Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum Shrinking Water Supplies

Take a good look at the pictures

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051118110900.htm

A single picture is worth a thousand words. These two are worth more.

Do you think that in view of the predictions, governments around the world should plan to build massive desalination plants to prepare for this disaster?

http://www.countyofsb.org/pwd/water/Desalination.htm

"The City of Santa Barbara Charles Meyer Desalination Facility, located at 525 E. Yanonali Street, was built in 1991-1992 as a temporary emergency water supply in response to the severe drought of 1986-1991"

"Because a relatively high proportion of the cost of desalination is in operation rather than capital costs, savings accrue when the water is not needed."

It wasn't needed starting when the plant was completed, saving $billions over the years it has not operated. The cost of desalted water is approximately $1,100/acre-foot. In California's Central Valley, north of Santa Barbara, treated or Class 1 water costs about $50 an acre foot, gravity flow water costs about $36.

http://www.soilmoisture.com/serpent.html

How much Enviro-whinerism must you swallow before paying an extra $1050/acre-foot, or 22-30 times more for water than you do now, tastes good?

On the other hand if the city of Santa Barbara were to bottle the water and sell it for the same price Coca Cola does ... they'd be paving their streets with gold.

Philege ... we have no emergency ... yet. But if people continue to bury their heads in the sand ... we inevitably will. The problem is how to plan for the future without either requiring a crisis or manufacturing a crisis.

posted 20 November, 2005 14:09
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On the other hand if the city of Santa Barbara were to bottle the water and sell it for the same price Coca Cola does ... they'd be paving their streets with gold.

Philege ... we have no emergency ... yet. But if people continue to bury their heads in the sand ... we inevitably will. The problem is how to plan for the future without either requiring a crisis or manufacturing a crisis.

Do you think the world is ready to move away from fossil fuels to the more enviroment friendly electricity or hydrogen. Many years ago I designed a vehicle that produced hydrogen from water and recycled the combusting gases back into water. The hydrogen was used as soon as it was produced by hydrolisis to minimise explosion. However when I presented the proposal to the Salisbury Polytechnical College in Zimbabwe, they laughed and scoffed at the idea. But don't you think that the quicker research is done in this area the sooner we can move away from harmful fossil fuels. Personally I do not think the our world is ready for such advances because it would not be in its interests. man is too greedy for money and power ans neglects these areas that would certainly save our planet. I believe it is possbible to build electric generators which do not use fuel. Unfortunately I do not have resources to research this area. But maybe scientists like yourself who can get funding should start looking at such things.