California water - too little, too late...

 

 

"Is it possible to have this much water and still be thirsty?"

We have been reading quite a bit as of late about the dire straights California is in. That is, unless you are one of the rich and famous. Those folks appear to be doing quite well (thank you) in the midst of one of the longest droughts California has experienced in modern times. But guess what? It is not just California. They are just the first up. Many other states have water problems in their future.
 

 As far as water is concerned, it is time to separate fact from fiction. First off as we all learned in high school, the surface of this planet is mostly water. 71% to be exact, with over 95% of that being sea water. As it currently exists, this huge amount of water is unusable to humans. However for decades now, we have had the technology to change sea water into fresh water, and then fresh water into potable water. Simply put, baring a catastrophic event of a biblical magnitude, the Earth should never run out of water.

I have addressed the state of our aquifers before. Like any other resource, there is a beginning and an end. The aquifers do regenerate, however the rate of replenishment is nowhere near the rate of depletion. Until we come to grips with this problem, we will continue to see shallow wells running dry, lakes shrinking, and massive sink holes appearing. This is a problem which does not need to happen. Even the "City of Lakes" has aquifers which are starting to shrink.

With the desert southwest, did I mention the word "desert"? They have been living on borrowed time and a whole lot of luck. The sources of renewable water in the southwest are very limited - when those sources do not produce, and the growth rate continues to be over 3%, well, we can all do the math.

However, right next to the desert southwest is the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. We will soon find out that fresh water is a commodity with a value similar to gold or oil. Without fresh water, a country has very limited potential and opportunity. With abundant fresh water, which can also be turned into potable water, a country has the opportunity to thrive.

My belief is in the near future we will see many initiatives to conserve and find new sources of water. There is no easy of cheap way out. In fact in California, we are way, way too late to this party. Because of inexcusable procrastination with coming up with a more permanent water solution, California has a very tough road ahead.
 

Water, like oil, is abundant in America. We have three shores that border oceans. We can have enough water to never, ever worry about the effects of drought on our food supply again. We have enough water to populate the desert southwest to our heart's content. All it takes for this to happen is national will. We have the knowhow, we just need the will.

 

We need to keep our eye on California and learn from their mistakes. From their procrastination. It is not too late for other states who are not on the cusp. Those who are on he cusp, buckle up. Tough times a coming.