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Environment & Energy

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unhappycamper

(60,364 posts)
Sun Aug 3, 2014, 08:05 AM Aug 2014

Doomsday Trigger for Megadrought? [View all]

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/thom-hartmann/57295/doomsday-trigger-for-megadrought

Doomsday Trigger for Megadrought?
by Thom Hartmann | August 1, 2014 - 9:21am

One of the worst North American droughts in history could be getting a whole lot worse.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map released on Tuesday, more than 58 percent of California is in an "exceptional drought" stage. That's up a staggering 22 percent from last week's report.

And, in its latest drought report released earlier today, the National Drought Mitigation Center warned that "bone-dry" conditions are overtaking much of the Golden State, and noted that, overall, California is "short more than one year's worth of reservoir water, or 11.6 million acre-feet, for this time of year."

All across California, streams are drying up, crops are dying off, and local communities are struggling to maintain access to water, thanks to three years of persistent drought conditions.

--

Perhaps it's time we should think about building some desalinization plants. Australia built one in 2010 for around $2.5 billion dollars --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurnell_Desalination_Plant .

Where would the money come from?



That big blue slice o pie.

Obviously we are going to need to downsize our military, and projects like this would provide very good job opportunities. Another win win situation.
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Doomsday Trigger for Megadrought? [View all] unhappycamper Aug 2014 OP
Another win-win situation that we won't take advantage of CanonRay Aug 2014 #1
Which is the greater sin? Danascot Aug 2014 #2
Umm....both? WinkyDink Aug 2014 #8
The two seem to be highly correlated. Jackpine Radical Aug 2014 #9
There is a huge amount of waste in the California water system n2doc Aug 2014 #3
Ahh yes, that damn food! nt Live and Learn Aug 2014 #5
Like Almonds! And wine grapes! n2doc Aug 2014 #10
The wineries. So hideous. Watching them chop down old Redwoods raouldukelives Aug 2014 #20
I was amazed at the expansion of wineries in northern California n2doc Aug 2014 #21
California adopts $500 criminal penalty for water waste hedgehog Aug 2014 #12
Military and corporate vampires sucking the life out of this country. L0oniX Aug 2014 #4
We will get a fight in cutting the military funding even for something as needed as this but IF we jwirr Aug 2014 #6
It's really not sinking into the American consciousness yet. Assuredly, the 1% are fully aware. WinkyDink Aug 2014 #7
Of course they are, that's why they're buying all the water. malthaussen Aug 2014 #11
Yup. "Because one day we'll win the lottery." WinkyDink Aug 2014 #18
I think the Pentagon has already issued a report stating that water shortages hedgehog Aug 2014 #13
I'm not an enigineer by ANY stretch of the imagination Shadowflash Aug 2014 #14
desal water is expensive and causes environmental problems bananas Aug 2014 #15
Makes perfect sense. Shadowflash Aug 2014 #16
Though Shadowflash Aug 2014 #17
I'm very much against building desalination plants. NYC_SKP Aug 2014 #19
You'd need hundreds of desal. plants to make a dent NickB79 Aug 2014 #22
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