Thread: Vanishing Sea
View Single Post
  #19 (permalink)  
Old 04-12-2010, 06:05 PM
Gunner's Avatar
Gunner Gunner is offline
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sacramento, CA
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA 707, 446ci FE
Posts: 1,115
Not Ranked     
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverback51 View Post
All we have to do is commit ourselves to doing it.
Well, maybe. Solar desalinization is one of those things that looks good on paper but ends up having huge problems in implementation. Desal is waiting for a huge reduction in the cost of power or a breakthrough in osmotic technology. I don't see anything else ever reaching commercial (that is, useful) scale. Just possibly something based on OTEP (not necessarily electric in the end, but exploiting temperature differences), but the massive grids and structures needed would be hazards to shipping, navigation and wildlife while being terribly fragile and exposed to sabotage or attack.

Towing icebergs and running pipelines from Washington make more economic sense - but not much.
__________________

= Si Opus Quadratum vis, angulos praecidere noli. =

Last edited by Gunner; 04-12-2010 at 06:08 PM..
Reply With Quote