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Here’s your daily reminder that desalination can provide as much water as we need. Nuclear power + desalination would solve all our water AND energy problems in
by Dig1t 3y ago
Here’s your daily reminder that desalination can provide as much water as we need. Nuclear power + desalination would solve all our water AND energy problems in a carbon-free way.
Israel gets over 55% of their water from desalination.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/israel-proves-the-desalination-era-is-here/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/israel-proves-the...
Water problems are simply a political\planning failure. There is no real shortage of water.
The west coast has a water problem, the tools to solve it, and complete one-party control of politics to make it happen. They are choosing not to though.
You Utah folks obviously don’t have an ocean sitting next to you, but perhaps if the west coast used less of the Colorado river there would be more for you.
- gustavus 3y agoI need to clarify here, the GSL is far far too salty to desalinate, and Utah is pretty close to the head of the Colorado, not the other way around. It's AZ and NM and CA that are having problems with the CO not providing enough water. Also the GSL water is entirely divorced from the CO river water.
- Dig1t 3y agoOh I’m not talking about desalination of GSL. I’m talking about California doing desalination and not using the Colorado river for water anymore. If they stopped using water from the Colorado, there would be more water for Utah to take from it. States up the river use less water in order to leave some for the states down river. So if the states downriver stopped using it, then states upstream could increase their usage.
- irrational 3y agoHow would they get the water over the Rocky Mountains to the Salt Lake Valley? I thought the pipeline from the Pacific Ocean was a crazy idea, but you have that one beat.
- Dig1t 3y agoUtah already gets 27% of its water from the Colorado river. I am not suggesting that Utah desalinate the Pacific Ocean or that Utah desalinate the great salt lake. I am saying they should increase their usage of water from the Colorado River. If California stopped using the Colorado river for water, then Utah could pull more water from the Colorado. Water can be moved in pipelines or controlled via a manmade river/channel.
- thehappypm 3y agoThe Colorado flows through Utah, why shouldn’t a state use water that flows through it?
- JasserInicide 3y agoDesalination is incredibly energy-inefficient and everyone over 40 (i.e. everyone in positions of power) was successfully brainwashed that nuclear BAD so it's going to be decades by the time it's ever a consideration again in the public sphere. And by that point, many of the experts on building reactors will be long gone
- nradov 3y agoIt is literally impossible to desalinate enough water to grow staple row crops and fodder in an economically viable manner. However, there is plenty of room for efficiency improvement. US agribusiness wastes a huge amount of water. They could save a lot with a modest investment in irrigation improvements (some of which were developed in Israel).