Introduction -- There is a looming global fresh water shortage / Paul Alois -- To solve the looming fresh water shortage, people must learn not to take water for granted / Charles Fishman -- Desalination is part of the solution to fresh water shortages / McKinley Conway -- Desalination is too expensive to be a solution to fresh water shortages / Kris De Decker -- Desalination threatens the environment and public health food & water watch -- Human ingenuity will eventually solve the looming fresh water shortage / Brian Fagan -- Fresh water is becoming a privatized commodity instead of a public trust / Jeneen Interlandi with Ryan Tracy -- Fresh water should be treated as a commodity / Peter Brabeck-Letmathe -- Fresh water should be treated as a human right / Maude Barlow -- Access to fresh water may spark conflict in the Middle East / Daniel Darling -- Access to fresh water is a contentious issue in the Israel-Palestine conflict / Wilson Dizard -- Middle Eastern governments must adopt better fresh water conservation practices / Jon B. Alterman and Michael Dziuban -- Fresh water access can present opportunities for international cooperation / Karin R. Bencala and Geoffrey D. Dabelko -- Organizations to contact -- Bibliography -- Index.