Episode description

As the planet warms, droughts will be prolonged and communities around the world are going to be without the most critical resource to sustaining human life – water. By 2030, global demand for freshwater will exceed supply by 40 percent and two-thirds of the world's population will face regular water shortages. At the same time, as the planet warms, glaciers, which currently contain two thirds of all the freshwater in the world, are calving new icebergs at an alarming rate. This has lawmakers, scientists, and corporations asking "Can we harvest these icebergs for freshwater?"

This week we're joined by Dr. Matthew Birkhold, associate professor at the Ohio State University, and author of the new book "Chasing Icebergs: How Frozen Freshwater Can Save the Planet". Our conversation goes into how iceberg harvesting could work, how soon that it might become a viable option, and what the potential risks are to the environment and surrounding communities.

Buy 'Chasing Icebergs'

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