resources. Deslination is great, unless you're landlocked with hostile or even just uncooperative neighbors.