Some basic needs and concepts for 2020

As population continues to multiply, perhaps by another 1/4 billion by 2020, the basic needs will continue to be food and water, energy, and the environment. Food and water are essential to maintain even the most minimal standard of living. The ocean is rich in seafood resources with great potential for future sustainable growth. Clusters of adjacent islands (e.g. Palau) can be joined by fences to create a large lagoon that would be fed from nutrients in deep ocean water pumped from the seafloor. The fish would multiply and be harvested in various ways. An idea using upwelling is to divert portions of the near bottom currents, e.g. nearby in shallower waters of the Kuroshio and Gulf Stream, to bring nutrients into the photonic zone to increase abundance of fisheries. Potable water is a vital commodity. Desalination of sea water will be greatly expanded and perhaps combined with OTEC. Towing icebergs to supply northern cities has been considered. Instead, perhaps large barge-like structures can be used to transport huge house-size blocks and towed in a "sea train" to coastal stations for melt down. Another approach is to melt down glacial ice by PV or small nuclear plant and collect it in large underwater tanks or huge rubber bags and transferred to tankers or directly into tankers by gravity from higher land sites. New energy sources like wind, wave and PV power is being accelerated. These can be integrated offshore using the same platform. In fact, where conditions are favorable OTEC can also be integrated and provide other by-products such as fresh water, hydrogen and nutrients for fisheries. Methane hydrate resources along the deep waters of the continental shelves geothermal energy sources for generating electricity, to produce hydrogen fuel via electrolysis of sea water, nuclear plants may be more safely operated, arid guarded offshore are the common energy sources. The international GOOS activities planned and enter it in a Global Geographic Information System (GGIS) for the world to access as needed. Perhaps the NEC Earth Simulator super computer can handle it on a part time basis allowing periodic windows to update and access. The environment near coastal cities can be protected by incinerating municipal waste at sea, and using its energy to produce h- ydrogen via electrolysis.