Posted on 02/03/2014 6:36:24 PM PST by BenLurkin
SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — In light of California’s escalating drought emergency, the onetime dream of President John F. Kennedy of obtaining fresh water from salt water may become a reality in the very near future.
The process of getting usable fresh water from salt water, called desalination, stems from a technology that is already accepted worldwide, according to UCLA Professor of Chemistry and Bio-Molecular Engineering, Youram Cohen.
“It’s a technology that is now in widespread use all around the world, and I think that, in time, this is what we will see,” Cohen said.
UCLA has reportedly developed a number of small desalination plants, including one at Port Hueneme near Ventura, that are said to be capable of producing clean drinking water for up to 24,000 people each day at a fraction of the cost of ground water that is imported by municipal water districts in California.
“It is a lot cheaper than bottled water, and, I should say, that water is very tasty,” Cohen said.
Additionally, contrary to the idea that desalination plants may be harmful to the environment, Professor Cohen says that global evidence suggests that the discharge from desalination plants may actually be beneficial to marine life.
“The Australians will show you that marine life is (thriving more) in the area of discharge from the desalination plants than elsewhere,” Cohen suggested.
A number of environmental organizations, however, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and The Orange County Coast Keeper, are yet to be convinced of the potential benefits of desalination.
“Our stance on desalination plants is that it is a potential source for the future,” Orange County Coast Keeper’s Ray Hiemstra said. “We have a lot of work to do in developing desalination technology to where it is not as expensive and better for the environment. So, that’s what we need to do; experiment, find out what’s going to work and take our time and it will be a source for the future.”
California’s first major desalination plant is currently under construction in Carlsbad, with a scheduled launch date some time in 2016, after a number of regulations are met.
While a number of scientists and environmentalists believe desalination is the technological wave of the future, the debate over when, or if, that future will ever become reality, continues.
You should look up "solar still". There are versions suitable for lifeboat use.
A young man not too long ago survived many weeks in a raft, I think it was, on the Atlantic. He had several such stills and they saved his life.
The making of a home version is on my "to do" list as something every self-reliant person should know how to do.
Guess you didn’t read through the whole thread. It was humor.
well, that's good to know. just seemed like common sense to me
Now, if Israel can do it, why can't California? Oh, because the Environmentalists are opposed? I guess you'll suffer your own foolishness.
[Surrounding states should increase the rates of water sold to California by 500 percent. Let Governor Moonbeam and the Donkeys cry. Boo hoo, boo hoo.]
>“The Australians will show you that marine life is (thriving more) in the area of discharge from the desalination plants than elsewhere,” Cohen suggested.<
.
Why don’t these know-it-alls take a trip to Jubail in Saudi and look at the facilities where they have product water in flows that require 6-foot diameter piping.
Libtards ensuring the animals have perfect views of the coastline while the people thirst. Like windmills kill birds and solar panels kill the natural views, liberal moonbat priorities are screwed up to their Marxist cores.
HUH??? I cruise all the time, and our water comes from the OCEAN!! Is this guy in a TIME WARP, or am I missing something??
“It is a lot cheaper than bottled water …That’s not saying much.
“Any links or more info?”
not really. I just did some googling. A few days ago someone posted the info. about the Israeli surplus. It was a lengthy article.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.570374
Thanks for your search.
They aren’t desalinizing ocean water but brackish ground water. Less salt to remove, so lower cost.
Case in point is Bonaire, NA. The desalinated water is wonderful. The salt pans, which have been in production for hundreds of years, provide a medium for algae growth. The flamingos on the island frequent the salt pans and feed on the pink algae, which gives the birds their coloration.
Not all the pans are pink. Some are green, some are blue and some are white. Different species of algae, I suppose.
Bonaire is a diving destination with one of the world’s first Marine Parks. The water teems with tropical fish and the residents all fish to supplement their income. If there was any problem with discharge from the desalination plants, it would have shown up by now. The island is always hosting one or another Marine Biology of environmental conference or study.
“I never understood why a lifeboat wouldn’t have a water desalination system to desalinate sea water”
Because they would rather put another survivor in the space it would take up.
“Actually you just need an anode because the seawater itself is the electrolyte. Not much current there but -”
And here I’ve been thinking you needed a circuit, silly me.
In light of California’s escalating drought emergency, the onetime dream of [martyred, boo hoo, Democrat] President John F. Kennedy of obtaining fresh water from salt water may become a reality in the very near future.Why does anyone reading that excerpt not realize that the whole thing is a partisan shill piece? Desalination has been around for a very long time, and has become routine since WWII; costs have remained fairly high, but cost is irrelevant if you're thirsty, and lower-yield, lower-tech methods are nearly dirt cheap.
I used to live in Chulajuana and the sewage from Tijuana would make the sea shore (Beach) unusable / unsafe ... if these idiots are making / harvesting Salt from that same area, lets just say it will have a flavor that is all it’s own.
TT
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