tigerswood
Well-known member
I think that’s an over simplistic interpretation of habitable. We don’t use our natural resources in a way to maximize habitability, but to maximize profit. If you consider fresh water to be the main resource that makes land habitable, then much of the western US should not be habitable now, and will soon be uninhabitable again. Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, yet 4/5 of its water supply comes from a Lake Mead which is quite literally disappearing before our eyes.
I used a double negative when I didn't mean to. My bad.
Why aren't we further along with desalination than we are? The ocean is rising and will soon threaten more coastal cities. Why don't we figure out how to use more seawater vs. massively overuse rain/snowmelt runoff & aquifers? I understand desal is currently expensive & energy intensive, but wealthy Middle Eastern countries (who have no water) are investing in plants like crazy. Seems like that should be very high on our technology/infrastructure needs list.
There's an interesting recent pipeline proposal from the Pacific to the Great Salt Lake, with many possible diversions along the way (including possible desalination plants). Would help a lot of areas, and re-cover the toxic lakebed that is already causing the SLC metro to have some of the worst air quality in the world. It would be a monumental task and is certainly unlikely to happen, though.