Colorado and the West is running out of water . . . (Colorado Springs: gardens, airport)

[Gunluvver2]

If you want to be the next Bill Gates: Figure out an affordable way to remove the salts from seawater and a cheap way to pump it though pipelines from coastal to interior areas.
GL2

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Gunluvver2

If you want to be the next Bill Gates: Figure out an affordable way to remove the salts from seawater and a cheap way to pump it though pipelines from coastal to interior areas.
GL2

I think the key to that will be the cost of energy production. They have developed a solar cell smaller then a dime and it is part of the 30 inventions that will change the world. Once it becomes very cheap to make energy then it will be very cheap for the west to remove the salt from the water and pump it to Colorado giving us more water then we know what to do with.

I guess I should cite my source:

In 2011 new solar cell technologies from Solar Junction, a company based in San Jose, California, stored a record 43.5 percent of the energy it captured from the sun. The cells are 1.2 percent more efficient than anything on record, and up to three times as efficient as the off-the-shelf variety.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/solar...#ixzz23psRBpOF

[freewest]

Originally Posted by Gunluvver2

If you want to be the next Bill Gates: Figure out an affordable way to remove the salts from seawater and a cheap way to pump it though pipelines from coastal to interior areas.
GL2

Should not have to pump it to the interior. Coastal populations should be increasing their own use of desalination. Then just keep it there. Most coastal desert populations have been using desalination for decades.


The western states of U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Indian nations should sit down and start putting together a comprehensive, 200 year plan to deal with water issues in the West. Difficult? Yes. Necessary? Yes. Going to happen? ____________ (fill in the blank).

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by freewest

Should not have to pump it to the interior. Coastal populations should be increasing their own use of desalination. Then just keep it there. Most coastal desert populations have been using desalination for decades.


The western states of U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Indian nations should sit down and start putting together a comprehensive, 200 year plan to deal with water issues in the West. Difficult? Yes. Necessary? Yes. Going to happen? ____________ (fill in the blank).

Desalination for drinking water has been done for decades YES. However drinking water is just a drop in the bucket (excuse the pun) compared to our societies need for water for ALL uses. Currently California is depending on water that originates in interior states like Wyoming, Colorado, Montana,etc. The coming shortage of water is not a regional problem but a national problem. Water and Energy needs go hand in hand. It is going to take trillions of gallons of water to produce the trillions of barrels of oil we are going to need in the future. Catch 22.
GL2

[brightdoglover]

I was being a bit sarcastic. Don't think one could make predictions decades ahead with "hours" of reading, no matter how speculative or informative.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I was being a bit sarcastic. Don't think one could make predictions decades ahead with "hours" of reading, no matter how speculative or informative.

It's impossible to predict the future like how most people think of it but you can figure out how information technology will advance as it advances at a predictable rate. That applies to Colorado and the west's water needs because a lot of the solutions are engery intensive and energy production, especially solar, is a form of information technology. Since we know how it will advance we can look at the implications of that and say that in 30 years or so water in Colorado and the west will be plentiful for our needs.

[brightdoglover]

My last word- why not wait to see that the techology is in place and working before blithely going about your business as usual?

[Katarina Witt]

Desalination techonology has been around for decades.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Desalination techonology has been around for decades.

Yes it has been but not in a way that provides VAST amounts of clean water cheaply.
GL2

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

My last word- why not wait to see that the techology is in place and working before blithely going about your business as usual?

Because its better to have a idea of what's coming so you can be ready for it and plan ahead especially with water.