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Drip-fed figures : Comments
By Jennifer Marohasy, published 31/5/2005Jennifer Marohasy argues Australia has many options when it comes to providing adequate water supplies.
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The cost of towing such icebergs to Australia has been assessed in the past but this analysis was based on the cost of fuel and to the comparatively low value of the end product. I have not examined this work closely but it appears that a number of favourable considerations may have been ignored.
The main omission being the extraordinary motive energy available from the winds known as the roaring forties. These winds were vital to the viability of Australian agricultural exports in the 19th century and a detailed costing of wind powered iceberg transport is long overdue for re-appraisal.
Ice is also easily drilled and shaped so there appear to be few technical hurdles to the cutting off and shaping of ice into more streamlined "ship-shapes" that could be augmented by "strap-on" keels, rudders and masts. The size of shaped ice required would rule any spectacular tacking feats but a low cost water delivery system may well be under our very noses.