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IDemo

(16,926 posts)

14. Desalination is the way to go

Sat Jun 28, 2014, 09:54 PM

Jun 2014

The merits of pumping or otherwise moving large volumes of water between regions vs. desalinating it were studied and it's no contest:

Other massive engineering projects, including building aqueducts to bring water from Washington's Snake and Columbia rivers, a tunnel under the Pacific Ocean to import water from Alaska, towing icebergs to California, or using water bags or tanker vessels to transport water, were deemed much too expensive to be considered practical in the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation study. Their cost was at least 50% more than using desalinized water.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/more-water-for-california-new-enormous-water-works-programs-are-expen

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With The Annual Fooding In The North MidWest... Is This Even Possible On A Nationwide Scale ??? [View all] WillyT Jun 2014 OP

I would like more fooding and less flooding. The Velveteen Ocelot Jun 2014 #1

Food won't flow down an aqeduct very well csziggy Jun 2014 #2

Why a duck? kentauros Jun 2014 #34

Given the cost to pump the water over the rocky mountains... NutmegYankee Jun 2014 #3

If You Took A Southern Route... You Could Do It... WillyT Jun 2014 #6

That's a simplified map and it's in meters NutmegYankee Jun 2014 #19

Maybe... But It's Also An Infrastructure Project... And Would Hire People For Years... WillyT Jun 2014 #20

With current technology, it's not a very feasible project. NutmegYankee Jun 2014 #21

We Have Unlimited Moey For War... It Appears... WillyT Jun 2014 #22

It would cost far more than the desert wars. NutmegYankee Jun 2014 #23

Thank You For That... My OP Was Looking For Answers Like That... Yet... WillyT Jun 2014 #25

It depends on the sea level rise. NutmegYankee Jun 2014 #26

Thank You !!! WillyT Jun 2014 #28

+1000000 Jamastiene Jun 2014 #38

Don't fool with mother nature. NYC_SKP Jun 2014 #4

^^THIS^^... 2naSalit Jun 2014 #8

Agree... But... We Do It With The Electrical Grid... Send The Resources Where They Are Most Needed.. WillyT Jun 2014 #9

We need every bit of our electric generation capacity to get off fossil fuels. NYC_SKP Jun 2014 #18

agreed! magical thyme Jun 2014 #10

I agree. Texasgal Jun 2014 #12

You Realize 71% Of The Earth Is Covered In Water... WillyT Jun 2014 #13

Yes. I do. Texasgal Jun 2014 #15

Yes it is possible and I have been thinking we should do this for years. A HERETIC I AM Jun 2014 #5

The Colorado River is really high up in elevation. NutmegYankee Jun 2014 #30

Yup. If you are going to get water from the Mississippi to the West.... A HERETIC I AM Jun 2014 #37

Food goes in then goes out. Then there is a flood Lochloosa Jun 2014 #7

Been thinking this for years myself Politicalboi Jun 2014 #11

Desalination is the way to go IDemo Jun 2014 #14

And flooding is unpredictable. moondust Jun 2014 #16

Not to mention, IDemo Jun 2014 #17

If Texas respected water, Texans wouldn't frack away the share nature HereSince1628 Jun 2014 #24

No, it's not possible. Spider Jerusalem Jun 2014 #27

Most Of The Rivers That Flood, Do Not Originate At The Great Lakes... WillyT Jun 2014 #29

It's not JUST the Great Lakes, it's any river or watershed shared between the US and Canada. Spider Jerusalem Jun 2014 #31

California Feeds A Whole Lot Of The U.S. And The Planet... You Want To Cut Off That Food Source ??? WillyT Jun 2014 #32

Unsustainably. Spider Jerusalem Jun 2014 #33

So What Happens To Society/Civilization When Food Prices Spike, Fresh Water Is Rare, And Energy... WillyT Jun 2014 #35

We'll find that out in about 20 or 30 years, if not sooner. Spider Jerusalem Jun 2014 #36