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There are plenty of places built around water for obvious reason which are now experiencing droughts at an increased rate... It's not a problem for most of us y

There are plenty of places built around water for obvious reason which are now experiencing droughts at an increased rate... It's not a problem for most of us yes, but it's a problem for more and more people. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/16/climate/lake-powell-reservoir-record-low-colorado-river https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/16/climate/lake-powell-reser... https://www.dw.com/en/romania-shuts-nuclear-plant-hungary-dams-dry-danube-river/a-78359581 https://www.dw.com/en/romania-shuts-nuclear-plant-hungary-da... https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/06/17/colorado-river-desalination-agreement/ https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/06/17/colorado-river-desa... > Fully two thirds of earths inhabitants live near large bodies of water. Most of these large bodies of water are salty, it's expensive as shit to desalinate it completely infeasible to pump it in land for agriculture and people

mapontosevenths 1mo ago
It doesn't need to be desalinated for evaporative cooling, does it? Maybe they use fresh water because we allow it and it's cheaper. They should outlaw that where it makes sense.
- toasty228 1mo ago
  Why would you bring sea water if you're hundreds of km away from the sea? Either the entire world is stupid and has been for decades and you're a genius. Or your 5 minutes take on the subject is completely unrealistic and you're missing half of the story ?
  - mapontosevenths 1mo ago
    1) I said that 2/3rds of all humans live near large bodies of water so evaporative cooling was probably fine for most of us. 2) You replied that it was saltwater and desalinating it was expensive. 3) I pointed out that saltwater evaporates fine. You seem to have assumed that cooling can only be done with freshwater for some reason. 4) You now seem to believe that I'm a simpleton who is suggesting that the people who live near large amounts of freshwater should also import salt water for some reason? Honestly I'm lost. They don't need to, they have fresh water which will also evaporate fine. If water is scarce where you live, you live in a bad (and relatively rare) place that humans aren't meant to live. You should be talking to your representative to make sure data centers don't waste your imported water just because it's cheaper. Everyone else will be fine.

mapontosevenths 1mo ago

It doesn't need to be desalinated for evaporative cooling, does it? Maybe they use fresh water because we allow it and it's cheaper. They should outlaw that where it makes sense.

toasty228 1mo ago
Why would you bring sea water if you're hundreds of km away from the sea? Either the entire world is stupid and has been for decades and you're a genius. Or your 5 minutes take on the subject is completely unrealistic and you're missing half of the story ?
- mapontosevenths 1mo ago
  1) I said that 2/3rds of all humans live near large bodies of water so evaporative cooling was probably fine for most of us. 2) You replied that it was saltwater and desalinating it was expensive. 3) I pointed out that saltwater evaporates fine. You seem to have assumed that cooling can only be done with freshwater for some reason. 4) You now seem to believe that I'm a simpleton who is suggesting that the people who live near large amounts of freshwater should also import salt water for some reason? Honestly I'm lost. They don't need to, they have fresh water which will also evaporate fine. If water is scarce where you live, you live in a bad (and relatively rare) place that humans aren't meant to live. You should be talking to your representative to make sure data centers don't waste your imported water just because it's cheaper. Everyone else will be fine.