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I like to think of myself as a realistic environmentalist. I believe that we should do whatever reasonable things we can to protect our planet and the other creatures that we live among, (except for mosquitos and gophers).
That said, we should always remember that there are some things that we simply cannot do without. Water is one of those things. It seems to me that growing our own water here has to be better for the environment than importing water from hundreds or thousands of miles away.
If technology has advanced to the point to where we can safely and economically desalinate seawater, I'm all for it. If this thing works as advertised, I can see this leading to the day when the rivers up north once again run wild and are filled with salmon.
If coastal regions such as Southern California find a way to produce as much water as they need, all the water we currenly take from the Colorado, Sacramento rivers can be used elsewhere. Think about how much more food could be grown in the central valley if there was no water shortage.
Carrying this thought to the next level, what if producing fresh water form the sea became a big thing in this region. If we learn how to make more than we need, we could export the water to dry inland areas creating jobs and stimulating the economy.
Don't get me wrong. If desalinization causes more harm than good, I'm against it but from what I have heard lately, this is not the case.
Bob
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