flooded with problems
by Jesse Pohlman
Published: March 8, 2008
Sometimes two problems, which seem to have nothing to do with one another, collide to create catastrophe. For those playing the home game, what does a serious drought in the Southeastern United States have to do with the cost of electricity? Well, folks, time’s up in more ways than one. With lakebeds drying up, nuclear power plants may be forced to reduce capacity or shut down.i
Now, some people are going to sit back, unfazed by rising energy costs and claim that an increase in their energy bill is the only consequence the planet faces. To them, well, I’m sorry; it costs more than just money. Nuclear power is a cheap source of energy, but it is also incredibly clean. Problems with “leftover waste” will some day be solved, meaning that nuclear energy is free of just about any negative side effects. Sure, your standard risks of a meltdown is omnipresent; but, let’s face it, such an event is extremely unlikely. I can name one accident at a nuclear power plant in America’s history. On the flipside, I can’t begin to count the lives lost in America’s coal mines.
So, every kilowatt hour that nuclear power cannot generate is most probably going to come from less environmentally friendly sources: coal and oil. Ready for the kicker? As more carbon is put into the atmosphere, we’ll end up with more heat in the world, leading to more droughts, leading to less power…Yeah, you’ve got it figured out.
So, where do we go from here? How do we break the cycle? Well, if the problem is viewed as a mathematical formula, simply removing or altering one of the variables is an effective way to change the outcome. Building new solar and wind power plants would counter the new growth of carbon in the atmosphere, but another option is to combine solar power with the process of Desalinization.ii
Viewed by many as an unnecessary expense before the reality of Global Warming (lets call it what it is, folks), this concept holds a strong promise of slashing the strain on our water systems; after all, if the ocean is rising, taking water from it seems like a good start to solving the problem. Using ocean water will cut back on the demands of rivers and lakes, allowing both ecosystems and energy production to thrive.
Most important, is the old standby; conserving what we already have. Stop into most diners and, like clockwork, you’ll be given a glass of water and then asked if you want anything to drink! Why? Water should be an option, not handed to you without your request. Public and private facilities should install more efficient restroom devices. The re-use of “grey” water - soaped up, maybe, but not seriously polluted - to water plants would save fresh water for consumption. Sure, the grass might bubble when it rains, but that’s just a sign of progress!iii These ideas, and dozens of others, are things which can be done today to prevent the need for more drastic measures and the consequences of more damaging problems in the future.
Like it or not, it’s a warming world out there; time to do something about it.
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i. Weiss, Mitch. “Southern drought could shut down nuclear plants.” - US Today
ii. “Solar Thermal Desalination Systems.” - One of many projects under consideration in Solar Desalinization
iii. The actual recycling of grey water is a more complex process than indicated; but, in truth it is very easily performed.
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