The saline solution

Desalination takes too much energy, but emerging technologies will help. Several contenders might make history of these concerns. New methods in the pipeline reduce desalination's energy demands in innovative and intriguing ways. Further off are technologies that could turn desalination's Achilles' heel into a source of strength. The emerging technologies are the following: thermal desalination; electricity instead of membranes; reverse osmosis; better pretreatment; better membranes; forward osmosis; osmotic power; and microbial fuel cells.