We in California face a historically deep drought advancing on our state, in addition to the global warming increase that takes our Western U.S. water more every day. Yet, what are politicians fretting about? The plight of our Golden State? Not so much. The governor worries about the recall and where donations will come from for that next office. Sacramento politicians worry about what they always focus on—where will money come from for that next election. Of course they focus on Big Oil and Gas donations. The people can’t afford to fund elections anymore with million dollar and up price tags.
Meanwhile the state burns, loses companies and jobs to Texas and elsewhere, and more dried-up cropland is abandoned.
If “the people” were really government’s first priority, we’d keep Diablo Canyon Power Plant open and expand its desalination plant as previously planned to supply badly needed fresh water to our drying state. We’d build more safe, carbon-free nuclear plants as scientists suggest to fight global warming and desalinate sea water as a byproduct while supplying clean electricity to our state’s people, industry, and businesses.
It’s time to throw the gauntlet down to politicians: Either you save Diablo Canyon and act decisively to give us the desalinated water we must have, or no vote for you. The vote is all we residents really have that those who supposedly represent us want. So let’s use the vote to finally get government to take the strong action desperately needed now.
William Gloege
Santa Maria
This article appears in Jul 22-29, 2021.
Is our county really doing anything to enhance our public water supply? RO water from the power plant seems a no brainer to supplement city supplies. What is the plan when this drought continues for another 5 or 10 years – WAIT AND SEE?
Outside the city, how about providing resources for rural properties to clean un-usable well water supplies, require shared water resources for new construction, step up AG water monitoring and set new restrictions on ALL crops, enforce flood irrigation and other existing water use rules. I’m not recommending spending a crap load of money doing a study, I’m asking for our county to take existing well-thought out ideas and JUST DO IT.
Lets Discuss Desalination
Lets discuss Desalination
Could it be right for our nation
Lets explore both pro and con
Before you turn those sprinklers on
First lets see how Desal works
How its owned by greedy jerks
Who built a plant and ran away
Leaving Tampa Bay to pay
Two faced liars call it salt
What they dump like it was malt
But brine is so bad for the sea
Concentrated impurity
Then the issue of intake
Suck fish in and set on bake
Plankton are our baby fish
Want dead ocean? Got your wish
Should we drink desalted water
Knowing sea life it will slaughter?
What would Desal set in motion?
It would sterilize the ocean!
Now its time to speak of cost
How much San Diego lost
Built a plant and spent a billion
To serve seven percent of over three million!
With 40 million in our state
Do the math, extrapolate
California needs 200 plants
Thats half a trillion- with no grants
Perhaps the greatest threat of all
Fukushima comes to call
Tritium cant be removed
Ice cubes glow when thirst is soothed
Get yours at the Geiger counter
Desal water large amounter
Hate to throw you such a curve
Maybe we should just conserve
Joseph John Racano, Director
Ocean Outfall Group
The world needs water.
Desalination plants are one solution.
Offering a simple way forward to safe water everywhere.
Why should the U.S. and California be exempt from finding a long term solution for a more reliable water supply?
Technology will solve the problems those who oppose such plants fear.
Time for a little trust in others who seek to help not harm in our search for reliable water supply for all of California.
Desal and Nuclear are both technologies that sound really nice when you have only a cursory understanding of them. Once you dig deeper, however, the darksides of both become overwhelming.
I urge you to look further. The byproducts of both (and HUGE energy use of desal) are more dangerous and wasteful than they may seem to you. That poem above is brilliant and should be shared widely.